our friendly neighbors to the north

[paulbk]

Canada is a great country. A huge chunk of the planet full of stunning natural beauty from Atlantic to Pacific. It’s people and culture are amongst the most advanced in the world. (we won’t talk about hockey) However, as much as I admire our friendly neighbors to the north, I do wish you would be more careful with your frigid arctic air. If possible, please keep it north of lat. 45°.

Thank you.

[Bill Caulfeild-Browne]

OK, perhaps we can make a deal. I live almost exactly on the 45th parallel (45.15N, 81.40W) and our worst winter storms come from the US midwest, or even the Gulf. Usually our own frigid air comes the result of an Arctic High - which brings sunny skies.

So we'll try and keep the cold and sun, at least until spring, if you keep your moisture and snowstorms. Deal?

Bill

[dchew]

I have to say I don't agree.  I realize I'm in the minority here, but I like it!  Beats 35 degrees F and raining.

We need one of those smiley faces all frozen up.  I'd use it right here.  "    "


Dave Chew

Sitting by the wood stove in NE Ohio

[lensfactory]

To our dear friends in the south...

Please encourage your kids to take Geography classes more seriously, as we seem to know more about US geography than the Americans.

They might be surprised to know that parts of Canada ( in the most populous region, Southern Ontario) are MORE south than parts of California.

And then there's Alaska of course. Pretty far north for Americans eh...

Buffalo NY has far worse winters than Toronto..which is just north of it.
Chicago, for that matter has pretty bad winters.

Hardly a Canadian phenomenon...

[blansky]

As a Canadian living in California, I don't take any issue with your dislike of Canadian recycled weather but what I can't allow to slip through the cracks is your backhanded comment about hockey.

I just hope that you don't have a surprise visit by buses full people missing teeth and carrying hockey sticks to give you a little cultural body check.


Michael

[Colorado David]

They might be surprised to know that parts of Canada ( in the most populous region, Southern Ontario) are MORE south than parts of California.

Only just barely.  

[lensfactory]

Only just barely.

Sure..hehe..but it's true!
Will win you a few bets at the bar.

[Pete JF]

Canedian Geogorphy Lessin

Take off eh.

[schrodingerscat]

Canedian Geogorphy Lessin

Take off eh.

Hey...Way to go hoser.

[mahleu]

To our dear friends in the south...

Please encourage your kids to take Geography classes more seriously, as we seem to know more about US geography than the Americans.

They might be surprised to know that parts of Canada ( in the most populous region, Southern Ontario) are MORE south than parts of California.

And then there's Alaska of course. Pretty far north for Americans eh...

Buffalo NY has far worse winters than Toronto..which is just north of it.
Chicago, for that matter has pretty bad winters.

Hardly a Canadian phenomenon...

Dear the majority of the North American residents,

Please be advised that Africa is not a country nor is African a language. Europe is not a country either.

[Chairman Bill]

And in case George Dubya is listening in, Yurp isn't a country, and neither is Africistan.

[Robert Roaldi]

It's a cliché, but the 2nd biggest Canadian national pastime, after hockey, is talking about weather. A local radio announcer (CBC Radio, Ottawa) was talking about the trouble she had starting her car. It was -28 Celsius overnight here and predicted to be colder tonight. She said that a friend of hers in Winnipeg said big deal, it was -51 there. Generally speaking, I like winter because it gets rid of insects and street gangs, for a while anyway. Makes for neat pictures too. I get a kick out of the occasional forum thread about how to keep cameras working in cold weather; I always think, to hell with the camera, how do I keep ME warm!

[Petrjay]

I have to say I don't agree.  I realize I'm in the minority here, but I like it!  Beats 35 degrees F and raining.

We need one of those smiley faces all frozen up.  I'd use it right here.  "    "


Dave Chew

Sitting by the wood stove in NE Ohio

Dave, I'm with you. As one who worked out in the elements for years, I'll take cold, snowy days over cold, rainy days any time. Besides, we don't usually get a lot of snow in Coastal Connecticut, and this winter has provided a lot of opportunities to get out and shoot some snowscapes. Of course my attitude may change if this goes on a couple more months. During the six years I spent in the mountains of Western Maine, I can't recall ever being disappointed when spring finally rolled around.  

[DarkPenguin]

-20F right now.  Oh, joy.  At least it is sunny.

[B-Ark]

Frigid arctic air ?? We don't have any of that here - today is a balmy -30, and I'm on the verge of heatstroke.

[Colorado David]

Several years ago, I shot a story about a native community that operated an small airline in Ontario to serve their more remote villages up north.  They flew Cessna Caravans, the large turbine single utility aircraft.  They based airplanes in various locations to fly schedules between villages and to Thunder Bay.  I visited one far northern location where they based an airplane that didn't have a hanger.  The mechanic there that cared for the plane explained that they parked it outside in winter, but would cover the cowling with a tarp and build a fire under it to keep it warm.  Imagine building a campfire under a two million dollar airplane!  The mechanic went on to tell me "You guys from down south just don't understand how hard it is to operate an airplane up here!"  Later, my host explained that the guy wasn't talking about Cessna's home, Wichita, Kansas,  he meant Thunder Bay.

[Lisa Nikodym]

I suppose it won't make you all any happier to point out that we're having a heat wave here in Northern California.  Tank top weather, in the 70s F (which is about 22 C for the rest of the world that doesn't conservatively cling to outdated systems of units).
 

On the other hand, we're having a third drought year in a row, and the media is talking about possible or likely water rationing next summer.  Send some of your rain & snow this way, please!

Lisa

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I suppose it won't make you all any happier to point out that we're having a heat wave here in Northern California.  Tank top weather, in the 70s F (which is about 22 C for the rest of the world that doesn't conservatively cling to outdated systems of units).
 

On the other hand, we're having a third drought year in a row, and the media is talking about possible or likely water rationing next summer.  Send some of your rain & snow this way, please!

Lisa

Gosh, Lisa! I must be one of those North American geography illiterates. I never realized that California was in the southern hemisphere. I guess you must be pretty close to Australia. But just you wait; summer will return to the East Coast too, in a few years.  

[jashley]

This reminds me of a bit from The Royal Canadian Air Farce (TV show) back when there was serious talk of Quebec seceding.   They were "interviewing" someone from Quebec who said they hoped they would secede because they were "tired of these Canadian winters"!

[Dale_Cotton2]

Paul wrote:

However, as much as I admire our friendly neighbors to the north, I do wish you would be more careful with your frigid arctic air.

Sorry, but turn-around is fair play. Until you guys can keep all those Caribbean huricanes from moseying up north through your air space to ruin our autumns with day after day of rain and grey skies, we're not about to make our artic air toe the line.