First snow of the season summary for the Maritimes; snow record set at Halifax International Airport

The first snowflakes of the season fall at iconic Peggys Cove, Nova Scotia, on Nov. 1, 2023. Picture by Barry Burgess.

An early season outbreak of Arctic air along with two low-pressure systems have resulted in the provincial capitals of the Maritimes all having their first five+ cm of snowfall for the season.

A large area of New Brunswick picked up snow amounts ranging from a few to several centimetres on Monday, with a few spots, including Fredericton, near 10 cm. Last year, it took until Nov. 16 for Fredericton to get the first five+ cm snowfall. The standing record for snowfall on an Oct. 30 for Fredericton is 16.5 cm which was recorded Oct. 30, 1925.

Halifax picked up five to 10 cm of snow on Wednesday as a low-pressure system passed offshore and east of Nova Scotia. Last season, it took until a remarkable Jan. 7 for the first five cm snow for the city. The eight cm of snow reported at Halifax International Airport on Wednesday is a record amount for a Nov. 1 at that site.

Charlottetown had the biggest snow surprise this season so far. A sudden snow squall that developed off the Gulf of St. Lawrence moved in from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. Thursday. While narrow in coverage, it was intense enough to bring in an estimated five to 16 cm of snow around the Charlottetown area. It is not uncommon to get a high variation of snow even within a small geographic area in the event of a snow squall. The unexpectedly snowier conditions leading to number of car crashes Thursday.

Last year, it took until Dec. 13 for Charlottetown to report its first five+ cm snowfall. The standing record for snow at the Charlottetown Airport for a Nov. 2 is 9.1 cm set in 1965. The count is still unofficial, but as it stands the Charlottetown Airport reported five cm of snow Thursday morning, just short of that record of 9.1 cm.

With temperatures moderating for Friday and the weekend, the early season snow won’t last. The next chance of snow may be for northern New Brunswick with a low-pressure system expected to pass through the Maritimes on Tuesday of next week.

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