The Weather

[UrbanWaterloo]

Humidex and Smog Advisories
August 30, 2010 | http://www.region.waterloo.on.ca/web...4?OpenDocument

Environment Canada warns that Waterloo Region is currently under a humidex advisory. High temperatures and humidex values are expected today through the middle of the week. Environment Canada’s models are currently showing maximum daytime temperatures above 30 degrees C, with Humidex values close to 40.

Surrounding areas are currently under an Ontario Ministry of the Environment smog advisory and it is likely that Waterloo Region will also experience poor air over the next few days.

Public Health would like to remind residents that while it is important to be active and enjoy the outdoors during the summer months, humidex and smog events may cause potential serious health effects which should be avoided. Protect your health during smog alerts and summer heat. High smog and heat levels can be dangerous.

Certain groups and/or individuals may be at greater risk from exposure to extreme heat, humidity and smog. These include:

• Adults over 65 years of age
• Infants and young children
• People with chronic heart or lung disease and/or conditions like asthma or angina
• People with chronic physical or mental disabilities
• People taking certain medications (consult your doctor or pharmacist)
• People who exercise vigorously outdoors
• Outside workers
• Pets

Things to Do:

• Reschedule sports practices, jogging times, etc. if possible, to another time when the smog or heat alert is over. Or you could be active indoors in an air conditioned area. If you're going to be active outdoors:
• drink plenty of fluids (e.g. water) before, during and after activity (during activity, drink fluids every 15 - 20 minutes)
• wear loose-fitting clothes & a wide brimmed hat
• use sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher
• take lots of rest breaks in the shade or an air conditioned area
• exercise or play sports in shaded areas
• if jogging or cycling, avoid busy streets, especially during rush hour
• reduce activity level if you begin to cough, wheeze, feel chest tightness and/or have trouble breathing
• try not to spend long periods of time outdoors between 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

[Waterlooer]

This is going to get worse and worse every year... I've had mega allergies this year plus whenever I go outside with temps. in the high 20's and 30's with sunshine I always get headaches. I always drink lots of water but doesn't help.

[DHLawrence]

For me the year has been surprisingly good when it comes to allergies. The past two weeks have been deadly, though.

[Waterlooer]

Well, winter is coming! Got the first snowfall of the season that sticked to the ground.

[UrbanWaterloo]

City Declares Snow Event
Effective 11:59 p.m. January 12, 2011
January 12, 2011 | Link

KITCHENER - Based on credible weather forecast information, the City of Kitchener has now declared an official snow event. Residents have until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 12 to remove their parked cars from city streets or risk receiving an $80 ticket and being towed at the owner's expense. The parking ban will remain in affect for 24 hours - until 11:59 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 13. Notification will be given in advance of that time as to whether or not the city will cancel the snow event or extend it for another 24 hours. That decision will be made based on weather conditions and credible forecasts.

Tag-and-Tow Bylaw
To help city crews clear all streets of snow within 24 hours of the storm ending, under the city's "tag-and-tow" bylaw residents are prohibited from parking their cars on city streets at any time when a snow event has been declared by the city. Snow events are declared when the city anticipates a significant amount of snow to accumulate. Residents should tune into local media for updates, or visit http://kitchener.ca/en/insidecityhall/Tag_tow_bylaw.asp to join the city's snow event email distribution list. Members of that email distribution list will receive a direct email when the city declares future snow events and when snow events are extended or declared over. Residents who suspect their car has been towed should call 519-741-2330 to find out where their car has been relocated.

Enforcement of the Tag-and-Tow Bylaw
During snow events, City of Kitchener bylaw enforcement staff will be asked to attend locations where parked vehicles are impeding snow-removal equipment from clearing the street. Enforcement staff will assess the situation and may ticket and tow some of the vehicles on the street to help the plows remove snow from that street. Vehicles will not be ticketed and towed based on calls from the public. Enforcement will only tow the number of vehicles necessary to allow the snow-removal equipment to do its job. It is possible that only a certain number of vehicles on a street will be removed, regardless of how many are actually present and in violation of the bylaw. In the event that some, but not all, vehicles are towed away, the remaining vehicles found in violation will be ticketed.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Do I ever hate winter. It's bad enough having to deal with minus 15 windchill, but then you get people who haven't shovelled their sidewalk and it looks like this:

King Street Just South of Andy's Apartments - January 17, 2011

[panamaniac]

Do I ever hate winter. It's bad enough having to deal with minus 15 windchill, but then you get people who haven't shovelled their sidewalk .......

In that case, I won't tell you that it was 33 degrees celsius and sunny here today (as usual).

[IEFBR14]

In that case, I won't tell you that it was 33 degrees celsius and sunny here today (as usual).

What's brutal is getting on a plane at Pearson when it's -30°C outside then getting off that plane a few hours later in the Caribbean when it's +30°C.

What's even more brutal is the return flight when the - and + are reversed

[UrbanWaterloo]

Was it ever brutal outside yesterday, hitting -30 with the windchill. Here's how the blowing snow & grey sky looked walking around the R+T Park.

Winter Weather - January 24, 2011

If you really hate Canadian winters, I have a pool house in Mexico I'm not using. You could stay there during February.

Aww thanks panamaniac, Canadians really are the nicest people!

[plam]

Was it ever brutal outside yesterday, hitting -30 with the windchill.

Yes, it was a day for wearing the balaclava on the bike.

[UrbanWaterloo]

Environment Canada Special Weather Statement: Ontario Region
January 31, 2011 5:24 AM EST | Link

Issued For
City of Toronto
Windsor - Essex - Chatham-Kent
Sarnia - Lambton
Elgin
London - Middlesex
Simcoe - Delhi - Norfolk
Dunnville - Caledonia - Haldimand
Oxford - Brant
Niagara
City of Hamilton
Halton - Peel
York - Durham
Huron - Perth
Waterloo - Wellington
Dufferin - Innisfil
Barrie - Orillia - Midland
Belleville - Quinte - Northumberland
Kingston - Prince Edward
Peterborough - Kawartha Lakes
Stirling - Tweed - South Frontenac
Brockville - Leeds and Grenville.

Threat for Major snowstorm Tuesday night and Wednesday

A low pressure system is forecast to develop over Texas today and then track northeastward to pass just south of the lower lakes as a major winter storm Wednesday.

Meanwhile periods of light snow are expected to develop over many regions Monday night or Tuesday. A lake effect snow band could also affect areas near the west end of Lake Ontario Tuesday morning.

The heavy snow associated with the major storm will overspread the region Tuesday night then taper off Wednesday afternoon.
Potential widespread snowfall amounts will be in the order of 20 to 30 cm with local higher accumulations as well as blowing and drifting snow.

Listen for further statements. Additional information may also be found by consulting the latest public forecast. The next public forecast will be issued by 11 AM.

[Waterlooer]

All of the areas listed above (including Waterloo Region) are now under a Winter Storm Watch:

From: http://www.theweathernetwork.com/ale...nings_citypage

Summary

..Major winter snowstorm Tuesday night and Wednesday.. This is an alert to the potential development of dangerous winter weather conditions in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

Details

A major winter storm is developing over Texas and will track towards Southern Ontario Tuesday. The low is expected to track just south of the lower lakes Wednesday. Light snow will begin in advance of this system tonight and Tuesday. However the heavier snow is forecast to begin Tuesday night and continue Wednesday morning. Potential widespread snowfall amounts of 20 to 30 cm are likely before the snow tapers off Wednesday afternoon. In addition strong and gusty east winds will develop with the snow. This will cause local whiteout conditions in blowing snow. The east winds will also generate local snow squalls off Lake Ontario in advance of the main snow area which will give enhanced snow amounts to regions near the west end of Lake Ontario. This will be the first Major winter storm of the season for the Toronto area, and the most significant storm of the season for many regions outside the traditional snow belts. The heavy snowfall and blowing snow will cause whiteout conditions making for extremely hazardous driving conditions. The public should be prepared to change plans accordingly to avoid travel during the storm. This storm has the potential to create near-paralyzing conditions. Environment Canada continues to monitor this dangerous winter storm and will issue further watches and warnings as necessary.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Kitchener - Cambridge - Region of Waterloo
3:22 PM EST Monday 31 January 2011
Winter storm watch for
Kitchener - Cambridge - Region of Waterloo continued

..Major winter snowstorm Tuesday night and Wednesday..

This is an alert to the potential development of dangerous winter weather conditions in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

A major winter storm is developing over Texas and will track towards Southern Ontario Tuesday. The low is expected to track just south of the lower lakes Wednesday.

Light snow will begin in advance of this system tonight and Tuesday. However the heavier snow is forecast to begin Tuesday night and continue Wednesday morning. Potential widespread snowfall amounts of 20 to 30 cm are likely before the snow tapers off Wednesday afternoon.

In addition strong and gusty east winds will develop with the snow. This will cause local whiteout conditions in blowing snow. The east winds will also generate local snow squalls off Lake Ontario in advance of the main snow area which will give enhanced snow amounts to regions near the west end of Lake Ontario.

There is even a risk of the snow changing to freezing rain Tuesday overnight for regions near Lake Erie.

This will be the first Major winter storm of the season for the Toronto area, and the most significant storm of the season for many regions outside the traditional snow belts. The heavy snowfall and blowing snow will cause whiteout conditions making for extremely hazardous driving conditions. The public should be prepared to change plans accordingly to avoid unnecessary travel during the storm.

Environment Canada continues to monitor this dangerous winter storm and will issue further watches and warnings as necessary.

This is going to be a whopper folks!

[Urbanomicon]

Thanks for the maps. Did you draw those lines on in MS Paint?

[IEFBR14]

This is going to be a whopper folks!

For someone, no doubt. But who, exactly is still an open question. It doesn't take much movement of the 35-45 cm blob to make it us or someone else. I subscribe to the aphorism, that "the trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it."

P.S. I do like how the maps switch between cm and in at the CA/US border.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Thanks for the maps. Did you draw those lines on in MS Paint?

Negative, I can't take the credit here... these maps were snagged from the one of the Accuweather Canada bloggers. More information just like it can be found on Accuweather Canada's main page here: http://www.accuweather.com/canada-index.asp

[Waterlooer]

Ah yes, I saw those maps this afternoon as well... I think AccuWeather is WAY more accurate than the Weather Network.

[Section ThirtyOne]

Ah yes, I saw those maps this afternoon as well... I think AccuWeather is WAY more accurate than the Weather Network.

They base their forecasts on a generally more accurate model, the GFS where as Environment Canada and The Weather Network use the Canadian model.

That and the blogger I linked to (Brett) is very good at interpreting the output of the various models and coming to his own conclusions. Those "weather guys" you see on TV (with a few exceptions) generally read from the EC forecasts almost verbatim.

[Waterlooer]

We are now under a Winter Storm Warning. I was also looking at the radar and I see a lot of snow on its way! (I recommend using this weather radar: http://www.weather.com/weather/map/interactive/.