New Brunswick

Christmas Eve storm to bring up to 40 cm of snow to N.B.

Last-minute shoppers will have to fight more than just the crowds if they plan on heading out Christmas Eve throughout New Brunswick.

Warnings and watches issued for southern areas of province

Vehicle with snow on windshield.
A Christmas Eve storm will bring up to 40 cm of snow to New Brunswick, impacting travel plans for many. (Shane Ross/CBC)

Last-minute shoppers will have to fight more than just the crowds if they plan on heading out Christmas Eve throughout New Brunswick.

A storm is bringing as much as 40 centimetres of snow to higher-terrain areas of the province, according to Environment Canada.

The weather service has issued snowfall warnings for the Fundy coast, interior Charlotte County and the Sussex area. Those areas can expect 15-25 centimetres.

A special weather statement has also been issued for other areas of southern New Brunswick, including Fredericton and Moncton, where up to 15 centimetres can be expected.

CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin said temperatures should remain below zero, except for areas right along the coast, where the snow could be mixed with rain later in the day.

"The snow will be persistent for the morning, you may see some lulls mid-morning into the afternoon, but there's more snow where that came from," said Simpkin.

Storm tracking south

The storm will make its way south throughout the day, with some northern areas only seeing a light snowfall.

The storm will likely make for some torturous driving throughout the day in many areas.

According to 511, the province's road condition service, roads throughout southwestern New Brunswick are listed as snow covered.

Simpkin said people in northern New Brunswick, from Perth-Andover to the Acadian Peninsula, are probably safe to go on the roads now, but people in the south may want to hold off.

She said the wind doesn't appear to be an issue, which should help out road crews.

"At least once they clear it, it's not going to be 10 minutes later having to clear the same area," said Simpkin.