How Cold Was It?*

That question has been on everybody's lips for the last month, as the northern half of the globe has seen a ‘roller coaster’ of temperatures.

First, there was a continent-wide cold snap in December, near the date of the official start of winter. On Monday, the 23rd, a blizzard with lots of snow and freezing rain swept across the American Mid-West, as well as Ontario, Québec and New Brunswick. Many of the folks in these areas — especially 250,000 in Greater Toronto and 40,000 in Montréal — had no power throughout the entire Christmas week.
(Photo: fotosearch.com)
There was deep cold throughout the Prairie provinces, with temperature readings as low as -50, taking into account the wind chill. In the U-S, colder temperatures made it all the way down to Atlanta, and as far west has Dallas, and even San Diego.
*Comedian Johnny Carson — a native of the American Great Plains, where the KNOW cold — often got asked that question as a running gag. This time, he might have answered: ‘It was so cold … get this … it was so cold that I saw a dog chasing a cat, and they were both walking!’
Winter conditions made travel difficult in the northern parts of Europe: the United Kingdom experienced heavy rain, with gales, snow and lots of flooding. It even snowed in the Middle East, where Syria had its first snow in more than 100 years!
Nova Scotia had a brief thaw, with milder temperatures bringing in heavy rain and gales.
On January 3, we had a blizzard, with 20 cm of snow, and freezing rain in the northern parts of the province. However, across Newfoundland, close to 100,000 customers lost their power. That province relies on electrical power to generate heat, because of its distance from sources of fuel oil.
David Phillips, the Senior Climatologist at Environment Canada, predicts that we will have the coldest winter in 18 years! Of course, we have been getting a bit lazy about winter; our latest winters have been relatively mild. Our snowblower has already been used more often than all of last winter.
Prices of oil and gas heat are up, as well as delays in fuel delivery.
Over the last week or so, we have had a legendary ‘January thaw’ around here, with afternoon temperatures up to 11° or so.
There have been 'other developments,' which may or may not be related to severe weather. Every winter, we hear from the various health authorities that we should get a flu shot. My wife and I, former teachers who work extensively with seniors, always get our flu shots because we realize they can be an effective way of ramping down spread of influenza. However, many folks do not choose to do so.
That idea is about to change: already, throughout Western Canada and even locally, several individuals — across all age groups — have died from the effects of the H1N1 flu strain. Folks of all ages, especially younger, are lining up at medical offices and clinics to get a flu shot, only to find out that vaccine supplies are scarce or perhaps nonexistent.
Another trend, perhaps on the cultural scene, is taking place. In an effort to cut down the spread of nasty germs, the social handshake is now in disfavour, and being replaced by the ‘fist bump.’
Nothing official, Dear Reader, but it just may save a variety of social gaffes, while improving the winter flu situation!