Nova Scotia is now under a mix of rainfall warnings and special weather statements as a developing winter storm moves toward the province.

Environment Canada meteorologist Ian Hubbard says the system will bring a complicated mix of heavy snow inland, rain along the coast, and periods of strong wind beginning later today and intensifying overnight into Wednesday.

Hubbard says precipitation will first reach Southwest Nova Scotia this afternoon before spreading through central regions around suppertime and into Cape Breton later in the evening.

Inland and higher-elevation areas—including the Annapolis Valley, Colchester County, Cumberland County, western Cape Breton and the Highlands—are expected to see the most snow, with forecasts ranging from 15 to 35 centimetres, depending on elevation and temperature. Much of that snow will be heavy and wet, which Hubbard says makes accumulation more difficult to measure and increases the risk of power outages.

Coastal and southern regions are instead expected to see mostly rain. Along parts of the Atlantic coast, rainfall could reach 30 to 50 millimetres, with higher amounts possible in exposed areas. Hubbard says temperatures close to the freezing mark will make the rain-snow line difficult to pinpoint, and some communities in central Nova Scotia may see snow change to rain before transitioning back again.

Wind will also be a factor, particularly along the coast, where gusts could reduce visibility and create hazardous travel conditions.

Counties currently under weather alerts

(As of Environment Canada’s latest updates)

Rainfall warnings

• Yarmouth County

• Shelburne County

Special weather statements (snowfall)

• Annapolis County

• Kings County

• Hants County

• Halifax County

• Lunenburg County

• Queens County

• Colchester County

• Cumberland County

• Pictou County

• Antigonish County

• Guysborough County

• Inverness County

• Victoria County

• Richmond County

• Cape Breton County

Hubbard says conditions should begin to improve during the day Wednesday, clearing first in the southwest before moving across the mainland and reaching Cape Breton later in the afternoon.