HALIFAX 鈥� Atlantic sa国际传媒 is bracing for a spring storm that could dump more than a foot of snow, bring wind gusts of more than 100 kilometres per hour and storm surges that could damage docks and coastal properties.
Environment sa国际传媒 forecaster Tracey Talbot said the storm will begin early Wednesday morning in southern Nova Scotia and track across the region through the day.
Talbot said the possibility of damage is real because a storm surge will bring rising waters along the coastlines of Nova Scotia 鈥� in some cases 50 to 80 centimetres higher than normal, with strong waves driving the sea into shore.
鈥淭hat is definitely something we have to keep an eye on, especially if it coincides with high tides,鈥� Talbot said Tuesday.
鈥淲ith the storm surge we鈥檙e expecting, we could see some flooding and some local infrastructure damage.鈥�
Nova Scotia Premier Stephen MacNeil urged people to prepare.
鈥淟ook after your neighbours,鈥� he said. 鈥淚f there are people in your community ... that are living alone or are elderly or needing some support, make sure you keep in touch with them to ensure that everyone weathers the storm.鈥�
Up to 40 centimetres of snow is expected to fall in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and southern New Brunswick, she said.
Prince Edward Island is expected to see particularly powerful gusts, with winds expected to reach 110 km/hr. The province鈥檚 Office of Public Safety is advising Islanders to prepare for the possibility of power disruptions.
鈥淪now and ice buildup on tree branches, rooftops and utility lines can lead to dangerous conditions with breaking branches, downed utility lines and possibly power outages,鈥� the office said in a news release.
The storm is expected to continue in the late afternoon and early evening into southern Newfoundland, where winds will also be intense but less snow is forecast.
Gordon Hayward, the manager of winter operations for Halifax, said the storm will likely take the city over its $20 million annual budget for snow removal.
Hayward said it鈥檚 not uncommon for snow removal crews to be out clearing the streets late in March, but he doesn鈥檛 recall similar forecasts of such snow accumulation and wind speeds this time of year.
鈥淕etting up to 40 to 50 centimetres of snow would be very unusual,鈥� he said.
鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have to be out there, stay off the road. It鈥檚 not going to be fun, it鈥檚 not going to be pretty.鈥�
Neera Ritcey, spokeswoman for Nova Scotia Power, said the utility is watching for a combination of heavy, wet snow and wind and is deploying repair crews around the province.
鈥淲e鈥檙e ready to respond as needed,鈥� she said.
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