Small talk

There was a long-running Air Farce skit about some prairie folks bitching about the weather in a Tim Horton’s while the wind howled outside.  I always thought it was funny, but now I really get it.

Snow on the University Grounds

Along with culture, demographics and  topography, weather and climate are one of the things that define a place and the identity of the folks that live there.  You can cultivate a fun-loving flip-flops-every-day vibe, a stoic toughness of braving the elements, or a blase casualness where you almost forget not everyone has hurricanes, sinkholes, or earthquakes.

Weather is something my colleagues talk about almost everyday.  Not because we have nothing else to talk about, but because it has an increasing impact on our lives now that it is getting colder.  Got your snow tires? Are you plugging your car in now? Did you sweep or shovel the walk at your house?  Are you seriously still WALKING?

The internet is now a way to continue this conversation and (probably) feel lucky about where you are.  Bridget found this awesome site about Saskatoon weather, and Graham followed that up with the only forecast you ever need in Vancouver (note, just because there is a binary outcome does not mean there is a 50/50 probability).   My favorite weather site is still KatKam, which sustained me during my PhD studies in a windowless office and reminded me of home while in Sweden.  Maybe looking at constant rainy days will make me feel good about living in Canada’s most-sunshine-hours city… we’ll see.  Friday’s forecast: lows of -28, not including the windchill.  :S

1 Comment

  1. Yikes. I haven’t been keeping up with my Reader very well, and Ed pointed me to your post. He thinks he could live there, he figures he’d just get used to it. Most-sunshine-hours city? Maybe I could, too. Today it is sunny and blue-sky and 35 deg – just enough to be crisp and fresh. The sunny is my favourite part.

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