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Sunday could be 'a wintry mess' of a day on P.E.I.

Sunday will bring Prince Edward Island everything winter has to offer, according to a special weather statement issued by Environment Canada.

On Thursday, CBC meteorologists Jay Scotland and Tina Simpkin said current forecasts show the Island could get hit particularly hard.

The heaviest of the snow looks to fall north of the storm's track where amounts over 30 centimetres are possible on P.E.I., according to an Environment Canada weather statement.

Cole Burston /Canadian Press
Cole Burston /Canadian Press

Scotland says the heaviest snow is most likely to fall over central and northern New Brunswick, but a significant amount is still likely to fall here on the Island as well.

To the south, rainfall amounts over 50 millimetres are also possible, he said, with the biggest risk area for heavy rain being Nova Scotia.

Here on P.E.I., however, "we're likely to see a wintry mess with snow arriving Sunday changing to freezing rain then rain Sunday night into Monday as temperatures climb due to strong southerly winds," he said.

Heavy snow followed by a significant amount of rain sees the risk for localized flooding, Scotland said.

We're likely to see a wintry mess with snow arriving Sunday changing to freezing rain then rain Sunday night into Monday. — Jay Scotland

With the possibility of some freezing rain Sunday night, roads and sidewalks may become slippery and local power outages are also possible due to very strong winds — as ice may build up on branches and power lines, he said.

While it's still too early to forecast exact amounts of snow, rain and ice, Scotland said that this storm looks to have more than enough precipitation to impact travel on the Island and across the Maritimes.

'Rocky weekend' ahead, Simpkin says.

"It's going to be a little bit of a rocky weekend," Simpkin said Thursday morning.

"I think the Island is one of the regions that is most vulnerable with this system because we're going to be on the cusp of that rain/snow line where we could see, some areas of the Island, prolonged periods of freezing rain while the other half of the Island is getting all snow."

In whatever form it falls there will be a lot of precipitation. Strong winds are also forecast.

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