-45 to -50 windchills

BLIZZARD TONIGHT AND SUNDAY MORNING THEN ENDING SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
ISSUED BY ENVIRONMENT CANADA
AT 9:17 PM CST SATURDAY 13 DECEMBER 2008


AN INTENSE WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHERN STATES WAS EXPECTED TO GIVE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW TO SOUTHERN MANITOBA TODAY AND TONIGHT. THIS SYSTEM HAS TRACKED FURTHER SOUTH AND AS A RESULT NOT MUCH SNOW FELL ACROSS SOUTHERN MANITOBA EXCEPT NEAR THE INTERNATIONAL BORDER. HOWEVER COLD ARCTIC AIR CONTINUES TO FEED SOUTHWARD INTO THE AREA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. EXTREME WIND CHILL VALUES BETWEEN -45 AND -50 ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MANY PARTS OF SOUTHERN MANITOBA TONIGHT AND SUNDAY. NORTHERLY WINDS OF 40 GUSTING 60 KM/H CAN BE EXPECTED IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED IN BLOWING SNOW AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY ESPECIALLY NEAR THE US-CANADA BORDER TONIGHT. CONDITIONS IN THE RED RIVER VALLEY ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER EXTREME WIND CHILL VALUES WILL PERSIST THROUGH SUNDAY. TOTAL SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WITH THIS SYSTEM ARE MUCH LESS THAN EARLIER FORECAST AND AS A RESULT VISIBILITIES WILL BE MUCH BETTER. HOWEVER THE EXTREME COLD WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH WIND CHILL VALUES OF MINUS 45 TO MINUS 50 EXPECTED IN THE WAKE OF THIS MAJOR WINTER STORM.

FYI, -40 Celcius and -40 Fahrenheit are the same. It's miserable out there!

Lumpy bumpy - yuck!

Today I had the grand privilege of adding wood to the boiler. It was sooooooo cold outside! It wasn't an easy job, as I struggled to get the boiler shed door open - right now there are 3-4 foot drifts all around the door, with a little bit of room right next to the door, and snow up against it. And guess where the shovel was? Inside. I was able to open the door enough to reach in and pull it out, then dug away enough snow to open the door to get inside. Then to dig out some wood from the snow, throw some cardboard in the boiler, toss in some wood, all the while holding my breath and coming back out for air regularly, so as to not inhale the smoke, which was copious! I was really glad to get that job done. The payoff is enjoying a nice toasty house on a bitterly cold day! And a healthy dose of appreciation that hubby does this ALL THE TIME for us (without complaining!). And today the sun was shining - the solar panel was doing it's job nicely, too.

A while after I came in, it was brought to my attention that my face was all red and lumpy - I have hives. Lovely. I think I have a cold allergy or something.

The forecast tonight is for -48 Celsius windchill (-54 Fahrenheit). I guess January is getting one last hurrah! I console myself with the fact that January is almost over, and the days are getting longer!

A definite chill in the air!

It's a nippy one! I believe J said we have a windchill of -39 Celcius this morning, and she was HOPING that there would be no school, but alas, her wish was not to come true!

Just got in from feeding the dog - it's absolutely stunningly beautiful outside this morning. The sun just came up, and the trees are all frosty. Snow covers the fields surrounding us - no dirt showing anymore. Crisp. Clear. COLD!

Hast thou entered into the treasures of the snow? Job 38:22

I often wonder how the pioneers did it, with their primitive housing and hauling water, etc. Winters must have been truly brutal. I always think that the Lord knew what He was doing when He put me in this era. I'm such a wimp!