Posted by: @calormenwarrior

  Saskatchewan Screamer is a pretty creative name  

It sure it! Also, CalormenWarrior, good to hear you are getting relief from the heat.

I had to pop in this thread to post today, because, wowser, did we receive snow overnight! This was expected, and highly anticipated. There are snowfall and blizzard warnings out all over southern, SW, and eastern Ontario. The radar is quite spectacular. A large system, also covering the north-eastern States and well into Québec. At least 10" has already fallen, with the snow continuing much of today. The visibility even across the street is quite low because of all that beautiful white stuff coming down!

We already shoveled much of our rather long driveway once, and will be out there later again. We have always enjoyed shoveling snow, so have never invested in a snowplow attachment for our lawn tractor. Many people around here have one, but we prefer that physical exercise and challenge. No doubt we will be a tad stiff tomorrow though.  

It really is a magical wonderland outside. For me/us, the pristine snow is always amazing to watch (and be out in too!).  

There is no forecast in quite a while where the temps will be above freezing, so this snow is going to stay with us, hurrah. Plus, we have another storm arriving Tuesday night into Wednesday and on the weekend again! Even colder air returns later this week. I do so love winter!

@jo, I saw some coverage of the Toronto storm on our TV weather report. Pretty amazing. You know it's significant when it shuts down an area used to dealing with snow.

They also mentioned your storm was the same one that just clipped us last week. It was deflected south, then moved east, and then up the eastern seaboard, causing problems all over the place.

It's been quiet here. Today will be a balmy January day, with highs around 38F/3C and lots of melting, but the bottom drops out later this afternoon as a strong cold front moves in from western Canada. By this evening it will be below 0F/-17C with winds howling from the northwest. Highs tomorrow and Thursday will not get above 0F/-17C with lows around -15F/-26C, and wind chills approaching -40F/C.  Brrr!

Posted by: @stargazer

I saw some coverage of the Toronto storm on our TV weather report. Pretty amazing. You know it's significant when it shuts down an area used to dealing with snow.

Truly! This is such a rare occurrence here. Let me explain to those who hadn't seen Toronto's decision yesterday (which I only heard about after I posted): two major highways in the city were shut down for a few hours, they were in such bad shape with the snow, with dozens of cars stranded for many miles. And, as stargazer said, we know how to deal with snow here, so for these major roads to be out of commission for a bit is ! They were closed around 10 a.m. and opened again early afternoon yesterday.

This morning we had flurries, some heavier. I can finally go on a walk again, as yesterday it would have been too dangerous with the country roads not yet being fully plowed. This evening's walk should be beautiful amongst mounds of snow all around (white-white-white!) and maybe a wee glimpse at the winter's night sky. Plus the temps are not arctic cold here anymore, rather a comfortable 5 or 6 degrees below freezing. Great for being out-of-doors!  

I love that blue winter's light that comes at dusk when snow is present!

The third week of January is statistically our coldest time of year, and it's living up to the advance billing. The low this morning was -16F/-27C, and that's before the wind chill. We've had more days below 0F/-17C than we had all last winter, though we're not up to the seasonal average yet (so last year was a mild winter, at least until February arrived; it had several days of -20F and 131 consecutive hours below 0F).

Goodness! It's midsummer here, but we keep having odd patches of cold rainy weather (down to about 9 C at breakfast time). Makes for some good guessing when one wants to hang out washing to dry!
The sun is out now, so that may be it for this patch. (I am cleaning the house and listening to LWW F0tF)
On the other hand, it helps to have my garden watered for me.

I just looked at the forecast for the next few days and we are projected to get 4-7" of snow starting Wednesday. That's incredible! 

Oooh, excellent, fantasia! Your kids'll be thrilled!   Here, too, between Wednesday, Thursday, and into Friday, a significant snowstorm is coming. I have not seen totals yet, but am quite excited. Our temperatures have been very cold here the past week, so the snow that has fallen periodically throughout January (sometimes a fair bit) is definitely staying. Some of our family are going to the beautiful Québec Laurentian Mountains to downhill ski and snowboard this coming weekend. The snow they get up there is amazing, so with this storm, the fresh layers will make for some grrrreat skiing!

EDIT: I can't believe I didn't mention our beautiful hoarfrost that developed early this morning. It was not as extensive as last winter's amazing display of these feathery ice crystals, but it was very beautiful, and is developing even more into further beauty as the morning progresses. Wow!   

A few of us are in line to have this significant snowfall storm system over us for a couple of days. This map is quite amazing: the system covers over 4000 kilometers, from the central US all the way NE through the Canadian Maritimes!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKgsolPWQAQGUPC?format=jpg&name=large

I did my major grocery shopping this morning, rather than saving it until the end of the week, when we probably will not even be able to exit our driveway. This is all rather exciting, but ... stay safe, everyone who is also in the path!

We're north of that storm, Jo, so all we have is clear skies and brisk temperatures. Grand Forks (northwest of here) may reach -40 tonight...before the wind chill.

Everyone's favorite groundhog saw his shadow this morning, "predicting" 6 more weeks of winter (around here, we say that would be a bargain since winter can extend into April). The report added that his handlers (the tuxedo-clad men who call themselves "the Inner Circle") claim he is always right in his forecasts, but one study showed an accuracy rate of 39%.

This also marks Imbolc (or Candlemas or St. Brigid's Day), the cross-quarter day halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox (in the Northern Hemisphere). The days are already getting noticeably longer here, especially in the evening, with the sun setting after 5 pm now.

So far we have had a rather wet & cool summer in New South Wales, at any rate. But towards the end of January the weather became quite hot, rising to 35 degrees Celsius, and very muggy, indeed. There is dry heat which can be quite terrible. On Thursday 13th January, 2022, Australia equalled its hottest day ever, in Onslow, Western Australia, with temperatures of 50.7C (123.26F). This matched a record at Oodnadatta, in South Australia in 1962. However, Onslow is on the Tropic of Capricorn where the Sun is directly overhead after the December Solstice.

But when it is humid, I felt at times like I was simmering in a pot of hot water. Cooked in fact. Somehow, even temperatures in the 40's Celsius seem easier to tolerate than 35C in humid weather, where a storm is about ready to burst. I'm glad to say that today is a bit cooler & somewhat more bearable than it was on Monday. In late January, Southern Monsoonal rains, flooding down from Darwin, & the North of Western Australia, managed to leave much of northern South Australia, around Coober Pedy isolated. Now that the rainy weather is abating, we will see the desert bloom, for a little while, even if it is temporary. In today's paper there has been an earthquake north of Darwin, the second in a month. 

It seems to have been a wild & woolly winter in USA & Canada these past months. Those snow storms sound horrific, almost like that movie, "The Day after tomorrow"?  

Though Groundhog Day has been & gone, has there been any mention of that Punxatawny groundhog at all, I wonder?  I am also aware of brutally cold conditions afflicting the British Isles & was wondering how Courtenay was faring in North England? 

Last week we ended up with about 6" of snow. My husband took my oldest three kiddos to his farm over the weekend to sled. There aren't a great many hills around here so they hooked up a bunch of sleds to the back of the farm truck and pulled them along. They had a great time. 

But as often as the case is in Kansas, the snow did not stick around long. Except for the areas where we had high drifts, it's already melted and the rest of this week the temperatures are supposed to be in the upper 50Fs/low 60Fs. 

Posted by: @waggawerewolf27

On Thursday 13th January, 2022, Australia equalled its hottest day ever, in Onslow, Western Australia, with temperatures of 50.7C (123.26F).

That is insane!!! I hope it's cooled off a bit since.

Tropical cyclone Dovi has been thrashing our country with rain and strong winds. What ought to be the warmest month of summer has been cold, muggy, damp, and wet. Farmland, homes and roads have been damaged. Today the temperature is 12 degrees C, about 57 F.
Personally I want to weed my garden, pick the pears on my tree before the birds eat any more of them, and warm up!

That sledding sounds marvelous, fantasia!   So glad your kiddos and hubby could enjoy that!

I hope you can warm up, coracle!  

Speaking of snow, we are on track for another blizzard later today and overnight. The original forecast of a potential ice storm thankfully has been changed to a brief chance of freezing rain as the current rain transitions to snow-snow, SNOW! But feeling for the Niagara region which could experience an ice storm. Dangerous stuff.

It is amazing to watch the radar for this storm: it extends a few thousand kilometers from deep south in the States to NE far into Québec! 

Here, however, I am excited to see more snow come (we haven't lost it since the New Year) and will revel in that utter beauty for the days ahead. We could receive a foot by the time this passes (tomorrow morning). Yet more snow is forecast periodically over the next week!

The dark clouds over the past week have been so pretty—the textures, the hues, the unusual loveliness of our wintry cloud-covered skies! Having said that, I very much look forward to night-sky gazing when the occasional clear evening finally comes.  

We've had very little snow lately; the storm tracks are all passing south and east of here (with some of them continuing on into Jo's neighborhood).  It's been cold enough that we still have 6 inches (150mm) or more everywhere.

Our temperature roller coaster continues, with days like today struggling to reach 10F/-12C, and a high Sunday expected to reach 38F/3C - practically shorts weather by local standards.

Once again northern Minnesota recorded -40F/C this morning - without the wind chill. It's this cold high pressure that is protecting us from the big storms, directing them away from us.

Summer has returned, with blue sky, sunshine and warmth. Officially there are only 11 days left of Summer, but I hope the good weather will continue into March.
I'm ready to attack the weeds in my damp garden now.