Speaking of Cold Weather...

The cold weather hit us later than usual this year and seemed to catch up with a vengeance. But, it was still nice to know that we weren't the coldest place in the country. In some parts of Canada, the weather this February hit lows below 40 degrees Celsius (or Fahrenheit =:3). For example, in Manitoba, temperatures of -41.9C (-43.4F) in Fisher Branch and -41.7C (-41.1F) in Winnipeg were recorded (February 5).

That's before windchill. Temperatures with windchill taken into account reached -53C (-63.4F) on Sunday, Febuary 4th. BRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!! Winnipeg Free Press, February 5, 2007


A note on Wind Chill...

Wind chill is the cooling our body feels when the impact of temperature and wind are combined -- An important thing to take into consideration when planning and dressing for your winter activities!

The way that the wind chill factor was calculated used to be quite different in Canada and the US. Luckily, dissatisfaction with the old (inaccurate) formula in both countries resulted in a cooperative work of the Meteorological Services of Canada (MSC), the US National Weather Service (NWS) and several other members of academic research to build a new scientifically sounder formula.

Read more about wind chill at these links:

• Wind Chill Explanation, the Weather Network
• Calculate your own Wind Chill, Environment Canada
• Minutes to Frostbite, Environment Canada

The coldest wind chill recorded in Canada was at Pelly Bay, Nunavut, on January 13, 1975, when 56 km/h winds (a wind chill factor of 3,357 watts/m²) made the temperature of ‑51 C feel more like ‑92 C.

Another way to feel warmer -- go read Jack London's "To Build A Fire" or see the documentary film film on Inuit/eskimo life showing as part of the First Peoples exhibit at the ROM. The former shows the importance of building a fire in -75F (-59C); the latter has people changing in -85F temperatures. This should make you feel warmer in comparison.

Time for a hot cocoa!