Massive snowstorm in Québec right now.

[Deleted member 8431]

During the tempest of '71 just skidoos were able to function on the streets. No cars, no buses, nothing at all. Everything was blocked, the time stopped. It was impressive.

Actually I saw a man in skis going around the streets and quite frankly, that seemed to do the trick very well, better than my boots and feet! Just like during the "Tempête du Verglas" (the Ice Rain storm) of 1998, people were going around streets in ice skates without any problem like it was nothing.

And you are right: Quebec is a very prepared country concerning cold and snow. Thats why I will return there, in vue of the Ice Age that is almost here. :)

And I'll welcome you with open arms (well not me personally but you know what I mean)!

There is a certain poetry in snow and ice. A poetry of hardness, and solitude. The poetry of isolation and retreat. This is something that I miss here, where there is too much people.

I hear ya. It brings back a lot of nostalgia for me. Such a storm reminds me of my youth. We were so excited to see all this snow then my mom would dress me and my sister like polar bears and we would go outside and play in all the big piles of snow the trucks had left for hours and hours, never getting bored! Hahaha! :)

And what do you know, as I'm writing these lines, snow's falling again and at a good rythm.

It will be a very interesting winter to watch or so it seems. I have never seen such a brutal start in terms of snowfalls so either it's just a coincidence and that the rest will be along the tendency or maybe we're about to witness something particular. Just we wait and see!

Peace.

 

[Deleted member 8431]

Some in the family became stuck coming from the Laurentians mountains and we stayed the night in a school gymnasium until the autoroute could get ploughed. Made it home in rural Quebec after walking many kilometers through deep snow and were house bound for close to three or four days afterwords, with people on snow machines checking in with neighbors and bringing them what they needed.

One thing it seems, is there is no government to save the day, there is only people helping people these types of events.

Wow! Where did that happen (roughly)? Do you mean like Saint-Sauveur or about? Or deeper in the north like Mont-Laurier? Anyhow, if it's too personal you don't need to anwser. I'm just curious.

You are brave man, many kilometers in snow in the Laurentians is no easy task, especially not during a storm!

As you say, during those kind of events, it's always up to us, the population. Unless something critical happens, the government won't take drastic measures. In Québec, we're used to those situations though and in general, people have the heart at the right place if you know what I mean. That's the main reason I feel attached to my province.

Peace.

 

[Voyageur]

[quote author=JayMark]

Wow! Where did that happen (roughly)? Do you mean like Saint-Sauveur or about? Or deeper in the north like Mont-Laurier? Anyhow, if it's too personal you don't need to anwser. I'm just curious.

You are brave man, many kilometers in snow in the Laurentians is no easy task, especially not during a storm!

As you say, during those kind of events, it's always up to us, the population. Unless something critical happens, the government won't take drastic measures. In Québec, we're used to those situations though and in general, people have the heart at the right place if you know what I mean. That's the main reason I feel attached to my province.

Peace.
[/quote]

It was close to Saint-Sauver, closer to St-Jovite (autoroute had not yet connected there). No not brave, just getting from point A to point B, with whatever modus was available (suggest keeping snowshoes in the car trunk for emergencies).

This may not be an absolute, yet it seems that whether it is from Newfoundland to Quebec to BC, it is the same, people will be there to help.

 

[Deleted member 8431]

It was close to Saint-Sauver, closer to St-Jovite (autoroute had not yet connected there).

Ok. I know where that is. But the autoroute dosen't go there even today. The A15 ends in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts (about 30 km south of Saint-Jovite) and merges with the 117 road (which is almost an autoroute from there anyways).

No not brave, just getting from point A to point B, with whatever modus was available (suggest keeping snowshoes in the car trunk for emergencies).

I hear ya. You did what you had to do.

This may not be an absolute, yet it seems that whether it is from Newfoundland to Quebec to BC, it is the same, people will be there to help.

Can't say as I've only been out of Québec once in my life a loooong time ago but I'm glad to hear that!

Peace.

 

[Voyageur]

It was close to Saint-Sauver, closer to St-Jovite (autoroute had not yet connected there).

Ok. I know where that is. But the autoroute dosen't go there even today. The A15 ends in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts (about 30 km south of Saint-Jovite) and merges with the 117 road (which is almost an autoroute from there anyways).
[/quote]

It has been 20 years since last being there. However, think back then (71) the autoroute ended at St. Adèle or at least then it was four lanes to that point after St. Sauver (2 lanes after that going north to St. Jovite). Can only imagine what this area looks like today.

 

[mkrnhr]

It's winter and it can be expected to have low temperatures from time to time. I don't know however if it is often that we have such low temperatures of different continents at the same time. Europe, Asia and north-America are having record-low temperature actually, and it's not January yet.
The past few years have seen new patterns of weather everywhere, like the low-latitude circulation of the jet-streams and the appearance of polar phenomena at lower latitudes as well. The high atmosphere is being loaded with cometary dusts and something is happening with the Sun itself. Maybe these strong weather occurrences are just the beginning of big changes to come.

The actual cold snap hitting the Russian region is the worst since 70years ago, and that brings as back to the 2nd world war. There was also a historical winter during the Napoleonian wars. I wonder if the universe is not also sending us a message about the human affairs and what may be awaiting us in the near future?

 

[Alana]

During the tempest of '71 just skidoos were able to function on the streets. No cars, no buses, nothing at all. Everything was blocked, the time stopped. It was impressive.

And you are right: Quebec is a very prepared country concerning cold and snow. Thats why I will return there, in vue of the Ice Age that is almost here. :)

My understanding is that during ice ages it is ice sheets that cover everything, no just snow. Why would you want to go back there?

 

[Voyageur]

During the tempest of '71 just skidoos were able to function on the streets. No cars, no buses, nothing at all. Everything was blocked, the time stopped. It was impressive.

And you are right: Quebec is a very prepared country concerning cold and snow. Thats why I will return there, in vue of the Ice Age that is almost here. :)

My understanding is that during ice ages it is ice sheets that cover everything, no just snow. Why would you want to go back there?

Indeed, at this point, if we have not move to some area of snow/ice relief there will be no moving.

 

[loreta]

I think Quebec is a very interesting country. I love big spaces, feel that it is time to come back. I miss talk French. :P I miss to be in America. ;)

It is true: Ice Age would be very hard, with a lot of ice. I don't like ice, it makes me walk like a penguin and I don't feel elegant walking like a penguin. My husband is Canadian and he has Multiple Sclerosis and I think it is better to go there if one day we need social help, vue the absolutely macabre situation in Spain with no help at all for people like my husband. Usually Nordic societies are more organized than anything. I remember the tempest of Cristal, in 1997 or 1998 and I was really happy to see how well organized was my little city (Ville Lasalle). Police, municipality, doctors, nurses, everyone was so kind and helpful. They went house by house to take people,specially old ones, and brought them in an arena for 2 or 3 days taking good care of them. They paid an amount of money to everyone, from the Social Service, because we did not have electricity. This is something that I like. And what I like specially from the people from Quebec is that criticism is perceive very well. This is something I did not see here, in Spain. Criticism here is perceive like a menace, something very negative. So the possibility to learn from an experience, the feed backs and the lessons, are not there. In Quebec every time I work at any place criticism was there. After the tempest of Cristal I remember a meeting with all the people who worked in the dramatic situation how nicely they talked about how to improve next time thanks to criticism and feed backs. Sorry if I was long. I hope I did not made noise.

 

[sitting]

The actual cold snap hitting the Russian region is the worst since 70years ago,

Here's the current world infrared weather map. Notice the huge and concentrated patch of red in Greenland.

http://www.intellicast.com/Global/Satellite/Infrared.aspx?location=default&region=hiusa

 

[Voyageur]

Just thought to mention that there is a strong front hitting Newfoundland now and throughout the next few days with some places set to receive up to 75 cm. of snow.

Blizzard sweeps into Newfoundland

Powerful winds expected to reduce visibility to zero during worst of storm

Southern and eastern Newfoundland is in the midst of a blizzard that threatens to wallop the region with as much as 75 centimetres of snow over the next day.

..."It's going to be a nasty day. There's no other way to put it."

_http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2013/01/10/nl-blizzard-eastern-newfoundland-storm-110.html

 

[Gwenllian]

Over here we have had lots of rain and wind, just a bit of snow. The farmers are suffering. The ditches are chock full of water. And the fields as well. The temperature has been fairly high for this time of year, sometimes up to 9 degrees Celsius. It is getting colder now, though.

 

[Deleted member 8431]

Crazy weather recently as well again in Québec.

2 weeks ago we got below -20°C with freezing arctic air then the week after (last week) we got up to 10°C with lots of rain. It's playing extreme yo-yo and it seems like everyday is now a surprize. A 36" or so wide potable water pipe broke on the Mount-Royal about 5 days ago (coming down from the McTavish reservoir) and flooded part of the downtown Montréal area. That was insane! So much water from a single pipe! Potable water sadly.

2 days ago I went out for a lunch with school friends at noon and the wind was so strong that I was leaning almost 45° forward at some point not to to be thrown away (and I'm still a good 170 lbs). Heck, my cigarette smoked and dragged itself alone into my lungs without me having to do the least effort in under 30 seconds. I was quite lucky not to actually swallow it.

One of my friend was even cooking at home when he suddenly saw a whole BBQ with the propane tank flying about 50 m away into a parking lot (didn't hit no car though thank God). He had done well putting chains on his and locking it up to the patio.

Quite frankly, if I wasen't aware of what is likely happening climate-wise, I would think that Mother Nature is playing a big prank on us.

Be careful all. Watch for the Signs of the Times.

Peace.

 

[Voyageur]

[quote author=JayMark]

Be careful all. Watch for the Signs of the Times.

Peace.
[/quote]

Yes crazy. One of the things noticed in the last many years has been the wind strength. There were times that the fir trees were bent right over to the point that just a little more and their roots would have released or they would all splinter - it is scary watching this happen, knowing, too, it could happen and may very well happen yet.

 

[Deleted member 8431]

Yes crazy. One of the things noticed in the last many years has been the wind strength. There were times that the fir trees were bent right over to the point that just a little more and their roots would have released or they would all splinter - it is scary watching this happen, knowing, too, it could happen and may very well happen yet.

Funny that you mention it. I wasen't too sure if it was me or wind is getting quite intense.

No matter the temperature, it's quite often windy here and it's quite intense.

At this very moment there's a snow storm outside and wind is blowing strong again.

Systems seem to be shifting from one to another very quickly and that might indeed have to do with wind currents being quite intensely strong.

Hummmm...