Snow blanketing much of N.S. with high winds expected

Snow will cover Nova Scotia with up to 25 centimetres expected in some areas Sunday with gusting winds into the evening.

Eastern parts of the province — including Sydney, the Cape Breton coast and parts of Guysborough and Antigonish counties — will feel the brunt of the weather system, said Mel Lemmon, a meteorologist with Environment Canada's Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre in Dartmouth.

"That's going to peak sometime this evening," he said, adding that he expected some of those areas would still be seeing flurries Monday morning. 

Environment Canada has issued winter storm warnings for northern parts of the province, including all of Cape Breton. A special weather statement is in effect across the rest of the mainland.  

With snowfall expected through the day, the provincial Department of Transportation is advising people to check road conditions before driving. Crews were out salting the roads as rain changed to snow in the southwest around 8 a.m.

Halifax Regional Police said by 4 p.m. they had responded to 10 motor vehicle collisions throughout the municipality, though no serious injuries were reported.

There are multiple bands of snow connected to the storm, meaning some parts of Nova Scotia will experience two snowfalls through the day, said Lemmon.

Winds are expected to pick up later in the day, particularly over eastern Nova Scotia where gusts could reach 80 km/h. Combined with the snow, those winds will mean visibility could be reduced to near zero.

Lemmon advised people to take extra time if they're planning to travel. 

"It's generally going to start to cool off through the afternoon, and then we're looking at cooler temperatures tonight and tomorrow," he added.