We're getting buried!

[Father Bill]

For what it's worth, my town, London, Canada is getting buried today. There's a 7" accumulation on the table on our deck since this morning. I've blown out the laneway twice, and it looks like I'm soon going to be due for a third.

A great evening for a woodfire and a wee dram!

A couple of photos for those of you who find these things interesting:


This is what our highways look like from a remote camera



If you look carefully, you can see an adjacent office tower, picture taken from another one. Honest, it's there!



At least it's pretty when it stops blowing!

[Tarheel]

My Goodness! No snow here, but our wind chill is 9 F. in Oxford, Mississippi (80 miles south of Memphis, Tenn.) Stay bundled all.

[Stitchwiz]

Hi Father Bill,

The decorative trees on our front porch are almost completely covered in snow. They still look beautiful.

We've had several days of snow. My husband has cleared a total of 4' 9" of snow off our decks and front porch since noon on Monday. We share a front porch with our neighbour and we usually keep everything cleared. Last fall our neighbour bought a 2nd snowblower with express instructions that my husband use it to clear the drives instead of doing it by hand. What a joy to use! The two of them spent 4 hours clearing snow yesterday afternoon, and they were like kids with their new toys! What a treat to use the new blower - it has joysticks for the chute and other controls. Make it fun, and they will play in snow!
Right now it is beautiful and sunny!

Sorry, tried to include a picture, but it didn't work for me.

[sydnie7]

We are watching this weather via TV, Facebook, etc. and sending warm wishes to friends and family who have to endure it. Also our thanks to those who choose to live in such climates -- after all, it would get even more crowded here in sunny, 75F San Diego if you all tried to fit in!

[Father Bill]

@Stitchwiz you've obviously had a LOT more than we do. Cities farther north like you, tend to be better equipped and make it through because they know they'll get it. Cities down here in the "Canadian Sunbelt" tend not to be as well equipped. What's interesting is the visibility though; that doesn't change regardless of where you are - when it's bad it's bad!

I just came back in after blowing out the driveway and the street in front of our home... for the third time today.

[David Dubh]

So we had the most snowfall in one day for 88 years over a foot. Schools closed for 2 days. Now being a prairie boy snow is no big deal. The problem is Kamloops doesn't get much snow so snow blowers are scarce as hens teeth.the only consolation is the temperature is pretty mild. Good luck with the snow and cold everyone east of the Rockies.

[Father Bill]

...and just now, the fourth blow-out of the day!

[Stitchwiz]

Looks like our trees, Father Bill! They look like they are covered in little puffy pillows. We can just see underside of the branches.

I'm grateful that we live in town now. We are in a 'bowl' at the end of the sound with hills all around us, so we get lake effect snow, but most of the wind is above us. When we lived on the farm just outside of town, we would have blowing snow and whiteouts while in town there was just a sprinkling of snow. Glad we don't have to fight that wind anymore. We just have to keep moving snow knowing it will stay where we put it. On the farm, we had to plan where we put the snow so that when the wind blew it would not fill in where we'd just blown it out. Over the years we had it figured out. It has been interesting watching the new owners trying to figure it out. They won't accept any offers of help or suggestions. After 14 years, they are starting get it.

They are from Holland and their English wasn't very good when they immigrated. When they bought the farm in the early spring, I offered to show them the process for setting up the huge water garden that I had put in. They declined, then a month later sent their 12 yr old over to ask where the 'plug' was for the pond, to drain it. I again offered to show them what to do, again they declined. I explained it to the lad and he finally understood that they had to pump the old water out onto the garden beds to clean it. We had a good laugh after he left, not at the son but the parents. Too bad for the son, it was an awkward spot to put their son it. They finally got the water garden up and running. Unfortunately, they cut down several specimen trees before they did any research, and totally changed the garden. It is their garden now, so they can do what they like.

Now I am enjoying the process of building a new garden! Winter is a great time to do the planning. I have garden catalogs coming in the mail reminding me that spring is just around the corner...

[Father Bill]

Good news: My unlimited respect & praise for our City work crews - all streets are cleared & passable. Still slippery because of the cold, but I know that as soon as they have the legally requisite rest period they'll be back out to scrape & sand.

They're wonderful public servants!

[Dixiecat]

@Stitchwiz you've obviously had a LOT more than we do. Cities farther north like you, tend to be better equipped and make it through because they know they'll get it. Cities down here in the "Canadian Sunbelt" tend not to be as well equipped. What's interesting is the visibility though; that doesn't change regardless of where you are - when it's bad it's bad!

I just came back in after blowing out the driveway and the street in front of our home... for the third time today.

London is in the Lake Huron snowbelt area and can get dumped on fairly often and would be a heck of lot more equipped for snow than Hamilton or Toronto which are situated in partial rain shadows. In fact, significant snow falls were few and far between in lower Hamilton where I grew up. The blizzard of '77 is still one of the big ones on record there.

I lived in Kitchener for a few years, worked at a field site near Sarnia and visited my family fairly often in Hamilton. Plenty of days when I was in all three places and the differences in the weather was startling.

Moving to the east coast has really opened my eyes to snow however. I never really saw much snow until I then. Google 'White Juan' for some really fun snow times. Makes your foot of snow seem rather....small. ;)