All Time Record Christmas Day Warmth Observed In Nova Scotia

Halifax sets record for warmest Christmas Day

2 other Maritime capitals also broke records for Dec. 25

CBC News · Posted: Dec 26, 2020 9:22 AM AT | Last Updated: December 26

Halifax had record-breaking high temperatures on Christmas Day, breaking the previous record set in 1996. (Portia Clark/CBC)

This year was Halifax's warmest Christmas Day on record since Environment Canada began collecting data in the 1950's.

According to Environment Canada's website, the city had a high of 13.4 C on Dec. 25. The previous record was 13.1.

The other Maritime capitals — Fredericton and Charlottetown — also broke their warmest temperature records for Christmas Day. Fredericton's jump was the largest, from 12 C in 2003 to 17.3 C in 2020.

High winds blew across much of the province Friday night into Saturday morning.

Thousands of Nova Scotians woke up to dark homes on Boxing Day. Morning outages were restored by noon, but thousands more Nova Scotia Power customers lost power in the afternoon.

Jim Abraham

@YHZweatherguy

Warmest Christmas Day on record yesterday all 3 capitals; Freddy warmest Dec day on record (17.3C). 

Still mild; 8K outages Amherst-Moncton at 7:30am.

Band of rain crosses Maritimes today. Wind subsides when heavier rain arrives & temps drop with brief change to snow (see pics).

That outage began around 12:30 p.m. Saturday and was caused by high winds and trees on power lines. 

According to the Nova Scotia Power outage map, power was restored to all but 13 customers in the province by 6 p.m. AT.

From the Amherst area over to the Northumberland Strait on Saturday morning, 7,300 customers were also without electricity.

A Nova Scotia power outage was affecting more than 7,300 customers on Saturday morning, mostly in the Amherst area. The utility had power back on shortly before noon. (Nova Scotia Power)

That outage began around 6 a.m. and was caused by damage to transmission equipment. It was resolved by 11:20 a.m.

Smaller outages were dotted across other parts of Nova Scotia by 9 a.m. Saturday, from Sydney Mines in Cape Breton to Liverpool on the South Shore.

Environment Canada issued special weather statements for much of the eastern portion of the province, which remain in effect.

Rainfall warnings issued for Annapolis, Cumberland, Digby, Hants, Kings, Lunenburg, Queens, Shelburne and Yarmouth counties have been lifted.

Some areas were expected to get up to 60 millimetres of rain, with maximum wind gusts of 70 km/h, and higher gusts possible over exposed areas. The rain could switch to snow as temperatures drop.

Rainfall warnings were lifted in the afternoon, but special weather statements remain in effect for much of eastern Nova Scotia. (Environment Canada)

There is still a Les Suêtes wind warning in effect for Inverness County, Mabou and north, with maximum wind gusts of up to 120 km/h expected until the evening.

The weather conditions are also impacting ferry crossings in the province. The Nova Scotia-New Brunswick ferry is departing from Digby, N.S., an hour early, according to Bay Ferries' website.

Marine Atlantic, which operates ferries to Newfoundland out of North Sydney, N.S., is also expecting all sailings to be impacted on Saturday.