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Special weather statement forecasts 'intense winter storm'

It took Islanders days to clean up from both January storms.  (Jane Robertson/CBC - image credit)
It took Islanders days to clean up from both January storms. (Jane Robertson/CBC - image credit)

Another weekend storm is on the way for Prince Edward Island.

Environment Canada issued a special weather statement for all three counties in the province Wednesday morning.

The statement said Environment Canada is monitoring what is expected to be a "very intense winter storm" that would have impact on Saturday into Sunday.

"Another nor'easter looks to move through the region but exactly what and how much of it falls is still a bit uncertain. The latest guidance does show all of P.E.I. seeing heavy snow Saturday afternoon, later transitioning to an icy mix (freezing rain/ice pellets) and then rain for eastern areas Saturday night," said CBC P.E.I. meteorologist Jay Scotland.

Scotland said the potential for a "mixed bag" of precipitation makes it tricky to forecast when it is still a few days away.

Jay Scotland/CBC
Jay Scotland/CBC

"That being said, it does look like western P.E.I. has the highest potential to see snowfall amounts of 20 to 30 centimetres or more, with eastern areas at a higher risk for more icy precipitation and rain. Strong northeast to northwest winds should also be expected Saturday afternoon through Sunday morning."

Scotland said the track of the storm is key and any change in its projected path will have a big influence on the outcome.

"For now, Islanders should be prepared for a messy mix of precipitation including heavy snow, ice pellets and freezing rain. We should also be prepared for potential outages, elevated water levels and pounding surf conditions due to strong winds."

This would be the third weekend storm this January.

The first came in on Jan. 8 with high winds and snow, causing power outages in the province.

The next weekend, the storm was even more intense. It knocked out power, left drivers stranded and took days of cleanup efforts.