Messy travel weather expected in the Maritimes through Saturday

A pair of weather systems tracking into the Maritimes over the next few days is bringing a messy mix of snow, ice pellets, freezing rain and rain.

Folks should be prepared for slick conditions, especially untreated roads and surfaces.

Here's a timeline of what you can expect and when.

The first system arrived from southwest to northeast through Thursday night and Friday.

Precipitation began as rain. But as temperatures dropped overnight and into Friday morning, rain was mixed with freezing rain across northern areas of Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick and P.E.I. 

An extended period of freezing rain is possible across this region and a buildup of ice may create some slippery conditions. Snowfall warnings and freezing rain warnings are in effect across the central Maritimes.

Temperatures will continue to cool throughout the day on Friday, and that will trigger this area of freezing rain to transition over to a mix of ice pellets and snow.

Snowfall amounts will be heaviest across southeastern New Brunswick and P.E.I., where 10 centimetres to 20 centimetres is expected by Saturday morning. 

The snow, with mixing along the Atlantic coast, will depart from west to east through Friday night with just some lingering flurries and showers hanging on into Saturday morning.

Our next system will roll in from west to east throughout the day on Saturday.

While some uncertainty remains, it appears this system will bring mostly snow, with some rain mixing in for southwestern Nova Scotia and along the Fundy coast of New Brunswick.

The heaviest snowfall amounts of five centimetres to 10 centimetres are looking most likely across the eastern half of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton by Sunday morning. Elsewhere, generally amounts of two centimetres to five centimetres are expected.

The system will depart through Saturday night with much quieter weather setting up for Sunday and into the new year.