OT: 2014 Weather Thread.

[guymez]

Have you lived in Calgary? I lived in Edmonton for 20+ years and Calgary for the last 10+. There is no dispute that Calgary winters are milder.

Not a shot of any sort at Edmonton it's simply the truth.

I agree.

The weather averages do not factor in the chinooks because they are too hard to predict. They usually happen for approx a week per month in every month of winter. The chinooks are a game changer in a positive sense and a negative sense.

The positive is a nice break from winter where you can wear spring/summer clothes. The negative is that its impossible to keep outdoor ice or rely on outdoor winter events.

Those 2 things are not an issue in Edmonton for the most part as Edmonton is a more seasonally predictive city. In the winter it stays cold for the most part.

I like the mini springs throughout the winter and watching the snow melt. Some people may not though.

To each their own.

 

[guymez]

The snow budgets for Calgary and Edmonton are miles apart which should dispel this notion that the the cites have the same climate from November to March.

In Calgary, the city is responsible for removing snow from 4,000 more lane km than Edmonton, and their budget rings in nearly $20 million below Edmonton’s budget of $50.4 million for 2013.

But, Calgary officials say when the Chinook breezes roll in, they can get pretty lucky with a fair winter, a luxury that Edmonton is not afforded.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/01/10/edmonton-spends-more-on-snow-removal-than-any-other-city-in-western-canada-figures-show

 

[MCDAVIDISH]

I agree.

The weather averages do not factor in the chinooks because they are too hard to predict. They usually happen for approx a week per month in every month of winter. The chinooks are a game changer in a positive sense and a negative sense.

The positive is a nice break from winter where you can wear spring/summer clothes. The negative is that its impossible to keep outdoor ice or rely on outdoor winter events.

Those 2 things are not an issue in Edmonton for the most part as Edmonton is a more seasonally predictive city. In the winter it stays cold for the most part.

I like the mini springs throughout the winter and watching the snow melt. Some people may not though.

To each their own.

Need to hit the outdoor rink to stay sane in the winter.

 

[Worraps]

I agree.

The weather averages do not factor in the chinooks because they are too hard to predict. They usually happen for approx a week per month in every month of winter. The chinooks are a game changer in a positive sense and a negative sense.

The positive is a nice break from winter where you can wear spring/summer clothes. The negative is that its impossible to keep outdoor ice or rely on outdoor winter events.

Those 2 things are not an issue in Edmonton for the most part as Edmonton is a more seasonally predictive city. In the winter it stays cold for the most part.

I like the mini springs throughout the winter and watching the snow melt. Some people may not though.

To each their own.

Both cities are Hoth like icescapes between November-March that sensible people with means travel great distances to avoid.

 

[guymez]

Both cities are Hoth like icescapes between November-March that sensible people with means travel great distances to avoid.

I'm in....who doesn't like to go to warmer climes in the winter?

The point being the winters in the 2 cities are not the same. Calgarys winters are milder. Having a chinook every month (there abouts) means less winter and warmer temps for a significant portion of the winter season(20-25%).

Like it or not that is the reality and, for someone from Edmonton like myself, its something I thoroughly enjoy.

 

[Worraps]

I'm in....who doesn't like to go to warmer climes in the winter?

The point being the winters in the 2 cities are not the same. Calgarys winters are milder. Having a chinook every month (there abouts) means less winter and warmer temps for a significant portion of the winter season(20-25%).

Like it or not that is the reality and, for someone from Edmonton like myself, its something I thoroughly enjoy.

They are trivially different except for periodic snow melts. It's cold enough to kill you from exposure for about the same amount of time in both cities.

When we are talking about 2 cities whose winter climates rank among the worst among major centres in the world who cares about the distinction of which has the "milder" winter? Both are horrendous.

 

[guymez]

They are trivially different except for periodic snow melts. It's cold enough to kill you from exposure for about the same amount of time in both cities.

When we are talking about 2 cities whose winter climates rank among the worst among major centres in the world who cares about the distinction of which has the "milder" winter? Both are horrendous.

Yup...both cities can get bitterly cold. No argument about that.

That said we aren't talking about how cold it can get but how one city offers breaks from that cold and 1 city doesnt.
We have 1 city where winter stays as winter and another city where about 1 week per month its spring/summer. That amounts to approx 1 less month of winter.

If you want to trivialize it thats okay but having lived in both cities I know which winter season I prefer.

 

[CantHaveTkachev]

Yup...both cities can get bitterly cold. No argument about that.

That said we aren't talking about how cold it can get but how one city offers breaks from that cold and 1 city doesnt.
We have 1 city where winter stays as winter and another city where about 1 week per month its spring/summer. That amounts to approx 1 less month of winter.

If you want to trivialize it thats okay but having lived in both cities I know which winter season I prefer.

to each their own but for every "chinook" Calgary gets in the winter (a whole week seems a little high) the spring/fall weather in unpredictable...look at the May snowstorm or the one you had 2 days ago

I prefer predictable weather myself

 

[Lacaar]

Yup...both cities can get bitterly cold. No argument about that.

That said we aren't talking about how cold it can get but how one city offers breaks from that cold and 1 city doesnt.
We have 1 city where winter stays as winter and another city where about 1 week per month its spring/summer. That amounts to approx 1 less month of winter.

If you want to trivialize it thats okay but having lived in both cities I know which winter season I prefer.

Oh please.
I've lived in Calgary for a few years and 1 week a month is an extreme exaggeration.

Maybe 1 - 2 weeks over the entire winter if you add them up. They are a nice break though. It also makes the city the car wash capital of Canada.

Calgary is also Freezing ass cold in the spring and fall once the sun goes down.
And much cooler in the summer come sunset.

Each city has it's pro's and con's.. including weather.

Just 15-20 years ago I much preferred Calgary for Traffic.
Now Edmonton blows them out of the water.

Downtown Calgary absolutely destroys Edmonton.

 

[Da McBomb]

Yup...both cities can get bitterly cold. No argument about that.

That said we aren't talking about how cold it can get but how one city offers breaks from that cold and 1 city doesnt.
We have 1 city where winter stays as winter and another city where about 1 week per month its spring/summer. That amounts to approx 1 less month of winter.

If you want to trivialize it thats okay but having lived in both cities I know which winter season I prefer.

Your statement here makes it seem like it can be plus 10 in Calgary while its like -20 in Edmonton or something. Even though Edmonton doesn't get Chinooks like calgary does, when Calgary does get chinooks, Edmonton's weather during that period is usually nice too.. maybe not plus 10 nice, but decent nonetheless. Not often would you see an extreme difference in temperatures between the two cities, even with chinooks.

 

[guymez]

to each their own but for every "chinook" Calgary gets in the winter (a whole week seems a little high) the spring/fall weather in unpredictable...look at the May snowstorm or the one you had 2 days ago

I prefer predictable weather myself

Thats cool...I completely get that.

Oh please.
I've lived in Calgary for a few years and 1 week a month is an extreme exaggeration.

Maybe 1 - 2 weeks over the entire winter if you add them up. They are a nice break though. It also makes the city the car wash capital of Canada.

Calgary is also Freezing ass cold in the spring and fall once the sun goes down.
And much cooler in the summer come sunset.

Each city has it's pro's and con's.. including weather.

Just 15-20 years ago I much preferred Calgary for Traffic.
Now Edmonton blows them out of the water.

Downtown Calgary absolutely destroys Edmonton.

I have lived in Calgary for 20 years and I will disagree aboiut your perspective on Chinooks.

Being that this is a weather thread no sense in getting into a pissing match on which city is "better".

I am just talking about the weather here.

Your statement here makes it seem like it can be plus 10 in Calgary while its like -20 in Edmonton or something. Even though Edmonton doesn't get Chinooks like calgary does, when Calgary does get chinooks, Edmonton's weather during that period is usually nice too.. maybe not plus 10 nice, but decent nonetheless. Not often would you see an extreme difference in temperatures between the two cities, even with chinooks.

I am a bit of a weather fiend. I am constantly checking the weather in Calgary and other cities where I have friends and family and I take note of disparities. There are times when there is a 20 degree difference in temps betwee Edmonton and Calgary in the winter. Although most of the time its about a 10 degree difference when a chinook rolls in.
So I partially agree with you about the temp disparity but I'll take +10 over Zero every day of the week.

Thats just me though...other people might feel differently.

Summers in Edmonton are wetter and consequently have a much worse mosquito problem. The flip side of that is warmer summer nights in Edmonton.

I miss the warmer summer nights but I definitely do not miss the mosquitos.

So IMO there are some notable differences with the weather between Edmonton and Calgary.

All that being said I prefer the climate in the interior of BC over both cites.

 

[Halibut]

I lived in Calgary one winter. Occasional chinook was nice but the downside was that generally there was more wind so when it was cold it felt a lot colder. A couple years ago they did have a winter with barely any snow meanwhile up here we were covered in the stuff. It was pretty crazy heading to Banff and seeing the brown fields in January and February from Innisfail south, good thing the mountains still had snow.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

We are getting hammered with a big snowstorm today in Grande Prairie. How bad is it? Check this Traffic Camera. lol

 

[Replacement*]

^Theres a range road here somewhere...

No, that's skidoo tracks..

I hate when theres so much fresh snow you have to guess where the road is.

 

[Nunymare]

Well this sucks. Especially after the last few days. Not surprising at all, though .

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

^Theres a range road here somewhere...

No, that's skidoo tracks..

I hate when theres so much fresh snow you have to guess where the road is.

Cool! The image updates itself. When i posted that this morning it was just a bunch of blowing snow hitting the lens.

 

[the pen is mightier]

Cool! The image updates itself. When i posted that this morning it was just a bunch of blowing snow hitting the lens.

For GP, that looks about normal. My winters up there were all that or worse.

 

[oilers'72]

Cool! The image updates itself. When i posted that this morning it was just a bunch of blowing snow hitting the lens.

Revisit that post in July and people will wonder if you've gone off the deep end.

 

[The Head Crusher]

Had to drive into the city this morning for a dentist appointment, my traction control was going off constantly coming up and back highway 16.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

Revisit that post in July and people will wonder if you've gone off the deep end.

Will do. That will be hilarious.

 

[sepHF]

 

[stevrock]

The snow budgets for Calgary and Edmonton are miles apart which should dispel this notion that the the cites have the same climate from November to March.



http://www.edmontonsun.com/2013/01/10/edmonton-spends-more-on-snow-removal-than-any-other-city-in-western-canada-figures-show

I'll believe those numbers when snow removal actually exists in this city.

 

[DisgruntledGoat*]

to each their own but for every "chinook" Calgary gets in the winter (a whole week seems a little high) the spring/fall weather in unpredictable...look at the May snowstorm or the one you had 2 days ago

I prefer predictable weather myself

And the chinooks brings tons of slush and dirt on the roads and sidewalks... And then when it freezes, its a skating rink everywhere. The chinooks are overrated, IMO.