Early-spring snowstorm to blanket northern New England, southern Canada
Following a swath of snow that jogged across southern Canada and far northern New England Friday night into early Saturday morning, AccuWeather forecasters expect a much more substantial blanket of snow to arrive by the beginning of this week.
Mild air and rain were in place across Ontario, Quebec and northern New England on Thursday. As colder air moved in, rain changed over to snow Friday night. By 2:00 a.m. EDT, the National Weather Service office in Caribou, Maine, had already recorded 1.2 inches of snow and flakes continued to fall. Generally, snowfall reports across northern Maine remained below 3 inches after snow let up Saturday morning.
After a brief break and some melting as temperatures climbed above freezing Saturday afternoon, another system will be gearing up to move toward the region. Like its predecessor, precipitation will begin as rain.
"Rain will start across much of Maine then transition over to snow by late in the afternoon and evening on Sunday," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards.
Even in southern Canada, precipitation is likely to start in the form of rain. However, since the colder air will move into Canada first, rain will change over to snow fairly quickly.
In addition, snow is expected to fall over a larger area than the storm to end the week.
"A swath of snow is expected from Quebec through northern New England Sunday into Monday morning," Richards said.
Snowfall from the Sunday to Monday storm is forecast to top what fell Friday night into early Saturday.
Several inches may fall on northern Maine with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 24 inches (60 centimeters) forecast for some of the Eastern Townships of Quebec.
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Snow oftentimes falls well into April and even early May in this area. For example, Caribou, Maine, averages 7.4 inches of snow in April. Even in May, 0.5 of an inch of snow falls on average, so snow at the end of March is not uncommon.
One to 3 inches (3-8 cm) of snow are forecast to fall on Quebec City, Quebec, from Sunday to Monday.
In addition to the snow, strong winds are also expected, particularly in Nova Scotia as the low pressure strengthens as it moves eastward. The snow and the wind will combine to cause travel disruptions.
By Monday night, high pressure will quickly build over the region. A clear sky, light wind and fresh snow on the ground are ideal conditions for temperatures to drop quickly. While temperatures in the single digits and teens will be below normal for the end of March, record lows are not expected.
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Warmer air will move in Tuesday and Wednesday and will help to melt some of the new snow. However, with low temperatures expected to drop well below freezing during the overnights, residents will need to watch for icy spots as snowmelt refreezes.
Colder air is expected to move in once again by Thursday, which may lead to another opportunity for snow as the calendar turns from March to April.
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