Spring Is In The Air... I Think! (2 Viewers)

[Michael Frankis]

Dunno about Canada, but in Britain, the weathermen use 'blizzard' when there's more than 3 flakes of snow expected . . . .

Michael

 

[Tammie]

Dunno about Canada, but in Britain, the weathermen use 'blizzard' when there's more than 3 flakes of snow expected . . . .

Michael

Gee Michael,
Sounds like Toronto! Do they call in the army too???

 

[Michael Frankis]

Nope, I think we prefer the masochism of having the newspapers run headlines about the country being paralysed by a quarter inch of snow . . . they just warn everyone to stay inside, not go out at all unless your journey is vitally essential, all that guff

Michael

 

[Nancy]

Spring! Bah! Humbug! It's a full scale blizzard outside with 35 cm of snow called for with wind gusts that will probably hit over 100kph (it is mild. however, about -3 C).

MILD....................AT MINUS 3%C Not for me, thanks. I'd rather have the sweat trickling, wrinkled skin and flies!

 

[Nancy]

Can someone tell me how to get the different colour and and size text in replies with quotes, please.

 

[Michael Frankis]

You need to close off the tags at the end, with a /, as follows (I've used curly brackets here so it shows; replace them with square brackets):

{COLOR=DarkRed}{SIZE=5} MILD....................AT MINUS 3%C Not for me, thanks. I'd rather have the sweat trickling, wrinkled skin and flies! {/size}{/color}

Gives (with square brackets):

MILD....................AT MINUS 3%C Not for me, thanks. I'd rather have the sweat trickling, wrinkled skin and flies!

 

[StevieEvans]

Spring activity

Hi

Had a beautiful cock Siskin singing flat out for 5 mins while i had my elevenses.

On Monday one of our local Dippers was seen nest building at its traditional site.

Yesterday evening i watched a group of 60 or so Goosanders indulge in chasing & posturing for the benefit of the oppisite sex, 10 Goleneyes included displaying males at the same lake.

Yes, spring does feel like its in the air ...But Winter could come back & nip us in the Butt at any time !

Still waiting for the bubbling of the Curlew & wing-clapping of the Long-eared's though.........

Regards Stevie.

 

[Nancy]

You need to close off the tags at the end, with a /, as follows (I've used curly brackets here so it shows; replace them with square brackets):

Of course I meant DEGREES not percent. I hope I have it right now. Thanks, Michael.

 

[snowyowl]

There is an official definition of a blizzard involving wind speed/ temperature but I can never remember it. Winds through the evening were gusting to 120kph, the snow fall seems to have been around 75-80cm and the low was -8C, I think. I had to get to the barn around 4:30 to feed the donkeys and I must admit that it was tough, I should have used snow shoes but by the time I realized that it was easier to go on than to turn back. Its only about 200' but the snow was drifted so that I was hip deep all the way down. I tried a different route to get back to the house and had to turn back and rest up in the barn before trying again.
On the up side, when I opened the door at one end of the barn to bring in hay. I flushed a lone Snow Bunting. That's the first I've record on our property this year.
Today it's still blowing at about 70kph but not snowing. We are still snowed in from the road but I've opened a path to the barn so now I can relax.
There are several hundred c. Redpolls around the feeders as well as some Juncos and A. Tree Sparrows. As usual there are lots of Blue Jays, a few B-c. Chickadees, some Mourning Doves and some A. Goldfinches.
When I went to put feed on the platform feeder, the Redpolls were landing while I was still pouring seed on.

 

[2sillycats]

You know, I was thinking the same thing this morning! Of course, it is much warmer here. We have been in the low 20s at night and up to the 50s during the day. This morning I heard the sparrows singing love songs! Love is in the air!

 

[Tammie]

There is an official definition of a blizzard involving wind speed/ temperature but I can never remember it. Winds through the evening were gusting to 120kph, the snow fall seems to have been around 75-80cm and the low was -8C, I think. I had to get to the barn around 4:30 to feed the donkeys and I must admit that it was tough, I should have used snow shoes but by the time I realized that it was easier to go on than to turn back. Its only about 200' but the snow was drifted so that I was hip deep all the way down. I tried a different route to get back to the house and had to turn back and rest up in the barn before trying again.
On the up side, when I opened the door at one end of the barn to bring in hay. I flushed a lone Snow Bunting. That's the first I've record on our property this year.
Today it's still blowing at about 70kph but not snowing. We are still snowed in from the road but I've opened a path to the barn so now I can relax.
There are several hundred c. Redpolls around the feeders as well as some Juncos and A. Tree Sparrows. As usual there are lots of Blue Jays, a few B-c. Chickadees, some Mourning Doves and some A. Goldfinches.
When I went to put feed on the platform feeder, the Redpolls were landing while I was still pouring seed on.

Holy cow, you guys really got socked in this time!! I can't remember the last time we had a storm like that. I'm not surprised that the birds are getting that close to you today... they must be almost desperate for food!
And how is Richard in Nova Scotia fairing today? Did you get hit as hard? Hope nobody lost their power supply!

 

[Edward]

Spring! Bah! Humbug! It's a full scale blizzard outside with 35 cm of snow called for with wind gusts that will probably hit over 100kph (it is mild. however, about -3 C). There will be a major storm surge tonight as the high tide is pushed by the NE wind. That means lots of flooding in low areas. The last major surge took out some roads, cottages etc.
All of the snow plows and police cars have been taken off the roads because it's too dangerous for them to operate. If ambulances have to move they will be led by plows.

That sounds like a pretty good description of a bad winter's day in Iceland. Uncanny! Have you been here?
Northern Iceland had its worst storm for a few years in January. Zero visibility, gusts of over 180 km/h and a lot of snow! Pictures of the village of Ólafsfjörður in the north showed the tops of street lights just poking out of the snow and the Mountain Rescue Service reported four METRES of snow on the road out of the village (needless to say that road was closed!) At a nearby town five ships sank in the harbour under the weight of snow.

Here in Reykjavík a very mild period of weather with temperatures reaching double figures has come to an end and it's been sleeting all day. Rumours of spring in these parts (rumours spread by me) are somewhat exaggerated.

E

 

[Alan Hobson]

That sounds like a pretty good description of a bad winter's day in Iceland. Uncanny! Have you been here?
Northern Iceland had its worst storm for a few years in January. Zero visibility, gusts of over 180 km/h and a lot of snow! Pictures of the village of Ólafsfjörður in the north showed the tops of street lights just poking out of the snow and the Mountain Rescue Service reported four METRES of snow on the road out of the village (needless to say that road was closed!) At a nearby town five ships sank in the harbour under the weight of snow.

Here in Reykjavík a very mild period of weather with temperatures reaching double figures has come to an end and it's been sleeting all day. Rumours of spring in these parts (rumours spread by me) are somewhat exaggerated.

E

Hi Edward,

I am intrigued: as the snow in that village in the north is up to the tops of the street lights, how do the inhabitants cope? Doesn't it mean therefore that the snow is also up to the eaves or to the tops of their upper windows? And if so how do they get in and out? - do they dig tunnels through the snow which become like narrow canyons through towering white cliffs on either side of the entrance?

Alan

 

[Katy Penland]

At a nearby town five ships sank in the harbour under the weight of snow.

Hopefully, these were whaling boats.

Sorry, Edward, couldn't resist.

Katy

 

[Edward]

Hi Edward,

I am intrigued: as the snow in that village in the north is up to the tops of the street lights, how do the inhabitants cope? Doesn't it mean therefore that the snow is also up to the eaves or to the tops of their upper windows? And if so how do they get in and out? - do they dig tunnels through the snow which become like narrow canyons through towering white cliffs on either side of the entrance?

Alan

Hi Alan

This kind of situation has become rare in recent years but my father-in-law grew up in the next village to the one described and said that in his youth it was very common for the snow to reach the second floor (US second floor, i.e. first floor UK style), meaning that he could climb out of his bedroom window straight on to the snow. As kids they used to jump off fourth floor balconies into snow drifts much to the horror of watching parents. Single storey homes were often completely buried and people had to ring for help so they could be dug out. Cars disappeared for weeks on end. And he said that this kind of thing didn't make the news, school wasn't cancelled. It was just the way things were.
It were grim in them days!


E

 

[Tammie]

Hi Alan

This kind of situation has become rare in recent years but my father-in-law grew up in the next village to the one described and said that in his youth it was very common for the snow to reach the second floor (US second floor, i.e. first floor UK style), meaning that he could climb out of his bedroom window straight on to the snow. As kids they used to jump off fourth floor balconies into snow drifts much to the horror of watching parents. Single storey homes were often completely buried and people had to ring for help so they could be dug out. Cars disappeared for weeks on end. And he said that this kind of thing didn't make the news, school wasn't cancelled. It was just the way things were.
It were grim in them days!


E

Okay!! Gives me a whole new appreciation for Northern Ontario! At least we can function here in the winter!

 

[snowyowl]

Okay!! Gives me a whole new appreciation for Northern Ontario! At least we can function here in the winter!

That goes for me too! I've heard stories from the old timers of snow drifts that reached the power wires but I've never seen it myself.
One of the funniest things I saw was the time when I lived in Victoria and there was about 6" of snow. Completely tied up the city!

 

[Michael Frankis]

Pictures of the village of Ólafsfjörður in the north showed the tops of street lights just poking out of the snow

Hi Edward,

Any links to the pics?

Michael

 

[pineywoods965]

Spring is definitely in the air here in E. Texas. I have two Wrens building nests on my deck, a Chickadee building a nest in an old birdhouse in the front yard, Bluebirds carrying pine needles to their birdhouse on the front fence and a pair of E. Phoebes are building a nest on my front porch. Temps are reaching the mid 60's to low 70's, but it can get a little cooler. Last freeze is usually mid March.

I'm amazed at the extreme weather I've read about on this post. What some of you have to cope with would probably drive me nuts. Of course when it's August here and the temps have hit 100 for weeks on end with the humidity very high, I will be thinking of the snow some of you have to try to cool off a little. Hope everyone warms up soon.
Becky

 

[Doug Lloyd]

The air temps here don't spell spring but I did see our regular Hairy Woodpeckers at the feeders together yesterday for the first time in months. They have come daily all winter but not together.
Doug