Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Shocked at the sight of the deck this morning.

I mean, I'm used to a January thaw but compared to yesterday:ohmy:
It really is like winter is over. :lol:

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Here too. Weirdest 'snow day' the kids have had yet.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

On the way to work the radio announced there is no part of Saskatchewan warmer than windchill of -40. Local weatherman Phil Darlington demonstrates how a pail of water thrown in the air at that temp turns to ice pellets before it can hit the ground:

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I did that when I was in far northern Alaska, pretty neat.

Boring here still, normal temps and extended period of rain, seems rain for the next 7 days.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I didn't have to travel...other than through the back door onto the deck. :lol:

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

:lol:

I didn't go to Alaska specifically for that, I went so I could say I went to the Northernmost point in the US. ;)

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

It seems the roads are a slippy slidey mess this evening.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I always feel Stouffville has a bit of a 'Cicely' feel about it, the current, exciting political mayor controversy only adds to that.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

We had everything going yesterday. From +12 to -12, fog, rain, ice pellets, freezing rain, snow and a flash freeze.

Yuk.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

+16 this morning. Overnight rain melted almost all the snow on the ground. Just one corner in our yard has a few patches left and the odd patch on the street.

Pretty sure there's never been so little snow 'on the ground' on this date in all the years here and it may continue until the middle of next week. :blink:

Freezing rain due tonight, but no snow until Weds with all of 1-3cm predicted that day. We all know that can change of course.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Can't it just. :(
The freezing rain didn't really happen but the snow not expected today has been coming down for over three hours so far - not deep but it's enough to make everything white again when it had virtually all gone.

And Wednesday's 1-3cm is now forecast to be as much as 15cm.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I'm sick of winter

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

:lol: We haven't even had much of a winter in Vancouver, plus its nice today, sun is out, no rain, and mild temps.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Don't forget the sun shines on Oink 90% of the time. :lol:

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Meh. I'm there too. Having a grumpy day anyway - and was thinking over the last few days, winter's gone on as long as it's 'meant' to & we're barely half way through, there was another 5cm of snow last night, it hurts lungs to walk outside, and there's not even some nice mountains to look at to make it all worthwhile.

Wondering when to point out to the partner (who's moved for me twice in 2 years, took 4 months to find work here, and likes the cost of living) that my midterm grades could get me into a west coast transfer...

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

B.C. will be home to most snow on the planet, here’s why:

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ne...rd-2018/93567/

Great....

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Please define your definition of winter when living in Vancouver please I would like to be enlightened on what you consider winter.
Currently its sunny where I am and only minus 20 with the windchill and we expect to have a warmer period over the next few days :lol:

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I thought it shone out of him? Must be sight to see, that sunbeam arcing round onto his head

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Old, but it still makes me chuckle.. (surprisingly, as I don't find N.A humour funny!)

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

We were due 10cm of snow today and we are now supposed to be in the middle of between 4 and 8 hours freezing rain.

We had maybe half that snow which finished around lunchtime, then nothing and 6 hours later it's normal rain.

Some ice has fallen (icicles?) so there may have been a very brief spell of freezing rain without me seeing, but there's zero sign of any icy surfaces. New ones I mean. No frozen 'drips' on the deck or step rails...zilch.

Not that I'm complaining.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I witnessed a wonderful act of random kindness yesterday.

I knew I had to clear the 9cm of snow with several mm of ice on top of it because it was going to warm up a bit and then freeze again.

The blower handles the driveway but not the huge frozen berm at the bottom. It had to be broken up by hand and then blown. That's a recipe for cardiac arrest.

I started at one end of the berm and then took a break. While leaning on my shovel, a bloke in a bladed truck drove past, stopped, backed up and motioned for me to get out of the way. It took less than a minute for him to do what would have taken me hours. He them smiled and drove off.

I still ended up with backache. Souvette gave me a back massage with Vitarub and was very attentive. That's not like her (she isn't terribly sympathetic). It later transpired she had just discovered that one of neighbours (not much older than me) dropped dead of a heart attack recently, probably while shovelling.

Cue the Catholic guilt!

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Many's the time I hoped someone would do that.

A few years ago one of those tractor-blower things suddenly turned up and started doing our drive and the ridge. Then it pulled out and went up the street to another house. At that one it spent a bit longer than at ours. Also, the front part of ours wasn't quite finished as you'd expect - although it was a massive help for me and just needed a bit of tidying up.

I reckon he realised he got the wrong house and then went to the right one. I half expected him to come and put it back. :lol:

As we don't drive and I don't use my bike in the winter anymore, I don't need access to the garage so a bladed truck can just push snow up to the doors and comes at a fraction of the price of the usual contractors with blowers.

No heart attacks for me.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

We rented a house a few years ago with a 50m+ driveway. Heavy overnight and early morning snow had all five of us frantically shoveling to get to my daughter's birthday shindig, where her friends would be waiting. We were saved by a knight in shining pick-up who ploughed the whole thing in record time, for free. Not his tidiest work he said, but a massive relief for us.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Snowing big fat blobs today, plus blowing snow.. what a difference to yesterday when it was blue sky with sunshine.

Winter's back.

:(

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

We rent a snow shelter for our driveway. The guys come and put it up and then come back a few months later to take it away.

This time, the guys were putting mine up and watching our neighbour try to put his own up. He was struggling. They took pity, strolled across the road and had his up in about ten minutes.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

When we were first here we had a driveway full of snow and inadequate means to displace it (maybe a quarter mile, three feet deep). A passer-by slowed his car, saw the situation and, a while later returned in -umpteen temperatures on an open station tractor with a two stage blower. He had it cleared in no time explaining that he was a neighbour and it's what neighbours do. We bought beer and went looking for the house with that tractor, it's three miles away.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

What's a snow shelter?

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

An Igloo. :lol:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/89/25...262254.jpg?v=0

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Ah those tent garage things. You can rent them? And just have them up for the winter? Most people have them up permanently until they are ripped apart.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I think there are by-laws limiting when you can have them up.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I think there are also called Tempos and they are very popular in QC. The only part of Ottawa you see them often is in Vanier which has a high francophone population.

Souvy is becoming quite assimilated if he has a Tempo.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Yes you can here. Mine, like the ones in the photo, abuts the garage. Souvette can get from the house to the ice-free and snow-free car.

I like that. I don't have to bust my gut at an unearthly hour in the morning.

It's well worth a few hundred bucks a year.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Ours blew away.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I think expected lifespan of such a construction here in Newfoundland would count in single digit minutes before it blew away.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

With 2-foot bits of rebar holding it down?

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

In our case the frame stayed, it was just the material that shot off into another field. It came from TSC, maybe that was the problem.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

So just not attached properly then?

Or you had one end closed and the other open. Instant balloon.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

I believe the wind got under the edges, despite the breeze blocks on the horizontal flaps. It took off like an unchained barbecue.

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Yes. See below:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/A2go127CQAAeTyq.jpg

Re: Winter 2017-18
 

Mine is held down by the rebar sunk into the driveway (same holes every year) and I let snow/ice seal the flaps.

That photo suggests little or nothing holding the thing down.