At a Glance

Low pressure off the U.S. East Coast will intensify this weekend.It is likely to become an intense bomb cyclone by Sunday near the Canadian Maritimes.Heavy snow, high winds and some coastal flooding are possible in parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.This may include parts of eastern Newfoundland, hard hit by a blizzard almost two weeks ago.

An Atlantic storm will spare the U.S. East Coast this weekend, but then will become the second bomb cyclone in two weeks in Atlantic Canada, bringing heavy snow and high winds to parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Almost two weeks ago, parts of eastern Newfoundland were buried by a , dumping a calendar-day record 76.2 centimeters (30 inches) of snow in St. John's.

The Canadian Armed Forces carried out for residents of St. John's, Newfoundnews.ca reported.

The city had at least 100 centimeters (more than 39 inches) of snow on the ground for , the longest such streak in 19 years and on record, according to local weather historian Rolf Campbell.

Navigating some city streets in the days after the blizzard was challenging.

But some local residents took the mammoth snow in stride, building , snow patios with fire pits, even a .

Now, there's another storm on the horizon this weekend.

Another Bomb Cyclone

Low pressure is developing off the U.S. East Coast.

Computer forecast models suggest this low will then track northeastward, but sufficiently away from the East Coast to bring little more than a light brush of rain or snow to parts of the East Coast.

(MAPS: 7-Day U.S. Rain/Snow Forecast)

By Sunday though, this low is forecast to become a near the Canadian Maritimes.

That means its central pressure is forecast to plunge by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours or less, an indication of an intense storm.

Low pressure will strengthen rapidly over the western Atlantic Ocean this weekend, becoming a bomb cyclone as it tracks over the Canadian Maritimes.

The majority of computer forecast models expect the bomb cyclone to pass near or along the southern coast of Nova Scotia into early Sunday, then cut across Newfoundland Sunday and Sunday night.

This is a subtle, but important track difference from the mid-January blizzard that hammered eastern Newfoundland. That mid-January low-pressure center tracked southeast of Newfoundland.

Therefore, we expect the zone of heaviest snow with this storm from southern and eastern Nova Scotia into western and central Newfoundland.

Snow-weary eastern Newfoundland, including St. John's, should also pick up some snow, but we're not expecting nearly as much snow as what buried the city two weeks ago.

Furthermore, given the low track, precipitation in St. John's will likely turn to rain for a time. This rain could lead to some flooding, as some of the snowpack melts, especially in areas where large snowbanks block storm drains.

Strong winds could lead to some power outages and coastal flooding, as well.

Precipitation should taper off and winds should gradually diminish in Newfoundland Monday.

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