P.E.I. could see 1st significant snowfall of the season to end the week

Islanders may want to dig their shovels out of storage, with Environment Canada predicting snow to end the week.

The agency issued a special weather statement for all three P.E.I. counties Wednesday, warning of snowfall Thursday night into Friday morning as temperatures drop below the freezing mark.

"Precipitation may begin as rain for some areas, but will transition to snow as temperatures drop below the freezing mark Thursday night," the special weather statement reads.

"Travel could become difficult with accumulating snow during the overnight hours. If you must travel, be prepared for delays and allow extra time to reach your destination.Motorists should be prepared for winter driving conditions."

The weather agency warns snowfall could exceed 10 centimetres in some areas.

"This is a tricky one as the temperature will be relatively mild, which means there will be mixing with rain and melting," said CBC meteorologist Jay Scotland.

"It looks like the heaviest snow potential is for areas up west, and also over higher terrain where there is the potential for 10-15 cm of slushy accumulation by early Friday morning, withlocal amounts near 20 cm possible for some areas."

Scotland said other areas of the Island will see around 5-10 cm of slushy snow, with less falling on coastal areas, where the temperature will be milder. He expects the snow to switch to rain later Friday morning, with higher temperatures meaning the snowfall won't lastlong.