Widespread variation in New Brunswick snowfall totals

A winter system that moved through New Brunswick from Sunday night into Tuesday morning left a sharp contrast in snowfall totals across the province.

Environment Canada meteorologist Jim Prime said the highest amounts were found in the southern and eastern regions.

He explained that a narrow band of snow stayed over Saint John, St. Andrews, Sussex and areas just south of Moncton for much of Monday, which led to higher totals in those communities.

Prime reported that many locations in those areas were close to 25 centimetres, with a few slightly above that.

Eastern parts of the province also saw totals in the 15 to 25 centimetre range.

Amounts dropped off quickly farther north.

Prime noted that the Fredericton region received 10 to 15 centimetres, while northern areas saw 5 to 10 centimetres as the system weakened before moving out.

He added that the snow was light and fluffy, which made measurements more difficult because the winds were blowing it around.

Drifting created deeper piles in some areas and much lower amounts in others, making it harder to determine exactly how much fell before the snow started to move, according to Prime.

Prime said colder temperatures will keep the snow on the ground, and no significant warm‑up is expected until next week.