Climate
Shaped by the Sea
Described on the provincial vehicle license plate as Canada's Ocean Playground, Nova Scotia owes everything to the sea, especially its climate. Robust winters, reluctant springs, fresh summers, and lingering falls; reliable precipitation and lavish snowfalls; misty sunlight, thick fog, and expansive sea ice -- all of these, and many more, are a part of Nova Scotia's maritime climate. The influence of the sea is not surprising. The province is virtually a peninsula surrounded by seas: the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the north, the Bay of Fundy to the west, and the Atlantic Ocean to the south and east.
Pictou County, on Nova Scotia's north coast, is exposed to Gulf waters, which in late August, have a maximum surface temperature of 18C. The contrast between air and water temperatures is enough to create onshore sea breezes and to hold back the onset of fall for a few weeks. In January, however, Gulf of St. Lawrence and Northumberland Strait waters become ice-covered, effectively cutting off any marine influence for the next three months. Cool summer seas also help stabilize overriding air masses, thus suppressing local storm development.
Growing Conditions
Most agricultural areas experience a period without frost for 120 to 130 days between late May and early October, which is the effective growing season for most crops. Winter temperatures are moderate along the coast. Inland, January means are between -4 and -6C. The most significant aspect of winter is the marked day-to-day variation caused by the alternation of Arctic and maritime air. Summers are relatively cool in Nova Scotia. Afternoon summer temperatures reach 25C in the interior, but along the coast are frequently 4 to 6C cooler. At night, the ocean remains a cooling source, keeping minimum temperatures along the coast about 2 to 3C below those inland.
Pictou County is located in Canada's plant hardiness Zone 5a.
Rainfall
The north shore along the Northumberland Strait has less than 1000 mm of rainfall a year. Precipitation is slightly greater in the late fall and early winter because of the more frequent and intense storm activity. In most years there is a good supply of rain during the growing period. However, drought is not unknown in Nova Scotia. No part of Nova Scotia is fog-free, although some places inland from the Minas Basin have no greater fog frequency than Toronto. Because of the extensive fogs, as well as mists, low cloud, and smog, sunshine amounts throughout the province are usually less than half the total possible.