New Brunswickers wishing for a white Christmas are in luck, while those hoping for easy Christmas Eve travels may be out of it.

A storm forecast to bring as much as 15 centimetres of snow to southern areas of the province is expected to hit early Tuesday morning and last throughout the day.

CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin said the system will be coming from the northwest and tracking through the province over a 12-hour period, wrapping up Tuesday evening in the south.

While the snow will be dry, it will be accompanied by wind gusts of 50 km/h, which could make driving more difficult.

"It is manageable on the roads if there's not a lot of people out there," said Simpkin.

"Do expect if you're going to be having to get out on the roads tomorrow afternoon to use caution. It definitely will be slippery."

Simpkin said people in southern New Brunswick should plan on an early start if they want to avoid the mess, while people in the north should hold off on travel until the late afternoon.

Special weather statement

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for southern New Brunswick.

The department has highlighted the "unusual uncertainty in the amount of snowfall accumulation expected with this system."

"It is likely that snowfall warnings will be issued later today for parts of southern New Brunswick," said Environment Canada.