Oh my goodness, Ann. That's a lot of snow. Do you usually get snow? The weather sure has been wacky so far this winter.

It is bitterly cold here in Philadelphia. My poor car really had to crank hard to get going this morning. I went out at lunch to get gas and was moaning in the cold the whole time. Good news is that it cost less than $20 US to fill up. $1.67 US per gallon.

Fortunately, warmer days ahead. Enjoy the snow, Ann. It is fun when you're not shoveling it or driving in it. Also, snow days are perfect days for baking!

oh yuck!

I though we had a lot, yours looks way worse . Just heard on the radio that the Pacific coast is in for a whole bunch more.....suppose to be +8 here by Christmas day.....something is not right with our weather patterns!

You can say that again, Sharon! It was 24F here this morning, but by Wednesday it's supposed to be back up in the high 60s - very unseasonable for North Carolina in December. All this up and down all over the temps, no wonder people are sick.

Teresa, in sunny but cold North Carolina

Oh yes I've been getting Vancouver Island weather reports from my daughter and brother and they are really having heavy snow this year. I remember having those deep snows on the island when I was a little girl but haven't heard of so much snow there for many years.

Here's a photo my brother on central Vancouver Island emailed me yesterday. It shows his door opening onto his sundeck.
Luckily he has an exit from the house on a lower porch, because this is knee high:

My daughter in Calgary is having temps of minus 35C which is around minus 30 F. They can't even go outdoors for a few minutes it's so cold.

SharonCb

Ann, I feel your pain. You have had more snow in one week than you get all winter.

Chicago is in the deep freeze. Sundays high was 1F, today we hit 4, lows at night are around -5. And we are having snow warnings every other day it seems, with more tomorrow. I am tired of wearing thermal undies and boots already. And I swear the dog has cabin fever as we cannot walk him. Those little feet can't take the cold and the salts on the walkways.

The upside is that when a hot flash hits, I just step on the porch to cool off and the Christmas goodies can be kept there too.

Stay warm, drive safley, and think of spring.

Peppi

Pam, our winters are usually very mild with the temperature most days in the mid 30's to low 40's. And rather than snow we usually just get rained on. Maybe once or twice a winter we get an insignificant snowfall, that usually disappears in a day or two and then the grass is green again. But then there is the odd winter like this one where we get snowed on big time and then a cold spell and the snow hangs around for awhile. We are suppose to get more snow starting tomorrow afternoon and again on Wednesday.

Peppi, Good idea. Spring is just around the corner. It isn't unusual for the Cherry trees to be in full bloom before the end of January. That is what I'm looking forward to.

Have I mentioned that I hate snow.

Ann

Wow Ann!! I didn't realize you were from Vancouver Island. We spent a wonderful few days there some years ago when travelling with our travel trailer.

I hope your store wasn't one that was depending on pre Christmas sales since it sounds as though most are staying in. Stay safe and warm!

Grace

Peppi

How does one potty a dog in conditions like that.

Sorry if thats TMI

Try pottying a mini Poodle...
I broke down and bought her a fleece lined parka with fur trim on the collar....
Linda C

Ann that looks like more snow than we have. We have almost that much but it has been bitter cold for a few weeks. I think we have had one or two days respite from the cold but now it is back. I am talking -32 Celcius, without the windchill! Just biting and bitter. Last week it even snowed when it was -25 celcius, which is very strange. Christmas eve it is supposed to break a bit, then at least the kids can get out for a bit.

The coldness even makes the packed snow slippery, so much so that Daves poor mom fell yesterday. She is quite banged up and very miserable. Broke her hand, really banged up her knee that has replacement surgery a few years ago and a bad gash on her head.

I can't imagine anything blooming in late January at this point! Stay warm and safe everyone.

Stay safe.

Oh Janet, your poor MIL. Hope she feeling better today. I sure don't miss living in Northern Ontario. Our first year in the Sault we had -40 C for over 40 days in a row.

Ann

I'll stop complaining about it being so cold down here now...we had ice last week but no snow. Suppose to be close to fifty on Christmas Day.

I'm with you Ann I'll take the heat and humidity anyday of the week.

Janet, sorry to hear about yor MIL. Falls and broken bones are very hard on older folk.

David

Janet, Ouch! The poor lady....

Dilly runs out, lifts his leg on the patio, runs halfway into the yrad and does number 2 and runs back in. You also shovel/plow a maze in your yard for the dogs to go to. My nieghbors basset has take to using the basement wood working shop as he is about 17 years old and even lower to the ground. They are not liking this cold. ieven feel sorry for the rabbits that eat my garden in spring.

The good news is, I think, that Saturday wil be 48. Oh, joy, sluch and puddles. But today was all snow, about 4 inches and now sleet/rain. Roads are slick, the airport is a mess and we are only 2 days into winter. And our own Cathy tells me that it is going to be 82 in Tampa.

Ann, I bet it's a mess over there. We got nearly three feet on Wed . night...everything closed down on Thurs. I've never seen it snow so much when it was this cold (-8F or so). Beautiful, but like driving in sand. I'm not looking forward to the heavy wet stuff coming tomorrow. Bad year for DH to be unable to plow.

Peppi, I lived in the Chicago area for awhile...I remember the winters well.....brrrrrrrrr.

82...phhhffffllllltttt!

My in-laws live just outside Victoria (Royal Oak) and DH's aunt and uncle live in Oak Bay. I spoke with FIL today, and he said Victoria had more snow than the North Pole! That cracked me up.

As for dogs, we finally had to dig a path for our dog from the front of the house, around the side to the backyard to give him a place to make doodles. Before we did that, he'd be chest deep in the snow. He wasn't liking that.

Mandie

It was even worse today. We received another 20 or more cms over night and most of today. Matt caught the bus up from Victoria and was surprised at how much more snow we had in the Cowichan Valley than they had in Victoria. I was glad that I only had to drive to Mill Bay to pick him up and not all the way to Victoria. It isn't far, but I hate the drive through the Malahat when the weather is bad.

Ann

We even have snow here in California at the 3000ft level. Had about 10inches last Monday and itÂs snowing now. First white Christmas I can remember in the 25 years we have lived here. We sometimes get a few inches but itÂs melted by early afternoon. I know itÂs not as cold as some of you have but itÂs really cold for California.

Claudia

I thnk this may just be the winter that won't end. We had 4 inches of snow on the 23rd, melting at 36 on the 24th that turned to sheets of ice by 4 pm, clear and cold on the 25th and this morning the expressways are being shut down due to an ice rain. Tomorrow we have flash flood warnings as 3 inches of rain are due, with temps at 48F.

Janet your poor Mom and those temps! Yikes!!!

Quite mild here now. We did get a ton of snow the 23rd but it rained almost all day the 24th so we ended up with a sloppy mess. A little more snow fell the night of the 24th so at least it cleaned things up.

Well, we have a lot of snow, and then got freezing rain, so the snow is hard and crunchy and you can walk on it. However, Tuesday it got warm and started melting so the roads were thick deep sluch, and then the temps dropped and it froze that way. So the raods are a thick, deep mess of rutted ice. Hard to keep your car on the road.
Today is warm and rainy, so maybe it will melt the roads completely so there won't be all that thick ice.
Ann, I know you don't like snow, and I know it justs caused problems...but it is so very beautiful there that it is breathtaking.

OH you poor people! I'm sure it's beautiful but what a huge inconvenience for everyday living. I feel bad for those who fall and get so hurt too.

It's not hot here but it's not cool either; we have to keep our a/c on.

Took this pic yesterday, more snow overnight, we were plowed again this morning.....

Can't wait for the Dec plow bill, it seems like he has been here almost everyday.

Nancy

I know you must all be sick of it, but it looks so beautiful! I feel awful for the people who are trying to travel to be with family.

It has been in the 80's here for the past few days and VERY humid. We spent Christmas in tshirts with the air conditioner on. We were all shaking our heads in wonder that just 2 weeks ago we had our first REAL snowfall ever!

Grace

We had a nice mild Christmas here too. My kids were able to wear their new Monty Python T-shirts and no jackets. Just a couple of hours away there is a blizzrd and 3 feet of snow falling in the mountains, but down here it is nice and sunny.

It's definitely cold along the entire West Coast. Yesterday we had a high of 58° and a low of 42°, and it might be colder today. I talked with my family in Texas, and they said it was supposed to be 80° today, and even warmer further south in Texas. They were jealous that I was getting rain, however. It's sunny today, but very cold. It's supposed to warm back up to normal by New Year's Day. I've been boiling water in the kitchen to help keep the house warm. I would turn on the oven, but I have candy stored there (caramel and chocolate, for chocolate turtles), which I need to finish making. I've been doing it in small batches.

Lars

Lars, don't you have a furnace?

Here is what it looked like this morning.

The snow has just keeps on coming. I was suppose to drive Matthew home to Victoria this afternoon, but it started snowing again this morning and the roads are bad. So, I'll drop him off at the Bus station in Duncan tomorrow on my way to work. Hopefully the weather will be better then.

Look at more poor Bay Leaf Tree. It is over 5 feet high.

now look at it

I hope it survives.

Nancy, is some of that lake effect snow or is it all from storms. I guess you must be kind of use to it living on the lake and all.

Ann, your poor tree....and all of that snow!!! We made if up to 75 degrees here today. I have the windows open as I sit here and type. Big storms and possible tornadoes tonight as a storm front moves in. We will be back to our normal temps of low 50's during the day this weekend and next week. My kind of winter weather for sure!

David

Our temperatures today were about the same as David's....it was warm and sunny all day. I lay outside in our front corner patio with a straw hat over my eyes and dozed for half an hour on the lounge chair and got a sunburn on my arms. Supposed to rain again tomorrow though, but that's for sure better than snow.

It's been many years since I've seen so much heavy snow on Vancouver Island that wasn't gone within a couple of days.

SharonCb