Winter storm watches issued as high-impact nor’easter looms

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Winter storm watches are in effect across Nova Scotia as confidence grows in a high-impact nor’easter hitting the region this week.

Disruptive impacts from heavy snow and blustery winds are likely to affect Atlantic Canada late Tuesday into the day Wednesday. Significant snowfall totals are possible in spots, with the potential for blizzard-like conditions at times due to reduced visibility.

Some uncertainty remains in the ultimate track of the storm, which would affect precisely where the heaviest snow would fall. Folks around Halifax, Sydney, and St. John's should be on alert for impactful snowfall from this system.

Prepare to adjust travel plans through the middle of the week. Take advantage of Monday’s calm weather to make any last-minute preparations you may need before the storm arrives.

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A low-pressure system that developed over the southern United States this weekend brought heavy snow to the central Plains and powerful thunderstorms to portions of the Deep South.

This system will track up the Appalachian Mountains through Monday into Tuesday, encountering a slug of cold air by the time it arrives in the Northeast.

A swath of significant snow is likely across the Northeast from northern Pennsylvania east through Massachusetts, including the Boston metro area. Travel delays and cancellations are likely throughout the Northeast on Tuesday as a result of this impactful storm.

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Our storm will continue strengthening as it tracks toward Atlantic Canada on Tuesday. Favourable upper-level winds and the warm waters of the Gulf Stream could allow the storm’s pressure to drop fast enough to qualify for bombogenesis, qualifying the system as a weather bomb.

This period of rapid strengthening is important because it allows low-pressure systems to produce fiercer wind gusts and heavier precipitation, making them more impactful for communities in the path of the storm.

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A strong low-pressure system taking this track toward Atlantic Canada also meets the definition of a classic nor’easter, named for the powerful northeasterly winds that hammer coastal communities.

Winter storm watches issued in Nova Scotia

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) issued winter storm watches for Nova Scotia ahead of the storm’s expected arrival late Tuesday.

“Rapidly accumulating snow could make travel difficult over some locations,” the agency said in its watch on Sunday night.

A track south of the Maritimes ensures this system’s precipitation will remain all snow. Conditions will begin to deteriorate Tuesday afternoon as the snow begins to arrive in Nova Scotia, with heavy snow spreading across the province into Tuesday evening.

The biggest remaining question around this storm is precisely where the centre of the low tracks. A small northward or southward nudge in the storm’s path—even just a few dozen kilometres—can affect where the heaviest snows fall.

A northward nudge would push snow deeper into New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, while a southward jog may keep heavier totals offshore.

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Given that we’re a few days out from the storm, it’s still too soon for precise snowfall totals. However, it’s increasingly likely that some communities across the region will see significant accumulations—not what we want to see after last week’s historic snowstorm.

The storm will reach its peak strength as it passes south of the Avalon Peninsula on Wednesday, bringing the potential for blizzard-like conditions across southeastern Newfoundland.

Make sure to keep checking back as forecasters get a clearer idea of the storm’s track and impacts across the Atlantic provinces.

WATCH: What exactly is a weather bomb, anyway?

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