Icy roads force many schools to close on unseasonably mild day
Slippery roads forced several schools to close across the province Wednesday.
All schools in the Anglophone West, Anglophone East and Anglophone North School Districts were closed.
Most schools in the Francophone South School District were closed with the exception of schools in Saint John and Quispamsis. Meanwhile, all schools in the Francophone North-West and Francophone North-East School Districts were also closed.
Environment Canada issued a freezing rain warning early Wednesday morning for most of the province.
But temperatures rose during the day, and the warning was lifted.
Although the day was unseasonably mild, Environment Canada warned that a cold front was moving in, and temperatures would drop below freezing overnight Wednesday.
Surfaces such as highways, roads, walkways and parking lots could become icy, slippery and hazardous.
Record-breaking temperatures
Kalin Mitchell, a CBC meteorologist, said some areas across the province would see record-breaking temperatures.
In the Saint John area, temperatures were expected to reach 16 C, which could surpass the city's record high of 13.3 C set in 1994. The record high in the Moncton area is 13 C, also set in 1994, but the forecast Wednesday was for a high of 14 C.
In Fredericton, temperatures could also reach 15 C, which would break the record of 12 C set in 1994.
In the Edmundston area, temperatures were predicted to settle in at 14 C, surpassing a record of 9 C in 1994.
But those temperatures will be short lived as a cold front will descend over the region on Wednesday evening, beginning in northwestern New Brunswick and tracking southeastward by Thursday morning.
"Behind this cold front temperatures will fall well below freezing which may lead to rapid freezing and the risk of black ice on untreated surfaces," the weather agency said.
New Brunswick forecast
Northern New Brunswick
Today: Cloudy with freezing rain in the morning. Rain, drizzle and fog is expected in the afternoon. Southwesterly winds will be travelling between 20 and 40 km/h. Temperatures will be between 10 and 14 C, with the exception of Campbellton and the Acadian Peninsula, where temperatures will be between 4 and 7 C.
Tonight: Cloudy with patchy fog and drizzle in the evening that will clear near midnight. Southwesterly winds will be gusting to 40 km/h and turning to become northwesterly late in the evening. Temperatures will drop to between –13 C and –8 C.
Thursday: Mainly sunny with northwesterly winds travelling at 10 to 20 km/h. Temperatures will reach a high of –4 C to –2 C.
Fredericton and area
Today: Cloudy with freezing rain turning to fog or drizzle early in the morning. Sunny breaks are expected with a few showers in the afternoon. Southwesterly wind will be be travelling at 20 to 40 km/h. Temperatures will reach a high near 15 C.
Tonight: Partly cloudy with a few showers in the evening, clearing near midnight. Southwesterly winds will be travelling at 20 km/h and gusting to 40 km/h, turning to northwesterly winds near midnight. Temperatures will be at a low near –8 C.
Thursday: Mainly sunny with northwesterly winds travelling between 10 km/h and 20 km/h. Temperatures will be near 0 C.
Southern New Brunswick
Today: Cloudy with freezing rain turning to showers early in the morning. Sunny breaks and a few showers in the afternoon. Southwesterly winds will be gusting from 20 km/h to 40 km/h. Temperatures will reach a high near 16 C.
Tonight: Cloudy with a few showers in the evening and clearing overnight. Southwesterly winds will be travelling at 20 km/h and gusting to 40 km/h and will turn to northwesterly winds overnight. Temperatures will drop to a low of –8 C to –5 C.
Thursday: Mainly sunny with northwesterly winds travelling at 10 to 20 km/h.
