Edmonton in December is Unseasonably Warm

graphic from Global Edmonton Facebook page

Tuesday we reached a high of almost 13 degrees Celsius while at the International Airport it was 10.2 Celsius and Grand Prairie was 9.6 Celsius.  It's been a long time since we were this warm in December as you can tell from the graphic.  I apologize for the left margin cut off.  Not sure what happened but suffice it to say...technology!  

Is December warmer or colder than usual where you live?  

November snowfall

 I have to remember to spritz my swag with water to keep it from drying out since it has yet to freeze to sustain it whole.  It has melted so much (remember the snowfall we had in November?) that now the walks are icy treacherous.  

I'm participating in a cookie exchange this weekend with the kids and attending Candlelight Christmas Saturday evening.  I've wanted to participate in a cookie exchange for a while and now that the kids are grown it seems an opportune time and they all seem keen on it.  

Candlelight Christmas 2013

Not much decorating has been done here yet but soon we must find a fresh cut tree for the living room and maybe a poinsettia. Have you decorated for Christmas?  Real tree or artificial?  Do you display collections at Christmas like nativities, nutcrackers (me), villages? 

#recordtemperatures  #CandlelightChristmas

It Was One Frigid Week Across the Continent!

Today is the beginning of a warmer trend in our city with highs near -5 Celsius expected later today.  Currently it is -14 C and the car windows are frosty but the sky is clear and the sunrise sheds hues of mauve and pink near the horizon.

Yesterday was another story.  I drove to work in ice fog, which is rather pretty but it was too dark to really enjoy it at 5 am.  The drive home was incredibly beautiful with hoar frost decorating the branches and needles of the trees that line the roadside.  Beautiful but cold.  Our city temperatures overnight set a record low for the coldest day on record at the International Airport with lows of -26 Celsius.  It warmed to -13 C but the wind picked up and it was pretty bitter to walk in.

This is what Global News had to say on the weather for the continent.  Looks like we are all cold! 

So I looked further and discovered the cause of the cold was a typhoon that began November 4, crossing the ocean and meeting air in the arctic which then swept over the continent with temperatures 15 degrees below normal.

I recall January being the coldest month of winter but that seems to have shifted over the years and now it seems November and December have become the coldest months.  Remember December 21st is the first day of winter?  Well, someone forgot to tell Old Man Winter because he has stopped in for a prolonged stay like the unwanted houseguest who just will not leave.

On the other hand, this is also the season of beauty.  Sure the leaves are gone, the air is crisp, and the roads downright treacherous; but the snow sparkles like small diamonds when light catches the small crystals.  The local greenhouses are decked out in Christmas and winter finery and there is nothing quite like visiting your favourite greenhouse this time of year.  The aroma of fresh pine fills the air and every so often the sweet fragrance that reminds you of Christmas baking lingers in the small vignettes displaying scented sachets and candles.  Mmmmm......

Here is a sample of the Christmas store set up at Greenland Greenhouse this year.  It is my go to destination where I escape the rush and stress of working in retail this time of year.  The area twinkles with hundreds of mini-lights and a reindeer greets you with songs of the season.  Come linger with me for a while, won't you?

More to come soon so if you love to visit greenhouses at Christmas, be sure to bookmark this blog!!