With the experience of Hurricane Juan still fresh in people's minds, Nova Scotians endured yet another exceptional storm on February 18th and 19th, 2004 - a storm that many dubbed "White Juan". On February 18th, a low pressure system developed off the eastern seaboard of the United States and intensified rapidly as it tracked northeastward. By the morning of February 19th, with the storm located south of the Maritimes, heavy snow and strong winds had spread to all areas of Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and southeast New Brunswick.

A province-wide State of Emergency was declared in Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality imposed traffic curfews as the massive snowfall paralyzed the region. Businesses and schools were forced to close as many roads would not be cleared for days. Some flooding was also reported in parts of Prince Edward Island and southeast New Brunswick as very strong northerly winds produced a significant storm surge. By February 20th, the storm had left behind a large swath of snowfall accumulations in the range of 50 to 70 cm, with a few pockets of 80 cm or more. Canadian Forces Base Shearwater recorded a whopping 95 cm of snow during this event. Winds during the height of the storm were generally in the 60 to 80 km/h range with gusts near 120 km/h in exposed areas. The wind and heavy snow combined to produce near zero visibilities and caused huge snow drifts. "White Juan" was a storm that will not soon be forgotten.

Total Snowfall Amounts - February 18 - 19 2004

Storm Photos

Halifax (Clayton Park) apartment building parking lot.	Satellite imagery clearly shows the "hurricane like" intensity and shape of the blizzard.	Intense wind gusts ripped roofing shingles and pilled a 8 foot high snow drift behind this new house in Dartmouth.
Many streets in the Halifax Regional Municipality were impassable for days until heavy snow removal equipment arrived.	Heavy snow mixed with high winds created white out conditions that hide a 4 story apartment building in the distance.