Expect poor road conditions Friday from freezing rain
Keep an eye on CBC's Storm Centre for updated closure information
Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for all three P.E.I. counties ahead of what's expected to be a messy day on Friday.
Freezing rain warnings are issued when rain falling in sub-zero temperatures creates ice build-up and icy surfaces.
"Heading into the overnight hours [Thursday], we'll start to see snow mixing with ice pellets, initially over eastern areas then working west into Friday morning," said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland. Islanders should expect temperatures between –4 to –6 C with east-northeast winds from 20-40 km/h.
"Freezing rain is possible Friday morning for eastern Kings County with that risk working west through the afternoon and evening," Scotland said. "While all three counties are at risk for some freezing rain, the more significant risk is over central and eastern areas where four to eight plus hours is possible."
Scotland said eight to 15 centimetres of snow and ice pellet accumulation is possible, although 15 to 25 centimetres is possible over western Prince County, where temperatures will be a bit colder.
Afternoon temperatures Friday will be from 0 to –2 C and winds from the east-northeast 25-50 km/h.
"My main concerns include messy roads with the accumulation of snow and ice pellets [Thursday] through Friday morning followed by icy surfaces due to freezing rain through Friday afternoon and evening," Scotland said.
"Strong winds will also pick up Friday night, which may result in some blowing snow and potential outages as branches and power lines may be weighed down with snow and ice ahead of that wind."
Environment Canada warns that highways, roads, walkways and parking lots will become icy, slippery and hazardous, and ice buildup may cause tree branches to break.
Maritime Electric crews are keeping an eye on the weather and are ready to respond.
Environment Canada has issued a freezing rain warning for PEI for tomorrow (Feb. 7). We're keeping an eye on the weather and are ready to respond if needed. Stay safe and if you need us, please call 1-800-670-1012 or visit <a href="https://t.co/7QRVZtWsM5">https://t.co/7QRVZtWsM5</a>. <a href="https://t.co/7WGBnnbRXv">pic.twitter.com/7WGBnnbRXv</a>
—@MECLPEICharlottetown Airport issued a travel alert for Friday, advising weather could cause delays and cancellations, and urging travellers to check the status of their flights.
‼️A travel alert has been issued for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YYG?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YYG</a> for Friday, February 7. ‼️<br><br>Travellers could expect delays and cancellations. Please visit your airline's website to re-book and/or to check on flight status.
—@flyYYG