Chapter 14: Severe Weather

Brr...It's Cold in Here.

All good Albertans know that the province is absolutely freezing between the months of January and March, and most Canadians expect the extreme weather such as blizzards and icy snow storms as part of the climate. Brief seasonal periods of heat are enjoyed during the summer months, but mainly the land is covered by snow. When blizzards occur, higher wind speeds transporting huge amounts of snow tend to take even the most experienced Edmontonian by surprise. In these extreme weather conditions, snow is transported very rapidly by winds, and as the temperature steeps, one can only bundle up tightly. Avoiding the rapidly falling snow, and possibly hail, it is not uncommon for vehicles to pull to the side of the road, or for people to seek shelter and wait as the storm slowly passes.

While blizzards can be better in damages when compared to other severe weather such as hurricanes, they are cold and unpleasant all the same. The two top pictures of a recent blizzard were taken in February from the Edmonton region.  

Photo credit: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dmx/?n=preparewinterintro