1st winter storm of 2022 on its way to Nova Scotia

All of Nova Scotia is under a variety of Environment Canada storm warnings, watches and special weather statements as a winter storm is set to hit the province on Friday. 

An area stretching from Yarmouth County, through the Annapolis Valley and into northern Nova Scotia and Cape Breton can expect as much as 20 cm to 30 cm of snow and maximum winds gusts of 80 km/h starting Friday afternoon, gradually easing off west to east Saturday morning. 

Counties along the Atlantic coast and Cape Breton Island are under a special weather statement and can expect "significant snow, wind and some rain" starting Friday and continuing into Saturday.

"The first major winter storm of 2022 is expected on Friday and into Saturday," Environment Canada said in a statement. "Precipitation will begin as snow during the day Friday but there are some indications that a mix or changeover to rain could occur over eastern regions of the province, as well as much of the Atlantic coast, whereas inland regions could remain entirely snow.

"If this scenario materializes there could be drastically varying snowfall accumulations between inland regions — which could reach or exceed 15 cm — and coastal regions which could receive much less snow. Even a slight deviation in the track of the storm could impact snowfall amounts in these areas."

Strong north to northeast winds gusting to 90 km/h are also possible Friday night.

Meanwhile, Halifax and Guysborough counties are under a rainfall warning Thursday with 25 to 35 mm expected to fall by early in the afternoon. The area of Inverness County stretching north from Mabou is under a Les Suêtes wind warning with southwesterly gusts as high as 100 km/h expected Thursday.

"The winds will become westerly late morning and the gusts will subside," said CBC meteorologist Tina Simpkin.

"Once the winds become westerly this afternoon, the cold air will arrive as well."