31 March 2009

31st March 2009 - Tuesday

High: 9.0
Low: -7.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(46)
Days we didn't see any sun: (19)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (20)

It was a bright start with lots of white fluffly clouds. It felt fairly cool this morning, but by early afternoon the sun was shining. It felt really quite warm and pleasant in the sunshine. It started to cool down again once the sun started to go down and the wind was starting to pick up.

30 March 2009

30th March 2009 - Monday

High: 7.0
Low: -15.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(46)
Days we didn't see any sun: (19)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (20)

It was a cold (-12) start, but the sky was bright and sunny. There was no wind, so it didn't feel too cold. There was bright sunshine by mid-day and the snow was continuing to melt.

29 March 2009

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was starting to come light at around 7. 05 and was very light by around 7.20.
It was starting to go dark at around 8.00pm and very dark at 8.30pm.

29th March 2009 - Sunday

High: 1.5
Low: -5.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(46)
Days we didn't see any sun: (19)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (20)

It started to snow late last night and a large amount of snow has fallen overnight. It was still snowing this morning and was -3.2. It did not feel too cold outisde but the sky was snowy and there was no sun. It stopped snowing at around 10am. By around mid-day it was +6 and quite pleasant. The sun did come out, melting some of the snow.
Weather Warning in Okotoks, High River & Claresholm is still in place and has now been updated: Heavy snow is occurring with total snow accumulations of 10 to 40 centimetres expected.

Snow has tapered off in the City of Calgary and in the regions to the north of the city. The heaviest snow is now being reported across the regions south of Calgary from just east of highway 2 westward into the foothills. The snow area extends into the Lethbridge Cardston regions and south into Montana. Snow will taper off from the north during the day as the system producing the snow moves southward.

Up until 7 AM this morning the Calgary airport reported 13 centimetres and Springbank reported 23 centimetres of snow. The heaviest snow appears to have fallen just to the west of High River where the radar suggests snowfall amounts upwards of 25 centimetres overnight.


28 March 2009

28th March 2009 - Saturday

High: 1.5
Low: -5.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(45)
Days we didn't see any sun: (19)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
It was quite a cold start to the day and the sky was white.

We have the following warning for today & tomorrow. Storms like this are usual for this time of year, but usually the snow melts quickly as the temperatures are higher, unfortunately coupled with the storm we are also having below average temperatures, meaning the snow may hang around:

Snowfall warning for Okotoks, High River & Claresholm:
A low pressure system is forecast to develop in Montana tonight with heavy snow redeveloping over southwestern Alberta this evening. This system is expected to produce 10 to 30 centimetres of snow by noon Sunday. Current computer models indicate the areas west of Calgary and south along the foothills should receive the heaviest amounts. Snowfall accumulations of 10 centimetres are expected in southern portions of Banff region. Snow will begin to taper off along the northern foothills Sunday morning and along southern foothills Sunday afternoon.

27 March 2009

27th March 2009 - Friday

High: 8.0
Low: -10.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(44)
Days we didn't see any sun: (18)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
It was a quite bright start with a fair amount of white fluffy cloud. It didn't feel too cold though, it was -6 on the drive to work.

It was quite bright and sunny by the end of the day, and actually felt quite nice.

26 March 2009

26th March 2009 - Thursday

High: 0.0
Low: -17.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(44)
Days we didn't see any sun: (18)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
It was a much brighter start to the day, with clear blue skies and sunshine. It was -15 on the drive to work, but with the sunshine and no wind it didn't feel that bad.

The drive to High River was fine, but there were reports of the blowing snow from yesterday, freezing like glass on some of the highways (mainly further north around Strathmore etc) making driving dangerous.

It did feel quite cold out of the sun and the wind picked up in the afternoon, making it feel very cold.

25 March 2009

25th March 2009 - Wednesday

High: -4.5
Low: -10.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(44)
Days we didn't see any sun: (18)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
It had snowed overnight (although not much) and was snowing on the drive to work. The sky was white but it didn't feel too cold this morning, not as cold as yesterday.

It snowed lightly on and off all day and by mid-day there was a bitterly cold wind blowing. There was a strong wind and blowing snow on the drive home.

24 March 2009

24th March 2009 - Tuesday

High: 0.0
Low: -6.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(43)
Days we didn't see any sun: (18)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
It was a very cloudy and cold start. There was a light wind too, making it feel much colder that it actually was.

It remained cold and cloudy all day.

23 March 2009

23rd March 2009 - Monday

High: 1.5
Low: -7.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(43)
Days we didn't see any sun: (17)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
It was quite a cloudy start to the day and it was -7 on the drive to work, but reports said the wind chill would make it feel like -14. It didn't feel that cold and if anything it seemed to warm up as the day wore on. It was very sunny and a fair amount of yesterdays snowfall has already melted.

22 March 2009

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was starting to come light at around 7.15 and was very light by around 7.35am.
It was starting to go dark at around 7.50pm and very dark at 8.20pm.

22 March 2009 - Sunday

High: -0.5
Low: -4.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(43)
Days we didn't see any sun: (17)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (19)
There was quite a few cm's of snow on the gound this morning. So after having clear roads, streets and yards for the past fews days they are now covered in snow again.

It was snowing again this morning and the sky was white and it stayed cloudy all day, but it did not feel cold.

The wind started to pick up in the early evening, making it feel much colder and we had a few more snow flurries.

21 March 2009

21 March 2009 - Saturday

High: 14.5
Low: 0.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(42)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a lovely bright start to the day with blue sky and sunshine. It was +4 by 09.30am.

It is hard to believe now, but there is a winter storm warning in place for today.

By mid-day the wind had really picked up, it had clouded over and turned much colder. By around 10pm it was snowing.

Winter storm warning for Okotoks, High River & Claresholm
Heavy snow and blowing snow expected tonight and early Sunday.

This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions...Listen for updated statements.

An intense pacific low pressure system will develop in southern Alberta and Montana today. This system will at first produce showers this afternoon. As the low pressure system intensifies increasing northeasterly winds will develop and bring in colder air. Precipitation will then turn to snow and become heavy at times this evening. Total snowfall amounts of 10 to 20 centimetres can be expected in some localities by Sunday morning. In addition strong northeasterly winds will develop producing blowing snow and reduced visibilities.

This winter storm can produce poor travelling conditions. Persons in or near these areas should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and listen for updated warnings.

20 March 2009

Calgary Herald Article - It Really Was A Cold Winter

It was a bitterly cold winter that saw Calgarians fight severe wind chills, seethe over snow-clogged streets and bemoan the scarcity of warm chinook winds.

Spring arrived in the city at 5:44 this morning when the centre of the sun crossed the equator. Winter is over in the northern hemisphere, but scientists suggest we'll be feeling the chill in Calgary for months to come. They say the colder-than-normal temperatures and wet weather of the past season will impact everything from wildlife and crops to the proliferation of pesky nuisance animals.

For instance, pest control experts say Calgarians can expect an abundance of mice this spring. "The mouse population does really well when there's heavy snow cover," said Alberta Agriculture inspector Phil Merrill. "They can nest and eat and move around without having to worry about coyotes or foxes."

Meteorologists aren't ruling out the possibility of a cool spring in Calgary, a hangover from a weather pattern known as La Nina caused by lower-than-normal surface water temperatures in the Pacific.

That could negatively impact the population of another pesky rodent -- the ever-resilient Richardson ground squirrel, or gopher as it is commonly known. Gophers thrive in extremely dry conditions. That means if the snow sticks around longer than expected or temperatures stay cool, farmers could enjoy a bit of relief from the pint-sized, crop-eating creatures. "A cool, wet spring is hard on them," said Merrill.

Some farmers in southern Alberta will start their planting season as early as the end of March and will watch the weather closely for reasons other than gophers, said Bruce Burnett, director of weather and crop surveillance for the Canadian Wheat Board. A thaw is a good thing--provided it doesn't cause flooding.

The bitter winter saw temperatures in the Calgary area often sink below seasonal averages and a whopping 98.8 centimetres of snow hit the ground -- more than double the amount of precipitation recorded the previous year.

But if Calgarians trudged through winter with gritted teeth, a group of scientists and Alberta's beleaguered timber industry celebrated each time the mercury plunged lower. The Canadian Forest Service, with the help of a computer modelling system, believes the frigid temperatures in places like Jasper and Banff killed off some 95% of the deadly mountain pine beetle, a much-reviled insect that has already destroyed a significant swath of British Columbia's pine forests.

"We are going to get a temporary break because the beetle population is not going to grow as fast as they would have otherwise," said Barry Cooke, a research scientist with Canadian Forest Service. "It's short term, but it's still good news. The mountain parks were on a trajectory toward rapid disaster, so any reprieve is welcome."

20th March 2009 - Friday

High: 14.0
Low: -2.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
Today is offically the first day of spring and it is shaping up to be a nice one. It was a fairly cloudy start but by 9am the cloud had cleared and there was bright blue sky and sunshine. It doesn't feel cold.

19 March 2009

19th March 2009 - Thursday

High: 13.0
Low: 0.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a cloudy and dull start to the day, but there was a bright Chinook Arch over the mountains again. It was +3 on the drive to work, but without the sun it felt quite cool. By mid-day it had warmed up to around +10. It was a very pleasant afternoon, the cloud had cleared and the sun was shining. By the time we got home, the temperature was showing +16 in the sun on our porch. The ice on the lake was also beginning to melt and most of the snow has melted.

18 March 2009

18th March 2009 - Wednesday

High: 7.5
Low: -11.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a lovely bright start to the day with lots of blue sky and sunshine. It was showing -8 on the drive to work, but it didn't feel too cold, there was a huge Chinook Arch over the mountains. It was really nice in the sunshine and it was +8 on the drive home.

17 March 2009

17th March 2009 - Tuesday

High: 3.0
Low: -11.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a lovely bright start to the day with lots of blue sky and sunshine. It felt much warmer today and with no wind it was feeling very pleasant.

16 March 2009

16th March 2009 - Monday

High: 5.0
Low: -8.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a very foggy start to the day and we couldn't even see the houses at the other side of the lake. Visibility on the drive to work was pretty bad and there was reports of fog and snow in Calgary.

It did not feel too cold today (-7 on the drive to work) and by around 9am the sun was shining and the sky was blue and almost cloudless.

The wind really picked up mid-morning and it was quite strong. It also made it feel much colder than it was. The wind had died down by mid-afternoon.

15 March 2009

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was starting to come light at around 7.20 and was very light by around 7.40am.
It was starting to go dark at around 7.45pm and was quite dark at 8.15pm.

15th March 2009 - Sunday

High: 8.0
Low: -3.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a nice, bright and suny day all day. It didn't feel cold, but there was quite a breeze blowing in the afternoon.

14 March 2009

14th March 2009 - Saturday

High: 10.5
Low: -3.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was bright blue sky and sunny this morning. It was +4 by around 10am. It was nice in the sun but still quite cool out of it. As the day went on, it continued to warm up and was quite a pleasant day.

13 March 2009

13th March 2009 - Friday

High: 11.0
Low: -4.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was much warmer today. The day started in positive temperatures and was +2 on the drive to work.

There was a huge chinook arch over the mountains but there was a fair bit of cloud. The sky was quite grey and dull, making it feel colder than it was. However, by early afternoon the cloud was beginning to clear and the sun was shining. A lot more snow melted today.

12 March 2009

12th March 2009 - Thursday

High: 3.5
Low: -18.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was another very cold start although warmer than it has been at -18. There was no wind chill today, so it did feel a little better. The sky is blue and the sun is shining. It had warmed up to around -1 by mid-day and it was really quite nice in the sun and the snow continued to melt.

11 March 2009

11th March 2009 - Wednesday

High: -7
Low: -28.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was another very cold start (-25 with a wind chill of around -32). These temperatures are way below average for the time of year. The general feeling is that people are quite fed up with it now.

However, the sky was blue and the sun was shining and it is predicted to warm up considerably today. By noon it was around -15 and it had warmed up to around -10 by mid afternoon. The snow had been melting in the sun all afternoon but it still felt very cold out of the sun.

10 March 2009

10th March 2009 - Tuesday

High: -18.5
Low: -26.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(41)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was thick cloud this morning with no sun and it was another bitterly cold day, there was snow in the air on and off. The sun did come out around mid-day and shone for the rest of the afternoon. It remained very cold though. We don't think it got much above -20 all day.

09 March 2009

9th March 2009 - Monday

High: -19.0
Low: -24.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(40)
Days we didn't see any sun: (16)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
It was a cloudy and cold start to the day (-24). The road conditions from Okotoks to High River were fine, but there were reports of very slippery conditions in and around Calgary. It remained bitterly cold and cloudy for the rest of the day.

08 March 2009

Hours of Darkness This Week

The clocks went forward on Sunday morning, so it may be a bit darker in the mornings for a while. Until this point, it was starting to come light at around 6.40 and was very light by around 7am.

Today, it was starting to go dark at around 7.30pm and was quite dark at 8.00pm.

8th March 2009 - Sunday

High: -12.0
Low: -16.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(39)
Days we didn't see any sun: (15)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (18)
The wind was still blowing first thing this morning but had died down by around 11am. There was a bit of cloud but the sky was blue and the sun was shining. It was still quite cold though and incredibly cold when out of the sun.

07 March 2009

7th March 2009 - Saturday

High: 4.0
Low: -12.0
Rain:(5)
Snow:(39)
Days we didn't see any sun: (15)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
It was a sunny start with a nice blue sky and a few white fluffy clouds. By around 9.30am the temperature was in positive figures. There was a cool breeze but not cold. By early afternoon it began to cloud over and became much colder and by early evening it had started to snow lightly. As the evening went on, conditions got worse and the wind was really picking up. By around 11pm it was snowing and there was a very strong wind blowing. With the snow and blowing snow, visibility was very poor.

06 March 2009

Sringtime in Alberta

Someone sent us this funny little poem, which we wanted to share:

When it’s springtime in Alberta,
And the gentle breezes blow,
About seventy miles an hour
And it’s fifty-two below.
You can tell you’re in Alberta
‘cause the snow’s up to your butt,
And you take a breath of springtime air
And your nose holes both freeze shut.
The weather here is wonderful,
So I guess I’ll hang around,
I could never leave Alberta.
My feet are frozen to the ground

6th March 2009 - Friday

High: -4.0
Low: -21.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(38)
Days we didn't see any sun: (15)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
It was -18 on the drive to work this morning, but it felt warmer than it did yesterday. The sun was shining and the sky was blue and cloudless. It was around -7 by mid-day and felt quite warm and pleasant in the sun. The snow and ice is continuing to melt.

05 March 2009

5th March 2009 - Thursday

High: -9.5
Low: -13.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(38)
Days we didn't see any sun: (15)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
It was very windy overnight last night (so much so that our big, heavy gas barbecue was upside down in the middle of the garden!). The wind hadn't died down much by morning and there was lots of blowing snow on the drive to work, although the wind did seem to be doing a good job of blowing the snow off the roads and keeping them clear.

The sky was white and it was very cold. The temperature was around -11 but the wind was making it feel more like -25. By around 9.30 it started to snow lightly and by noon it was still snowing.

By mid-afternoon the wind had pretty much died down and the sun was trying to come out but was still covered with cloud. It was very cold and cloudy all day.

The following warning has been issued for the City of Calgary today:

WIND WARNING FOR: CITY OF CALGARY
Persons in or near this area should be on the lookout for adverse weather conditions and take necessary safety precautions. Watch for updated statements.
Please refer to the latest public forecasts for further details and continue to monitor the situation through your local radio and television stations or Weatheradio.

04 March 2009

4th March 2009 - Wednesday

High: 7.0
Low: -4.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(37)
Days we didn't see any sun: (14)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
It was a bright and sunny start to the day and it didn't feel too cold. There was some patchy fog on the drive to work but it wasn't very thick and visibiltiy wasn't too bad.

It looks as though snow has melted off the mountains too as instead of being white all over, they are now dark at the bottom with snow on the top.

It turned into another warm and beautiful sunny day.

03 March 2009

3rd March 2009 - Tuesday

High: 6.0
Low: 0.5
Rain:(5)
Snow:(36)
Days we didn't see any sun: (14)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
After yesterday feeling like summer, it seems to have turned into winter again over night! We woke to a grey/white sky with no sun and a sprinkling of snow on the ground. It started to snow at around 7am. By around 9am it had turned into drizzle.

The roads were wet and slushy. The drive from Okotoks to High River wasn’t too bad, but care was needed. However, Calgary and the NE had had a lot more snow and rain overnight and roads were in a terrible shape. There were reports of busses getting stuck, emergency vehicles coming off the road etc. People said driving in the slush was like driving through porridge.The drizzle had stopped by mid-morning and by noon the sky was clearing, the sun was shining and this morning's snow (plus a lot of the piled up snow) had all melted away. It is hard to believe this is the same day.Due to the fast melting the roads and pavements in High River and Okotoks are pretty clear, with a few big puddles here and there, but flooding is now becoming a problem up in Calgary. Lets hope the puddles don't freeze before they have chance to drain away!

02 March 2009

2nd March 2009 - Monday

High: 13.0
Low: -5.0
Rain:(4)
Snow:(35)
Days we didn't see any sun: (14)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
It was a bright and sunny start to the day with a few fluffy white clouds. It was much, much warmer today and it felt very hot in the sun, just like a summers day.

01 March 2009

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was starting to come light at 06.50am and was quite light by 07.20am.
It was starting to go dark at 6.15pm and was really quite dark by 6.40pm.

1st March 2009 - Sunday

High: 4.5
Low: -14.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(34)
Days we didn't see any sun: (14)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (17)
It wasn't a bad start to the day (around -5.0). The sky was totally white with no sun which made it feel quite cold this morning. It had warmed up by mid-day and with no wind, it felt quite pleasant. The sun did eventually come out but not until much later in the day.