Drawing comparisons to the worst storm on record, a late March blizzard crippled Nova Scotia on Wednesday.

CTV Atlantic meteorologist Cindy Day said 62 centimetres of snow fell on Halifax, setting a record for single-day snowfall in March.

Similar records were set in parts of the South Shore, Eastern Shore and the Annapolis Valley, while strong winds led to blowing snow and whiteout conditions in the province.

With another storm expected to hit on Saturday, Halifax residents struggled with Wednesday’s blast of winter.

“This is the worst I've seen it since White Juan,” said Halifax Regional Police Cst. Andrew Gordon.

Though many heeded warnings from officials to stay off the roads, those who ventured out struggled to navigate the city’s streets and sidewalks.

“It makes me mad to see them out trying to drive around to get to nowhere,” said plow driver Brian Reynolds.

The municipality banned all on-street parking until further notice, and some city councillors wondered why more steps weren’t being taken.

Councillor Gloria McCluskey, who represents Dartmouth Centre, said she would like to see the city declare a state of emergency.

“I don't know what (municipal officials) see that I'm not seeing, but I don't think it would be a bad idea,” McCluskey said.

“I'm very concerned about this. I think it's a real disaster,” she said.

She said she’s worried about how well emergency vehicles will be able to navigate streets.

Halifax Mayor Mike Savage said he’s been advised that a state of emergency is not necessary — for now.

That’s in part because it’s March Break and many cars are already off the streets.

“If we can't get what we need done then there's always a possibility of a state of emergency but it is a very serious thing and brings potentially a lot of powers,” Savage said.

An emergency order would allow the municipality to commandeer vehicles and command private resources.

Councillor Waye Mason, who on Tuesday called for residents to take up snow shovels and come to the aid of overwhelmed city crews, said it’s now more important than ever that residents pitch in.

This cleanup, he said, will take days.

“There's nowhere for a plow who's clearing a sidewalk to put snow, so if we don't shovel it, it's probably not going to get cleared,” Mason said.

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Kayla Hounsell