
Halifax saw nearly 40 cm of snow during the October 1974 storm
The powerful coastal storm ripped through the Maritimes with destructive winds and extreme snowfall totals
All the right conditions aligned in October 1974 for an unforgettable storm in the Maritimes.
Halifax found itself buried under shin-deep snow. Destructive winds damaged homes, knocked down trees, and severed electricity to entire communities.
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A bomb cyclone produces damaging winds
A strong trough dipping over Eastern Canada set the stage for a robust low-pressure system to develop off the coast of North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The low hurried toward the Maritimes during the overnight hours. Snow began falling in Halifax by 3:00 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20.

Favourable environmental conditions allowed the storm to turn into a bomb cyclone, with its minimum central air pressure rapidly falling as it approached the region. Sydney reported a minimum air pressure of 967.7 mb as the centre of the storm passed just east of the community.
Powerful winds caused extensive damage and power outages across the region, prompting officials to issue a state of emergency.
Wind gusts reportedly climbed higher than 140 km/h across Cape Breton during the peak of the storm, according to a report from Emergency Planning Canada issued the following month.
Historic October snows across the Maritimes
Cold air wrapping around the north side of the storm, along with rich moisture pumping in from the south, created the ideal setup for a historic and disruptive snowstorm across much of the Maritimes.

A sharp divide between rain and snow built across Nova Scotia. Temperatures in Sydney remained above freezing for most of the storm. Meanwhile, Halifax measured a whopping 38.6 cm of snow between 3:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Yarmouth saw 37.6 cm of accumulation from the storm.
Bountiful snows also blanketed portions of New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. Moncton picked up 26.7 cm of snow from the storm, while Saint John saw 19.8 cm. Folks across the strait in Charlottetown saw 21.6 cm of snow before the system wrapped up.
The 1974 storm remains the largest October snowstorm on record for many communities throughout the region.
Header image created using graphics and imagery from NOAA and Canva.