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Wednesday 26 March 2014

Powerful Atlantic Ocean storm pounds Maritimes

Sea Dog Pub on Nantucket this morning. It is being battered by hurricane force winds and heavy snow. This weather is moving into Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. (Weather Nation Twitter Photo)
Montreal and most of Quebec remain on the periphery of a powerful ocean storm this morning. Montreal can expect a cold north wind up to 40km/h as well as some high cirrus clouds but nothing more. This classic Nor'Easter has undergone significant strengthening overnight bombing out, that is dropping 24mb of pressure in 24 hours. Actually it has deepened by 15mb in the last three hours alone. It is a classic storm, very strong for this time of year with winds approaching hurricane force along the coast of Massachusetts this morning.

Water vapor image of this classic ocean storm with a central pressure as low as 955mb forecast. (NOAA)
Most of the snow associated with this storm is occurring along the coast and offshore as far as New England is concerned. It is a different story in the Maritimes where blizzard warnings are up for all of Nova Scotia, PEI and portions of southern and eastern New Brunswick. The Gaspe region and Lower North Shore will have heavy snow and strong winds as well. Accumulations across Eastern Canada will range form 25-50cm (10-20 inches). Combined with the snow will be winds in the 100km/h range possibly as high as 150km/h over Cape Breton and then into coastal Newfoundland. Already this morning we are seeing wind reports up to 60-70 mph in coastal New England including Nantucket and Cape Cod. Needless to say travel disruptions, school closing and power outages are being reported across that region as well as into Atlantic Canada. Winds will increase dramatically in Nova Scotia over the next few hours.

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