Eastern N.S. set to take the brunt of incoming winter storm

For the third straight week, a winter storm is heading for Nova Scotia — with widespread snow, strong winds and some coastal impacts.

The storm is expected to move into the region Sunday afternoon and intensify overnight, bringing snow and gusty winds across the province into Monday.

Updated forecast models show the storm is now on track to hit farther east than previously expected, with the eastern mainland and Cape Breton set to get most of the snow.

The latest guidance now suggests Nova Scotia will see a variable snowfall, ranging from five to 10 centimetres in the northwest to 20 to 30 centimetres in eastern areas.

For areas sandwiched in between, including the Halifax area, there will be a sharp gradient, with snowfall amounts ranging from 10 to 20 centimetres.

The storm is still developing off the coast of the southeast U.S., so we'll need to continue to monitor things closely right into Sunday morning. Stay tuned for further updates. 

The storm is also expected to bring strong winds. Widespread gusts of 60 to 70 km/h are expected, with stronger gusts up to 80 km/h possible along the Atlantic coastline and across eastern areas and Cape Breton.

Winds of this strength often result in scattered power outages, and residents are encouraged to prepare ahead of time.

The strong winds may lead to blowing and drifting snow, particularly in open and exposed areas, creating challenging travel conditions even after the snowfall begins to ease. Travel impacts, including delays and cancellations, are likely on Monday, especially in the morning. 

As the storm approaches and the winds increase, large waves and elevated water levels are expected along the Atlantic coast. The combination of pounding surf and higher-than-normal water levels will increase the risk of coastal flooding during Monday’s high tide.

Snow will spread into the province from south to north Sunday afternoon and evening, intensifying overnight as northeast winds gusting 60 to 80 km/h deteriorate travel conditions.

The heaviest snowfall is forecast from mid-Sunday evening through the overnight hours and into early Monday morning, when snowfall rates of two to three centimetres per hour are possible. 

For most of the mainland, snow will taper to flurries early- to mid-morning on Monday, with blowing and drifting snow a province-wide concern for the morning commute. Conditions will improve as the winds diminish in the late morning and into the afternoon. 

Further east across the Northumberland Shore and Cape Breton, heavier onshore flurries and a risk of squalls continue into the afternoon, with conditions slowly improving later in the day as winds turn northerly and then northwest.