The Deep Freeze.

I'm laying in bed, in the dark, listening to the wind howl outside. Our home is cozy and warm (thankful for our gas heating) and today we won't be going anywhere. We are currently under an "Extreme Weather Warning" due to the very low temperatures. It's - 28 degrees Celsius but with the  windchill, it's currently feeling like - 42. For the next week, we'll be stuck in a deep freeze, something we haven't had here for years. They are predicting that we'll reach temperatures that will place us as the coldest place on Earth this week. Close to -50 is the rumor. I hope it changes.

Ugh ....

However, in this moment, I am grateful we do not in our region experience wild fires, or earthquakes, or tsunami's. We get the occasional tornado warning and did experience a horrific one in 1987. But for the most part, our weather is warm in the Spring and Summer, cool in the Fall and cold in the Winter. I always have 2 worries: intense lightening and thunder storms (a couple per season) and big blizzards that shut down everything. We get a blizzard or 2 over the season but global warming has truly made our Winters much milder than we all recall as kids. Eastern Canada has been getting brutal Winters for quite a while now but we've lucked out, until this week. I'm grateful that weather can be predicted so we can get prepared ahead of time. This started last Tuesday night. It was supposed to be a cold week with a few "flurries" but that afternoon, it quickly changed. And we quickly made sure we'd be okay if the weather trend continued. Which it did and is now getting even worse. 

So how do we prepare when life sends us big snow and chilly air? We do the following:

* make sure our mail box is empty

* make sure our laundry is caught up

* fill up both cars with gas in case we get stuck

* fill up the fridge/freezer with food and stock the pantry

* make sure there is nothing outside that could blow around

* ensure the furnaces are working well, the tank is full of water from the well and the waste treatment system we have is functioning well so we still have heat and water

Then we settle in with projects to keep busy and use the time to our best advantage. I don't have to drive in to the big City until Wednesday but if it's still bad by then, I'll move my clients to next week. Waiting to see if we'll cancel preschool over the next few days. We do if the big schools cancel the buses for safety. I'm okay with just staying home so we'll monitor and decide as we go. I don't like to wish time away but I am excited to see that by next week, we'll be back to enjoying a balmy -6. Just have to get through this week. It will feel like forever, I'm sure, as we live it. Wish us well ~ we'll need some warm encouragement. 

                                                  

How's the weather in your neighborhood?

Do you have any snow? Any blizzards predicted?

~ Chy