Snow in Winter, eh!

 

Vaseux Lake

 Last week it snowed where I live. I mean really snowed. It began snowing on my way to curling and it snowed so much that after our curling game we didn’t even stay for our customary beverage--though we did stand around discussing the snow outside for almost as long as it usually takes to down a cold one. The heavy, wet snow was certainly weather-worthy material for a good rant as is the blast of very cold arctic air now sitting over our region. 

Shoveling my driveway last week I got to thinking about the weather and how we as Canadians love to talk about it. 

Canadians are very articulate and talking about the weather gives us a chance to show off our winter weather lexicon. Remember all that nonsense from last year? Last winter was record-breaking in many areas. It was a season dominated by ice storms, frost quakes and that meteorological fiend--polar vortex--and nothing gets us going quite like a polar vortex. 

"Winter, a spell of short, cold days commonly defined as a season will be more or less exactly what you would expect."

In case you live somewhere tropical like Maui and think polar vortex is something straight out of a sci-fi flick--polar vortex is a large pocket of extremely cold air situated over the polar region that can occasionally break away and venture south into Canada and the U.S.  Basically, the polar vortex is nasty and the culprit responsible for several weeks of sub-zero temperatures last winter.

I am typically Canadian. I know how important it is to be forewarned and therefore forearmed regarding various weather systems. I have several weather Apps on my iPad (just in case one gets it wrong) and I record the local news every day so as not to miss the weather forecast. Yes, I am weather obsessed along with every other Canadian out there.

 "Ice and snow will create icy, snowy conditions."

So what’s with our obsession? We know its winter so why do we get so passionate about entirely typical winter weather. Why do we act so surprised when temperatures plummet in November as if temperatures haven’t plummeted in November for the past ten years. It’s like this almost every year yet we still have to make a fuss about it. Basically, at the beginning of any given season somewhere in Canada will be hit by entirely typical weather.

The answer to that is as big and varied as the country we live in--a geographically diverse country with weather patterns that can vary hugely from province to province and season to season. From heat waves and humidity warnings to freezing temperatures, wind chills and everything in between, there’s no shortage of material when it comes to our weather. 

"Your car will refuse to start. Because its winter!"

We are also a nation that likes to play it safe and talking about the weather rather than politics or religion is a pretty safe topic. While some like it hot and others like it cold, saying “the heat is unbearable” or “I can’t believe it’s snowing in April” is unlikely to lead into a heated debate or a shouting match.

Canadians are friendly and the weather is a great conversation starter at networking events, or even in the elevator. “How about the weather, eh?” is a common phrase I’ve certainly used at one time or another to greet someone I don’t know.

We are sensible and practical. Since temperatures and climate conditions vary so widely from day to day and season to season, asking “what’s it like out today?” gives us a good idea what to expect and can help with day to day planning. Should you wear a toque and gloves? Is a thunderstorm likely to interrupt your kayaking excursion or will a snowfall affect your commute time? These are all sensible, practical reasons for being up on the weather.

"Frostquake, polar pig, Siberian Express…Brrr!"

Winter is part of our Canadian charm. Where else would you find cities with nicknames more famous than their real names like “Winterpeg”--a label so famous it appears in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and a name which instantly brings to mind frigid cold temperatures and heaping snow banks.

We're also pretty savvy at glorifying the weather one minute and then complaining about its impact the next. We have written songs and stories about it. It’s what we like to do. As a Canadian the ability to survive winter (along with the accompanying rant) is a testament to being Canadian. We’re tough, flexible, creative, and we are prepared!

"Temperatures in Canada are going to fall sharply over the coming weeks because that is what happens at this time of year."

So brace yourselves, even if this proves to be the coldest winter in a hundred years, there’s a high probability that it will be followed by another sudden weather-related phenomenon known as spring. And in no time at all, the polar vortex will be a distant memory replaced by another Canadian meteorological beast--the humidex!

 “You can’t get too much winter in the winter” – Robert Frost in his poem Snow.