Cape Breton sees snow in June

It's just the second snowfall for Cape Breton in the month for 43 years, says Environment Canada

Jennifer Ludlow · CBC News · Posted: Jun 06, 2018 6:07 PM AT | Last Updated: June 6

Cape Bretoners woke up to snow on Wednesday.

Traipsing through the snow and slush isn't something people are used to doing in June, but it's something those in the Cape Breton Highlands had to do this morning.

Linda Libby, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, said it's uncommon to see snow in Cape Breton in June,  but it's not unheard of either.

"We really only have one report ever occurring in June," she said. "It's actually later than this — on June 9, 1975 — when you picked up a whole centimetre, which is pretty good."

Those figures were collected in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality. Libby says there isn't as much information from the Highlands.

Often snowfall is measured at airports. Cape Breton's airports are located in Sydney, Margaree and Port Hawkesbury.

While there may only be one previous report of snow accumulation in Cape Breton in the month of June, it is more frequent in May. In 1974, a whopping 10.2 centimetres of snow fell in Cheticamp.

Libby says a cold spring can bring snow when people are waiting for summer sun.

"You get a low-pressure system go by and then a cold surge going on, or a cold surge as a weather system goes by, particular with a cold front," she said. "That's kind of what was happening. It's coming down right out of the Arctic through Quebec and the cold air is really affecting the Maritimes."

According to Darlene Doucet, a public relations officer with Parks Canada, the snow had melted by late morning.