Environment Canada says western Cape Breton could see 15 to 25 centimetres of snow Sunday through Monday afternoon.
The weather agency has issued snow squall watches for Inverness and Victoria counties.
"Snow squalls cause weather conditions to vary considerably; changes from clear skies to heavy snow within just a few kilometres are common," it wrote. "Visibility may be suddenly reduced at times in heavy snow."
Environment Canada says maximum wind gusts of 50 km/h are expected.