Halifax Oval cancels skate and fireworks due to weather

Halifax has cancelled the New Year's Eve public skate and fireworks at the Oval due to bad weather, but the celebrations planned for Grand Parade in downtown Halifax will still go ahead.  

The cancellation comes as Nova Scotia endures a wet and windy start to 2020.

CBC meteorologist Jim Abraham says a mix of winter weather is moving across the southern Maritimes on Tuesday.

On mainland Nova Scotia, snow mixed with ice pellets began in the southwest this morning and reached Halifax after noon and the Northumberland Strait near suppertime.

Inland areas can expect two to five centimetres of snow, and Abraham said there's also a risk of freezing rain.

In the evening, Abraham said mainland Nova Scotians should expect the wintry mix to change to rain before tapering to showers, with about 10 to 20 millimetres expected. He also forecasts a southeast wind of 40 km/h gusting to 70.

"That break will continue through the mainland through the overnight period," he said. "It'll be mild, but rather breezy ... the umbrella thing won't work very well."

The temperature could rise to 5 C overnight, he said. Fog patches are also expected to develop.

On Cape Breton Island, Tuesday will have a high of zero, with 25 km/h wind developing. Abraham is forecasting snow mixed with ice pellets or freezing rain tonight, before changing to rain after midnight.

Five to 10 centimetres of snow is expected, except in parts of Victoria County, which could see up to 15.

Tonight will be a windy one for Cape Breton. The island can expect a southeast wind of 40 km/h gusting to 80. There's a wind warning in effect for northern Inverness County, which could see gusts up to 120 km/h.

As Cape Breton is expecting the wintry weather to hit later than the mainland, Abraham said it's "really bad timing" for their New Year's festivities.

"Anyone going outside of the mainland should pack a bag rather than coming back," he said. "A lot of people in P.E.I., Cape Breton, and New Brunswick ... stay at a hotel, or stay at your friends' rather than driving back after the New Year's parties or dinners or dances."

On Monday afternoon, the Cape Breton Regional Municipality announced it would be cancelling its New Year's Eve event at city hall in Sydney for "public safety" reasons because of the inclement weather.

Extra transit runs planned for New Year's Eve in the area have been cancelled. Instead, Transit Cape Breton will follow its regular weekday schedule on New Year's Eve with service ending at 5 p.m.

Instead of an outdoor event, CBRM and Centre 200 will have a free skate from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on New Year's Eve after the Cape Breton Eagles hockey game. There will be free hot chocolate and popcorn.

Temperatures on the island could reach 4 C overnight.

On New Years Day, mainland Nova Scotians can expect scattered showers or flurries with southwest winds of 25 km/h.

Temperatures will be near 2 C.

Cape Bretoners can expect scattered showers or flurries on New Year's Day, with temperatures near 2 C.

Halifax Grand Parade event still happening

While Cape Breton's party is cancelled, Halifax plans to hold its annual New Year's celebration at Grand Parade.

"We got ahead of it, luckily, knowing that it was coming," said Billy Comer, civic events co-ordinator with the city.

"What we're doing now is a lot of the detail work where we're really harnessing things down, adding extra weights and really making sure that we're secure."

Any changes will be posted on the Halifax Civic Events Twitter page. 

At least one other Nova Scotia town has decided to postpone its New Year's Eve celebration.

Berwick announced on Tuesday that it will postpone its free afternoon horse and wagon rides until Sunday.

Free skating will still go ahead as planned starting at 3:30 p.m.

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