The first weekend of spring will see the region’s worst winter storm deliver heavy snow
As Woodstock and Carleton County head into its first weekend of spring, they appear destined to experience the first real taste of winter.
Environment Canada’s forecast predicts 30 to 50 cm of snow will hit the region starting Saturday afternoon, March 23.
“It’ll be the biggest snowfall of the season,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Jill Maepea.
While New Brunswick, for the most part, escaped the significant winter storms that blasted Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador this winter, the good fortune will run out this weekend for residents of central and northern New Brunswick.
Maepea said the storm will deliver mixed precipitation across New Brunswick, with central and northern New Brunswick seeing significant snowfall. She said areas south of Fredericton should see mostly rain, with the capital city experiencing a mix of snow, rain, freezing rain and ice pellets.
“Woodstock will see predominantly snow,” she said, adding the region may experience some freezing rain and ice pellets.
Maepea said Carleton County residents should expect the snow to begin Saturday afternoon, with the heaviest snowfall Saturday evening. Forecasts indicate the snow will end early Sunday morning, followed by sunshine by Sunday afternoon.
Maepea said the storm should pass through the area relatively quickly.
On a positive weather note, Maepea doesn’t expect wind to be an issue with the weekend storm, except possibly along the Bay of Fundy.
While late in the season, she said March storms “are not out of the ordinary” for New Brunswick. She joked that Woodstock is getting the proverbial St. Patrick’s Day storm a week late.
Maepea said long-range forecasts predict more precipitation heading towards New Brunswick by Wednesday, March 27, but it’s still too early to forecast the type, amounts, and affected areas.
