#cbcmar Behind Sundays messy mix of snow, ice pellets, and rain we find ourselves in some blustery and very cold westerly winds. These winds are tapping into much colder air in Quebec and Ontario and moving it into the Maritimes. Moosonee (near James Bay) is currently reporting temperatures below -30 and even in southern Ontario and southern Quebec current temperatures are well below -10. The leading edge of the cold has already reached northern New Brunswick, where as I type this, temperatures have already cooled to near -10. The only holdouts for temperatures on the plus side of the scale are areas in PEI, Nova Scotia, and along the Bay of Fundy coastline in New Brunswick though by 5 pm tonight I expect everyone to be below freezing. This has the potential to create icy spots on the roads, side walks, and walking paths. The risk of ice will be enhanced by the dramatic swing in temperatures we are in the middle of experiencing. To give you an idea of how potent the change will be Ive done a quick breakdown across the region. Northern New Brunswick, that near 6 am had temperatures of -2 to -4, can expect to be in the range of -15 to -18 by 6 pm. Fredericton and Miramichi had temperatures of -1 to -3 near 6 am, but will be in the range of -10 to -13 by 6 pm. Saint John and Moncton had mild temperatures of 4 and 2 respectively at 6 am this morning. By 6 pm I estimate that they will be seeing temperatures close to -10. In Prince Edward Island this morning at 6 am temperatures were in a general range of 0 to 4 degrees. By 6 pm tonight however I expect temperatures will have fallen for most into a range of -6 to -8. For Nova Scotia the South Shore and Annapolis Valley had temperatures of 6 to 8 degrees at 6 am this morning. By 6 pm those areas will be down to a range of -6 to -3. Halifax and the HRM started the day with temperatures close to 8 degrees at 6 am. By 6 pm those will likely be down to -6 to -4. The North/East Shores of the mainland were around 6 to 8 degrees at 6 am, but will be down between -10 and -4 by 6 pm with the coldest being in Cumberland/Colchester Co north of the Cobequid Pass. Finally in Cape Breton at 6 am this morning temperatures ranged between 4 and 8 degrees. By 6 pm this evening I estimate that the island will have seen temperatures fall in the range of -4 to -2. In most cases were are talking about temperature drops that average out to 1 degree or more an hour between 6 am and 6 pm. Lows tonight will reach well into the minus teens for Nova Scotia and PEI and well into the minus 20s (if not closer to -30 for some) in New Brunswick. As the blustery west winds continue there will also be a significant wind chill factor to consider. Ive posted a map with some wind chill estimates around the Maritimes for midnight, tonight. Note that northern New Brunswick will see wind chill values drop into the range where frostbite can occur in as little as 10 to 30 minutes on exposed skin. Extreme Cold Warnings are in place by Environment Canada for much of New Brunswick north of Fredericton. In the warnings they have also posted some cold related symptoms and clothing advice. Ive copied and pasted that information here but highly recommend that you visit weather.gc.ca and read the warnings posted for your areas yourself. Watch for cold related symptoms and complaints which include: - Respiratory: shortness of breath, wheezing and cough - Cardiovascular: chest pain and arrhythmias - Circulation: colour change of finger and toes, pain, numbness and tickling sensation in extremities - Muscle: pain, stiffness, swelling, restricted movement, weakness - Skin: itching, pale. If you experience these symptoms when exposed to the cold, move indoors and begin warming. Wear appropriate clothing. - Always wear clothing appropriate for the weather. Synthetic and wool fabrics provide better insulation. Some synthetic fabrics are designed to keep perspiration away from your body which keep you dry and further reduce your risk. - Dress in layers with a wind resistant outer layer. You can remove layers if you get too warm (before you start sweating) or add a layer if you get cold. - Wear warm socks, gloves, a hat and scarf in cold weather. Be sure to cover your nose to protect it. - If you get wet, change into dry clothing as soon as possible. You lose heat faster when youre wet. Looks like a chance for at least 2 systems to bring some snow to parts of the Maritimes this week. One on Wednesday and a second arriving on Friday. Im working on that in my forecast now and will have updates for you on facebook/kalinCBC, twitter @kalinCBC, and on the evening news. Take care and stay warm.
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 17:21:28 +0000
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