Well we got both cold AND snow. It's currently 4F outside and there's about 7" of now on the ground. My parents got 13" at their place about 30 min away.
At any rate, we're into the bitterly cold temps now and I have no plans to go anywhere over the next few days. At least I'll have the Olympics to keep me occupied starting tomorrow.

*sends wagga and Warrior cool spritzy water bottles to ease the heat and to wrose, a cozy hot water bottle* Glad you're not too hot there, IlF.

Goodness, what a winter your area is having, fantasia! 13" at your folks' place, wow! Stay safe and snuggly.

After our storm last weekend with snow, then briefly freezing rain and rain before turning back to snow, another one has descended upon us. Beginning around midnight, apparently, I went out at 6 a.m. to 8" of fresh snow. After shoveling for 1 & 1/2 hours, there was a lull before a second round came with fresh vigour (around 8:00) and it's been coming down heavily ever since. It should ease up mid-afternoon or so, but still with much blowing and drifting. It is a winter wonderland out there (except for the roads, on which there are a myriad of problems reported). The main problem with shoveling the driveway now is that the banks are about as tall as me, and therefore take a bit more 'oomph' to lift up and over. Still, I love shoveling! Especially fluff like this ... so different than 'heart-attack' snow.

The temperatures are supposed to remain cold here. If our winter continues in the manner it is has for the past three months, it could be well into May before all the snow is gone , depending on spring temps. Tonight? -17C/1.4F, with a wind chill: this is following suit throughout the week, with another possible storm on Sunday. During the coming daytime hours, the temperature should hover around -8C/17.6F, again with windchills.

Yeeee-hawww! Stay safe, everyone who is affected by this system.

The main problem with shoveling now is that the banks are about as tall as me, and therefore take a bit more 'oomph' to lift up and over.

I'll stop talking about my paltry 7" then, shall I?

I've seen some coverage of the storm in your area, fantasia, though most of the reports seem focused on areas farther east.

Ironically, our recent cold weather apparently sheltered us from this latest storm by pushing the jet stream farther south.

Ditto those tall snow banks, jo. Over the weekend my brother in Seattle sent us some pictures of flowers blooming there. We responded with pictures of parking lot edges here with snow piled much higher than the cars.

Despite how cold January seemed here, statistically it isn't among our top 15 coldest Januarys on record (some, like January 1982, had lots of days colder than -20F/-29C) - but the season has had more nights of -20F than average. And we're about average in the snowfall department so far, with about 35 inches/900mm to date.

Tonight should reach -15F/-26C here in the city with colder temps up north. And oh look, it's snowing outside.

I would think 7" is quite significant for your area, though, fantasia, so keep talking!

Here, at 3:30 p.m., the snow is still coming down, although 'tis a lot finer than it was for hours this morning and early afternoon, so seems to be easing up a bit. I'm not sure how my walk will go this evening—methinks I may be rather wading through drifts of snow than any good, brisk jaunt.

The snowplows most likely will not make it to our quiet street until late tonight, which means there will be a heavy mound of snow for everyone to shovel early tomorrow at the end of each driveway.

stargazer, it sounds so odd to hear of flowers blooming, when there are white-out conditions outside, doesn't it? What fun response photos you sent back to your brother, lol! I have not yet seen any parking lots today, but I can just imagine the massive 'mountains' there, yes, indeed!

And oh look, it's snowing outside.

What an anomaly ... NOT!

/edited

Thanks, johobbit, your gesture seems to have worked. Weather yesterday & today is cool and overcast at the moment. The fierce heat has died down, so that wearing proper clothes isn't uncomfortable any more. Grey, constipated clouds that don't produce anything more than the faintest drizzle, and the promise of a raindrop or two. Usually when we hang out the washing. So, a light shower starts, we bring it in again, and then the second we rescue the washing, it very predictably stops raining altogether. The drought persists.

How did the groundhog weather predictions go this year?

My pleasure.

"constipated cloud" ... now, there's a term I had not heard before. It's very, erm, descriptive.

Go figure about the washing, yeah. How I love hanging the laundry outside to dry. I hardly use my electric dryer in the summer months. Sure hope you get some significant and effective rainfall soon, though, wagga.

Wiarton Willy saw his shadow here in Ontario (about 3 hours north of us), predicting six more weeks of winter, but then, as our neighbour said, whether this was the result or not, winter's most likely still going to persist for a good, long time yet, lol!

I may never look at clouds the same way again.

That famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, also saw his shadow the other day. Anyone here would probably say that only 6 more weeks of winter is a bargain, since we received significant snow into May last year.

And 6 weeks only brings us into mid-March, close to the equinox, the beginning of astronomical spring in the Northern Hemisphere (even if meteorological spring begins March 1 here, the snow season extends almost to June). That's why groundhog day is when it is - the old cross-quarter day marking the halfway point between the winter solstice in December and the first day of spring. [/ramble]

EDIT: The next time I think I've seen lots of snow, I'll just remember this picture taken in 1938 after a blizzard in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (home of "eleven months of winter and 30 days of rain," locals say). Now that's snow!

Well, I get confused between all those terms for clouds, you know. Cirrus clouds are the streaky and feathery ones, or are they altocirrus? Or Strato cirrus? Then there are cumulus clouds, alto cumulus and strato cumulus, not to mention cumulus nimbus. I know of the terms but can't match them with the clouds. These ones look overcast in the morning, look like they are grey enough to rain by morning tea and then disappear by lunchtime, faster than a politician leaving on an overseas study tour. Thus we are back to fine weather and water restrictions, if our powers-that-be had any sense.

Yes, this groundhog business does coincide with Candlemas and also with the old Celtic festival of Imbolc.

I know of the terms but can't match them with the clouds.

Yep, me too. I have a big cloud chart up in the house, and was always fascinated when we studied them in geography way back when, but I still get the names mixed up with the actual clouds.

That abundant snow photo from 1938 is ... , wowser!!! I don't think our snow was quite that high when we lived in Montreal when I was much younger, but while we were there, we experienced what came to be known as "The Storm of the Century". It was in 1970 or '71. The massive piles were up to—and covering some of—our second-floor windows!! The city was shut down for days. When we finally escaped from our snow-bound house to try and shovel, we had to clear a path from the front door to the driveway, which we dubbed "Fat Man's Squeeze", it was so terribly narrow with banks of snow towering above us all. Quite the memories!

The other day, we received 18" of snow in about 15 hours: 'twas amazingly beautiful! And because it was cold and has stayed that way, the snow was a delight to shovel—so light and fluffy. The snowplow mounds, mind you, were another story ... We are getting to the point where we do not know where to put any more cleared snow. And apparently a weaker system is coming this Sunday (only a few inches) and even more the week of Feb. 16th—every day, so they say. And it's staying cold, which is wonderful. I feel for the people who are sick of winter already (the majority of the population ), but we are thoroughly enjoying this long, snowy winter.

We are getting to the point where we do not know where to put any more cleared snow.

It's only frozen water, isn't it? Pack it up and send it Down Under? Pretty please? With sugar on top?

In today's news, Cloncurry in Queensland is so out of water, they are thinking of moving the town.

Finally got some rain yesterday, only a quarter of an inch though.

This January was the mildest in the 8 that I have spent here. Usually we have anywhere from 4 to 15 days below 40F/4C. This year we had not one day! I think the average low was 7-8 degrees above normal.

Two nights ago we learned that if your sidewalks aren't shoveled, you can get a $75 fine. I found that odd because when I'm out walking, I prefer walking through snow to a shoveled sidewalk that's slightly icy. But we still went out and shoveled. I also found it telling that I had never heard that before and I'm over 30. Just goes to show how often we get a deep snow that sticks around for a few days. We're expecting more snow tonight, but only a small amount. Mid-week we're supposed to get above freezing and the snow will melt away.

Another night of bitter cold with temps approaching -20F. Thankfully the wind is supposed to be mild. Snow is supposed to start falling tomorrow night ,and last until Wednesday morning. Then we have the possiblity of rain on Thursday.
As for a certain subterranian rodent. I think I mentioned last year I was looking at getting a new fur hat. Maybe this is the year

I hope all of my east coast friends are staying safe and warm! That's quite a storm you have over there.

We're getting a hint of spring this week. Starting a day or two ago, we're getting above freezing with consistent warm-ups every day until next week when we're supposed to be in the 60Fs! *dances*