Surprising winter conditions in North America

[Mr Buckshot]

Every year, around November to January, there's at least one "snow period" in the lower mainland BC (Vancouver area) - snow falls like heavy rain, roads are covered (and then salted), and everyone must dress thickly. It's not really a problem as most people (including myself) fit all-season tires onto their cars (winter tires are only necessary in areas not covered my salt trucks), and shoveling isn't an issue - in fact many neighbors work in tandem to clear residential roads and sidewalks for the benefit of the community.

Also, the snow periods in lower mainland typically don't last more than 3 or 4 days and the temperature isn't as low as in other provinces. But now it's different.

But this week's been colder and more snow-filled than any other week I've experienced in my four years over here. The first two nights, the temperature hit minus 17 degrees Celsius, right now it's minus 4. The snow has also lasted nonstop for a week - an unusually long time When the snow was actually falling, it was pretty heavy too, and the salt truck hadn't arrived on some major roads yet so driving was very risky - fortunately I was in an AWD vehicle at the time.

The snow piled up very thickly this time round, though not thick enough for schools to close. It's thicker than anything I've ever experienced. I can shovel the driveway in the morning before school, and when I get home all my shoveling work is undone. It pisses me off sometimes because it takes about half an hour.

All-wheel drive vehicles really show their worth in times like this, as they are less susceptible to fishtailing on ice or getting stuck in snow. I've seen a front-wheel-drive car get stuck on the snow with its front wheels spinning uselessly and the rear wheels immobile.

From what I heard on TV, it snowed in Las Vegas too...10 cm, in fact. A big shock for many people - plus few people there would have the appropriate tires on their cars. In Alberta and Manitoba, the temperatures are hitting extreme lows that are out of the norm.

How goes winter for other Canadians and Americans? I'm sure some of those in inland states/provinces and on the East Coast are suffering far more than I am - good luck you guys.

[dark57]

its 74 degrese here. prrety cold i say.

[Ifafudafi]

eat that global warming

Anyways, I live in Texas, so we never get anything below 0, and especially no snow. Been pretty average around here.

[kenney001]

It was 66 outside at around 7pm here in dallas

[Anton]

It's been snowing on and off here on the TN/KY state line since Mid-October. It's the coldest winter temps since a 3-4 years ago. Temps in the mid teens for the most part occasionally warming up to the 40's/50's (like today).

[n00b1n8R]

It's supposed to get down to around 24 degrees today D:

[Con]

pretty much the same story in victoria, just not as much continuous snowfall. The trucks/traffic have cleared up most of the urban roads by now, but they're still icy and slushy.

[Limited]

Pfft, snow is a godsend, you just dont relise it, snow makes the rest of the year's wind and rain worth bearing.

Over here we get bugger all, just tons of rain and wind =\ Just out of curiosity, how far roughly do you live from the sea? I live about 3 minute walk from sea, and thats one main reason I never get snow here.

[Mr Buckshot]

Conscars, you live on the island? I've been there twice (Victoria and Nanaimo) only during the summer, and it's a really nice place that I could dream of retiring to. I guess the climate conditions are mostly the same as in Vancouver. Also, this is the first time it's snowed in late December in the lower mainland. Typical times are late November/early December or middle of January.

Damn, it's going to snow for all of next week according to the forecast >.> I hope it won't interfere with my flight to Silicon Valley, CA on the 25th. I guess the lower mainland is going to have a white Christmas for once!

Toronto is getting 50 cm of snow these days - it makes me feel thankful that I'm living on the west coast. When the snow is half a meter thick, it'll be an ordeal to get out of home.

Btw, global warming doesn't actually mean the whole globe heats up, it just means weather patterns are disrupted, so global warming is actually going to make some parts of Canada colder than ever, while southern U.S. states are likely to heat up. Back in California, I could walk around outside wearing only a T-shirt on top in the winter and not feel cold.

[Syuusuke]

There was a semi-cold "spring-like" weather for only ONE day, then it got cold all over again....

This is from the east-side of the U.S. of Ay.

[FRain]

Conscars, you live on the island? I've been there twice (Victoria and Nanaimo) only during the summer, and it's a really nice place that I could dream of retiring to. I guess the climate conditions are mostly the same as in Vancouver. Also, this is the first time it's snowed in late December in the lower mainland. Typical times are late November/early December or middle of January.

Damn, it's going to snow for all of next week according to the forecast >.> I hope it won't interfere with my flight to Silicon Valley, CA on the 25th. I guess the lower mainland is going to have a white Christmas for once!

Toronto is getting 50 cm of snow these days - it makes me feel thankful that I'm living on the west coast. When the snow is half a meter thick, it'll be an ordeal to get out of home.

Btw, global warming doesn't actually mean the whole globe heats up, it just means weather patterns are disrupted, so global warming is actually going to make some parts of Canada colder than ever, while southern U.S. states are likely to heat up. Back in California, I could walk around outside wearing only a T-shirt on top in the winter and not feel cold.

Lol, speaking of Victoria, it's really close to Washington and people would always cry hax when conna was the host and I was playing and I had like 64 ping,

[mech]

It snowed 9 inches here so far and it's still going, I'm gonna get some paper today.

[Geo]

We have about a foot of snow here. Its about -15 F (Sometimes a nice warm -5)out in the daytime, and about -25 F at night. Yeah its friggen cold here in northern MN. I live near International Falls, which is one of the coldest citys in the states. It really sucks.

[killer9856]

Snowed today, about 7-8 Inches, with a 1 inch thick layer of ice underneath it.


My winter break starts early :dance:

[Rob Oplawar]

Last week in Boulder it hit -15 degrees F (-27 C), which is the coldest it's been since 1904.
Suck it, global warming!
Haven't had much snow, though. Just lots of ice.

[Geo]

I always loled at global warming...

[Mr Buckshot]

I always loled at global warming...

lol like I said, global warming is not really the Earth actually heating up all over, it's just a disruption of weather patterns (not as dramatic as in The Day After Tomorrow, thankfully). Some places get colder (including Vegas, where it just snowed for the first time ever) while others heat up like crazy.

Wow, it goes into negative Farenheit temperatures in Minnesota...I've never been anywhere THAT cold before.

So I see some of you got off school early due to snowstorms. Lucky devils, the snow was treacherous here but not thick enough to warrant a closure of schools.

It's minus 6 Celsius outside now, and even with the heating on it's only 19 indoors, so I'm wearing long johns under my sweatpants and two sweaters over my shirt.

[Huero]

Winter's being a bastard.
We've had minor flurries, a TAD BIT of hail (lasted all of five minutes and not even in my town) and an assload of rain.
An ASSLOAD.
Like, god damn, don't walk on the sidewalks unless you're on the dry half kind of rain.

[Amit]

Toronto is getting 50 cm of snow these days - it makes me feel thankful that I'm living on the west coast. When the snow is half a meter thick, it'll be an ordeal to get out of home.


58cm here. I was utterly defeated trying to shovel it. got about halfway down the driveway, couldn't move my fingers, and once I finally gave up, i turned around and saw that a quarter of the height of snow I was shoveling snowed right back onto what i had already shoveled. I said fuck it and went inside. I'll let dad figure out how to get the Audi inside the garage.

[Mr Buckshot]

heh, Amit, does that Audi have the Quattro option? If so it wouldn't be too hard to get it into the garage, even with crappy tires. I used to have a 2005 A6 4.2 quattro, when the snow started we'd switch to winter tires and cruise along merrily while everyone else got stuck.

It's been since replaced by a Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which has the added benefit of adjustable suspension, but right now the snow is limiting visibility so I'm not going outside.

Anyway, the snow pissed me off the most today because it RUINED MY HOLIDAY PLANS. Tomorrow, I'm supposed to be in San Jose, California (a place I once called home for 3 years) visiting a few relatives and old middle school friends, but the snow has shut down all traffic at the Vancouver International Airport, so my parents just cancelled all air tickets and hotel/rental car reservations.

[LlamaMaster]

I best I've gotten here in Texas this year is a little bit of hail. That's it. :(

[Sel]

-20

-35 with wind chill yesterday.

[Mr Buckshot]

-20

-35 with wind chill yesterday.

Celsius right?

My thermometer says -1.5 Celsius right now (a welcome change from the -5 to -15 I've been seeing) but the wind chill will make that lower...

I can't wait for spring.

[legionaire45]

It's currently raining down here in SoCal, at least in the San Fernando Valley area.

[Mass]

It's been cold as balls in Chicago, and we've gotten several feet of snow since December started.

The snow froze up the last few days and was coming off in chucks, it was like shoveling asphalt. Eventually I just brought out my crowbar and tore it a new asshole before I shoveled anywhere. Really a pain in the ass to be out in that kind of cold for that long.

[Pope]

Celsius right?

My thermometer says -1.5 Celsius right now (a welcome change from the -5 to -15 I've been seeing) but the wind chill will make that lower...

I can't wait for spring.
Rumour has it's the most intense winter since '64 up here in the GVRD.