A few years back I bought a long, down-filled coat that zips, then buttons, then snaps closed. It cost me a pretty penny. As soon as I bought it I felt guilty about spending so much money. In the time it takes me to put it on, I’m usually overheating and need to rush outside to cool down. It is the warmest coat I’ve ever had. It only ever gets cold enough to wear, maybe, three weeks a year.
Gusting winds and heavy snow
When the blizzard, a potent mixture of moist air from British Columbia and an icy north wind, came in on Monday, I blessed the day I bought that coat!
Even with the coat, the strong winds blew icy snow into my face that burned like tiny embers from a fire. It’s cold!
I’ve been thankful that I don’t have to drive in this weather. It’s hard enough to walk! Some highways were closed down. And the town of Strathmore set up an emergency shelter and took in many stranded motorists.
The City of Calgary has quite the snow removal job ahead of them. One lady compared it to trying to clean the kitchen while the blender is running with the lid off. In some outer parts of the city, while they wait for city crews to show up in their neighbourhoods, people are shoveling each other out and those with 4-wheel drive are helping others get their vehicles out of snow banks .
It doesn’t surprise me though, as with the flood, when the poop (in this case snow) hits the fan, Calgarians seem to move into action!
The average temperature for this time of year is -1C (30F) The last couple of days we’ve been reaching lows of -30c (-22f) with the windchill. Although the cold temperatures will be sticking with us for the next several days, the storm has moved south to Montana (you’re welcome) before it comes back Canada way at the Manitoba border.
~ HUMP DAY CHRONICLES ~
So how’s your winter going?
talktodiana 
Stay warm ~ I like the blender analogy! 🙂
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I hope things are going better for you. I’ve been snowed in for 4 days now. I’m busting outta here tomorrow.
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Yes. It went up to -20 today – I almost pulled out my shorts! haha busting out, I hope you had enough food, etc while stuck at home. When I watch American news, it’s always amazing to me how people clear the shelves in stores in preparation for snow. We don’t stock up here, we just go out and continue to get stuff as we need it. I guess that comes with living in the land of ice and snow!
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Well we do make a run on milk and bread 3 days before a storm. We aren’t nearly that cold here, just in single digits. We aren’t equipped for snow here, they don’t have the equipment to treat the roads. Snow over ice means no one goes anywhere. Probably seems wimpy for a Canadian, as a southerner it’s snowpocalypse 🙂
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Oh that makes sense, it hadn’t occured to me that you wouldn’t be equipped to deal with the roads. I love the term snowpocalypse! Stay safe Lorri.
xo
Diana
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I finally busted outta here in my Jeep. It’s still dicy out there but life is getting back to normal. How’s it going up there?
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The last few years we’ve gotten off easy. Well we have a proper winter now! Yesterday alone there were about 200 collisions on the road. You know, I grew up in Montreal and we have way more snow there. Yet somehow the city managed to clean the streets better there. I think someone from here should fly back there and see how it’s done….
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I lived in Ohio for several years and they did a great job of keeping the roads clear. The cost of maintenance vs. a week long shut down for a state like Arkansas seems like a fair trade off.
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I agree! It’s hard to convince one group of that when the savings don’t line their own pockets though! Bigger Picture folks, think bigger picture!
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Amen sister – preach it!
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I took out my camera several times out of my coat pocket for a 5 block walk to take different photos along the way. By the time, I got home, my fingers hurt…which meant it was waaaaay too cold. Stay safe for today it’s -40 C degrees with wind chill.
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I just saw on the news that Manning, Alberta was the coldest place on the planet today at -40. It was -51 with the windchill! Yikes!!!
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How dangerous. No time to get lost at those temperatures!
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-30C! I cannot even begin to imagine it being that cold. Br-r-r-r-r-r.
I think I would have to snuggle up in front of a fire or heater and leave that coat hanging up.
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The temptation to do that is strong! However when one starts running out of food and such…. 🙂
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🙂
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brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…..
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That’s an understatement!
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I promised my daughter it would warm up before she got here tomorrow. Oh Oh.
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You’re only off by 2 days! It’s supposed to warm up to -3 on Sunday! She’ll forgive you. 🙂
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I do understand. As I write this, it is with 15 Fahrenheits outside. However, off with the cold wear as 5 more Fahrenheits are expected before day’s end. Received first dusting of snow, yesterday. Must admit, snow inspires me, and reminds me of when I retire, I will gladly pick up for a west coast beach community.
Then, there is my wife who calls me a baby in the wimp context. She’s had plenty of prep for this cold weather which she tells me is somewhat comparatively warm to her native, Maine.
It’s nice to look at snow not, live in it.
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If winter was actually just 3 months…if all seasons were equally 3 months…I think I would enjoy that very much. I often wondered where on the planet, the 4 seasons are the closest to equal…
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I can’t even imagine, Diana!! Peeling off the layers here.
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As in, it’s so hot here…? sigh
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Oh yeah!
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ahh…ahh….ahhh… choo!
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Gesundheit!
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thag you berry buch.
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**hands you a tissue and runs out of the room to wash her hands**
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are you a germ-a-phobe ?
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The complete opposite actually! I think we make our world too sterile – so much so that our immune system does not stand a chance in developing any umpf. The slightest bug potentially has the opportunity to be fatal. I just saw a news story where they did yet another study that proved what I already instinctively suspected on this topic regarding pets and children and allergies.
I was merely improvising when responding to your latest comment. In my mind we’re developing a skit that started with your ahh choo. 🙂 It’s fun. 😉
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I was OK until I realized that all the people in the rest-area who didn’t wash their hands went out and used the gas pumps….. Yikes 🙂
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wow. just another reason to go back to horseback riding…
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🙂
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How’s about we give our immune systems MORE to do (instead of less) and keep it from turning on itself (can you say “auto-immune disease”??):
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We have very little snow here so far, but we are getting plenty of wind gusts! That sounds oh so cold up there – it’s a good thing you invested in an extra warm coat., D.
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Apparently the storm is in Ontario now and heading your way. 😦
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Eeeek! Hope it doesn’t stop me from Christmas shopping in St. John’s in a few days!
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That may depend… do you have a ski doo? 🙂
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Ha! Four hours on skidoo, imagine that! 🙂
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Wouldn’t that be fun Jennifer? Dress warm, rig some kind of trailer for the ski doo and bring a tarp to cover it all up!
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And then the freezing rain starts in the middle of it. We’d end up looking like Dumb and Dumber lol…nope, not that adventurous anymore
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I hadn’t thought of that. Good call!
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Temps have gone up… +4 here, so it’s been RAINing, not snow):
But, looking at the radar, I’m thinking “your” storm is circling over Manitoba right now…
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It’s heading your way!
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Brr. . . Winter is here! I need to buy an extra warm coat like yours.
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It’s made in Canada too! 😉
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I can’t imagine weather that cold, here in winter when it is bloody cold it is now where that cold it doesn’t snow where I live
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no snow in the winter? Do you have a guest room? haha
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Yes, I have one of these coats, I am sure I will be wearing it this weekend when we get a blast of air from the North Pole 🙂 Annie
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They do come in handy. Stay warm!
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You didn’t just click the “Let it snow” checkbox on your blog settings by any chance did you? I did, and it immediately began to snow. Outside!!
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Haha. No. I think mine automatically defaults to that. Does it?
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I think the way it works is that, if you’ve ever checked it, it stays checked and just activates every season. I only learned about it this week and clicked it this past Monday. It’s been snowing (outside) ever since!
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Makes perfect sense!
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Thank you for letting us know what you’re going through, Diana. BRRRRRR! I’m sending warm thoughts your way my friend!
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Thanks Russ! I meant to enjoy winter this year…you know; not gripe, live in the moment, don’t pine for summer… oh well. I tried. 😉
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No snow here yet. 😦 Growing up in Minnesota, I grew to expect and strangely relish a few good blizzards (not the Dairy Queen variety) every year. A good coat is still on my “absolutely MUST have” wardrobe list–it’s worth the money, because it provides comforting warmth, and a kind of inner light (I can handle living in this icebox!), for years and years
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I know I sure appreciate this coat at times like these! Where are you know Tracy?
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Rhode Island. We get some snow and even an occasional wicked good blizzard. But nothing but rain, so far this year.
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When it’s colder out, I tend to prefer snow to rain, you?
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Oh yes. Snow is fun, and pretty. And sometimes it cancels school, which rain rarely ever does.
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Oh YES! Snow Days are wonderful – but cancellations because of rain – usually downright terrifying!
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Now I wish I could send you some of our lovely sunshine…
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Thanks Bulldog! We are going to get some sunshine but it won’t make a lick of difference temperature wise!
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Ooo, BABY! Been seeing what you’re up against on the news; so, stay warm (sure hope you’re not feeling guilt about that coat anymore; ), take lots of breaks between shovelling and, for Pete’s Sake (LOL!) somebody unplug that blender!!
We got smacked a couple of weeks ago, when Christmas weather arrived a month early with 8-12″ of heavy (SLIPPERY) powder at +2*; followed immediately by weather more like January, which has only started to think about moving on, over the last couple of days…
Can only wonder if this is what we can expect as “normal” weather this year – with seasons all topsy-turvy and to expect the unexpected…
Stay warm!
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Thanks Deb. Yes winter in Canada is something, eh?
I can’t remember where, but heading home at one of the border crossings, USA side, I once read the sign: Canada, Closed for the Winter (as if we were a theme park instead of a country LOL!)
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LOL! There’s a stretch near here, on the 401 between Cobourg and Trenton, where a MASSIVE yellow sign blares out: “WARNING: Blowing Snow and Reduced Visibility Area in Winter” as if it might happen at any moment… You have to wonder what visitors think when they see stuff like that, right?
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I love it!! But I love it more when Americans see it’s 30 degrees, pack their skiing stuff and drive out here, not realizing it’s 30c which is roughly 86f!
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Yup! Heard a similar story as a kid… But, here’s the thing: Metric conversion hadn’t even happened (quite; ) yet; so simply checking the weather forecast should have stopped these Visitors from crossing over at Niagara Falls ON, in mid August, with skis in hand?
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Makes me long for Denver provided it was for the chance to not drive in it and be able to view the storm from safely indoors. Here in Louisville haven’t had to even scrape the windshield yet–different climate entirely. Stay safe and keep blogging!
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Hey I’ve been in Louisville a couple of times – love the people, love the city and really loved dancing at Stevie Ray’s!
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I am still a Louisville newbie–been living here just a little over a year. My wife wants to take me to Stevie Ray’s, too. I believe they are ready for some of my moves. Hopefully there will be plenty of oxygen tanks there for the audience, too, as dancing like mine can be breathtaking to see. On other storm news fronts, sort of, I finally had to scrape my windshield. Go figure. Sheesh!
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My thoughts on dancing are: if you’re having fun, you’re dancing well! Another thing I like about Stevie Ray’s is that they don’t have a kitchen but they have the take out menus of neighbouring eateries and you just order what you want and it gets delivered to the bar! Now that is community supporting itself – bravo!
Oh and for a little perspective, it is -41 in Yellowknife today with a wind index of -50! Thankfully it’s only -18 where I am! 😉
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Brrrrr feel cold just looking….stay warm Diana
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Thanks! It’s cold, and yet somehow invigorating. Can’t believe I said that…I don’t like winter. 😉
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Lol. Get the feelings tho
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haha thanks.
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