Heightened flood threat as prolonged heavy rain soaks parts of Atlantic Canada

Days of heavy, soaking rains have prompted warnings across parts of Atlantic Canada, as subtropical moisture streams north, and threatens as much as 75-120 mm of rain in the hardest hit areas through Saturday.

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At times, extreme rainfall rates of 10 to 15 mm per hour may hit some locations, with the threat for localized flooding, dangerous road conditions and scattered power outages on the table.

By Friday night, the rain will turn to snow for some areas, though with less confidence in exact snowfall amounts and location. Currently, the risk for 10-20 cm of snow is there across parts of western New Brunswick.

Thursday through Saturday: Flood threat with days of heavy rain

Bands of heavy rain will continue across the Maritimes in the days to come, as two moisture streams, one from the tropics and another from the Gulf of Mexico, collide over Atlantic Canada.

The rainfall, which becomes more widespread on Friday, will be persistent, and linger over the same region for several days.

The heaviest totals are expected near the Bay of Fundy and parts of southwestern Nova Scotia, where 50-120 mm may fall. In western Newfoundland, 60-80 mm is forecast into Saturday.

There's a heightened flood concern across Nova Scotia and southern New Brunswick, especially with unstable soils from recent rains and high moisture.

An important area to watch will be around the lower Saint John River. Due to ice jams and their unpredictable nature, it's hard to tell what the river levels will be like between Perth-Andover and Woodstock with this rainfall event.

River levels are forecast to reach a critical threshold around New Brunswick's Nashwaak and Durham Bridge in the coming days, so be sure to regularly check for public alerts and advisories if you are in this area.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), comparable systems have caused dangerous road conditions, including erosion of road shoulders and roads washed away by water.

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"Torrential rains can cause flash flooding and accumulation of water on roads," says ECCC in the warning. "Flooding is possible in places in the lowlands."

WATCH: Dramatic animation shows dangers of driving through floodwater

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Remember to never drive through flooded or washed-out roadways, as this could cause your vehicle to stall and put you in a dangerous situation.

The rain will be accompanied by blustery winds, as well, gusting between 60-90 km/h by early Saturday morning. For some, this could result in scattered power outages.

Risk of some significant snow as temperatures cool into Saturday

A band of significant snow is expected to develop on the back side of the storm, possibly impacting eastern Quebec and western New Brunswick for the start of Easter weekend.

Although exact snowfall totals are still uncertain, some higher elevations could near 15+ cm. The snow could be fall quite heavily as well, depending on how fast temperatures cool late Friday.

Conditions will remain blustery and cool, with yet another messy system eyeing the region for the middle of next week. Some wintry impacts could take aim at parts of the region once again.

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Be sure to check back for the latest updates across Eastern Canada this week.