Nova Scotians are heading into a stretch of dangerous winter weather, with bitter wind chills settling in through the weekend followed by a long-lasting snowfall beginning late Sunday.
Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard says the cold is the first concern, with temperatures dropping sharply across the province. He said this will be “a cold weekend across the province,” with wind chills dipping very low through Saturday and Sunday morning.
Cold warnings are already in effect for parts of Colchester and Cumberland counties, and Hubbard says those could expand eastward into Pictou, Antigonish, and possibly Cape Breton. Even areas that don’t receive official alerts should still expect wind chills around minus 25, and some communities in the north could be closer to minus 30 by early Saturday.
Winter storm watches have also been issued for western Nova Scotia calling for up to 30 centimetres of snowfall between Sunday and Tuesday.
The cold could strain electrical demand and lead to issues like frozen pipes, ruptured water lines, and related fire calls, especially during the overnight hours when temperatures will be at their lowest.
Late Sunday night, a large U.S. storm system will begin spreading snow into southwestern Nova Scotia before moving across the province through Monday. Hubbard says it will be a slow-moving weather event, noting that once snow arrives, “it’s going to be snowing right through overnight Sunday into Monday, and probably continuing into Tuesday morning for many areas.” Early estimates suggest snowfall amounts in the 15 to 20 centimetre range for most regions, though some areas could see a bit more depending on how the storm tracks.
Because temperatures will remain well below freezing, Hubbard says the system will bring lighter, fluffier snow than the heavy, wet accumulation seen during last week’s storm. He explained that with colder air, the snow is “lighter, drier, and fluffier” and holds far less moisture, meaning it should be easier to move and less likely to cause widespread power outages. However, the lighter snow will blow around easily, reducing visibility and creating drifting on exposed roads.
Snow and blowing snow may linger in eastern Nova Scotia early Tuesday, but conditions are expected to gradually improve later in the day.
Environment Canada will continue to update the forecast throughout the weekend as snowfall amounts and timing become clearer.
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