# Putting the current Canadian cold snap in perspective



## David Baxter PhD (Jan 3, 2014)

In degrees Celsius, of course. That translates to +5 Fahrenheit and -17 Fahrenheit respectively...


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## forgetmenot (Jan 3, 2014)

I think i am going to move in with Santa North Pole


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## Cat Dancer (Jan 3, 2014)

What is going on? This seems beyond winter's cruelty.  It is really cold here, but not that cold.


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## Mari (Jan 3, 2014)

Only -19 here :cold:


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## Banned (Jan 3, 2014)

It was +8 here yesterday thanks to the Chinook winds, but we got hit earlier with temps in the -30s so we've done our time.   We've also had more snowfall than ever.  It's gross.


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## adaptive1 (Jan 3, 2014)

I feel your pain, I read an article that WInnipeg is colder than Mars right now lol!  This is the coldest winter in years, it was -32 yesterday and today was a storm and it warmed up to -12 but its back to -33 by the weekend.  Hibernation is a good thing this time of year.


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## Retired (Jan 3, 2014)

You Northerners...complain complain, complain......here in Florida we had to endure a brutal 55 degrees F <groan>


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 3, 2014)

I'm so sorry to hear that, Steve. How long do you think you and your wife will be able to survive at those temperatures?


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## forgetmenot (Jan 3, 2014)

Now that is funny lol


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 3, 2014)




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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 3, 2014)




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## Retired (Jan 3, 2014)

> How long do you think you and your wife will be able to survive at those temperatures?



We're nearing the end of our endurance, in front of our fireplace, burning our palm trees...:facepalm:

There are some things, up with, I find it hard to put.....like cold....:xo

My skin turns blue...


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## making_art (Jan 4, 2014)

We had a beautiful sunny 9 degree celsius day! That's 48.2 F  
For the 3rd of Jan in Canada...I'm a happy camper!:teapot:


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## forgetmenot (Jan 4, 2014)

what  wait that is not fair  you should be sharing heat with all of Canada


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## Andy (Jan 4, 2014)

We have had a few warm days here and there. Back down to -32 (-25.6 F) tonight but only for a couple days. It's the snow that is horrible! We have to be getting close to 130 cm's here. Just keep shoveling, just keep shoveling...


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## making_art (Jan 5, 2014)

> We have had a few warm days here and there. Back down to -32 (-25.6 F) tonight but only for a couple days. It's the snow that is horrible! We have to be getting close to 130 cm's here. Just keep shoveling, just keep shoveling...



Oh my mg:, Andy....I would have to move somewhere warmer!


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## Retired (Jan 6, 2014)

All joking aside, I wish everyone who is in the target area of the so-called arctic vortex that is affecting half of North America the next few days to protect themselves from the cold and to take the necessary measures to remain safe and warm.


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## W00BY (Jan 6, 2014)

In Scotland it is quite mild we are having storms but I can count on one hand the amount of night frosts we have had so far and that is because the gulf stream is back where it should be...

You guys stole it the last few years... naughty!!!

You's guys are made for insane winter weather My friend in thunder bay would go to work after major snow fall... here we get three inches and the entire country grinds to a halt!

She also used to tell me about freezing rain which blew my mind, I never knew it existed... the things you learn speaking to a Canadian about the weather!!!


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## Cat Dancer (Jan 6, 2014)

How does one get a frozen shut car door open?


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## Retired (Jan 6, 2014)

Cat Dancer said:


> How does one get a frozen shut car door open?



It depends what's frozen.

If you are outside the car and the key lock is frozen, then you have to inject some alcohol (Methyl Hydrate) into the lock to thaw the frozen lock.

If you are inside the car and the door latch is frozen, then turn on the heater to maximum until the door thaws out.


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## Cat Dancer (Jan 6, 2014)

I'm outside the car and it's the whole door, but not the lock. It wasn't locked.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 6, 2014)

U.K. coast slammed by massive winter waves
CBC
January 6, 2014




Click here for slideshow


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 6, 2014)

*What Is This ?Polar Vortex? That Is Freezing the U.S.?*
By Mark Fischetti
January 6, 2014

As I write these words, temperatures across half the U.S. are plummeting like a rock. Extreme lows  are forecast by tonight: -32 degrees Fahrenheit in Fargo, N.D.; -21  degrees F in Madison, Wisc.; -15 degrees F in Chicago and Indianapolis,  according to the National Weather Service. Wind chills will reach a  bizarre 60 degrees below zero F in some places, freezing exposed skin  within one minute. That number is more typical for Mars?at night,  according to the Curiosity rover NASA has free-wheeling over there.

 As each hour passes, more and more television and radio reporters are  attributing the insane cold to a ?polar vortex? up in northern Canada.  Vortex, yes, but upper Canada? Not exactly. One forecaster called the  beast a hurricane in the Arctic, which is dramatic but wrong. So what is  this mysterious marvel and why is it invading America?

 The polar vortex is a prevailing wind pattern that circles the  Arctic, flowing from west to east all the way around the Earth. It  normally keeps extremely cold air bottled up toward the North Pole.  Occasionally, though, the vortex weakens, allowing the cold air to pour  down across Canada into the U.S., or down into other regions such  Eastern Europe. In addition to bringing cold, the air mass can push the  jet stream?the band of wind that typically flows from the Pacific Ocean  across the U.S.?much further south as well. If the jet stream puts up a  fight, the moisture it carries can fall out as heavy snow, which  atmospheric scientists say is the circumstance that caused the February  2010 ?snowmageddon? storm that shut down Washington, D.C.

 But why does the vortex weaken? Now it gets interesting. More and more Arctic sea ice is melting  during summer months. The more ice that melts, the more the Arctic  Ocean warms. The ocean radiates much of that excess heat back to the  atmosphere in winter, which disrupts the polar vortex. Data taken over  the past decade indicate that when a lot of Arctic sea ice disappears in  the summer, the vortex has a tendency to weaken over the subsequent  winter, if related atmospheric conditions prevail over the northern  Atlantic Ocean. The situation looks something like that shown in the  graphic below. (For a full explanation, see the _Scientific American article_ that accompanies the graphic.)

 Although the extent of summer sea ice in the Arctic varies year to  year, overall it has been disappearing to a notable degree since 2007  and it is forecast to continue to vanish even further. That could mean  more trouble for the polar vortex, and more frigid outbreaks?a seeming  contradiction to ?global warming,? perhaps, but not for ?global weirding,? also known as climate change.


_Graphic by XNR Productions_


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## Banned (Jan 6, 2014)

I didn't understand any of that but it was interesting none-the-less.


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## forgetmenot (Jan 6, 2014)

Cat Dancer said:


> I'm outside the car and it's the whole door, but not the lock. It wasn't locked.



If you are all ice upped CD you will have to try to break the ice with ice breaker or if you have a blow torch that would work lol


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## adaptive1 (Jan 8, 2014)

Gosh it's so cold out that my house won't warm up. It's -45 with the wind chill so I can't sleep.

but apparently it will be -11 by Thursday. That's almost tropical,weather these days. I can't wait to get outside.


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## MHealthJo (Jan 8, 2014)

David Baxter said:


> I'm so sorry to hear that, Steve. How long do you think you and your wife will be able to survive at those temperatures?



Dr Baxter, you just managed to somehow convey perfect deadpan delivery of a smart alec sarcastic comment even though we are using nothing but the medium of text. I applaud you, sir.  X)  X)


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## forgetmenot (Jan 8, 2014)

adaptive1 said:


> Gosh it's so cold out that my house won't warm up. It's -45 with the wind chill so I can't sleep.
> 
> but apparently it will be -11 by Thursday. That's almost tropical,weather these days. I can't wait to get outside.



my furnace could not keep up either adaptive  house would not go above 16celius  dam cold it was  but warmer today


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## positivethoughts (Jan 8, 2014)

What a week.....Today, I am so grateful that after three day of a cold spell, snow squalls, blizzard and all the roads being closed for the three days; the roads finally opened late this afternoon....I can go buy some milk if there still is milk in the stores....that the weather has finally slowed down. Spend most of the week cancelling and rescheduling appointment. No one went anywhere..No school...No work...well only shoveling the snow. Children needed to get to College...I was able to get my son to the Airport for his flight only for him to be told at the last moment that his flight was delayed .....then delayed......then delayed and finally cancelled...so he was at the airport for over 24 hours trying to get a flight back to College. Oh...and of course his luggage has gone missing in all this chaos.

While the other child is finally going back tomorrow, only to come back home because she struggled through the first semester and did not do well at all.

Which is causing me to struggle and feel like I felted before I ended up in hospital...as well my threrapist is back in hospital due to her illness...

What a week....Tomorrow WILL be brighter....I hope...

What a week


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## forgetmenot (Jan 8, 2014)

positivethoughts said:


> What a week.....Today, I am so grateful that after three day of a cold spell, snow squalls, blizzard and all the roads being closed for the three days; the roads finally opened late this afternoon....I can go buy some milk if there still is milk in the stores....that the weather has finally slowed down. Spend most of the week cancelling and rescheduling appointment. No one went anywhere..No school...No work...well only shoveling the snow. Children needed to get to College...I was able to get my son to the Airport for his flight only for him to be told at the last moment that his flight was delayed .....then delayed......then delayed and finally cancelled...so he was at the airport for over 24 hours trying to get a flight back to College. Oh...and of course his luggage has gone missing in all this chaos.
> 
> 
> While the other child is finally going back tomorrow, only to come back home because she struggled through the first semester and did not do well at all.
> ...


Oh hell hun  what a week for sure  I do hope tomorrow things look a little brighter   try to rest 

 I hope your  the child that struggled first semester can talk to some  councilors to see how she can get some help to move forward in her  studies  
One day at a time ok hun  hugs


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## positivethoughts (Jan 9, 2014)

Thanks so much Forgetmenot for the encouragement....I am lookiing into options to help her, also a way for her to be able to go back to college in September.

Oh Well at least most roads are open so we can get out, it finally is a nice -10 C with light flurries. There is still one road closed...so no school again today...as for tomorrow, school will be a choice in this house.

Living here certainly teaches you how to go with the flow winter.


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## forgetmenot (Jan 9, 2014)

She is lucky to have you hun   and yes winter is such a joy isn't it   hugs toyou


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## positivethoughts (Jan 26, 2014)

Well.....

Winter is back in our area. All roads in our area have been closed for over 24 hours and the major roads have been closed since noon on Friday. So, we are homebound again.... wondering for how long. The first storm, we were housebound for three days. Oh well this happens in winter in this area.

I am glad I picked up my daughter from school on Friday after exams or she would still be at school. I was planning to do this because I was going to do things in the town she goes to school in. Thou, I really thought that school would be cancel or buses would not be running on Friday morning, the buses did run. I do believe it is because they are doing their final exams for this term. As I was driving to pick her up I was encountering white outs due to the blowing snow and it took me twice as long to get to the school then I usually take. As I drove out of town to drive back to our town the road was closed; so I needed to use the secondary roads (the back roads). I made it home without getting lost or stuck in a snowbank or ending up in the ditch. My anxiety was really high during the drive, what was great was the the children did not notice how nervous I was and the concern I had about making it home. This storm is bad because even my husband's work told their employees to go home at 1:30. 

So winter is back ... according to environment Canada the blowing snow and snow squalls are to last till Tuesday...Oh well time to buy a snowmobile so that we can get around in storms like this..everyone in the household is in agreement except my husband. I still think I am starting to save for one.


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## forgetmenot (Jan 26, 2014)

yes winter is back dam  just spent two hours trying to unshovel snow that went half way up our doors   and part of driveway  so hsb has a place to park when he gets home that is it  no more    thank god for 4x4  we actually drove through snow drifts as tall as our jeep dam scary snow all over and you just cannot see.  no more driving or being a passenger for me in this type weather i am staying inside period.


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## Cat Dancer (Jan 26, 2014)

I am in the US South and it is supposed to be horribly cold here this coming week. I don't see how you all live like this so much. I want to hibernate.


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 27, 2014)




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## Retired (Jan 28, 2014)

Cat Dancer said:


> I am in the US South and it is supposed to be horribly cold here this coming week. I don't see how you all live like this so much. I want to hibernate.



Agreed!  These cold temperatures even go against what we know from the bible!

Lets face it, you have never seen a picture of Adam and Eve in overcoats or shoveling snow.

It just ain't natural!


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## David Baxter PhD (Jan 28, 2014)




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## adaptive1 (Jan 29, 2014)

I am so sick of the cold, it is -45 with wind chill.mg:  Why didn't my ancestors keep going west?


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