What Is The Weather Today II (No Mercury Jockeying)

[giallo]

^ Wow. That's a fair bit of snow.

[Marty_Mcfly]

We've made up for a somewhat slow winter very quickly the past week. Valentines Day storm clocked in at about 45cm total between two days, and then about 20 today. No chance for anything to melt between now and then either, piles are starting to get real high.

May be another system later this week too, though indications are that it could turn to rain, with a mild weekend ahead. Too early to tell but it should help.

Before this week I was thinking that if things stayed the way they were going that we could be snow-free relatively early this year. Now there's no hope at all of that.

[SignalHillHiker]

It's going.

• Video Link

[whatnext]

Am I the only one who had never heard of "zombie fires"?

'Zombie Fires' burning at an alarming rate in Canada
2 days ago
By Nadine Yousif
BBC News, Toronto

Even in the dead of Canada's winter, the embers of last year's record-setting wildfire season remain. So-called zombie fires are burning under thick layers of snow at an unprecedented rate, raising fears about what the coming summer may bring.

People driving on the highway through the town of Fort Nelson, British Columbia (BC) in the winter can easily see - and smell - the clouds of white smoke flowing from the soil around them.

Sonja Leverkus, a firefighter and scientist who is local to the small north-eastern BC town, recalled driving during a snowstorm in November, but the snowfall didn't look white.

Rather, she said, it was blueish-grey because of the smoke in the air.
"I've never experienced a snowstorm that smelled like smoke," said Ms Leverkus, who has lived in northern BC for more than 15 years....

...The Fort Nelson smoke is the result of zombie fires - also called overwintering fires.

They are flameless smoulders that burn slowly below the surface, and are kept alive thanks to an organic soil called peat moss common in North America's boreal forest and to thick layers of snow that insulate them from the cold.

These fires are not unusual. In the past 10 years, British Columbia has, on average, seen five or six that continue to burn during the cold months, experts say.

But in January, the province saw an unprecedented peak of 106 active zombie fires, raising concern among fire scientists about what these smoulders will mean for the upcoming wildfire season.

Most typically go out on their own before the spring, but 91 are still burning in BC, according to provincial data, and those that are not extinguished by March could reignite once the snow melts and they are exposed to air....

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68228943

[TownGuy]

Windy as hell today. We had some snow squalls early this morning also. Maybe 5 cm worth.



Lake Ontario is/was pretty angry.

[Nicko999]

-2C with a wind chill of -9. Snow earlier in the day and blustery.

Low of -14C (wind chill of -20) last night.

The warmspot was Bella Bella, BC at 11.3C.

Warmest low was Bonilla Island, BC at 7.7C

[mcminsen]

A pretty quiet day weather-wise. Calm, dry and overcast.

Sunday's high at Vancouver Harbour was 9 C, the low was 5 C.





Granville Bridge/False Creek/Downtown, Vancouver, Feb.18 '24, my pics


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[SignalHillHiker]

Freezing.



There's so much snow. Fadder was teasing me (my path is only a shovel wide), "B'y you don't have either car anymore sure there's no need to clear such a wide path!".

[flar]

It's been somewhat cold the past couple days, but it looks like winter is pretty much over in SW Ontario

[north 42]

Originally Posted by flar

It's been somewhat cold the past couple days, but it looks like winter is pretty much over in SW Ontario

Really looking foreword to spring, even though it’s been a fairly mild winter so far. Only about 10 days here where the high temperature failed to get above freezing. Snowdrops are blooming, and daffodils and tulips are already popping up, and still lots of green grass in places.

[flar]

Originally Posted by north 42

Really looking foreword to spring, even though it’s been a fairly mild winter so far. Only about 10 days here where the high temperature failed to get above freezing. Snowdrops are blooming, and daffodils and tulips are already popping up, and still lots of green grass in places.

Saturday was the coldest day of February, and the only day my weather station failed to rise above freezing this month. High -1.1 and low of -7.5.

My bulbs are all up, but not yet blooming. Here closer to Lake Erie, we lag Chatham and Windsor a bit in the spring.

[Acajack]

It snowed very lightly but constantly all weekend in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

I went back to wearing boots after wearing only shoes for a couple of weeks.

[flar]

I guess I just haven't been paying attention, flowers are already blooming in town.

[SignalHillHiker]

More snow throughout the afternoon.

[TownGuy]

My bulbs are coming up here, they're under some snow right now though. Probably a good thing considering how cold it got last night. Sunny day today.





As for the upcoming warmth. Looks like there's going to be a very sharp temperature gradient happening around the Great Lakes. Areas in the US, just south of the lakes, are going to be pushing into the 20s. All depends how far north the warmth pushes.

[Metro-One]

There really has been no winter in Southern Ontario this year.

BC would have done well except for that one week long cold snap that went full throttle into record cold territory.

Same goes for the Prairies.

The only spot where winter has had some form of a lasting grip this year has been the Maritimes idly enough.

These are all relative to local normals of course. A mild winter in Winnipeg is still cold as hell for someone from the Maritimes, Southern Ontario and Southern BC.

[megadude]

Second time in six weeks spotting a coyote. This time I took the kids to some Family Day festivities at the rec. centre and this canine was trying to dig something up at the school next door. Well, that or maybe it was trying to find a sled to toboggan with.

[Nicko999]

-9C with a wind chill of -17 and sunny. Cold. Definately our coldest stretch of weather so far this winter.

Low of -13C (wind chill of -21) this morning.

The warmspot was Agassiz, BC at 13.3C.

Warmest low were Sheringham Point, Discovery Island and Cumshewa Island, BC at 6.9C.

[flar]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

There really has been no winter in Southern Ontario this year.

BC would have done well except for that one week long cold snap that went full throttle into record cold territory.

Same goes for the Prairies.

The only spot where winter has had some form of a lasting grip this year has been the Maritimes idly enough.

These are all relative to local normals of course. A mild winter in Winnipeg is still cold as hell for someone from the Maritimes, Southern Ontario and Southern BC.

A couple interesting things I read this week:

-Ottawa failed to hit -20 for the first time since records began

-and, this season's Great Lakes ice coverage is the lowest in recorded history

[MonctonRad]

Originally Posted by Metro-One

The only spot where winter has had some form of a lasting grip this year has been the Maritimes idly enough.

Depends on where in the Maritimes. Coastal NS, Cape Breton, and the Avalon Peninsula in NL, Yes. Southern NB, not so much. We still have not had a snowfall greater than 10 cm here in Moncton, and, the ground is about 50% bare