Halifax to get much sought-after snow from the latest winter storm
Parts of Atlantic Canada have only seen a tiny fraction of their normal snowfall so far this winter. An approaching storm will help end that streak.
A wintry system is in the works to end the week across parts of Atlantic Canada.
This brewing storm will slide up the East Coast on Friday and Saturday, bringing a modest blanket of snow to parts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
These won't be blockbuster snowfall totals by any means. But it could be the largest snowfall of the season in Halifax, potentially putting a dent in the historic snow drought that’s befallen the region so far this winter.
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We’re watching the Gulf of Maine for the re-development of a low-pressure system at the end of the week. This system will scrape south of the Maritimes and Newfoundland on Friday and Saturday, producing a swath of heavy snow near the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.
The system’s band of heaviest snow should remain just offshore, but close enough to the coast that communities near the ocean will see higher totals than those further inland.
Halifax is on track to potentially receive about 15 cm throughout the day on Friday. Heavier totals are expected closer to the southern coasts close to Yarmouth, where a potential 15-20 cm may fall by the end of the system.
It’s been a truly historic snow drought in Halifax these past couple of months.
Observers at the Halifax Airport have only recorded 6 cm of snow so far, a seasonal total practically unheard of for this late into January. Halifax would have typically measured about 90 cm of snow by this point in a normal winter.
If the forecast pans out, Halifax could easily double or triple their seasonal total by this weekend.
The low will then track south of Newfoundland Saturday, bringing accumulating snow to the Avalon Peninsula Friday night through pre-dawn Sunday. There is some uncertainty surrounding how much snow can be expected, but folks in and around St. John’s are on track to pick up 20-30 cm of snow to start the weekend.
While it’s not a huge snowstorm by any stretch, it’s a big deal for a part of the country that’s been endlessly waiting for a decent snowfall.
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This season has been a tale of many winters across the Atlantic provinces. Folks in northern New Brunswick have seen repeated swaths of healthy snowfalls this season, while communities along parts of the Nova Scotian coast could practically count the snowflakes that have fallen this year.
Check back for the latest as this wintry system approaches Atlantic Canada.
