Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

@pete We still desperately need rain though

Yes, indeed. That would also cool the place down somewhat. We can only pray.   I heard that there might be rain this weekend coming, so I'll have to invent something to do, like hang out the washing, go on a picnic, or washing the car, so that it is sure to rain in buckets.  

Hehe! Indeed, or paint the fence, or get out the lawnmower. 

@Pete : I think I'd rather the cold.

@Courtenay : Having experienced both extreme heat and snow storms in my time on this planet, I would definitely rather have the snow storms. 

100% ditto! The hot sun heat drains my energy, whereas the cold and snow I find to be fresh, invigorating, motivating.  

Last night was our coldest night of the year. Our thermometer read -26°C / -14.8F, with a windchill well into the -30sC (near -30F) Warnings are out all over regarding the dangerous windchills, and that exposed skin can freeze in ten minutes.

The temperatures continue very cold here for the next couple of days, particularly at nighttime, although they will be 'warmer' than last night, rather sitting around -21C / -5.8F (feeling colder with the windchill). Next week is more seasonal with temps at -5C /  23F during the daytime hours, and approximately -10C / 14F at nights. Good walking weather!

There is no major snow in the forecast, but many days anticipate flurries, and some of those can be quite heavy. We still have loads of the white stuff here on the grounds, fields, and snow-covered roadways. We love that this is lasting so long (since mid-November)!

Speaking of forecast, there is no sign of temperatures rising above freezing anytime soon. We are good with that. Hoping for a few more beautiful snowfalls in the next couple of months, or so, as well.  

What a winter , although, yes, it is quite frigid right now.  

@jo Riiiiight, and there I was thinking 3°C in Cheshire this morning was "a bit nippy"...   But I've just checked the forecast for Inverloch, my home town in Australia, where I'll be from Monday onwards, and it's low to mid 20s all week. Which is really mild for the start of February, but nice comfortable weather that I definitely don't have a problem with.  

The weeklong heatwave is finally coming to an end this Saturday or Sunday.  According to the weather forecast however, still no rain forecast - except for the possibility of showers or storms on Sunday.  Sunday is predicted to be around 23 degrees, and for the rest of next week it looks like high 20s to (at most) mid 30s for daytime temperatures, and much more comfortable sleeping conditions in the evenings.

Posted by: @pete

The weeklong heatwave is finally coming to an end this Saturday or Sunday.  According to the weather forecast however, still no rain forecast - except for the possibility of showers or storms on Sunday.  Sunday is predicted to be around 23 degrees, and for the rest of next week it looks like high 20s to (at most) mid 30s for daytime temperatures, and much more comfortable sleeping conditions in the evenings.

I'm glad for you.    Yesterday's, that is to say, Friday's 29/1/2026 Sydney Morning Herald (pp 16-17), had a feature on this heat wave. It said: "The alpine areas of Falls Creek in Victoria & the Perisher Valley in NSW recorded their first-ever days over 30C on Wednesday".  On page 16, SMH noted: "On Tuesday, VIC broke the record for the highest temperature recorded, when Hopetoun & Walpeup hit 48.9 degrees" (equalling Penrith's 4th January record in 2020). Apparently, the news crew visited Ouyen, where they fried an egg in the sun, taking less than half an hour to do so. 

Page 17 continues when Fowlers Gap in western NSW reached 49.1C, its hottest day on record & in Lake Cargelligo, a greenkeeper at their bowling club said that inside the corrugated iron walls the temperature easily soared to 50C. Renmark, in South Australia, "took the dubious honour of being the hottest place in Australia - indeed in the whole world - on Tuesday, recording a blistering top of 49.6 degrees (Celsius). NSW recorded the equal second-highest temperature recorded (49.2 degrees in Borrona Downs), & SA recorded the 4th-highest temperature recorded, 49.5 in the shade in Ceduna". Apparently, the sheer longevity of the heatwave generated its own impetus. 

@jo Last night was our coldest night of the year. Our thermometer read -26°C / -14.8F, with a windchill well into the -30sC (near -30F) Warnings are out all over regarding the dangerous windchills, and that exposed skin can freeze in ten minutes.

What are the lowest minimum temperatures recorded in Canada, I wonder? I'd imagine they would be even colder than what you said in your post. Like @courtenay, I'd find the 3C temperature in Cheshire, to be quite nippy enough for my taste. -26C sounds absolutely frightening.  

@coracle Hehe! Indeed, or paint the fence, or get out the lawnmower. 

Quite so. But maybe to encourage the rain, I should do a rain dance. Do you think that would do?  

I have watered both front and back gardens! It is really summer now.

And while Australians celebrate the return of summer, it seems as though the White Witch has attacked the Eastern US in full force! We got a massive ice storm last weekend, followed up by what's looking to be nearly a foot of snow today and tomorrow. Thankfully the power stayed on. 

And to think I was just almost in the mood for spring... *sigh* 

After a couple of lovely sunny days, we're getting rain again tonight, with strong winds. Not heavy rain, just enough to water the garden!

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

What are the lowest minimum temperatures recorded in Canada, I wonder? 

Fun question! I found a record of -63C (-81F) in Snag, Yukon, on February 3, 1947, 79 years ago tomorrow. That also appears to be the coldest temperature recorded in North America.

As a trivia note, today marks the anniversary of the coldest temperature recorded in Minnesota, -51C (-60F) in the small town of Tower in 1996.

We're nowhere near that cold today, with one of the warmest days of the year so far (-7C/19F).

Phil, America's favorite groundhog, saw his shadow this morning, predicting 6 more weeks of winter according to custom - bringing us close to the spring (March) equinox.  In these parts, that would mean an early spring! 

Posted by: @coracle

After a couple of lovely sunny days, we're getting rain again tonight, with strong winds. Not heavy rain, just enough to water the garden!

It did rain here on both Saturday & Sunday nights when we had thunderstorms, and now it is so much cooler that I'm wearing a cardigan. I've hung out some washing even though the sky is partly overcast with rain-bearing clouds, but they might not amount to much. 

@stargazer Fun question! I found a record of -63C (-81F) in Snag, Yukon, on February 3, 1947, 79 years ago tomorrow. That also appears to be the coldest temperature recorded in North America.

I should imagine so, when -63C sounds like the sort of deep freeze one would get in Antarctica. At the moment, the time is 12:21 pm, ADST on the 3rd of February, in 2026, almost an eightieth anniversary. In Australia, spring officially starts on 1st September, and autumn officially starts on 1st March, though heat can still linger as late as mid-April's Easter holidays. 

@the-mad-poet-himself ...while Australians celebrate the return of summer

I wouldn't have said Australians celebrate the return of summer, when the extreme temperatures in South-East Australia we experienced in late January seem more reminiscent of what to expect in the "hot place" , more like gritting our teeth & bearing it without being reduced to puddles, 😓or being cooked by the heat.🤒 Thankfully, that heat wave is over for now.  

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

I wouldn't have said Australians celebrate the return of summer, when the extreme temperatures in South-East Australia we experienced in late January seem more reminiscent of what to expect in the "hot place" , more like gritting our teeth & bearing it without being reduced to puddles, 😓or being cooked by the heat.🤒 Thankfully, that heat wave is over for now.  

Now you're reminding me of a poem by the late Aussie cartoonist Michael Leunig — I'm having to do it from memory, but it was something like this (and illustrated with a sort of big fat monstrous creature standing over an apprehensive gardener)...

G'day, g'day, beg your pardon,

I am here to wreck your garden. 

Tongue is cracked, claws are hot, 

I’ve got prickles in my bot.

Eyes like newly broken bottles, 

Lips are black and twisted wattles.

On my back some nasty fires

Caused by snapped electric wires. 

I breathe blowflies — what a bummer,

Eh? G'day, I am summer!

But that said, I'm back at my parents' home in the south-east (South Gippsland, to be exact), and while it got pretty warm today, nearly up to 30°C, it's supposed to get cooler again after tomorrow and continuing right into next week. So we really don't have too much to complain about (unlike a couple of weeks ago, before I got here, when it got way up into the 40s and there were bushfires). Here's hoping it'll stay reasonable for a while longer... I grew up with it, of course, but I really don't like extremely hot weather. 

@courtenay welcome back to Australasia!

Here in Christchurch we had quite a cold day of rain and grey sky (about the same temperature as London had on my last day there, 3 weeks ago!). Tomorrow it's back to the sunny weather. 

Posted by: @pete

for the rest of next week it looks like high 20s to (at most) mid 30s for daytime temperatures, and much more comfortable sleeping conditions in the evenings.

Really glad to hear this, Pete. Hopefully good rainfall will arrive soon, too!

Posted by: @the-mad-poet-himself

We got a massive ice storm last weekend, followed up by what's looking to be nearly a foot of snow today and tomorrow. Thankfully the power stayed on.

Whew, good to know you did not lose power with all that ice, yikes. Are people having fun playing in the snow?    

Have a great time back home, @Courtenay! Good to hear some cooler weather has arrived for now.  

We are having more snow today. Light snow changing to heavy snow, then snow squalls over the first half of tonight. And turning verrry cold again: -20 tonight and Sunday night / -4F, then -25C tomorrow night / -13F, all with quite strong wind chills.

No one can recall the last time we had temperatures anywhere near or above freezing ... a big plus, because this has enabled the snow to stay with us since mid-November (it just keeps on accumulating! ), with only a couple of very short-lived exceptions.  

Next week things are really becoming 'balmy'—welllll, moderating out a bit—to the point where we will reach right around freezing for daytime temps, with flurries most every day.  

Our youngest is headed to Québec's Eastern Townships early this morning with good friends for their annual skiing trip. 'Tis so beautiful there, and loads of snow. Great conditions! We are eager to see pics of that glorious wintry beauty.