31 December - Wednesday

High: 0.5
Low: -22.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(18)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (11)
It was a beautiful bright sunny day with lots of blue sky. We got into positive figures today, but it still felt quite cold out of the sun as there was quite a cold wind. It was still much better than what we have had over the last few weeks. Due to the warmer weather, the snow started to melt, which made the roads very slushy which meant constant use of washer fluid and wipers on the windscreen. Headlights get very dirty too. Not getting caught without washer fluid is a way of life here in Southern Alberta!

30th December - Tuesday

High: -10.5
Low: -18.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(18)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (11)
It was a white sky this morning but the drive to work was good - roads and visibility were clear. However, there were reports of very slushy driving conditions in and around Calgary. It was showing -13 but it didn't feel too cold - no biting wind today.

29th December - Monday

High: -9.0
Low: -18.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(18)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (10)
It was a very cold start to the day with quite a lot of cloud cover. The roads on the drive to work were fairly clear of snow, but it was quite foggy so visibility was poor. It did brighten up and the sun did come out for a while, before clouding over again. It remained very cold all day.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It started to come light at around 8.10 am and was very light by 8.30. It started to go dark at 4.45 and was very dark by 5.30pm.

28th December - Sunday

High: -5
Low: -11.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(17)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (9)
It was a white and snowy sky this morning and snow was falling quite heavily. We cleared maybe 3cm-4cm of snow from the drive. The snow is now dry and wispy and is light to push to the sides of the drive and then shovel away. Despite the snowfall, the snow-ploughs and gritters had the main highways looking pretty clear by early to mid afternoon. The white skies and snow gave way to near clear blue skies for a time this afternoon. Then a little fog rolled in as the evening came on. A very mixed day!

27th December - Saturday

High: -1.5
Low: -16.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(16)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (8)
There was a large bright Chinook arch over the mountains this morning. Overnight the temerature was showing -19 but by this morning, it had warmed to -3.9. During the day, we got into low positive numbers and it felt fairly mild. There was a bit of wind from time to time which reminded you it was winter but between times, we were able to leave jackets off, which was nice.

26th December - Friday

High: -8.5
Low: -22.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(15)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (8)
It was a sunny start to the day with a bright blue and almost cloudless sky. The day remained bright and sunny but felt really quite cold with a wind nipping at face and hands.

25th December - Thursday - Christmas Day

High: -8.0
Low: -17.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(15)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (8)
It's been a very pleasant Christmas Day. Despite not getting above about -13, the wind was slight to non existant and the sun had a number of spells where it broke through the clouds making it feel perfectly comfortable while out and about in a sensible number of layers and with a hat and gloves.

24th December - Wednesday

High: -5.5
Low: -20.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(15)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (8)
The day started overcast, with a sunny Chinook Arch over the mountains. It felt quite mild at around -10, but the wind did pick up and it felt much colder by mid afternoon.

23rd December - Tuesday

High: -18.0
Low: -22.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(15)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (8)
The sky was bright, blue and sunny. With the sun shining, it felt much warmer than it had in past days.

22nd December - Monday

High: -18.0
Low: -22.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(15)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (8)
The sky started white and cloudy but the cloud did clear by around noon. It was bitterly cold agian.

It had snowed overnight so we had to clear the driveway this morning.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It started to come light at around 8.10 am and was very light by 8.30. It has been a fairly cloudy week so it is possible that has had some impact on how dark it felt. It started to go dark at 4.30 and was very dark by 5.00pm.

21st December - Sunday

High: -19.0
Low: -30.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(14)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (7)
The sky started quite blue and bright, but looked to be about 80% cloud by noon. It was bitterly cold agian. There feels like there is quite a wind chill this afternoon, making it feel much colder than the -22 showing on our thermometer.

The coldest temperature last December (2007) was -22.3, so this last few weeks has felt really quite extreme.

20th December - Saturday

High: -23
Low: -32
Rain:(3)
Snow:(13)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (6)
It was another bitterly cold day but it was bright blue sky and sunny. Thermals, lots of layers, hat, scarf, coat and gloves definitely needed.

We went for a five minute walk in the morning and I had ice drops on my eyelashes and fringe.

19th December - Friday

High: -23.0
Low: -25.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(13)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (6)
It was another bitterly cold day (showing -23 on the drive to work), with a predicted wind chill of -36. It was snowing very lightly early morning and it was another white sky. The sky was still white at around noon and it was extremely cold. Thermals, lots of layers, hat, coat and gloves definitely needed. The sun did come out in the afternoon.

Weather reports were saying that exluding the heavy snow fall we had in March/April we have already had more snow this winter than we had last winter. It certainly feels it.

18th December - Thursday

High: -20.0
Low: -22.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(12)
Days we didn't see any sun: (8)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (6)
It was another very cold day (showing -20 on the drive to work), with a wind chill making it feel even colder. It had been snowing and was snowing a little this morning, the sky was very white.

17th December - Wednesday

High: -9.5
Low:-18.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(11)
Days we didn't see any sun: (7)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (5)
A cold and misty start to the day. It was snowing early morning and looked as though it had been snowing through the night. There was a good 4inches of snow on the driveway. Although it was only around -11, it felt very cold with a biting wind chill.

16th December - Tuesday

High: -7.5
Low: -27.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(10)
Days we didn't see any sun: (7)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (4)
It felt a much warmer than it has been, but still cold. Snow had fallen overnight/early morning and was still falling on the drive to work, covering the ice on the roads. The sky was white, and visibility was poor, and reduced to zero when overtaken by a large truck or lorry (which would throw up a cloud of powdery snow). There were reports of many accidents, so care and attention was needed on the roads. The cloud had cleared and the sun was shining by around 3pm.

15th December - Monday

High: -10.0
Low: -33.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(9)
Days we didn't see any sun: (7)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (4)
Leaving the house this morning, the thermometer was showing -32. The advice is to take extra care on the roads and to dress appropriately (in layers with a warm coat, gloves, hat and scarf). We also put warm blankets in our cars. The sky was bright, blue and cloudless and the sun shone brightly for most of the day.

WINTER STORM WARNING: Wind Chill Warning for City of Calgary
This is a warning that extreme wind chill conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions. Listen for updated statements.

Temperatures near -30 and brisk northwesterly winds will result in extreme wind chills between -40 and -45 in these regions of southeastern Alberta this morning. As temperatures rise wind chills will diminish but remain near -35 this afternoon.

WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA
A bitterly cold airmass over Alberta produced record breaking
Cold temperatures overnight Sunday into Monday across the southern
province and the Mountain Parks.
(Click on picture to make it bigger & easier to read)

Hours of Darkness This Week

It started to come light at around 8am and was very light by 8.15
It started to go dark at 4.30 and was very dark by 5.00pm

14th December - Sunday

High: -25.0
Low: -30.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(8)
Days we didn't see any sun: (7)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (4)
It was a very cold day today although the sky was blue and fairly cloudless. Another weather warning was issued last night as they were expecting the wind chill to make it feel like -40, which could be dangerous if not properly geared up for it.

13th December - Saturday

High: -21.5
Low: -25.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(8)
Days we didn't see any sun: (7)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (4)
The sky started out white but it did brighten up by around mid-day. The sun tried to come out, but didn't quite make it through the cloud. It was very, very cold (showing -20 on our thermometer). We took 20 mins to clear the snow off the drive. Doing this activity whilst wrapped up warm was fine, but you wouldn't really want to spend too long outside.

12th December - Friday

One lane cleared on Highway:
High: -2.5
Low: -8.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(7)
Days we didn't see any sun: (6)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (3)
It was a mild start to the day, with no wind and a bright sky. However, we have the following weather warning being issued so despite the pleasant start, it looks like we could be in for a bit of a battering over the next few days. It had cooled down a lot by lunchtime and the snow started to fall by around 1.30pm.

WINTER STORM WARNING: Okotoks, High River, Claresholm - FRIDAY 12 DECEMBER 2008
10 TO 15 CM of snow with blowing snow today and tonight. Dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring. Monitor weather conditions.

An intense low pressure system over Southern BC this morning will move South Eastward through Montana tonight. An area of snow associated with the system is developing in the Northern Foothills this morning and will spread into Southern Alberta this afternoon and evening. 10 TO 15 cm of snow is forecast across the regions by Saturday afternoon with up to 20cm over higher elevations. In addition, a cold front across Northern Alberta this morning will drop Southward through Alberta today. Behind the cold front strong Northerly winds of 40 to 60 KM/H will draw cold arctic air across the province and drop daytime highs into the -20’s for the weekend. These strong winds combined with fresh snow will produce poor visibilities with blowing snow especially in South Eastern Alberta. Winds gusting to 80 KM/H may reduce visibilities to near zero at times. As the temperature plummets and winds persist on Saturday, wind chill values of -35 to -40 can be expected.

11th December - Thursday

High: 1.5
Low: -10.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(6)
Days we didn't see any sun: (5)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (2)
It was a bright start to the day with lots of blue sky and very little cloud. There was no wind and it didn't feel too cold. It was sunny and still all day and not too cold. It started to get very cold by early evening.

10th December - Wednesday

High: 1.5
Low: -4.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(6)
Days we didn't see any sun: (5)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (2)
It was a bright and fairly mild start to the day. There was a fair amount of cloud but blue sky was breaking through by around 9am and we saw some sunshine in the afternoon. It went quite cold early evening and overnight.

9th December - Tuesday

High: 3.0
Low: -8.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(6)
Days we didn't see any sun: (5)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (2)
It was a foggy start to the day which was starting to lift by around 8.45am. The secondary roads were still snowy but the highway was now completely clear. There was a biting wind which made it feel really quite cold. It did brighten up in the afternoon and we saw some bright sky and sunshine.

8th December - Monday

High: -3.5
Low: -6.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(6)
Days we didn't see any sun: (5)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (2)
The sky was white again this morning but it didn't feel too cold. It was very still with no wind. The journey to work was a bit slow as the snow ploughs and gritters hadn't got to secondary routes yet. The highway was in reasonable condition and driving with caution there were no problems. It started to feel a lot colder by lunchtime and we saw virtually no sun today. It had started to go foggy over night.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It started to come light at around 07.50 and was very light by 8.10am. It started to go go dark at 4.30pm and was very dark by around 5.00pm.

7th December - Sunday

High:2.0
Low: -2.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(6)
Days we didn't see any sun: (4)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (1)
The sky was white this morning and it started to snow at around 9am and continued throughout the day. It didn't feel too cold, but we didn't see any sun today. The roads were quite slippery and some of the main routes weren't cleared and gritted until early afternoon. More photos will be on our main blog: Jan & Eam News

6th December - Saturday

High: 5.5
Low: -1.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(5)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (0)
It was a foggy start to the day, but that soon lifted and was gone by around 8.15am. It was a bright, sunny and warm day, although a little cool out of the sun. The lake is really beginning to freeze now and the ice is appearing quite thick.

5th December - Friday

High: 7.0
Low: -7.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(5)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (0)
It seemed to have warmed up over night and it was a very mild start to the day. It was fairly cloudy but blue sky was coming through by mid morning. It was a pleasant, sunny and mild afternoon. It started to go foggy overnight.

4th December - Thursday

High: 7.0
Low: -19.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(5)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (0)
A frosty start to the day. The sky was bright and blue with very little cloud. The temperature was showing -18 on the drive to work. It was a very cold day. It was OK to nip between car and office and car and shop, but if you had to spend more than a few minutes outside you would need several layers, hat, gloves and scarf. It did cloud over in the afternoon and seemed to warm up slightly going into the evening.

3rd December - Wednesday

High: -5.5
Low: -11.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(5)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
Days swept snow from drive (1)
Days shovelled snow from drive (0)
There was a nice red sky this morning (pic taken at around 8.10am). It was a very cold day. The car temperature guage was showing -7 fairly consistently for the whole day, but with the wind chill it felt more like -15. Some of the roads that weren't gritted after Mondays snowfall and parking lots were a little slippery where the snow had frozen over night. There was a bit of blue sky and sunshine in the afternoon.

2nd December - Tuesday

High: -2.5
Low: -6.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(5)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
The sky was white this morning with no sun which made it quite a dark start to the day. This picuture, which shows snow covering the ice on the lake, was taken at 8am. There wasn't a great deal of snow on the roads and most of the main routes had been gritted. The cold wind and no sun made it feel very cold this morning. The cloud did break and the sun did shine in the afternoon, but it remained very cold.

1st December - Monday

High: 14.0
Low: -0.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(5)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a fairly cloudy start to the day, but not cold. By noon the cloud had cleared and the sun was shining, the wind had picked up a bit, but it still didn't feel cold. We went out in a t-shirt and jumper and were just fine. Once the sun had gone down, the temperature dropped quickly and the wind became much stronger and it began to feel really quite cold. The forecast said freezing rain and snow overnight and it had begun to snow by early evening.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It started to come light at around 07.45am and was very light by 8.05am. It started to go go dark at 4.30pm and was very dark by around 5pm. These pictures were taken at around 4.50pm on Sunday evening.

30th November - Sunday

High: 9.0
Low: -6.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a bright and sunny start to the day but fairly cool. There was virtually no wind, so it felt quite pleasant. There was a fair amount of cloud cover by the end of the day and it started to cool down again in the afternoon.

29th November - Saturday

High: 7.5
Low: -5.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a bright and sunny all day. It felt quite mild in the morning, but cooled down considerably in the afternoon.

28th November - Friday

High: 4.5
Low: -5.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
A bright, sunny and mild day with no wind. It did cloud over in the afternoon, but the sky was still bright. It did feel really quite cold though.

27th November - Thursday

High: 2.0
Low: -10.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
A cold but bright start to the day (car was showing -12). There was no wind, so it didn't feel too bad. Sky was blue, virtually cloudless and sunny. It did cloud over in the afternoon, which seemed to make the afternoon feel much colder than the morning.

26th November - Wednesday

High: 4.5
Low: -3.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
A mild start to the day with a fair bit of cloud cover and no wind. The cloud had started to clear by around 9.30 and it was sunny and bright blue sky by mid morning. It was quite pleasant in the sun, but cool out of it. There was a cool breeze blowing by lunchtime.

25th November - Tuesday

High: 7.5
Low: -3.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
A mild start to the day, there was about 50% cloud cover and 50% blue sky.
The lake seems to have a thin layer of ice covering the whole surface and a number of streams are part or fully frozen. However, there is virtually no snow left on the ground from previous snow falls. There was a cool wind in open areas, but it remained mild in sheltered areas.

24th November - Monday

High: 9.5
Low: -5.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was quite a cloudy day with patches of bright blue sky. There was a cold wind which lasted most of the the day, this made it feel much colder.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was starting to come light at around 7.25am and is very light by 7.45am, it varies a bit if the day is dull or foggy. It was starting to go dark at around 4.40pm, is quite dark by 5.10pm and very dark by 5.20pm.

23rd November - Sunday

High: 4.0
Low: -9.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
A bright and sunny start to the day. It was cold out of the sun, definitely needed to wrap up warm. However, in the sun was very pleasant and warm (we put up outdoor Christmas decorations and had to take our coats off). There was no wind, so a very pleasant day.

22nd November - Saturday

High: 5.0
Low: -3.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a bright and sunny start to the day. It was cool but not freezing. There was a little bit of wind early morning but that died down and it was a very still and calm day. There was a huge (it wouldn't fit in one photo) Chinook arch over the mountains, which stayed all day. Usually that will mean warmer weather is on its way. We think there were fewer Chinooks last year and already we feel we have encountered many more, which may explain the mild November. Chinook is a native word meaning "Snow Eater".

21st November - Friday

High: 6.0
Low: -7.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a much more mild start to the day today and although there was a fair bit of cloud cover, the sky was bright with blue patches. The sun shone all morning and it turned into a very pleasant, bright sunny day.

20th November - Thursday

High: 2.5
Low: -11.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a very bitterly cold start to the day and there was thick frost this morning. The car was showing -9 at 08.30am in High River. The sky was blue and it was sunny, with a few light clouds. The windchill was making it feel much colder. The ice on the lake is creeping further towards the middle.

19th November - Wednesday

High: -1.5
Low: -5.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It snowed overnight (2cm) and there was snow on the roads this morning. The local roads were quite slushy and looked a little slippery, but didn't seem too bad. The Highway was pretty clear. It felt fairly mild this morning and there was no wind. It was cloudy all morning and by lunchtime it was very cold (car was showing -2). The cloud did break and we saw some blue sky but it remained very cold.

18th November - Tuesday

High: 7.5
Low: -2.0
Rain:(3)
Snow:(4)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a cold and bright start to the day. It was sunny all morning and fairly mild. By lunchtime it had started to get very cold and there was thick cloud cover by early afternoon. It snowed a little during late evening (1cm)

17th November - Monday

High: 2.5
Low: -1.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(3)
Days we didn't see any sun: (3)
It was a cold, grey start to the day and very foggy (couldn’t see the houses at the opposite side of the lake). There were reports of very slippery conditions on the roads, particularly to the west of Calgary. Driving to work at 8am was OK, the fog had lifted so visibility wasn’t too bad. The local roads in Okotoks and High River along with the highway had been gritted, so were not slippery. There were a few cars in ditches though, so conditions had obviously been worse earlier. This second photo was taken at lunchtime and the fog is showing no signs of clearing, the fog actually got worse and it was a very foggy drive home. It did start to clear at around 6.30pm. We didn't see any sun today.

Hours of Darkness This week

It started to come light around 7.15am and was really quite light by 7.35am.
It started to go dark at around 5.05pm and was dark by around 5.35pm. However, on Sunday it started to go dark at 4.30 and was completely dark by 5.15pm. We don't know if this was due to the overcast nature of the day, or an indication of things to come.

16th November - Sunday

High: 0.5
Low: -1.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(3)
Days we didn't see any sun: (2)
It was an overcast and very cold start to the day. It snowed overnight last night and the lake has begun to freeze again. The snow was very wet, so must have been mixed with some rain (0.8mm rain early morning and 6.2mm snow). We didn't need to clear our drive (which is south facing) but the nighbours with north facing drives did, the snow had melted from our drive by early afternoon. The sky remained white all day and we didn't see any sun at all. We think this is possibly one of the coldest days since starting the blog. This photo was taken at around 08.30am and the roads were fairly clear.

15th November - Saturday

High: 8.0
Low: -3.5
Rain:(3)
Snow:(3)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
A bright but cold start to the day. Clouded over a fair bit by mid-morning, but the sky was still bright (photos show how sky can be cloudy and yet still bright). The afternoon felt quite mild as there was virtually no wind, but it did start to go cold again by late afternoon. There was approximately 0.6mm of rain and 2.8mm of snow overnight.

14th November - Friday

High: 7.0
Low: -4.0
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
It was a bright and sunny start to the day, cool but not cold and very little wind. It did become very cold by lunchtime and quite breezy. There were a lot of clouds in the afternoon but the sky was still bright.

13th November - Thursday

High: 6.0
Low: -2.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
It was a bright and cool (but not freezing) start to the day. About an equal mix of blue sky and cloud. The wind yesterday melted all the ice that had been forming on the lake and most of any lingering snow. The wind picked up for around an hour at lunchtime and seemed to change direction from westerly to northerly, making it feel very cold. There were also a number of storm clouds in the sky, although they didn't amount to anything. The sun was shining again by mid afternoon, but it remained cold.

12th November - Wednesday

High: 13.5
Low: -3.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
There was a fair bit of cloud this morning but the sky was quite bright. It was a cool start to the day. The wind began to pick up by around 9.30am and was windy on and off for most of the morning. The cloud began to break at around 1pm so we saw some blue sky and sunshine. The wind also died down during the afternoon.

11th November - Tuesday

High:6.5
Low: -4.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
Mostly heavy cloud this morning. It felt really quite cold outside and the ice on the lake is growing! Definitely needed to wrap up warm today. The cloud did clear and we saw some sunshine from around 3pm. There was no wind to speak of, so quite a pleasant day.

10th November - Monday

High: 5
Low: -5.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
We think we might have spoken too soon with regard to the lake behind us not yet freezing. This looks suspiciously like ice around the edges to us!! It was a bright and sunny start to the day in Okotoks and it didn't feel too cold. However, it was thick fog along the highway on the morning and evening drive between Okotoks and High River. There was little or no fog in the towns of Okotoks and High River, where it remained bright and cool all day.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was coming light at around 7.05am and was very light by 7.20am. It starts to go dark at around 5pm and is really quite dark by 5.30.

9th November - Sunday

High: 12.0
Low: -2.0
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
A bright, sunny and cool start to the day. There is a little frost on the roof tops, but it didn't feel quite as cold as yesterday. By lunchtime it was a beatuiful day and so warm in the sun.

However, some ponds are starting to freeze, this one has a thin film of ice on it, although the lake behind our house is showing no signs of freezing just yet.

8th November - Saturday

High: 4.5
Low: -3.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
It was a bright, sunny and cold start to the day, with frost on roof tops. It did begin to cloud over by mid morning and the cloud stayed until around 3pm. There was no wind and a fairly mild afternoon.

7th November - Friday

High: 9.0
Low: -3.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
It was another bright and sunny start to the day but cold, needed to wrap up warm if outside for any length of time. Sun continued to shine and bright blue sky with a small amout of cloud and no wind. It was fairly warm in the sun and very cold in the shade, but a really pleasant day. Most of the snow has now melted after todays sunshine.

6th November - Thursday

High: 2.5
Low: -4
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
It was cool, but a bright and sunny start to the day. A fair bit of cloud cover by mid afternoon and it felt really quite cold.

5th November - Wednesday

High: 2.5
Low: -0.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(2)
Days we didn't see any sun: (1)
We had our first real snow of the winter overnight. The snow is quite wet which left a fair bit of slush on some of the roads. It did not feel cold going out this morning though. There was light snow in the air on the drive to work and very thick, white cloud. Road conditions were changing a fair bit and visibity was quite poor in places. It continued to snow lightly until about noon, but it did not stick on the roads. Cloud stayed all day and we didn't see any sun. On the drive home, the roads were dry and clear.

4th November - Tuesday

High: 5.5
Low: -5.5
Rain:(2)
Snow:(1)
A cloudy and cold start to the day, definitely needed a coat this morning. It stayed cold and cloudy for the rest of the day, by early evening it had started to snow which must have been mixed in with some rain.

3rd November - Monday

High: 11.5
Low: 3.0
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
A cloudy start to the day but it didn't feel cold. The cloud had gone by mid morning and the sun was shining. It was lovely, blue sky and sunny at lunchtime but started to cloud over again and feel quite cold by mid afternoon.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It was coming light a little later, probably about 8.10, and the sun peeking up at 8.15-08.20. It was really quite dark in the evening by 6.45pm. However, the hour went back this Sunday morning and so it was coming light at around 7.30am and it started to go dark at around 5.10pm, it was very dark by 5.40pm.

2nd November - Sunday

High: 18.5
Low: 4.0
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
A cloudy start to the day and the cloud didn't really manage to break. There was a light breeze for most of the day. It was still very warm though and a very pleasant day.

1st November - Saturday

High: 17.0
Low: 2.5
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
Bright start to the day, blue sky, little to no cloud, no wind and sunny. By mid morning it was really sunny and feels like a summers day.

31st October - Friday

High: 17.5
Low: -2.0
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
It was cold this morning, but it didn't feel quite as cold as yesterday. By mid morning it was really quite sunny and warm. Going out at lunchtime was like a summers day - definitely no coat or jacket required. It did become quite cloudy but still warm. The news reports say this was the warmest Halloween for 50 years!

30th October - Thursday

High: 7.5
Low: -4.0
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
Quite a cool start to the day with a fair bit of cloud cover. Day continued to be cold and coat was definitely needed. Most of the trees are completely bare now and the grass (particularly at the sides of the road and fields) has started to turn brown. The official figure for today is 12.7, but I don't think we got above 6 in High River and Okotoks. It certainly didn't feel like 12 at any point.

29th October - Wednesday

High: 22
Low: 4.5
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
Nice bright start to the day. Very sunny by mid-morning and really quite nice and warm in the sun. A bit of a breeze picked up at around 3pm but it was a warm breeze so still quite pleasant. The wind picked up about midnight and was quite gusty for about an hour.

28 October - Tuesday

High: 15.5
Low: 0.5
Rain:(1)
Snow:(0)
The day started quite brightly but needed a jacket in the morning. It was supposed to warm up today, but because of unexpected thick cloud cover the sun didn't manage to break through. Without the sun, the day felt really quite cold, we were also dressed for a much warmer day which added to feeling cold.

27th October - Monday

High: 17.5
Low: -6.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)
The day started cold, needed a coat. Bright blue sky and sunny by 9am, but still cold. By lunchtime it had really warmed up and would just about be able to get away without a jacket in the sun. The day continued to warm and it felt very pleasant as we were leaving work at 5pm.

We did some work in our north facing garden from about 6pm to 7pm (mowing lawns, emptying water barrels, taking things in for winter etc) and we were just fine in a t-shirt and fleece. The evening was very still and pleasant to work in.

26th October - Sunday

High: 2.5
Low: -10.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)
There was frost on the roof tops this morning and our thermometer was showing -9 at around 8.15am. There was virtually no cloud and the sky was been bright and blue for most of the day. It was very cold and needed to wrap up warm. It has been sunny with not much wind.

Hours of Darkness This Week

It is coming light at around 8.05 when leaving for work in the morning. This picture of the sunrise was taken at 08.15 on Friday morning. It goes dark at around 6.45pm and is completely dark by 7pm.

25th October - Saturday

High: 10.5
Low: -1.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)
The day started bright and sunny with only a few clouds. By around 10am the wind had really picked up and it stayed very windy for the rest of the day. This made it feel very cold. A coat definitely needed today. The wind died down around 6pm.

24th October - Friday

High: 17.0
Low: -2.0
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)
A fair bit of cloud this morning and quite breezy making it feel cold. Stayed cold all day. Wind really picked up by mid-afternoon, although the afternoon was quite sunny. Definitely needed a coat today.

23rd October - Thursday

High: 12.5
Low: 5.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

Bright start to the day with a bit of cloud. Quite a breeze by mid morning, making it feel quite cool. Breeze died down by 2pm, needed a light jacket or jumper. Sunny and bright blue sky for the rest of the afternoon. It feels cold once the sun goes down.

22nd October - Wednesday

High: 19
Low: -7.0
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

It felt really cold this morning. We left the car out of the garage overnight and it was freezing cold inside. It also had a sprinkling of frost (or was it snow) on the back window. It was showing -5 setting off from Okokots and -7 when I got to High River.

Sun was rising as driving to work at 8.15. A fairly clear blue sky by 8.45. It has been a sunny bright day and quite warm with a bit of a light breeze. Wind picked up a bit at around 5pm.

The sky on the drive home was so striking that we had to stop the car and take some pictures (taken at 6.30pm). We have since been told that this was a really good Chinook arch. One of the things we love about being here, the BIG sky. The pictures don't do it justice but it is very hard to keep your eyes on the road at times!!

21st October - Tuesday

High: 10.0
Low: -1.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

This morning felt fresh but not cold, a Chinook arch could be seen over the mountains (which just looks like cloud to me!). The day started cloudy which cleared a little by mid morning. This was followed by more thick cloud and a blustery wind around lunchtime - this lasted about an hour. It started to clear around 2pm and clear blue skies remained for the rest of the afternoon. It felt pleasant in the sun, but remained fresh.

20th October - Monday

High: 13
Low: -3.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

Frost on the roof tops and cars in the morning but the roads were clear and dry. A cold start, you would definitely need a coat if spending more than a few minutes outside.

A Chinook Wind picking up by mid-day, quite cool at lunchtime and quite a cold wind by the end of the day (5pm)

Hours of darkness this week

Has been going dark in the evening at approximately 7pm.
It is dark at 7am when we get up but light by 8am when driving to work.

19th October - Sunday

High: 9.0
Low: -1.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

Started cloudy but bright, cloud clearing by late morning. The sky was blue and cloudless in the afternoon, but it was quite a cold day. Jacket was definitely needed.

18th October - Saturday

High: 8.0
Low: 0.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

Started cloudy, with cloud breaking by mid-morning. Clear blue sky in the afternoon and sunny. Working outside in the sun felt very warm, cold out of the sun though.

17th October - Friday

High: 21.0
Low: -1.0
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

No frost this morning. Nice & sunny and very mild. It became very windy by mid morning, but the wind was nice and warm.

16th October - Thursday

High: 13
Low: -3.5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

No frost this morning. Driving to work at 8am felt mild although a little cooler than yesterday morning. 9am, cloud clearing and day brightening up for a sunny afternoon.

15th October - Wednesday

High:9.0
Low: -5
Rain: (1)
Snow: (0)

7am sprinkling of snow on roof tops, not so much on ground. 8am driving to work, mild and pleasant (only needed light jacket). Early to mid morning, cloud clearing and starting to brighten up (didn't need jacket in the day). No wind to speak of. Cooling down early evening (6pm) (needed light jacket again). Cold over night

14th October - Tuesday

High: 7.5
Low: 0.5
Rain: (1) - 6.6mm
Snow: (0)

4.45am woken by severe wind and rain battering windows. Wind died down within about 20 mins and the rain turned into snow.
6.45am sprinkling of snow on the ground. Roads were wet but not snow covered or slippery. 8.30am arriving at work felt reasonably mild and skies beginning to clear. Sunny morning and afternoon. Warm in the sun, cool out of the sun, very little wind.