First snow of season possible for Nova Scotia Friday

Environment Canada has issued special weather statements for Halifax Metro and much of mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton, warning that the first notable snowfall of the season could arrive Friday morning.

The weather agency said a mix of snow and rain is forecast to begin Friday morning, with some inland areas possibly accumulating up to five centimetres of snow by the afternoon. Higher terrain is most likely to see the snow.

Coastal areas, including much of the Halifax region, are expected to see precipitation fall mainly as rain, Environment Canada said. The statements, issued Thursday afternoon, cover Halifax Metro and Halifax County West, Halifax County east of Porters Lake, Hants, Colchester, Pictou, Antigonish, Guysborough, Lunenburg, Inverness and Victoria counties.

“Snow accumulation may make travel slow or hazardous,” the statement said. Roads and walkways could become slippery and difficult to navigate, and the agency urged drivers to consider adjusting travel plans to avoid the most hazardous conditions.

Environment Canada asked residents to keep monitoring its alerts and forecasts. People can report severe weather to [email protected] or on social media using #NSStorm. The full alerts are posted on the Environment Canada website.

The snow follows a wet start to November in the region. Halifax was under a rainfall warning last weekend that called for 50 to 80 mm, and southern New Brunswick also faced heavy rain earlier this month.

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