The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Nor’easter to bring snow on Thursday
A “powerful nor'easter” is going to hit Nova Scotia Thursday, likely dumping as much as 20 centimetres of snow in the southwestern and western areas of the province.
Cindy Day, chief meteorologist for Saltwire Network, said the Halifax area will see between 10 and 12 centimetres, while more northern areas will see five to 10 and Cape Breton will see less than five centimetres.
“Right now, the nor'easter sits just off of Cape Hattaras, N.C.,” Day said just before noon on Wednesday. “It's expected to make its way to Cape Cod by about noon (Thursday) and then by Friday morning, it should be south of Sable and then tracking south, southeastward after that.”
But the centre of the storm is not the focus. That's not going to make landfall, Day said. It's really all about the cold air and moisture behind the system as it stays offshore.
“The cold air funneling in from that arctic high over central Quebec is going to feed cold air into that moisture and that's going to translate into snow,” she said.
“The earliest precipitation will be happening in the southwest corner of Nova Scotia at about sunrise (Thursday) and then Halifax, I would say, will see some snow developing just before the noon hour – 11 o'clock or so.”
Prince Edward Island will see just a brush of snow, less than five centimetres.
“For Cape Breton, it's a late afternoon, evening and overnight event, but not a big event,” Day said, adding that there is a chance eastern Cape Breton will see a changeover to rain showers Friday morning.
Newfoundland and Labrador will be spared the snow, with the system forecast to only bring some wind.
Day said snowfall estimates will see 15 to 20 centimetres in the western and southwestern regions of Nova Scotia, such as Digby, Yarmouth, Annapolis Royal, and as far as Liverpool.
Wind gusts from the northeast will hit 70 kilometres an hour from Yarmouth to Shelburne and along the South Shore. Halifax will see gusts in the 50 to 60 km/h range. For the northern mainland and Cape Breton, the gusts will reach between 40 and 50 km/h.
“The system is called a nor'easter because of the wind direction ahead of the storm,” Day said. “A lot of people think it's not coming from the northeast, it's coming from the south and southwest, but it's the counterclockwise wind around the low that brings that northeasterly flow. … So the wind will be from the northeast for everyone.”
Day said snow should let up in the Halifax area from midnight to 2 or 3 a.m., tapering to flurries.
“Some of the strong winds and the more powerful snow squalls will develop Friday, midday, behind the system. So, you're going to have that northeast wind that'll become a little more northerly behind the system and that onshore wind could trigger some spotty snow squalls. But the system itself, for Halifax, will wrap up very, very early Friday morning and then we'll see a few streamers or snow squalls filling in behind the system.”
Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for portions of mainland Nova Scotia, particularly inland areas, and advised motorists to beware of deteriorating road conditions and the potential for “a significant impact on rush hour traffic in urban areas.”
Motorists on the mainland, especially in western regions and through the Valley, should expect very poor visibility, getting worse as the afternoon goes on and “quite awful through the evening.”
“The meteorologists in the U.S. are saying this could be the most powerful snowstorm to hit the eastern seaboard in many years,” Day said, adding that 30 cm of snow is expected in Boston and New York City with upwards of 61 million people affected.
Klara Needler, spokeswoman for HRM, said in an email that crews began applying salt and brine to roads and walkways on Wednesday in anticipation of the storm.
“Those walking, cycling and driving are reminded to exercise caution as winter conditions may be present,” she said.
There were no plans as of Wednesday to open warming centres for the storm, but Needler said “the municipality will continue to monitor the weather system and will determine the need for warming centres once more accurate storm details become available.”