Weather Update

Through A.D. 2008 February 04:

Days with snow cover: 72
Days with complete snow cover: 30
Total snowfall: 71 centimeters
Maximum snow depth: 20 centimeters
Maximum low temperature: -17º Celsius

The last few weeks have been odd. There were about 10 days in the middle of January that were nice and cold, but we only had two centimeters of snow during that period. Even then, most of that snow melted soon after it fell. The final week of January was characterized by high temperatures between 1 and 5 degrees Celsius. We had a significant ice storm on Friday, February 01. That storm marked our third significant ice storm of the season and our fifth overall. Considering that we only had freezing rain twice in the previous three winters, five in the first half of one winter is exceptional. Even more incredible is the possibility that we'll have a sixth instance tonight!

The insanely horrible first half of the winter of A.D. 2006-2007 was about as crappy as a winter could be. However, the second half of the winter was about as good as a winter could be. So far this winter, out of a possible 9 weeks of winter weather, we've had three weeks with significant snow cover and cold, two weeks with very little snow cover and cold, and four weeks with neither snow cover nor cold. If you factor in the upcoming week, which is supposed to be between 5 and 10 degrees C., we're looking at a winter where 50% of the time has been "like winter" and 50% of it has been like "damned Virginia winter" as I call it. Even though the forecast says that it is going to remain in that 5 degrees C. range, I sure hope that the weathermen are wrong and that we can get enough snow and cold in February to play some more hockey and do some more snowshoeing. Every year Canadian winters look more attractive to me...