Written by Staff Blogger Vicky
Nova Scotia knows winter too well. It's our good frenemy; a gift from Mother Nature and a curse from Old Man Winter all rolled into one. And boy, has that Grumpy Geezer thrown us some WILD storms!
Let's take a look back at some of Halifax/Dartmouth's most memorable snowfalls (and hope they're not what this winter has in mind!)
*All snow measurements taken primarily from Current Results: Weather and Science Facts
Friday, January 12, 1894
The snow that began on this day quickly blanketed the province, with at least 39.9cm falling in Halifax/Dartmouth alone. The following day the newspaper ran a letter from the City Engineer stating that plow companies must not attempt to clear the tracks of the street railway. This may seem counterintuitive, but the street railway at the time was not electric or gas powered; it was literally horse powered. In the winter, rather than attempting to unbury the tracks, the wheeled cars that normally fit into the tracks were switched to horse-drawn sleighs. Removing the snow could not only damage the sleighs, but hurt the horses as well. A subsequent notice stated that anyone who continued to remove snow from the tracks would be arrested!
Thursday, February 16, 1905
This storm dumped 47.5cm of snow and brought the city to a total standstill. Factories shut down and the electric company closed its doors; trains carrying precious supplies like coal were unable to enter the city, which left residents freezing in their homes. In order to supply citizens with fuel, the Black Diamond liner Bonavista, which had been due to be brought into dock for its annual overhaul, was called back into action to bring much needed coal into Halifax. "No one in Halifax remembers more snow than we have now" stated the Halifax Herald (February 17, 1905, pg. 1).
Saturday, February 23, 1918
This storm delivered as much as 41.7cm of snow to Halifax/Dartmouth and brought on more than power outages and delayed trains. This storm brought tragedy.
On the night of the storm, the S S Florizel was traveling from St. John's, Newfoundland to Halifax carrying upwards of 160 passengers and crew members. It was also loaded with close to $800,000 of fish and related products, which would be worth approximately $14.3 million today (Halifax Herald, February 25, 1918, pg. 2). The ship was caught in the blizzard and ran aground near Chance Cove, Newfoundland: "She has lain on the rocks all day with watchers on the shore helpless in the face of the heavy seas raging. The ship's stern is under water, but her bridge and forecastle deck afford some shelter to the survivors." (Halifax Herald, February 25, 1918, pg. 1). A rescue mission was mounted as soon as the weather cleared, but for many it was too late. 91 people lost their lives.
Thursday, January 6, 1921
Reports from as far as Sydney, Nova Scotia claim that this storm was the "worst in five years", and they were right! 35.6cm of snow was dropped on Halifax during this blizzard. Despite the issues that no doubt came with such a snowfall, this particular storm was considered not so bad: "There was no spot in the province that did not feel the force of the storm king... no serious damage or loss of life was reported by the energetic correspondents of the Halifax Herald... The shipping circles were undisturbed, in spite of the fact that a furious storm was lashing the Atlantic coast." (Halifax Herald, January 7, 1921, pg. 1)
Sunday, December 28, 1930
Another major storm has the Halifax Herald trying to find the positive. With at least 21.8cm of snow falling in Halifax, the Herald reported that while the roads may be impassible, and the ships may be delayed, storms like this provide one good thing: jobs. Nova Scotia was not immune to the effects of the Great Depression, and any opportunity to make money was a welcome one: "...hundreds of men, not only in Halifax but in towns throughout the province were given temporary employment clearing the highways and sidewalks." (December 29, 1930, pg. 4). While it wasn't a permanent solution, the bad weather did provide some income in a trying time.
Wednesday, January 29, 1941
Reports vary, but upwards of 43.18cm of snow fell during this storm in 1941. In Halifax, backup plows that hadn't been needed in more than five years were brought into service to clear away the mess, and 150 men were employed to help clean the street car lines. Meanwhile, in Cape Breton coal mines were shut down when the pits became inaccessible, in Truro eight foot snow drifts and poor visibility impeded rail travel, and in Lunenburg fishing boats stayed at port yet again after almost a week of bad weather and rough seas. (Halifax Herald, January 30, 1941, pg. 1)
Tuesday, February 28, 1956
It appears there was little to say about the large snowfall in February, 1956. 40.1cm of fell on Halifax/Dartmouth, but it appears the paper took an unexpectedly calm approach to its report. Under a photo of snow-dusted boats, the caption read: "As the sun takes over the sky in the wake of a stormy overcast, vessels lay idle at their dock, waiting the freshening breeze. The snow coated fore decks and dockside tell the story of the storm that passed (J. K. Young photo)" (Halifax Herald, March 1, 1956, pg. 1)
Wednesday, February 3, 1960
Approximately 45cm fell on average during this blizzard. The Chronicle Herald called it a "Record Storm" (February 4, 1960, pg. 1), as the snow combined with 96km/ph winds caused snow drifts as high as 76cm in some areas! This was made worse when the temperature rose later in the day, and the snow turned into rain. The heavy waterlogged snow downed communication lines, canceled flights, and stopped street traffic. The Chronicle Herald discussed the storm with citizens who had been alive during the 1905 snowfall: "...old timers admitted that the famed 1905 blizzard had been a baby sister of yesterday's all-time snowfall whose effects will intensify if promised winds and flurries continue" (February 4, 1960, pg. 1)
Thursday, December 24, 1970
If you were dreaming of a white Christmas in 1970, you got it and then some. On Christmas Eve a storm totaling 47.5cm passed through the Maritimes, and weather services called for even more to fall after Boxing Day: "The Christmas Eve blizzard virtually brought all forms of transportation to a halt with rail and airline schedules eradicated and hundreds of vehicles left snowbound in mountainous drifts" (The Chronicle Herald, December 26, 1970, pg. 1). High winds and fallen trees brought down powerlines leaving many in the cold and in the dark. During this storm Air Search and Rescue needed to be called out to assist in locating a father and son. The pair had gone missing when they left home to move and secure their boat. Thankfully, the two eventually made it home safe and sound late in the evening.
Saturday, February 12, 1983
This winter storm brought 29.5cm of snow to the Halifax region, which was surprisingly lucky all things considered. The poor folks of Sydney found themselves buried in upwards of 43cm! And while citizens faced the standard inconveniences of a heavy snow fall, there were positives too! Local ski resorts had been suffering from poor conditions, but the Sunday following the storm the slopes were ready to go and packed with happy skiers.
Thursday, December 30, 1993
This Thursday storm started around midnight and blasted Halifax with upwards of 35.1cm of snow and winds as high as 90 km/ph. Despite the fact that buses skidded off the roads and cars collided in fender benders, no serious accidents or injuries were reported. "Most people are just staying home" said an RCMP spokesperson (The Chronicle Herald, December 31, 1993, pg. 1) Some expectant mother's even planned ahead and made their way to the Grace Maternity Hospital before the snow started. Capt. John McFarlane, the hospital's chief executive officer, told the Herald: "We have about 10 mothers in labor right now and most of them came in a little early."
Thursday, February 19, 2004
This blizzard, known as White Juan, wrecked HRM with an unprecedented snow fall of 60cm coupled with 100km/h winds and thunder and lightning. Thousands were left without electricity, buildings were damaged, roads were closed, and buses were pulled from the roads. In Metro hospitals, some staff were reported to have worked more than 20 hours straight; they continued to provide care until new staff members could reach the facilities (The Chronicle Herald, February 20, 2004, pg. 2). According to Environment Canada, White Juan delivered more snow in one day than HRM usually got in the entire month of February (The Chronicle Herald, February 20, 2004, pg. 1). In fact, conditions were so poor that the provincial government declared Nova Scotia's first province wide state of emergency.
Monday, February 13, 2017
While it came with 55.9cm of snow, this storm was made all the worse by winds clocking in at 125km/h! Ocean waves surged onto the Halifax boardwalk, partially freezing and leaving a mix of slush and ice in their wake, and Nova Scotia Power reported that 13,000 customers were without power the morning after the storm (The Chronicle Herald, February 14, 2017, pg. 3). Residents, however, were relatively optimistic. When comparing this storm to White Juan, Haligonian Paul Giroux told The Herald: "It was worse than this. It's a lot of blowing and stuff... We've lived through worse."
Sunday, February 7, 2021
This storm brought 28.2cm of snow and all the usual blizzard-related problems, but The Chronicle Herald focused something else: heart attacks. "Halifax Fire crews handled four heart attack calls Monday, three of them directly related to snow shovelling" (The Chronicle Herald, February 9, 2021, pg. 7). With guidance from Halifax Fire and the Nova Scotia Society of Occupational Therapists, the paper printed some helpful tips on how to keep safe while digging out after a storm, including:
- stretch before heading outside
- push rather than lift the snow when possible
- wear the right gear/clothes
- stay hydrated
- take your time and take breaks
Winter 2025/2026
There's no way to know what Mother Nature and Old Man Winter will have in store for us throughout this winter season, but there's little doubt we'll bravely face whatever comes. After all, we've done it a few times before!
Library Sources
Halifax Herald/Chronicle Herald Microfilm:
- January, 1894
- February 1905
- February 23 1918
- January 1921
- December 1930
- January 1941
- February 1956
- February 1960
- December 1970
- February 1983
- December 1993
- February 2004
- February 2017
- February 2021
Additional Sources
Community Stories: The Loss of the S S Florizel
Current Results: Weather and Science Facts
The Great Depression in Canada, The Canadian Encyclopedia
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