this is October 24 of my first winter in Alberta. That is 5 years ago tomorrow and the weather outside is lovely at the moment.
The first year I left the coast, it snowed in October, and the next year it did too. Last year and this year, we have no snow and very mild temperatures and it is almost November. Speaking with the locals, they say that Halloween was the ear mark for snow when they were kids. Some years they wore snowsuits under costumes and other years they hardly needed coats, but right after Halloween, there was going to be snow.
Right now the weather is very warm, even t shirt warm. I have been working outside with a very light jacket and have felt more comfortable with it off than on. This is always a good thing, since the fall is such a scramble to get everything picked up and the ground clean for winter snow removal. Bones and sticks immediately seize snow blowers, so they must be removed prior to the snow. Any loose cords running along the ground need to be elevated too. The first year I forgot I had a heat lamp plugged in the chicken coop and ran the cord over with the snow blower ruining it. It is a good thing I also did not electrocute myself!
The weather predicted this winter is supposed to be amongst the mildest of all winters with temperatures well above the average. The second year I was here, the average seemed about 40 below the entire winter and it was quite cold for much of last winter too. I did some research on the warm winter predicted and the polar wind is broken. For as long as man knew about the polar wind it had a tight vortex around the pole, but now with global warming and ice melting, the circle is broken, sometimes allowing arctic air into Alberta, like last year, and sometimes keeping the warm air here, like this year is supposed to be. The broken arctic wind pattern will only mean elevated global warming. Already my home town, White Rock, felt a hot dry summer this year. I remember 1969, when we are something like 42 days of straight rain in White Rock. But look at California, a once rainy warm land, now desert. We need to change the way we plant and harvest water now to prevent that from happening on the Canadian west coast.
For now, I am thankful for the break in the weather. The extra days are much appreciated to finish the winter tasks, especially now that I am back in the work force. I am looking forward to a mild winter here. What do you think?
Right now the weather is very warm, even t shirt warm. I have been working outside with a very light jacket and have felt more comfortable with it off than on. This is always a good thing, since the fall is such a scramble to get everything picked up and the ground clean for winter snow removal. Bones and sticks immediately seize snow blowers, so they must be removed prior to the snow. Any loose cords running along the ground need to be elevated too. The first year I forgot I had a heat lamp plugged in the chicken coop and ran the cord over with the snow blower ruining it. It is a good thing I also did not electrocute myself!
The weather predicted this winter is supposed to be amongst the mildest of all winters with temperatures well above the average. The second year I was here, the average seemed about 40 below the entire winter and it was quite cold for much of last winter too. I did some research on the warm winter predicted and the polar wind is broken. For as long as man knew about the polar wind it had a tight vortex around the pole, but now with global warming and ice melting, the circle is broken, sometimes allowing arctic air into Alberta, like last year, and sometimes keeping the warm air here, like this year is supposed to be. The broken arctic wind pattern will only mean elevated global warming. Already my home town, White Rock, felt a hot dry summer this year. I remember 1969, when we are something like 42 days of straight rain in White Rock. But look at California, a once rainy warm land, now desert. We need to change the way we plant and harvest water now to prevent that from happening on the Canadian west coast.
For now, I am thankful for the break in the weather. The extra days are much appreciated to finish the winter tasks, especially now that I am back in the work force. I am looking forward to a mild winter here. What do you think?
It is definitely fall and there is not much green to be seen around, but the stream is not frozen and the ground is very soft this fall so far.
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