Snowfall Warning

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Jackpot_Smooth

I'm surprised that no one has owned up to taking their winter tires off already.

I bought a jack and a torque wrench last year, so I have been tempted to play around in the garage a bit already and change at least one of the cars over. Putting them on in the fall is a piece of cake now - the night before things are supposed to get sketchy I can do it myself. But this spring changeover really is a tough one to time.

[Ozy_Flame]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Me too, and thats the problem. Close to 30 years of this is about enough for me.

Agreed.

Unfortunately as much as I love Calgary and the many reasons to stay here, every year the weather seems to break my spirit more and more.

I used to find reasons to live abroad or elsewhere because of things like Calgary being too small, not having enough variety, etc. The weather was one of those reasons. But I would always come back because I love this place.

Now, as I get older, the weather is really the only solid, single reason to move again. Everything else is great; it is now just strictly the weather issue.

[kipperfan]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Agreed.

Unfortunately as much as I love Calgary and the many reasons to stay here, every year the weather seems to break my spirit more and more.

I used to find reasons to live abroad or elsewhere because of things like Calgary being too small, not having enough variety, etc. The weather was one of those reasons. But I would always come back because I love this place.

Now, as I get older, the weather is really the only solid, single reason to move again. Everything else is great; it is now just strictly the weather issue.

I am totally on board with you here. I really would like to stay in Calgary long term but just cannot see having to put up with second (or third) rate weather for the better part of every single year.

I am hoping to become fairly self sufficient (employment wise) within a few years and the goal after that occurs is to look for somewhere warmer to spend my winters. Maybe southern USA, maybe Central America...but definatley somwhere that I will not have see snow (or a toque for that matter) again for a while.

[Madman]

Originally Posted by Jackpot_Smooth

I'm surprised that no one has owned up to taking their winter tires off already.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Jackpot_Smooth

I'm surprised that no one has owned up to taking their winter tires off already.

Yokohama All Seasons biaaaatch!

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Now, as I get older, . . . . . .

That's probably the key phrase.

I'm getting to be one of those old codgers on the board and as the years progress, I fully suspect you might be hearing from me, January to March, from somewhere other than this area.

And I have one fantastic, slammin' place on a hillside with the Rockies stretched in front of me, southwest of the city. Its pretty enticing to stick around, even in the winter.

The last three winters have been pretty hard core for this place. Crimminy, its like living in Grande Prairie or Peace River again.

Ruby, on the big pile of snow I shovelled off the deck:



Cowperson

[Cowboy89]

Originally Posted by Yasa

It's been like this as far as I remember living in Calgary. It sucks but it's not new.

A look at historical information from the weather network indicates that there might be some evidence that this indeed is on the lower spectrum of things as far as April's in Calgary are concerned, despite our reputations for having poor springs.

Through the first 12 days in April the past 11 years, the highest temp has only been lower than this year twice, the lowest temp has been lower 7 times, and we have recieved more precipitation only twice.

Apr 1-12 Max temp, Min tem, precipitation

2011: 14.5, -7.7, 19.5mm
2010: 15.3, -9.4, 5.7mm
2009: 16.8, -8.5, 1.1mm
2008: 17.2, -13, 17.3mm
2007: 12.5, -10.1, 27.6mm
2006: 15.7, -2.6, 19.9mm
2005: 23.3, -5.9, 1.9mm
2004: 20.9, -5.7, 0.8mm
2003: 19.4, -13, 18.5mm
2002: 16.9, -17, 10.2mm
2001: 10.5, -13.4, 18.8mm

From the data it looks like 2001 and 2007 were worse years than this year so far. Although if you extrapolate the current forecast for the next six days and compare to the next six days in 2001 and 2007 you get this:

2011: 14.5, -7.7, 41.5mm (I took the mid-point of their precip projections)
2007:17.5, -10.1, 31.8mm
2001: 18.9, -13.4, 19.2mm

In both 2001 and 2007 the weather got warmer and drier. If the current forecast holds close similarity this will be the worst start to April in Calgary this century.

[Bertuzzied]

Here it comes! right in time for playoff hockey in Calgary....

[worth]

20 minutes to get to work at 6am with my winter tires. Easy drive.

[OilKiller]

Just got up...we're getting slammed pretty good here in Edmonton as well. This stupid country...

[Jedi Ninja]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Agreed.

Unfortunately as much as I love Calgary and the many reasons to stay here, every year the weather seems to break my spirit more and more.

I used to find reasons to live abroad or elsewhere because of things like Calgary being too small, not having enough variety, etc. The weather was one of those reasons. But I would always come back because I love this place.

Now, as I get older, the weather is really the only solid, single reason to move again. Everything else is great; it is now just strictly the weather issue.

For me, the soul deflating moment came when I learned that Calgary also has one of the rainiest summers of any city in Canada, and that the crappy summers of the last 5 years I've lived here was not just some freak coincidence. If the summer was otherwise awesome, I could put up with the occasional freak late snowstorm.

[Locke]

Merry Christmas everyone!

[CaptainCrunch]

I had to drive my folks to the airport at 5:00 this morning, lots of cars in the ditch. For some reason a guy lost his front driver side wheel, it looks like the thing came right off.

[Papi34]

How hard is it to get american citizenship? I seriously cannot take another year of this trash.

[peter12]

I'm moving to Ottawa in the Fall, and while I know the winters are a good deal worse than they are here, they actually end, rather abruptly at the beginning of March which ushers in a period that other Canadians call Spring. I can hardly wait to move.

[FFR]

Well - I tried to leave for work at 7:30 this morning. Normally I take Country Hills to Deerfoot to McKnight. Well the ramp was closed from Deerfoot to McKnight so I decided not to even try Deerfoot (plus Country Hills was bumper to bumper and crawling anyway). Drove over to Stoney Trail (which was horrendously icy) and then went to Metis. Not so bad - thought I was pretty smart. Got to Country Hills again to get over to 36 street and hit bumper to bumper traffic. Waited in that for 30 minutes only to get to 36 street and see that it is also bumper to bumper for as far as I can see (presumably all the way to McKnight). So at that point, after over an hour of driving, I gave up and drove home. I need to change my work hours so I can leave before the rest of the city.

[VladtheImpaler]

Time to expedite that move to Toronto - there, at least, you can travel underground.

[chemgear]

Wow, it took me a whole 18 minutes to get into work today - how do people in McKenzie Towne/New Brighton deal with that every single day?

(Actually, it took me 25 minutes door to door - man, that elevator took forever! I wanted to capture the typical automagical sense of time people have when it comes to commuting.)

[Locke]

I cant believe weather bothers people that much.

[cKy]

^^^It happens every year, I have no idea why people are still in shock and awe and angry that it snows.