Atlantic Canada expecting pre-Christmas heat wave and rain

Maritimers will be getting unseasonably warm and wet weather in the days leading up to Christmas, with temperatures climbing into the teens and up to 30 millimetres of rain in some areas.

Environment Canada says Nova Scotia and New Brunswick will feel the strongest effects of the warm system moving towards the region, and temperatures could climb into the high teens on Friday and Saturday.

The warm spell should offer a welcome respite from the cold, snowy days the region has been experiencing lately, says meteorologist Ian Hubbard.

“Unless you’re a skier or you really love the winter, but you can’t please everybody,” he said.

READ: Winter weather forecast: What Canadians can expect from coast to coast

The warm air mass approaching from the Gulf of Mexico should affect the whole region by Saturday, bringing unseasonably warm air and rain across the Maritimes as well as Newfoundland.

In P.E.I., temperatures may also climb into double digits, while the island of Newfoundland will see temperatures rise above zero.

Snow is expected to melt given warmth and rain, but Environment Canada couldn’t predict whether flooding is a possibility in areas with heavy rainfall.

The drizzly break from snow and cold should peak over the weekend with sunny skies expected by Christmas and Boxing Day.

Hubbard says the rain should clear away by Monday and the return to seasonable temperatures by Christmas means the weather likely won’t put a dent in travellers’ holiday schedules.

“It doesn’t look at this point like the weather will be playing any major factors into anybody’s plans,” said Hubbard.

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Current forecasts suggest a sunny and clear Christmas but Hubbard advises that people keep an eye on updated forecasts.