There has been a fair amount posted on our blizzard this past week (although I don't think Environment Canada called it a blizzard, but I believe that is because of temperature). And late the other night I tried to wrap my head around how to present it to the world. Or at least the world that stops by the House from time to time.
The most common reactions to the storm are two fold. One is the "OMG its a blizzard in August, what kind of a place is this?" and the other is our northern "Ha, its harder to live up here than where you softies are. We have winter all the time and never have the sun for months on end" reaction. I think the latter is our most common. I mean we like to lord it over everyone with just how tough and exotic it is up here. Subtly and politely though, we are Canadian. It is the second take on things that I most commonly employ.
But is a blizzard in August significant? Is it unusual? If it is, then what does it mean? We do, after all, reasonably expect to see snow any month of the year, especially at higher elevations. And the end of August, beginning of September is our gale season. We often get strong winds around this time of year. Usually a little later, but this wouldn't be out of the norm.
So then it boils down to a question of was the snowfall unusually heavy for this time of year. I don't have a definitive answer for you but I believe it was unusually heavy. And strangely enough I believe it has to do with Global Warming, or more correctly Global Climate Change.
My personal experience is limited. This is the tenth fall/winter that I've spent in Arctic Bay. My first winter here, 1999, arrived about the same time, August 26th, snow that stayed. But the amounts of snow weren't near this storm's. Generally though it has arrived later. But Arctic Bay lies in what is known, climatically, as the High Arctic Desert. Average annual precipitation is normally only about 6 inches a year, with roughly half of that as rain and half as snow. Over the past several years this has become a much wetter place.
Last year (2007) seemed a more normal year in terms of precipitation, and although the data on line is incomplete it appears as though we had roughly 10" of precipitation last year. Which is still 66% more than "the norm". 2006 saw 18 inches, 2005 even more at 20 inches. This year, has been a very wet year, but I can't seem to get the totals on line, except by going through hour by hour, something I'm not prepared to do. We've had two very wet periods this year, with run off streams appearing where I've never seen them before. The past two weeks there has hardly been a plane because of weather. This is an awfully wet desert.
So it would seem to me that if we can expect to see snow at times this time of year, and our climate is changing to be much rainier than traditional, that heavier snowfalls in August are going to be more common experience. Coupled with our gales of fall, we're going to get more blizzards in August. At least until things really warm up.
But just so its not all doom and gloom, much of the snow at sea level is already disappearing, and we have the first real blue skies that we've seen in a while. Those blue skies combined with the snow that is left, sure makes for a pretty picture.
Update: I received some more climatic data from my friend at Environment Canada. Normal precipitation amounts, from data since 1971 is 9.5 inches. And I should point out that all of this data is for Nanisivik as the records for Arctic Bay are spotty at best. One other record that jumped out at me was a record high temperature of 23C – on November 30th, 1984!! – that can't be right.
Comments
10 responses
Good to see you back. I love the bottom picture.
Thank you Tina. I like the photo also. I may just make it into a new header.
It’s amazing as a header. Good choice.
Thanks Megan, I like the snow covered hills and the reflections.
Kia ora Clare,
That last photo is a stunner. Our winter here in New Zealand has certainly been the stormiest and wettest in my 15 years here, and we have another low pressure system moving over. Makes it hard to get back out to the mountains! That Philly Cheese steak recipe reads scrumptious. Glad to see you back. Kia ora.
Ka kite ano,
Robb
Thanks Robb. Good to be back. And technically it isn’t a Philly Cheesesteak Sandwich, just a steak sandwich. My take on what one should be any way.
And here we have a forecast high of +32 C today. Blech. I keep going back and looking at that photo you sent of the blizzard to cool off.
I remember one year La Ronge had snow every month except July. I think we were in Beauval or just moving to Beauval – July was the only month that there wasn’t some form of snowfall.
We’ve had an unusually rainy summer this year but it looks like it might end with some sun. I’m not quite ready for the snow season but probably start getting ready. That is a good picture and make a nice header for sure.
its definitely fall here in arviat. last year i remembered being still able to wear tshirts out during this time till at least first week of september. we’ve been wearing our “fall jackets” since mid aug except for a few days of really warm days.
Hi Terri, has it cooled off there yet? I remember that snow in July in La Ronge when we were there.
Thanks Dave. Winter is just around the corner for us northerners. I’ve been meaning to comment on your header picture also. Very nice
Hi Aida. The weather keeps giving us glimpses of the sun, but then the clouds roll right back in.