I'll tolerate a brief blast of Arctic air every December because that is what is needed to make the Assiniboine and Red Rivers safe to skate on. The ice on those rivers is now thick and solid and has been for at least a week. The cold air has done it's job, it can now move along and I will happily skate through -5 temperatures from now through to mid-April.
winter closing in
Fri, 2017-12-29 22:58
#102
Sat, 2017-12-30 11:25
#103
Timebandit
So cold this morning! Not leaving the house today.
Sat, 2017-12-30 11:45
#104
At least it will teach the kids to wear their hats and mitts if they don't want to wind up looking like barn cats.
Sat, 2017-12-30 11:50
#105
Timebandit
Thing 1 took the bus home last night against my advice - was glad I gifted her a long, hooded down parka this winter, or she'd have been frost bitten.
Sat, 2017-12-30 18:21
#106
It was so cold in Toronto today that at Queen's Park, people were seen huddling around Kathleen Wynne for warmth.
(this joke made from 100% post-consumer recycled material)
Sat, 2017-12-30 18:26
#107
Timebandit, you'd have preferred to have her walk home in that weather?
Sat, 2017-12-30 23:45
#108
Timebandit
No, I wanted her to take a cab! Bus service is okay here, but not super reliable.
Tue, 2018-01-02 12:30
#109
No Room In The Shelters During Toronto's Christmas Cold Snap
https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/29/no-room-in-the-shelters-during-t...
"In spite of the two votes by city council calling for 90% or less shelter occupancy for people without homes, Toronto bureaucrats with strong backing from Mayor John Tory are running a system effectively over %100 capacity. There is an increasingly real danger that multiple people may be found frozen to death..."
"Yes, we are aware of 2 people who died outside late Nov/early Dec. The media hasn't reported either of them. Likely other frontline workers know of other recent deaths connected to lack of homes..."
https://twitter.com/cathycrowe/status/948063120244772864
Barbaric and shameful indifference.
Wed, 2018-01-03 11:55
#110
Yes, it is horrible. Many people have died. Not all are technically "homeless" others are isolated etc.
Sun, 2018-01-07 11:47
#111
Let Frozen Iguanas Lie: Floridians Attacked By Newly-Thawed Reptiles
"Something of an iguanapocalypse is happening in South Florida..."
Sun, 2018-01-07 17:13
#112
In spite of the two votes by city council calling for 90% or less shelter occupancy for people without homes, Toronto bureaucrats with strong backing from Mayor John Tory are running a system effectively over %100 capacity. There is an increasingly real danger that multiple people may be found frozen to death...
26 people sheltered at Moss Park armoury Saturday night
The newly-opened Moss Park armoury saw 26 people during the night Sunday, and can hold a maximum of 100. The Better Living Centre, which can house 200 people, had 160 drop-ins....
The City also announced that it would close the Wellesley Community Centre warming service, which was also opened as an emergency overflow space.
The Wellesley Community Centre only saw one person during the night, so “the facility will be returned to its primary purpose of community-based programming,” the release said.
...
At 4 a.m. Sunday, the Metro Hall warming centre saw 35 people while the Regent Park Community Centre saw 67. The capacity at Regent Park is 180.
It's a good thing to have far more spaces than are needed -- it was -20C here last night! -- but I can't help wondering how this constitutes "effectively over %100 capacity". Can someone do the math for us?
Sun, 2018-01-07 20:32
#113
That is rather horrifically cold for Toronto...
Sat, 2019-02-02 11:52
#114
Groundhog says 6 more weeks of winter.
Wed, 2019-02-13 11:40
#115
Here the contrary would be surprising. Though in 2012, the weather was on the students' side.
I can't find the old "what are you doing?" thread. I'm detangling my hair - a long process if I let it go. My hair is very curly-kinky. I'm finishing a long translation; I'll also be making duck empanadas.
Did the GTA get the storm? Here, unless there is a crisis we get only eastern Ontario on the regular weather report; Ottawa and Gatineau have been clobbered and there are several cartoons about "the Tempest"... the storm and the cabinet kerfuffle.
Livia has cabin fever.
Wed, 2019-02-13 11:46
#116
Yes freezing rain snow mix. Same shit continuing last couple weeks.
Wed, 2019-02-13 11:53
#117
In the GTA, the storm was bad yesterday but just light snow now. Schools were closed yesterday, my kid had his first snow day ever, and didn't get out of pajamas until 3 o'clock. Good times!
Wed, 2019-02-13 12:10
#118
Here in SW Ontario we've had rain, freezing rain, ice pellets and a whack of snow over a 24 hour period. The weather's been incredibly unstable for weeks now.
Wed, 2019-02-13 14:19
#119
Yes, of course on average you have milder winters than we do, but the weather has been terribly unstable everywhere, I think throughout northeastern North America.
Wed, 2019-02-13 15:21
#120
Timebandit
We've just had lots of serious cold. We've had some actual -40 - which is not super unusual during a cold snap, but the usual normals when that was happening is around -12. We've had prolonged periods of -20s and lower over January and February. -9 yesterday felt mild. Looking forward to the weather breaking, but it looks like negative double digits for the next couple of weeks yet.
Wed, 2019-02-13 16:43
#121
swallow
Snow day? My kid stood up, looked out the window at all the snow, grinned widely and shouted "Thank you! Thank you mother nature! I love you!" Later we baked some muffins and made some Valentine's cards. And the snow is perfect for shovelling: mediation meets exercise. It's good inside these walls of ice.
Fri, 2019-02-15 07:52
#122
Well, I'm grumpy this morning. I was running an errand very close by, lost my footing on what must have been liquid water under snow and ice, and fell squarely on my tail, on ice, not nice soft snow. I ache all over; obviously lower back but also a bad leg cramp (which has gone away) and in other places from bracing myself.
Sat, 2019-02-16 00:37
#123
snow, warmer, cold night, freeze, everything is ice and we fall. Thus is winter in Toronto. Oh I forgot the wind, it hurts
Sat, 2019-02-16 01:31
#124
So sorry to hear of the weather our Eastern friends are enduring. Rain, changing to snow, back to freezing rain, back to snow, and on and on. Yes, it's been much colder here in Winnipeg, but at least the straight cold doesn't leave behind the mess that the changing precipitation does. I actually prefer that to constant flipping back and forth.
Sat, 2019-02-16 10:25
#125
Lovely weather today though. Sunny, not too cold. I'm feeling better.
Sat, 2019-02-16 10:26
#126
Timebandit
Lagatta, hope you recover quickly! Sounds like a nasty spill.
Sat, 2019-02-16 10:41
#127
Yes, at least I seem to be solid-state. And no, I wasn't in my cups...
The healing power of purrs helped. Livia was very upset that I was groaning. En la madrugada (the wee hours, but I love the Spanish word) I woke up a bit and realised that my head was lying against her small purring body. She gave me nose-bumps too.
I cleared the snow off my back (garden) balcony and she has been spending a bit of time outside. She'd put on a bit of weight and it is good if she can get some exercise. Oh, she's not "fat", but she is so small that any excess makes her look like a little ball.
Sat, 2019-02-16 19:33
#128
swallow
Stay well lagatta.
Sat, 2019-02-16 19:54
#129
Sorry to hear that Lagatta. I hope you recover quickly. My block is bad too. I count myself lucky I can still get outside. The people in my building using wheelchairs and walkers can't get out at all.
Sat, 2019-02-16 20:54
#130
Hope you recover quickly lagatta! I’m in Buckhorn ON now. Lots of snow with ice underneath. Probably fell twice or three times cleaning the driveway. Easy slips and falls so not bad so far.
Fri, 2019-10-11 20:05
#131
It's not even Thanksgiving, and I'm already bumping this thread:
A Colorado low, which moved in from the United States on Wednesday, is cutting across Manitoba from the southwest corner into the Red River Valley and northwestward toward Berens River.As a result, the entire southern region is littered with winter storm warnings, winter storm watches and rainfall warnings. As well, travel is hazardous in many areas due to reduced visibility.
Whether an area is getting snow or rain depends on which side of the storm's line it falls. The line pretty much bisects Winnipeg, which is getting a mix of both and everything in between.
West and north of Winnipeg, where temperatures are lower due to a cold front from Saskatchewan, there's a winter storm warning.
Sat, 2019-10-12 03:18
#132
Misfit
There are still too many green leaves on the trees to worry. Always look at the trees. Talk to ranchers. They know what to look for in animals. I may be wrong but I believe that this is an early oddity. A birch in my front yard is still 60% green and has only started to dribble off a few leaves here and there. Older and unhealthy trees are advanced but I saw a Manitoba Maple today that hasn’t even started to turn yellow.
Just relax and enjoy Thanksgiving!
Sat, 2019-10-12 06:36
#133
At least Canadian Thanksgiving relates to harvest season, at least in more southerly areas. US Thanksgiving, of New England origin, is ridiculously late there. Thanksgiving is a very minor holiday in Québec, probably as it was seen as a Protestant observance. And nowhere in Canada is it the mass idiocy found in the US, now bolstered by Black Friday or whatever that shopping extravaganza is called.
Sat, 2019-10-12 10:42
#134
American Thanksgiving may be late, but it does serve a purpose of sorts: it puts an unofficial early bound on the Christmas season. In Canada, I see decorations go up after Halloween some places.
Sat, 2019-10-12 11:31
#135
Did that get started with Dollarama? They immediately switch their Halloween crap to Xmas crap at the end of October.
Sat, 2019-10-12 11:48
#136
Misfit
Did that get started with Dollarama? They immediately switch their Halloween crap to Xmas crap at the end of October.
All the major stores seem to do this. On November 1, the Hallowe’en candy is gone and the Christmas candy is placed on the shelves and other red and green decorations and stuff.
People in the prairies like putting their outdoor Christmas lights up in October and early November when the weather is more suitable to do so. Not all but many do. They don’t turn their lights on until the advent season but fall is the most preferred time to get the outdoor major stuff out out and ready to go before the extreme weather settles in. The hardware stores need to be stocked for this at this time of year when they put away their garden supplies.
Sat, 2019-10-12 12:23
#137
Misfit
I lived in Toronto for eight years. Winter is very different in southern Ontario and southern Quebec than it is on the prairies and in the Canadian Shield regions. For one thing, the cities release a lot of heat which makes them milder than in the rural surrounding areas. Montreal and Toronto get much milder winters but the cold is a wet cold which penetrates through the clothes and chills you to the bone and makes winter miserable and rough. And the white stuff is just awful!
I can not speak for Montreal but I do know that very few people in Toronto plug in their cars in the winter.
You go 100-150k north of Toronto and people do plug their vehicles in. They have lots of snow and they retain their snow year round unlike Toronto where the heat from the city melts it away within days.
Forty years ago on the prairies, one could expect at least three major artic highs to settle in over the prairies and last for around ten days to two weeks at a time and bring in blistering cold weather in the -25c to -35c range from December thru February. Cold snaps could warm up to the -10-25c range. Lovely winter weather is -5 to -15c. The winters are known for cold dry blistering winds and generally low levels of snowfall. We plug our vehicles in during the winter months.
This is why outdoor Christmas lights are already out in the hardware stores in early October out here. Thanksgiving weekend has ideal weather for getting them up.
Sun, 2019-10-13 09:04
#138
Toronto is usually considerably milder than Montréal, but it is true that few people, especially in the city proper, plug in their vehicles. For one thing, relatively few people have garages. And we are an outlier in terms of electric cars, due to the relatively lower cost of hydroelectricity. https://www.iheartradio.ca/cjad/news/quebec-cottage-region-emerges-as-el...
Yes, winters are extremely damp here, with the Ottawa flowing into the St. Lawrence. Hurts my joints just thinking of it. On the subject of joints and their derivatives; wondering if CBD derivatives are good for arthritics and DO NOT get one stoned? Nothing against the latter, but I need a clear head to work.
Sun, 2019-10-13 09:04
#139
Toronto is usually considerably milder than Montréal, but it is true that few people, especially in the city proper, plug in their vehicles. For one thing, relatively few people have garages. And we are an outlier in terms of electric cars, due to the relatively lower cost of hydroelectricity. https://www.iheartradio.ca/cjad/news/quebec-cottage-region-emerges-as-el...
Yes, winters are extremely damp here, with the Ottawa flowing into the St. Lawrence. Hurts my joints just thinking of it. On the subject of joints and their derivatives; wondering if CBD derivatives are good for arthritics and DO NOT get one stoned? Nothing against the latter, but I need a clear head to work.
Sun, 2019-10-13 21:04
#140
State of emergency, evacuations happening:
Thousands of people may be evacuated from First Nations communities as Manitoba reels from a snowstorm that left tens of thousands of people without power at a time — including the entire city of Portage la Prairie — and forced the province and capital city to declare states of emergencies.
Officials say it will take days to restore power in some of the areas hardest hit by an storm that snapped trees and hundreds of hydro poles. Thousands of people have gone without power since Friday.
"The damage is unprecedented in some areas," Jay Grewal, president and CEO of Manitoba Hydro, said in a media conference alongside Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister Sunday afternoon.
"In some areas, we have more lines and poles down than standing."
First Nations leaders are predicting around 5,000 people may need to be evacuated from communities without power, Indigenous Affairs Minister Eileen Clarke said.
The province declared a state of emergency early Sunday morning to give Manitoba Hydro the means to ask power utilities in Saskatchewan, Ontario and Minnesota for their help restoring services.
Living inside the city, you really don't think about how it impacts people outside, from school buses to power going down to people who can't commute into work. Really hope this all gets sorted out soon.
Mon, 2019-10-14 13:37
#141
Meanwhile, a second evacuation centre is opening up in Winnipeg:
Hundreds of people are seeking shelter in Winnipeg after being evacuated from First Nations communities as Manitoba reels from a snowstorm that has left tens of thousands without power at a time, and forced the province and city to declare states of emergency.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross, which set up an emergency shelter for about 1,000 evacuees at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg, told CBC News on Monday it's prepared to set up another one to potentially double the number of people it can support.
"We had more than 500 people registered, but we know we were still registering people well into the evening. We have hundreds of people registered and we know we're likely to expect more people today," said Jason Small.
The second emergency shelter is scheduled to open Monday afternoon.
Mon, 2019-10-14 14:36
#142
I refuse to surrender. I have 10 feet of florescent daylight grow lights so far( 6500K). I also have 12 5000K LED spotlights. I am planning four more goose neck LED grow lights but I am restraining myself for now. After all, I live in a one bedroom. On the other hand, now that I brought everyone indoors for the winter I have 50+ plants, probably only about 40 varieties. the 12 5000K are for me but the rest are for them.
So, it may be fall with winter coming but when I enter my apartment I go and sit in my garden.
Mon, 2019-10-14 15:25
#143
You have even more plants than I do! But my ficus is huge. Skdadl named him - Fabrizio. If we had larger flats, we'd do nothing but tend to plants (and me, to my cat).
Mon, 2019-10-14 18:26
#144
Misfit
When do you start your tomatoes?
Mon, 2019-10-14 22:13
#145
You have even more plants than I do! But my ficus is huge. Skdadl named him - Fabrizio. If we had larger flats, we'd do nothing but tend to plants (and me, to my cat).
Yes. I sit around thinking of new places to put plants. I almost bought a fiscus at the Mont Royal Metro a week ago but forgot it. I was carrying other plants. Just as well because it would be a problem space wise once grown. I have one specimen plant, a three foot wide Aloe Vera. My Hoya flowered late spring and again early summer. The scent is released around 9/10 pm. The first time it released I didn't know what it was. I went looking and found the flower. Most of my plants are the typical ones found everywhere but I have branched out hahaha. I did not do that on purpose. I have a few that are less common. I also get seasonals like Cyclamen and a yellow Celosia. I need the green and the lights to survive the winter.
I followed your example and voted today.
Mon, 2019-10-14 23:34
#146
Misfit
Everyone benefits by being around plants. I have a lot of respect for people who care for and look after them. They are life and they emit positive energy that is good for us all.
Tue, 2019-10-15 01:06
#147
*Ahem*
Meanwhile, a second evacuation centre is opening up in Winnipeg:
Hundreds of people are seeking shelter in Winnipeg after being evacuated from First Nations communities as Manitoba reels from a snowstorm that has left tens of thousands without power at a time, and forced the province and city to declare states of emergency.
A spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross, which set up an emergency shelter for about 1,000 evacuees at the RBC Convention Centre in downtown Winnipeg, told CBC News on Monday it's prepared to set up another one to potentially double the number of people it can support.
"We had more than 500 people registered, but we know we were still registering people well into the evening. We have hundreds of people registered and we know we're likely to expect more people today," said Jason Small.
The second emergency shelter is scheduled to open Monday afternoon.
Wed, 2019-10-16 01:57
#148
Still seeing tons of broken branches around the city. At least from what I've seen all the branches hanging in the trees have come down, so that should be less danger from a branch falling on someone.
Wed, 2019-10-16 08:43
#149
On the subject of joints and their derivatives; wondering if CBD derivatives are good for arthritics and DO NOT get one stoned? Nothing against the latter, but I need a clear head to work.
CBD is good for pain management of all kinds and does not get you high - it contains no THC, the cannabinoid that produces that makes you stoned.
Thu, 2019-10-17 20:56
#150
Thanks! I have nothing against being a bit stoned, or a bit tipsy on wine, but those effects are for social interaction (not all the time, of course) and not working on either paid or activist projects! Livia, my cat, seems to be able to get herself stoned/tipsy just from purring and being petted, curling up against me and other sentient beings.
Thu, 2019-10-17 21:06
#151
