Winter Is Here In Manitoba

[55 Fargo]

Larry, the west coast of Canada in the cities of Vancvouver and Victoria, one is 2 million and the other about 3/4 of a million, have identical weather to Seattle, not too cold in winter about USDA zone 8. The Okanagan Valley produces not only grapes but, apples, peaches, pears, apricots, plums and many other fruit. These are not just people growing for there own use but major fruit producing commercially.

Southern Ontario in the Niagra region also produce grapes, apples, peaches etc they are USDA zone 6b or 7. Although these regions have winter and snow it's very mild, they have long warm growing seasons in spite of there latitude and winter season.

Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and even Alberta, have very cold winters right through there provinces extending to the US borders. Alberta is the mildest of the 3 being close to the Rocky Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, they get winter Chinooks.

Even Manitoba can grow Apples and Plums, we also have world class gardens, corn, tomatoes,cantloupes, potatoes you name it, we especially grow very nice strawberries. Our growing season here is short, our last frost of the season is around May1 to May 15, and our earliest frost is around Sept25 to Oct 1. We are a major Wheat, Canola , Barley and Corn producing province also.

Here is a pic of Manitoba's desert region near Carberry in Sprucewoods provincial park, they have cactus, snakes and some lizards.

So Canada is not a total Arctic wasteland, but parts are very mild and hot in summer, but a majority is cold country thats for sure............Fred

[55 Fargo]

Its like that here in Manitoba in June July and August, very hot, and humid for at least 6 to 8 weeks of that time frame. Last year I planted the corn too late, and because I didn't water it enough, it was too darn hot and no rain, the plants shrunk we had hardly any rain last July and August. The local farmers were very concerned that the crops wouldn't do well, they did okay in most locales.

Right where I live the soil is black as coal, I live in the fertile Red River Valley, some is clay and gumbo, but in my yard it's black loam.

Here in Manitoba you really do need A/C in your house or car or you will suffer, if you don't have AC in the house you are guaranteed 6 weeks of lost sleep usally, I know you guys down south probably get 6 months of this kind of weather.

Manitoba summer is sometimes affected by moist humid Gulf of Mexico air, we get severe electrical storms, about 10 tornadoes a year, we are directly north of Okalahoma, Kansas, Nebraska. So we get similar weather, just no where near as extreme, in summer that is, we get the more extreme winter than those states, as we are obviously that much further north.

Right now it's 5 above fahrenheit, looking for a low of -2, so not warm, but it's not always 30 and 40 below here., here is a pic of the south-east part of our 2.5 acre yard facing the garden , this is last year at the end of May, not exactly tropical, but very much like the mid-western USA. The trees and shrubs are young 12 to 15 years old, prior to that our lot was open..............Fred

[knighthawk]

I guess I always new there was some good crop land up there, as how the annual crop harvesting, (combines ) starts in Texas, goes all the way to Cananda, just never thought any deeper than that ! I do know of the Red River Valley and black dirt, although I've never had the opportunity to plant a garden or farm in it. I guess as far as weather........ it probabley varies as much there ( Cananda ) as it dose all across the States, like I said, '' I just never thunk about it before''. I was on the ''Lake of the Woods'' once, on the Canadian side, many, many years ago, very pretty area.

[1just4don]

I went on a Canadian Fishing trip, one time,(back in the early seventies)we traveled I-29 way up into Canada, went thru Winnipeg and much farther north. I think the last 'town' we went thru that had a liquor store was "La Pas". 10 guys in a big motor home. We each bought ten cases of beer and some of them bought bottles of hard liquor to get thru the week. We stacked the back so full of the beer you couldnt walk further than half way back. Covered the bed to the ceilings.

Anyway we went further north,my map sort of ran out of roads when it got that far north. Went to a wonderful lodge on a private lake. Had our own cabin. Fish were big, sun was 'fierce' in July. Never sunburned my lips till 10 times their size before. hurt every time in the sun for YEARS after!!! Any body know where this was???

We were using LURES bigger than most fish caught around 'here'. Those lures were like 10" -12" long full of treble hooks. Those fish hit those lures so fast and hard they straightened the hooks sometimes. One guy caught one, we were in BIG aluminum fishing v hulls,,,this fish was so big it was clear across bottom of the boat and a 1/3 of the way back on the double back. AND I was supposed to 'net' this fish with a common size fish dip net(yeah right) without touching its teeth because they stuck to the netting. Caught H-E two sticks for not doing it right. I dont think the handle would have held up anyway!!!

Unusal thing was the sun came up at like 3-4 in the morning and didnt go down till after midnight during the hot July days!! Just couldnt get used to THAT!!! Shore lunches were fabulous tho!!! And dont think I got my share of the beer, those guzzlers I was with stated at breakfast and never quit till the card game was over after midnight! All week long,,,I couldnt do that but for like 1 or 2 days and I was done!!Stomach was plum sour after that!! All I saw up that far north was scrubby trees rock and water.

[PatS....]

The town would have been The Pas. WAAAYY north. Did you catch any of those big Manitoba 'skeeters? I hear they saddle 'em and rodeo the things!!!!

June July and August are long days here in Calgary too. Sunrise at 4:30ish and sunset at 10:00-10:30.

Makes up for dark at 4:30pm and sun-up at 8:30am in the winter

One thing I noticed in California was the length of time for dusk. Here, there is daylight for quite a while after the sun actually goes down.

Down south, it's like flippin' a switch! Took some gettin' used to

[55 Fargo]

The town is The Pas Manitoba, the Lake is anyones guess, Manitoba is the land of 100000 lakes, so take your pick. We used to have this on our License plates back in the early 70s, my dad would joke the government counted all the ditches and swamps in the 100000lakes..........Fred

[PatS....]

Seeing as this thread has turned into a very neat weather/geography/meteorology catch-all, I thought I would add this pic I came across of the Northern Lights for anyone who hasn't been awed by them in person.

This is one of the best shots I have ever seen. Taken at Snap Lake Diamond Mine, NWT, Canada Sept 6 2006 (the aircraft is a Hercules)

The only thing missing is the motion...they move kind like the bottom of curtains in a very gentle breeze.

Awesome, and I get to see them regularly. Life is good.

I'd like a shot of my Chrysler against the Aurora Borealis when it's done.

http://www.airliners.net

[Normspeed]

Amazing photo Pat.

[Brendan D25]

Pat, that is a great picture. There is something about the Northern Lights that makes you want to stop and watch. I have seen them many times from Labrador, northern Manitoba and Sasketchewan, beautiful sight. As this thread is about weather, here in Newfoundland we are getting our third snowstorm since last week, each dumping about 20-30 cm. of snow each time and strong winds.

[knighthawk]

Pat, I just put your picture on my computor screen, as a screen saver,, great picture ! Thanks !

[knighthawk]

Alright, this is enough ! When is it going to warm up ? We got fresh snow fall, Single digit wind chill, high's in the 20's ! And , yes it's cold ! What I said before about, ''its not so bad when you wear the right clothes'' ? I should have said , if you wear ENOUGH clothes, but then ,you can't do any work !!! ..............P S ........don't mind me .... I'm just getting spring fever..........or cabin fever.......or ........something.

[1just4don]

They say it may not make it out of the minus category for the next few days,,,if so barely a single didget. Wind chills of 30-40 below...I think thats all the further they measure them on the low side. I used to remember lots of times we were told -80 wind chills, I dont feel a BIT warmer!!! You just dont stay out there any longer than ya have to!!! I have to go out for at least a couple hours NOW!!! If I dont return,count me froze stiff out there,,,someplace!!! I wanna move south, cant take this crap any more!!!

[knighthawk]

Boy ! that sounds familiar ! That's excactly what I said about nine years ago. I packed up everything ( four trucks of stuff ) moved to Texas. The coldest it ever got there, was about 29 !!!And yes, it's times like this i miss Texas...........

[1just4don]

Are there any jobs that one middle aged old guy can do in the snow bird country of south Texas or Florida,(any where warm) like a cab driver, for the increased area needs of winter?? OR somebody to drive them to doc appointments, do errands,grocery shop, anything else I missed?? Could even fix electrical outlets or sockets,screw in light bulbs, and stop the screen door from squeaking. Trim a bush or sweep a driveway!!

Sure wouldnt miss winter here, but come back north for summers cause they are too HOT down there!!

Any and ALL other suggestions welcomed hardily, thx--don--

[knighthawk]

I guess you could go anywhere in south or central Texas Houston is way to big, west is cold, southwest would be good. You gotta remember, if it's a nice spot, there's going to be alot of people there already. As far as work, I was retired when I moved there, but planned on doing ''stained glass'' as business (hobby). Met a lot of people thruogh the local car clubs,once they found out I was a mechanic, I was turning down work. The biggest demand , however , was for the home handyman stuff. I was doing more of that than anything else. So as a farm boy, and car guy, you wouldn't have ant problem !

[RobertKB]

Or you could live in the frozen way north in Canada. It may be cold but you do get the northern lights. Pictures were taken near Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories, not far from the Arctic Circle. It may be cold but the lights are spectacular the further north you go. I'm sure they're equally spectacular in Alaska>

[knighthawk]

Wow ! the pictures of the lights are great. !I'm sure it would be nice to see them in person, BUT, it would have to in the middle of summer when it was warm !!!................................great photos !

[RobertKB]

You can see the Northern Lights in the summer but they are not quite as spectacular. I didn't take the pictures, jsut borrowed them from someone who did. Quite often they are multi-coloured which is truly beautiful.

[55 Fargo]

It's 708 in the morning here in frozen southern Manitoba, it's -34 here at my place, were supposed to get a couple more nights like this. The furnace is running almost non-stop, this is unbelievable weather even for us-25 can be common but when the mercury dropps this low it becomes dangerous........Fred ps last night I was over in Selkirk, about 3 minutes from where we live, the whole town was steaming, because of all the exhaust and smoke from the cars and chimneys

[knighthawk]

Now THAT's cold ! ( but it's still cold here too, kinda )What kind of heat do you have there ? I've been burning wood,which is almost gone. If I remember, way back when I was living in Wisconsin, during one of those cold ''old days'' it was like -35 or -40, and the propane tank wouldn't vaporize and the regulator iced up, had to keep a lite bulb on it !.............stay warm................we got a day of upper 40's comming up pretty soon, then back down the crapper !

[55 Fargo]

Lots of homes , if not most in Winnipeg are the capital region has about 800000 people have central gas forced air furnaces or forced air electric furnaces, like I have in my house. Homes are also well insulated with R20 walls,R40 attics and R12 to R20 basements walls, this is minimum building code regs in this region of Canada. It works well in summer when it's hot out, and yes it gets hot here, not as you guys down south get, but definately hot and muggy. A good sealed vapor barrier makes a big difference keeping out cold air and mositure, 6 to 10 mil poly, and sealing every joint with sealant and vapr barrier tape, as well a lot of homes have Tyvek on the outside of the house before it's stuccoed or sided, in my area most homes are stuccoed......................Fred ps my garage is well insulated and has 2 small 220 volt electric forced air heaters, each being 16000 btu

[Normspeed]

Warmed up in SoCal. I washed the bike and charged the battery, dusted off my helmet and it's time for a ride. Shirtsleeve weather today, but still down in the 50's at night.

[55 Fargo]

Normy yall aren't try to rub in the nice short sleeve shirt weather, would yah, to a northern boy like me. Man I can't get much done today, it's even really too cold to go warm up the shop, will have to wait for a warmer day. These pics were taken earlier today the thermometer is on the garage wall and one is of the front of the house. All the best..............Fred:D

[Normspeed]

LOL, couldn't help myself. I do remember those fall on yer butt icy sidewalks from my childhood days though.

[Merle Coggins]

Warmed up in SoCal. I washed the bike and charged the battery, dusted off my helmet and it's time for a ride. Shirtsleeve weather today, but still down in the 50's at night.

Norm, it's shirtsleeve weather here too. Thermal shirtsleeves

-10 this morning. Warmed up to a balmy -5 this afternoon.