Massive snowstorm hits Nova Scotia, Canada

A strong winter storm brought heavy snowfall to Nova Scotia, Canada on January 29, 2016. 30 000 residents were left without power by the afternoon hours of January 30 (local time), and it could take another day to restore the power in all the homes, according to Nova Scotia Power estimates.

The power outages have been reported across 16 communities from Windsor to Sheet Harbour, Antigonish and large portions of Cape Breton.

According to Beverley Ware, the Nova Scotia Power spokeswoman, the crew has restored power to about 15 000 homes so far, but, unfortunately, new outages occurred as heavy snowfall struck down more power lines in the region. 67 000 homes and businesses in total were left without electricity at the peak of the outage.

"In many cases, these crews are dealing with very treacherous driving conditions. The challenge is also deep snow, which means it's taking time for them to access some of these sites. It's going to be a long day," she said.

The heaviest snowfall was reported along the northern coast and Cape Breton. 32 cm (12.6 inches) was recorded in Ingonish and 34 cm (13.4 inches) in Antigonish County, Environment Canada reported. Dartmouth measured 11 cm (4.3 inches) while 22 cm (8.7 inches) fell at the Halifax airport.

Wind gusts of 50 km/h (31 mph) were reported across the province while stronger gusts up to 96 km/h (59.6 mph) affected the Sydney airport. Numerous flights have been delayed or cancelled at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.​

Video credit: Neil B via YouTube

Light snow and winds mixed with clouds and sun have been forecast to continue throughout January 30, according to Environment Canada.

Featured image: Snowstorm, Nova Scotia, Canada, January 29, 2016. Image credit: Neil B via YouTube