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Winter IV

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Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

Here, I guess - where it's -28C, and more than four feet of snow on the ground. In Sept-Iles, west of us, the snow is right up to people's roofs, absolutely unreal.

 


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

Now it's -30C, -38C with the windchill.


Catchfire
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Joined: Apr 16 2003

Boom Boom, something happened yesterday that has left me very confused and I was wondering if you could help me out. I woke up and there was about 3cm of this wet, white soggy stuff all over my garden. It was quite cold to the touch but seemed to dissolve as soon as I held it. I hadn't seen its like in living memory. I'd show you a photograph but it seems to have mysteriously disappeared as quickly as it arrived. Do you know what it was?


Caissa
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Joined: Jun 14 2006

That was manna, Catchfire. It appears every Lent.


M. Spector
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Joined: Feb 19 2005

Astronomical Spring starts early tomorrow morning, so this is the last day of "winter".

Here in Toronto the record high temperature for March 19 is 14°, set in 1986.

Or at least it was until today: it was 20° at noon, with a forecast for a high of 21°. We've already smashed the record by 6 degrees and possibly 7. UPDATE: It got to 22° at 4 p.m.

Normal average daytime high in March: 4.6°


Catchfire
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Joined: Apr 16 2003

I had hail this morning while walking to the bus stop. It was unpleasant. Now it's sunny and 10+C. HOW DO YOU DRESS FOR THE WEATHER IN THIS GOD FORSAKEN CITY?

Btw, did anybody else see Jupiter and Venus in the Western skies these past few nights? It was awesome!


M. Spector
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Joined: Feb 19 2005

Two weeks ago you could also see Mercury in the west, closer to the horizon.


Catchfire
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Joined: Apr 16 2003

Too bad I missed that one. I'm not an astronomer by any stretch but I usually dig out my binoculars when something like that rolls around. I was surprised at how low the planets were in the horizon. Do they always hang out there?


6079_Smith_W
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Joined: Jun 10 2010

Catchfire wrote:

Too bad I missed that one. I'm not an astronomer by any stretch but I usually dig out my binoculars when something like that rolls around. I was surprised at how low the planets were in the horizon. Do they always hang out there?

Gee sometimes spam IS good for something. I missed this post.  

Venus and especially mercury are always seen close to the horizon because they are sunward from us. That is to say, when the sun is high in the sky they are up there too, but we can't see them until the sun dips below the horizon. 

Most of the other planets can be anywhere along the plane of the ecliptic, which is the path the sun and moon follow in the sky. That is also why they sometimes have conjunctions and retrograde movements with each other.  Pluto is an exception.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecliptic  

A good set of binoculars is the best tool there is, actually. A lot of interesting things in the sky are much too big for a telescope. And there are quite a few things you don't need any tools to see, like the Andromeda galaxy. For most of us, that's the furthest naked-eye object in the sky


6079_Smith_W
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Joined: Jun 10 2010

Just found out about this - a transit of Venus coming up in June (essentially an annular eclipse, with the planet moving across the face of the sun. They are quite rare - a few happen several years apart, then they don't happen for a hundred years or so.

It will be partially visible through most of Canada

http://www.transitofvenus.org/


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

A cold front - very cold - is moving here:

Tonight Clearing this evening. Blowing snow this evening. Wind northwest 40 km/h gusting to 60 diminishing to 20 gusting to 40 late this evening. Low minus 29. Wind chill minus 41.   

Friday Mainly sunny. Wind northwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light late in the afternoon. High minus 23. Wind chill minus 42


Slumberjack
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Joined: Aug 8 2005

Do you use one of these thermometers BB?


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

Nope. Just a regular one. Laughing


lagatta
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Joined: Apr 17 2002

Not as bad as where Boom Boom lives (where is?) but it has turned bloody cold in Montréal. Horrible. 

Yesterday I was riding my bicycle. 


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

I've had a very bad cold since the beginning of this month, just can't shake it - am on antibiotics now.


Slumberjack
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Joined: Aug 8 2005

We got our first significant snowfall of the year yesterday, the ground almost bare prior to, and its turned chilly again at -13.  More interesting though than a cold, sunny morning after a fresh snowfall, is that I have a back porch with windows that are left open in winter, so that it becomes extra storage for beverages, root vegetables, and other assortments.  I noticed earlier this morning that ice crystals had formed in all of the beverages sitting in the open on shelves, even in the beer, except for the 300ml bottles of apple juice.


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

We're just coming off an extreme cold spell, now we have a winter storm coming tomorrow. We're back to a normal harsh Canadian winter.  Frown


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

This was on CBC a few minutes ago...

Welcome to RinkWatch, where backyard skating meets environmental science.

It's an attempt to measure climate change by the length of time skating rinks stay frozen.


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

Power has been off since 1pm - was supposed to come back on at 430pm, but no such luck. I just put the generator on so I can power my furnace fan and some things around the house. Big winter storm coming here tonight, will stick around until Wednesday. I hate Quebec Hydro.  :annoyed

 

ETA: Our power will be  back on tomorrow sometime. Guess Quebec Hydro doesn't know it's winter.  :mad2


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

Generator is out of gas, I'm hoping a friend will drop by with some. Now 27 hours without power - may be another night yet before power is restored, I have no idea. Had trouble gtting on the internet earlier.  The power outage covers a really big area.

ETA: power came on for five minutes - then went out again. Maybe Hydro Quebec is testing the system.


Timebandit
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Joined: Sep 25 2001

Have you got heat, Boom Boom?  I recall you had a wood stove, if I'm not misremembering... 

Be safe!!


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

I have a generator but it's out of gas, and the one store that sells gas here has run out. Big storm coming tonight, 90 kph wind, -20C temps. Hope the ppwer comes on.

Yes, the house is warm - I burn wood. But without power for the furnace fan, I have to keep the fire low otherwise the furnace will burn up from overheating.

 


Timebandit
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Joined: Sep 25 2001

Do you have somewhere to seek shelter if it's too cold in the house?  I'm worrying about you.

 


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

The situation is the same for everyone here. I have a good supply of wood, so I will never freeze. But I wish the store operator would check his gas supply more carefully - ridiculous to run out of gas in the winter! And the nearest supply is 44 km away by skidoo - our roads are closed all winter*.

 

*Next winter, with the opening of the bridge connecting us to the Quebec mainland, we might get the roads plowed. If so, it'll be easier to ensure a regular gas supply. We need gas for our generators.


Timebandit
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Joined: Sep 25 2001

Good to hear you won't freeze.  And yes, your store operator was pretty careless - that sort of thing can leave people far too vulnerable when the weather gets bad.  Ma Nature is a tough old bird.


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004
Power is on!

Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004


Boom Boom
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Joined: Dec 29 2004

We're projected to get 15 - 25 cm of snow Friday. Frown


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