Temperature

While the constant temperature of the Atlantic Ocean moderates the climate of the south and east coasts of Nova Scotia, heavy build-up of ice in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence makes winters colder in northern Nova Scotia. The shallowness of the Gulf's waters mean that they warm up more than the Atlantic Ocean in the summer, warming the summers in northern Nova Scotia. Summer unofficially lasts from the first Sunday in April to the Saturday before the last Sunday in October. Although Nova Scotia has a somewhat moderated climate, there have been some very intense heatwaves and cold snaps recorded over the past 160 years.

The highest temperature ever recorded in the province was 38.3 °C (101 °F) on August 19, 1935, at Collegeville,^[5] which is located about 15 km southwest of Antigonish, at the old Ashdale Schoolhouse now owned by William Wallace.. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −41.1 °C (−42 °F) on January 31, 1920, at Upper Stewiacke.^[6] The highest temperature ever recorded in Halifax was 37.2 °C (99 °F) on July 10, 1912,^[7] and the lowest was −29.4 °C (−21 °F) on Feb 18, 1922.^[8] For Sydney, the highest temperature ever recorded was 36.7 °C (98 °F) on August 18, 1935,^[9] and the lowest was −31.7 °C (−25 °F) on January 31, 1873,^[10] and January 29, 1877.^[11] Lastly, for Kentville, the highest temperature recorded was 37.8 °C in August, 1944,^[12] and the coldest temperature was -31.1 °C in February, 19.^[13] Making Kentville one of the hottest towns in the summer.

The annual temperatures are:

• Spring from 1 °C (34 °F) to 17 °C (63 °F)
• Summer from 14 °C (57 °F) to 25 °C (77 °F)^[14]
• Autumn about 5 °C (41 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F)
• Winter about −9 °C (16 °F) to 0 °C (32 °F)

Due to the ocean's moderating effect, Nova Scotia, on average, is the warmest of the provinces in Canada, owing primarily to the milder winter temperatures experienced in Nova Scotia compared to the rest of Canada.^[15]

Rainfall

All of Nova Scotia has precipitation well distributed around the year, with a slight summer maximum in some northern/interior areas, but a slight autumn to early winter (October to January) maximum in southern and coastal areas, where July or August is the driest month on average. Autumn and winter storms, arriving in or near Nova Scotia from the U.S. Northeast (often referred to as "nor'easters" because of the intense north east winds they carry), can attain tremendous intensity across coastal areas, resulting in high winds, heavy rain, ice or snow and sometimes all of the above in a single storm. Average annual precipitation changes from 140 centimetres (55 in) in the south with its intense cold-season storm activity, to 100 centimetres (40 in) elsewhere. In the northeast, Sydney is an especially wet area, with an average annual precipitation of nearly 60 inches, with a noticeable autumn to early winter (October to January) concentration, and December the wettest month on average. Nova Scotia is also very foggy in places, with Halifax averaging 121 foggy days per year^[16] and Yarmouth 191.^[17]