Today is the first day of 2025 where we are above freezing and we woke up to a balmy +3°C. The snow is melting fast which could cause some issues with ice dams and flooding but we are due to cool off again this afternoon with more wet snow!
The forecast for next week is not good though as we are going to get hit by a 'Polar Vortex' and the daytime high for Tuesday is estimated at -16°C with a 'feels like' of -25°C! The night time temperature is going to be a scary -23°C with a 'feels like' of -32°C!
I have two pairs of thermal long johns and matching thermal long sleeved T-shirts ready to go if required. They are warm but man are they itchy when you have multiple other layers on top of them. The secret to surviving the Canadian cold is lots of layers.
I'm only venturing outside when the dog needs a potty break and thankfully she isn't hanging about in the cold, it's down the handicap ramp and onto the grass then squat and run back as fast as possible while dragging me behind her on the other end of the leash! It takes me longer to put on my snow boots, puffer jacket, ski mask, toque and ski gloves and then take them all off again afterwards than it does for her to have a potty break!
Minus 16 where Katherine lives, and feeling like minus 26, with snow. I don't think her two little boys will be going to school, or even playing outside.
The coldest day of the year (so far) has arrived and the first thing I had to deal with was a frozen front door! I went to open it to take the dog out and nothing moved! The 3-4 mm gap between the edge of the steel door and the wooden frame had got a build-up of ice that effectively welded the two parts together! It took several hefty tugs on the door handle before the ice gave way and the door opened and then the outer metal storm/screen door was completely covered in ice and/or hoar frost on both sides but at least it opened easily!
The temps at 8:15 am were -20°C with a feels like of -28°C with clear skies and a light wind but that wind had an edge to it. I was only outside for 2 minutes tops but I could feel my eyelashes starting to get an ice build-up from the bitter wind. The area around my eyes was the only skin exposed by my ski mask and I'm glad that was all that was exposed. If I'd had to spend longer outside to clear snow or scrape car windows I would have put on my ski goggles too and then there would have been nothing exposed.
EricT
