What Is The Weather Today II (No Mercury Jockeying)

[Calgarian]

Snowing lightly today, melting as soon as it hits the ground. Should be 11 tomorrow then single digits all next week and a dive into winter the week after.

[TownGuy]

Beautiful day.

[SignalHillHiker]

Pouring rain again this evening. Yesterday and today I've had a lovely, dry commute and the rain didn't start until I was long since home from the bus. Glorious timing.

But I just went to the superette so I'm changing now. Dripping wet.

[giallo]

Love the atmosphere in the last photo, SHH.

[Nicko999]

2C and overcast. Some rain/snow mix. We really have gotten the worst of November. Cloudy cover for days straight, a mix of precipitation, cold temperatures, winds.

Low of -2C (wind chill of -5) this morning.

The warmspot was Outlook, SK at 17.9C.

Warmest low was Cumshewa Island, BC at 7.9C.

[MonctonRad]

-2C and sunny in Moncton at 10 AM, only getting up to +1C this afternoon.

+6C tomorrow and rain here in the city. Much of central and northwestern NB may see substantial snow. Some nearby terrain at elevation like the Caledonia Highlands may also see snow ( elevations up to 450M).

[Nicko999]

So after completely messing up our forecast on Monday, EC with the super precise warning. Let's see if this materializes.

Freezing Rain Warning in effect for:
Montréal Island area
Mixed precipitation expected over Montreal Island.

What:
2 to 5 millimetres of freezing rain expected mainly over Laval and the eastern section of the island of Montreal.

When:
Tonight.

Additional information:
The snow level will split Greater Montreal in two.The west end of Montreal could receive a mix of freezing rain and rain.

[Tancredi]

It's incredible that the hills surrounding St. John's are so much barer of trees than the hills in Sicily. Yet, the capital of Newfoundland gets more than double the average annual rainfall of Sicily. Sure, the average temperatures in St. John's are much lower than those recorded in Sicily, but they don't seem cold enough to prevent the growth of dense forests. In fact, from June to September, average temperatures stay above 10°C and the average maximum winter temperature is around 0°C. Those don't look like glacial temperatures that would make it difficult for extensive forests to grow. After all, it should be harder for trees to grow in Sicily, where rainfall is scarce or absent between May and August/September and temperatures are very high. Maybe what makes life tough for trees in Newfoundland is the frequent and intense wind? I will ask the AI ​​for an explanation

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

The mild blanket of fog is gone so it looks nicer this morning but feels worse, despite being much warmer.

[Tancredi]

Here is the explanation that the AI ​​gave me

Explanation of the Landscape: St. John's vs. SicilyYour observation is excellent! Your reasoning, based on high rainfall and non-"glacial" temperatures, is sound. However, the explanation for why the St. John's area is much barer than Sicily lies in a combination of factors, particularly wind and the duration of the growing season.1. The Crucial Factor: Extreme Winds and Coastal FogYou hit the nail on the head: persistent and intense winds play a fundamental role in Newfoundland.Windburn Effect (Desiccation): Constant winds sweeping the Avalon Peninsula (where St. John's is located) are extremely damaging to trees. They rapidly remove moisture from leaves and needles, dehydrating the plant (even with high rainfall). This phenomenon, known as desiccation, is particularly severe in winter.Marine Aerosol (Salt): As a coastal region exposed to the North Atlantic, the winds carry large amounts of sea salt. Salt is toxic to most tree species, especially less resistant ones, causing the phenomenon of "flagging" (canopies are deformed or absent on the wind-exposed side).Fog and Low Sunlight: St. John's is incredibly foggy. Frequent summer fog, while providing moisture, drastically reduces solar irradiation. Sunlight is as vital as rain for photosynthesis and wood growth, limiting the energy available for trees.2. The Climatic Factor: The Growing SeasonYour analysis of average summer temperatures is correct, but the duration and soil temperature are limiting factors:Cold Spring/Autumn: Even if the summer average exceeds 10° (the growth threshold), spring and autumn are much colder than in Sicily. The effective period during which plants can actively grow is very short, not allowing trees enough time to reach large sizes and form dense forests.Sporadic Permafrost and Thin Soil: Many areas of Newfoundland have thin, rocky soils (resulting from glaciation) that tend to remain colder, limiting the depth and extent of roots, a problem non-existent in the calcareous Sicilian uplands (even if they are often dry).3. The Comparison with SicilyIn Sicily, the problem is the opposite:Water Stress (Sicily): The main threat is summer drought (stress idrico). Vegetation must adapt to months without rain and extreme temperatures by developing deep, resistant roots.Sicilian Advantage: The long growing season (from March/April to late November) allows trees to store enormous energy reserves during the autumn and winter rains, enabling them to survive the summer drought.Conclusion:In St. John's, abundant rain is not enough because the environment is too harsh (wind, salt, fog, and a brief growing season). Trees cannot grow large enough before being damaged or killed by the cold and wind. The landscape is, in fact, dominated by taiga (boreal forest) and coastal tundra, with shrubs and low, deformed trees.

[TownGuy]

Rainy and thunderstorms. Got a quick walk in before it started.

[SignalHillHiker]

Sunny, mild day. Aerial via FB:

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Tancredi

It's incredible that the hills surrounding St. John's are so much barer of trees than the hills in Sicily. Yet, the capital of Newfoundland gets more than double the average annual rainfall of Sicily. Sure, the average temperatures in St. John's are much lower than those recorded in Sicily, but they don't seem cold enough to prevent the growth of dense forests. In fact, from June to September, average temperatures stay above 10°C and the average maximum winter temperature is around 0°C. Those don't look like glacial temperatures that would make it difficult for extensive forests to grow. After all, it should be harder for trees to grow in Sicily, where rainfall is scarce or absent between May and August/September and temperatures are very high. Maybe what makes life tough for trees in Newfoundland is the frequent and intense wind? I will ask the AI ​​for an explanation

They used to be forested but Signal Hill was mostly clear-cut. Much of the adjacent Southside Hills are still forested hehe.

[Nicko999]

1C and mainly cloudy today. Rain/snow mix started this evening.
This was the precipitation type this evening. YUL is all rain.



Low of -4C (wind chill of -6) this morning.

The warmspot was Windsor, ON at 18.3C. It pays to be further south this time of the year. Same system, one place is mild, the other is getting a messy mix.

Warmest low was Estevan Point, BC at 8.9C.

Mirabel makes sense as it is further north but the differences between Montreal Metropolitan and YUL are interesting.

[SignalHillHiker]

Garden is just about dead for the winter now. Here's the very best of what's still hanging on a little...

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Nicko999

[

Mirabel makes sense as it is further north but the differences between Montreal Metropolitan and YUL are interesting.

Where is Montreal Metropolitan Airport? Or is that the weather station near McGill (McTavish?).

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Where is Montreal Metropolitan Airport? Or is that the weather station near McGill (McTavish?).

St. Hubert. It is being groomed to become the Montreal version of Billy Bishop in Toronto.

[Arrdeeharharharbour]

Originally Posted by Tancredi

Here is the explanation that the AI ​​gave me

You can pretty much get whatever answer you want out of Google AI...

St. John's Forest by A.J. Forsythe, on Flickr


Note that AI confuses Saint John with St. John's in the last point.

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Arrdeeharharharbour

Note that AI confuses Saint John with St. John's in the last point.

Shhhhhh........

Don't tell EnvisionSaintJohn that. He's like a dog with a bone on this topic! He even wants to change Saint John's name tp Wolastoq Regional Municipality.

[Tancredi]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

They used to be forested but Signal Hill was mostly clear-cut. Much of the adjacent Southside Hills are still forested hehe.

That's a interesting point, and historically crucial! In particular, the factor of historical clear-cutting on places like Signal Hill for construction and the fishing industry. That certainly explains why the urban area looks so exposed!

That said, your comment about the Southside Hills still being forested supports the climatic point we were discussing. Even in the areas that weren't totally cut—or in the areas that grew back—the trees never seem to reach the kind of height or density you see in the Mediterranean mountains like Sicily.

It seems to be a combination: The human factor (clearcutting) created the vast, open space, and the environmental factors (intense wind, sea salt, short growing season) make it incredibly difficult for the forest to fully recover and establish a dense, mature canopy like it would in a warmer climate. The extreme winds and salt still make life very tough for the trees, resulting in that unique blend of taiga and coastal tundra, even where the woods still stand!

[MonctonRad]

+1C and a mixture of rain and snow in Moncton at 11 AM, going up to +5C this afternoon.

The changeover to pure rain is occurring as I type. There is only the barest coating of snow on the ground which will be gone within about a half hour.

Northwestern NB on the other hand may see 15-20 cm of snow over the course of the next 24 hrs. No coastal influences up there, and, northwestern NB is part of the Appalachian Mountain chain.