Freezing rain warnings in place for most of the Maritimes Monday

Freezing rain in the south and snow in northern parts of the Maritimes have sparked weather warnings.

Most of the Maritimes is under special weather warnings as freezing rain and high winds are expected Monday.

Nova Scotia

A freezing rain warning is in effect for all of Nova Scotia.

The province is expected to see a total of four to eight millimetres of freezing rain spanning four to six hours.

The freezing rain is expected to change over to rain as temperatures rise above zero.

Environment Canada warns roads and walkways will likely become slippery and icy.

A rainfall warning is in place for the eastern side of the province, from Yarmouth to Guysborough counties.

Rainfall is expected early in the afternoon over western regions and in the east during the evening with amounts reaching 25 to 40 millimetres.

Environment Canada is warning of the possibility of localized flooding in areas with poor drainage.

Inverness County is under a Les Suetes wind warning. Maximum wind gusts in that area are expected to reach 140 km/h beginning overnight Monday before diminishing Tuesday morning.

New Brunswick

A freezing rain warning is also in place for much of New Brunswick.

The province is expected to see five to 10 millimetres of freezing rain over four to eight hours.

Freezing rain is expected to change to rain in the afternoon or evening as temperatures rise, but Environment Canada says there will also be a period of snow and ice pellets.

“We have crews working in all areas of the province who are ready and available to respond as necessary,” said a spokesperson for NB Power.

Environment Canada also warns of impacts during rush hour traffic as roads and walkways will likely become icy and slippery.

A spokesperson for the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization is advising residents to stay off the roads if possible.

“The roads are always the concern certainly at the start of these kinds of weather events. The combination of rain, freezing rain, and snow can certainly make for dangerous conditions,” said Geoffrey Downey.

“So one of the things we like to talk about at this time is driving safety, preferably stay off the roads. We know this is a busy time of year, people are doing lots of traveling and they feel a great need to get to places and see people, but if at all possible, stay off the roads and wait for better conditions.”

Saint John Public Works and Transportation commissioner Michael Hugenholtz says crews are salting hills and intersections, as well as sidewalks and streets.

“We had some early storms that tested us a little bit, but in terms of our equipment readiness we’re in better shape than we were last year,” he said.

Grand Manan and coastal Charlotte County are not under a freezing rain warning, but a rainfall warning is in place for those areas instead with 25 to 35 millimetres of rain between the afternoon and evening.

Prince Edward Island

A freezing rain warning is in effect for P.E.I.

The island is expected to get two to four millimetres of freezing rain over four hours beginning in the evening.