Residents of HRM were set to wake up Friday morning to what has become a rare sight this winter — a fresh dusting of snow.
Mother Nature has been relatively kind to HRM over the past three months, dumping only a dozen or so centimetres every few weeks on Halifax and the surrounding areas. As of Thursday afternoon, the total accumulation for January stood at 26 centimetres. That’s a major drop from January 2009, when 90 cm fell from the skies.
“We have received less snow this year than in the past,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Cindy Vallis. “It may be seen as a little unusual … but you have to keep in mind that we still have February and March to get through.”
Vallis said HRM has been spared several times as storm systems pass to the north, south and west of the region. Other areas haven’t been so lucky.
“In Yarmouth, for example, they’ve actually seen more snow than usual,” she said.
Just two months ago, Environment Canada was predicting a “normal amount of precipitation” for December, January and February.
