Nova Scotia is wettest over the highlands of Cape Breton Island, where over 1600 mm of precipitation fall in an average year. The southern coast experiences almost as much, with totals of 1500 mm. By contrast, the north shore along the Northumberland Strait has less than 1000 mm a year.

The snowcover season, that is, the period when there is at least 2.5 cm of snow on the ground, varies considerably. Usually its duration extends from about 110 days a year along the southern coast to 140 days inland and in areas adjacent to the frozen seas. In coastal areas the snowcover may come and go. At Halifax, for instance, there is only a 50% chance that there will be snow on the ground for Christmas.

 Thunderstorms occur on about 10 days of the year, about half the number that occurs in northern and central New Brunswick. Tornadoes have been recorded but are rare. Reports of waterspouts over near shore waters are received yearly.



This region has more storms over the year than any other region of Canada. Winter storms are especially devastating with occasional loss of life and extensive damage to property. Packing a variety of weather conditions from hurricane-force winds to heavy precipitation, they can pass rapidly through or stall and batter the region for days. On occasion, the winds associated with these nor'easters, as they are called, exceed 150 km/h, and peak wave heights can be as high as 14 m. At high tide, these winds can cause storm surges of more than a metre. Other conditions associated with these storms include freezing spray, reduced visibility in snow, rain, or fog, and numbing wind chills, especially in the storm's wake.

Winds blow predominantly from the south or southwest in the summer with an average speed of about 10 to 15 km/h. In the coldest months the predominant direction is from the west and northwest with an average speed of 22 km/h.



The period from mid-spring to early summer is the foggiest time of the year. Bands of thick, cool fog lie off the coast, produced where the chilled air above the Labrador Current mixes with warm, moisture-laden air moving onshore from the Gulf Stream. With onshore winds these banks of fog move far inland. Sea fog often affects the headlands by day, moving inland and up the bays and inlets at night. At other times of the year fog is much more transient and local in nature.

Sunshine totals range from 1700 to 1969 hours a year. July is the sunniest month inland, and August is the sunniest along the coast. Sunless days (days with less than 5 minutes of bright sunshine) amount to between 75 and 90 a year, with a marked seasonal high from November to February. Sunny days, on which less than 70% of the sky is covered with cloud in the early afternoon, amount to between 130 to 160, with a peak from July through October.