Nova Scotia·Weather

Where is old man winter? Not in Atlantic Canada — yet

CBC Meteorologist Ryan Snoddon explains while rain and mild temperatures have dominated winter in Eastern Canada so far, it’s not over until it’s over.

Some parts of the region have seen record-low snowfall with warmer than average temperatures

Ryan Snoddon · CBC News · Posted: Jan 18, 2023 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: January 18, 2023

Where is old man winter?

Not surprisingly, it's a question I'm getting asked a lot these days.

Temperatures across Nova Scotia were two to three degrees above average in the month of December and have been running five degrees above average so far in January!

Temperature departures from normal across North America from December 1st to January 15th — Temperature departures from normal across North America from Dec. 1 to Jan. 15. (Weather Bell)

Aside from the high Arctic, Quebec and Atlantic Canada have been experiencing the warmest temperature anomalies in North America since the start of December.

So far this winter season, the cold air has been bottled up in the west, with places like British Columbia and Alberta experiencing cooler than average temperatures.

Folks in Edmonton have not felt the temperature rise above zero since Nov. 27!

No snow

By comparison, it's been a very slow start to winter across mainland Nova Scotia with just six centimetres of snow recorded at Halifax airport, 13 cm at Yarmouth and 54 cm at Greenwood.

Snowfall totals across Nova Scotia have been lowest along the Atlantic coastline so far this winter. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

Warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic have been a factor and the lower snowfall totals near the coastline, versus northern areas, is good evidence of that. Any snowy systems that have tracked through have quickly mixed to rain along the warmer coastline.

The 6 cm of snow at Halifax is a record low for mid-January, by a long shot.

The winter of 1979-1980 was the previous lowest start for snow and is currently the record holder as the least snowy winter season overall in Halifax. By the end of that winter, only 102 cm had been recorded at Halifax airport. Just 72 cm of snow fell at the Citadel downtown.

A record breaking low snowfall has been recorded at Halifax airport thru January 15th. — A record-breaking low snowfall has been recorded at Halifax airport through Jan. 15. (Ryan Snoddon/CBC)

It's not over until it's over

The now infamous winter of 2014-2015 is the greatest example of a winter in which the snow started out with a trickle and ended with a torrent.

That winter, just 66 cm of snow had fallen by the end of January, but that pattern shifted and the storms started rolling in. Halifax picked up 131 cm of snow in February and 147 cm in March. There was snow on the ground until the end of April.

A man clears a path on his street in Halifax on March 18th 2015. — A man clears a path on his street in Halifax on March 18, 2015. (Patrick Thompson)

As far as the winter of 2022-23, temperatures are expected to remain above average through the end of January and possibly into early February, which makes an already difficult long-range snowfall prediction even more challenging.

Will we see snow? Absolutely.

Will the snow actually stick around without being washed away? I think this is the bigger question over the next few weeks.

In the short term, we do have the potential for some snow on our menu for Friday. A system tracking to our south will bring the possibility of accumulating snow for many, especially in the southwest. That said, uncertainty remains as to how close the low will track and as result, how much snow we might see.