White Juan
Encyclopedia
White Juan is the unofficial name given to the Atlantic Canada
blizzard of February 2004, a strong nor'easter
that affected most of Atlantic Canada
between February 17 and 20, 2004—only five months after Hurricane Juan
devastated central Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward Island
.
The storm dropped heavy snowfall throughout the Nova Scotia peninsula
and Prince Edward Island
, with accumulations in the hardest-hit areas ranging from 50 to 100 cm (19.7 to 39.4 in).
, beating the previous record of 73.2 cm set February 1, 1960. It also broke the record for the most snow in Yarmouth
with 101.2 cm of snow, surpassing the 67.8 cm that fell on January 16, 1977.
Numerous unofficial reports placed a snowfall of nearly 150 cm in many regions across the province. The storm also produced sustained winds ranging from 60 to 80 km/h through much of New Brunswick
, Nova Scotia
, Prince Edward Island
, and Newfoundland and Labrador
with maximum 1 minute gusts of 120 km/h reported at many stations. Much of central, northern and western New Brunswick received little to no snow or wind as the storm tracked toward the east.
Two weather stations in the Halifax Regional Municipality reported 10 seconds gusts nearing 147 km/h however these reports have never been confirmed by Environment Canada
. Weather radar
observations, as well as synoptic report, showed extensive thundersnow
embedded within the blizzard; in the heaviest bands, accumulation rates exceeded 20 cm per hour.
The wind combined with the intense snow rates produced visibilities of 1 metre or less in most areas for brief periods however these conditions persisted for at least 8 hours in much of Nova Scotia. The wind also whipped up snow drifts which in some cases covered two and three storey buildings and made many roads impassable to both common motor vehicles and snow removal equipment.
The humid continental climate
of coastal Nova Scotia typically does not experience extreme snowfalls, compared with northern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Thus the blizzard and heavy snow fall had a crippling effect on the Halifax Urban Area for several days following the storm as public works personnel struggled to clear streets and roads. For several nights following the storm, a 10 pm curfew was implemented on residents in the Halifax Regional Municipality to permit operation of snow removal equipment. Due to a lack of space to displace the excess snow, the municipality had to receive permission from the federal government to begin dumping the snow into Halifax Harbour
from federally owned docks in addition to the usual privately owned docks.
The storm also had an effect on the 2004 Special Olympic National Winter Games, which were being held in Charlottetown, PEI.
equivalent to that associated with a Category 1 hurricane also affected portions of the Northumberland Strait
in southeast New Brunswick
and to a lesser extent on Prince Edward Island
.
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
blizzard of February 2004, a strong nor'easter
Nor'easter
A nor'easter is a type of macro-scale storm along the East Coast of the United States and Atlantic Canada, so named because the storm travels to the northeast from the south and the winds come from the northeast, especially in the coastal areas of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada...
that affected most of Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada
Atlantic Canada is the region of Canada comprising the four provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec: the three Maritime provinces – New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia – and Newfoundland and Labrador...
between February 17 and 20, 2004—only five months after Hurricane Juan
Hurricane Juan
Hurricane Juan was a significant hurricane that struck the southern part of Atlantic Canada in late September 2003. It was the tenth named storm and the sixth hurricane of the 2003 Atlantic hurricane season. Juan formed southeast of Bermuda on September 24, 2003 out of a tropical wave that tracked...
devastated central Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
.
The storm dropped heavy snowfall throughout the Nova Scotia peninsula
Nova Scotia peninsula
The Nova Scotia peninsula is a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of North America.-Location:The Nova Scotia peninsula is part of the province of Nova Scotia, Canada and is connected to the neighbouring province of New Brunswick through the Isthmus of Chignecto...
and Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, with accumulations in the hardest-hit areas ranging from 50 to 100 cm (19.7 to 39.4 in).
Effects
The snowstorm dropped a record-breaking 95.5 cm of snow on CFB ShearwaterCFB Shearwater
Canadian Forces Base Shearwater , commonly referred to as CFB Shearwater, was a Canadian Forces Base located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality....
, beating the previous record of 73.2 cm set February 1, 1960. It also broke the record for the most snow in Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Nova Scotia
Yarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
with 101.2 cm of snow, surpassing the 67.8 cm that fell on January 16, 1977.
Numerous unofficial reports placed a snowfall of nearly 150 cm in many regions across the province. The storm also produced sustained winds ranging from 60 to 80 km/h through much of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
, and Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
with maximum 1 minute gusts of 120 km/h reported at many stations. Much of central, northern and western New Brunswick received little to no snow or wind as the storm tracked toward the east.
Two weather stations in the Halifax Regional Municipality reported 10 seconds gusts nearing 147 km/h however these reports have never been confirmed by Environment Canada
Environment Canada
Environment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC) (French: Environnement Canada), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment...
. Weather radar
Weather radar
Weather radar, also called weather surveillance radar and Doppler weather radar, is a type of radar used to locate precipitation, calculate its motion, estimate its type . Modern weather radars are mostly pulse-Doppler radars, capable of detecting the motion of rain droplets in addition to the...
observations, as well as synoptic report, showed extensive thundersnow
Thundersnow
Thundersnow, also known as a winter thunderstorm or a thunder snowstorm, is a relatively rare kind of thunderstorm with snow falling as the primary precipitation instead of rain. It typically falls in regions of strong upward motion within the cold sector of an extratropical cyclone...
embedded within the blizzard; in the heaviest bands, accumulation rates exceeded 20 cm per hour.
The wind combined with the intense snow rates produced visibilities of 1 metre or less in most areas for brief periods however these conditions persisted for at least 8 hours in much of Nova Scotia. The wind also whipped up snow drifts which in some cases covered two and three storey buildings and made many roads impassable to both common motor vehicles and snow removal equipment.
The humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
of coastal Nova Scotia typically does not experience extreme snowfalls, compared with northern Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick. Thus the blizzard and heavy snow fall had a crippling effect on the Halifax Urban Area for several days following the storm as public works personnel struggled to clear streets and roads. For several nights following the storm, a 10 pm curfew was implemented on residents in the Halifax Regional Municipality to permit operation of snow removal equipment. Due to a lack of space to displace the excess snow, the municipality had to receive permission from the federal government to begin dumping the snow into Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour
Halifax Harbour is a large natural harbour on the Atlantic coast of Nova Scotia, Canada, located in the Halifax Regional Municipality.-Harbour description:The harbour is called Jipugtug by the Mi'kmaq first nation, anglisized as Chebucto...
from federally owned docks in addition to the usual privately owned docks.
The storm also had an effect on the 2004 Special Olympic National Winter Games, which were being held in Charlottetown, PEI.
Snowfall amounts for February 18–19
- YarmouthYarmouth, Nova ScotiaYarmouth is a town and fishing port located on the Gulf of Maine in rural southwestern Nova Scotia, Canada. It is the shire town of Yarmouth County. The town is located in the heart of the world's largest lobster fishing grounds and has Canada's highest lobster catch.- History :The townsite may...
101.2 cm - Halifax and Dartmouth 95.5 cm
- Lower Sackville 91.4 cm
- Charlottetown 74.4 cm
- MiddleboroMiddleboro, Nova ScotiaMiddleboro is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Cumberland County .-References:*...
73.0 cm - Halifax International AirportHalifax International AirportHalifax/Robert L. Stanfield International Airport, or Halifax Stanfield International Airport is an airport in Enfield, Nova Scotia and in Halifax Regional Municipality, Canada...
66.8 cm - EnfieldEnfield, Nova ScotiaEnfield, , is a Canadian exurban community located in the Shubenacadie Valley on the border of Hants and Halifax counties. Specifically, Enfield exists in both the East Hants Municipal District and the Halifax Regional Municipality and is divided by the Shubenacadie River.The history of European...
66.6 cm - MonctonMoncton, New BrunswickMoncton is a Canadian city, located in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. The city is situated in southeastern New Brunswick, within the Petitcodiac River Valley, and lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces...
61.2 cm - Port HawkesburyPort Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia-Historical residents:*Henry Nicholas Paint , member of Parliament for Richmond county, merchant and land owner. His family received land grants at Belle Vue on the Strait of Canso in 1817 and at Point Tupper in 1863, and did much to develop the local communities in the area.*Arthur John Langley ...
50.0 cm - BaddeckBaddeck, Nova ScotiaBaddeck is a Canadian village in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.It is the county's shire town and is situated on the northern shore of Bras d'Or Lake on Cape Breton Island...
49.0 cm - SydneySydney, Nova ScotiaSydney is a Canadian urban community in the province of Nova Scotia. It is situated on the east coast of Cape Breton Island and is administratively part of the Cape Breton Regional Municipality....
40.8 cm - Saint JohnSaint John, New BrunswickCity of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
25.0 cm - MiramichiMiramichi, New BrunswickMiramichi is the largest city in northern New Brunswick, Canada. It is situated at the mouth of the Miramichi River where it enters Miramichi Bay...
3.5 cm - FrederictonFredericton, New BrunswickFredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
1.6 cm - BathurstBathurst, New BrunswickBathurst is a Canadian city in Gloucester County, New Brunswick.Bathurst is situated on Bathurst Harbour, an estuary at the mouth of the Nepisiguit River at the southernmost part of Chaleur Bay....
0.0 cm
School cancellations
All school districts in the area affected by the storm closed schools for several days and in some cases up to one week due to snow blocked roads, schools, parking lots, and sidewalks. The unusual number of cancelled days saw some school districts in Nova Scotia consider extending the school year into July, so many school districts added school days on.Marine effects
While conditions on land proved to be serious, the storm produced hurricane force winds out at sea with 10 to 15 meter swells, prompting a special marine warning. A storm surgeStorm surge
A storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extratropical cyclones. Storm surges are caused primarily by high winds pushing on the ocean's surface. The wind causes the water to pile up higher than the ordinary sea...
equivalent to that associated with a Category 1 hurricane also affected portions of the Northumberland Strait
Northumberland Strait
The Northumberland Strait is a strait in the southern part of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in eastern Canada...
in southeast New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and to a lesser extent on Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
.