A wintry mix of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain is tracking eastward over Atlantic Canada today, with forecasters warning the low pressure system could interrupt holiday travel and threaten power lines.

Environment Canada has issued weather alerts warning of potentially icy roads, slippery sidewalks, heavy rain and strong winds across much of the region.

Most of New Brunswick is blanketed by freezing rain warnings while special weather statements in Nova Scotia and P.E.I. indicate snow will change over to ice pellets, freezing rain and rain before diminishing to scattered showers Saturday morning.

6pm radar update: just measured 5cm (4mm water equiv). Icy mix and rain now showing up in SW NB & SW NS. Even if I get another 5cm, I expect the rain & mild temps will melt my snow here in Halifax. Not going to shovel tonight... <a href="https://t.co/q137UYwVWh">pic.twitter.com/q137UYwVWh</a> —@YHZweatherguy

Newfoundland is under multiple blowing snow advisories while a Wreckhouse wind warning is in effect for the extreme southwestern tip of the province, with gusts expected to reach 100 km/h overnight.

Linda Libby, a meteorologist with the federal forecasting service, said the weather will be messy and create challenging travel conditions.

"It's not the worst storm we'll have all winter, but it's certainly one that will be tricky," she said.

Several flights arriving and departing from Halifax Stanfield International Airport have been delayed, while a couple others have been cancelled.

Cancellation - Please be advised the following sailings have been cancelled due to weather:<br>Friday, December 28, 2018<br>Departing Digby, NS @ 17:00<br>Saturday, December 29, 2018<br>Departing Saint John, NB @ 8:00 —@BayFerries

Airport spokesperson Theresa Rath Spicer said travellers need to plan ahead.

"We would ask that they leave lots of time to travel on the roads ... and also to ensure that they have adequate time to check in and to proceed through security."

Bay Ferries has also cancelled crossings Friday evening and Saturday morning between Digby and Saint John, N.B.

Drivers told to slow down

Halifax District RCMP has dealt with about 10 collisions today due to the messy road conditions. Most have been minor fender-benders, a spokesperson said, adding that there have so far been no serious accidents.

Halifax Regional Police, meanwhile, said officers have been busy responding to about 20 collisions.

"We want to remind drivers to slow down and to keep your distance from the vehicle that's in front of you. It does take longer to stop on a slippery road so please slow down — and be on the look out for pedestrians," said Melissa MacInnis, communications adviser with HRP.

Libby said the duration of the freezing rain, which could hover over parts of the Maritimes for several hours, may cause some infrastructure damage.

In Halifax, where snow and ice pellets are expected to change over to rain as temperatures rise above freezing overnight, the municipality said it will enforce the overnight winter parking ban "to allow crews to properly clear the streets and sidewalks."

Nova Scotia Power not expecting significant outages

As of 2:35 p.m., there were only a handful of customers affected by power outages in New Brunswick, P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador. In Nova Scotia, roughly 2,450 homes and businesses remained without power, down from 12,700 earlier in the day.

Sherri Woodland-Farmer, the manager of customer communications for Nova Scotia Power, said significant outages aren't expected.

"This is a very typical storm with, luckily, warmer temperatures that would reduce any impact likely to our power lines, so we have crews in our depots, as always, on standby, on call, to respond should outages occur," she said.