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Politics : The Environmentalist Thread -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: neolib who wrote (17862)	11/30/2007 7:11:21 PM
From: longnshort	Respond to of 36921

Brace for cold, Canadians warned MICHAEL OLIVEIRA The Canadian Press November 30, 2007 at 1:47 PM EST TORONTO — After years of warmer-than-normal winters that spurred constant talk of global warming, winter this year is expected to be the coldest in almost 15 years and should remind everyone of what real Canadian cold feels like, Environment Canada said Friday. With the exception of only small pockets of northern Canada and southwestern Ontario, this December through February is forecast to be one of the harshest winters in recent memory across the country, said senior climatologist David Phillips. “It is somewhat remarkable that we're seeing the same situation from coast to coast to almost coast — from Vancouver Island to Bonavista, Nfld., we're showing the country as being colder than normal,” Mr. Phillips said. “The last time Canada had a significantly cold winter was back in 1994, more than a decade ago, and this may very well rival that one in terms of coldness.” Pedestrians make their way through rain, ice pellets and snow on Parliament Hill last week. Enlarge Image Pedestrians are shown making their way through rain, ice pellets and snow on Parliament Hill last week. (The Canadian Press) Videos tornado Tornado hits Australian town A mini tornado hit near the Australian town of Lismore on Friday causing havoc and electrical blackouts hail Hail hammers Australia Lismore, on the New South Wales coast of Australia, has been declared a disaster zone after hailstorms left a path of destruction Spain Heavy rain swamps Spain Two are dead as flooding hits Spanish east coast, Balearic Islands Internet Links * Environment Canada's prediction map Popup The Globe and Mail 1994 started with a bang of winter weather and Canadians across the country shivered through temperatures as cold as -42C — and that was before factoring in the wind chill. Environment Canada's forecast for precipitation suggests much of the country is due for normal amounts of snow, although some cities could get more than usual, including Calgary, Regina and Toronto, which infamously called in the army in January 1999 to deal with a heavy snowfall. The precipitation forecasts are less reliable, but Mr. Phillips said a colder winter would likely result in a lot of white Christmases across the country — defined as two centimetres of snow on the ground at 7 a.m. on Christmas Day. Even if the forecasts don't hold true, Mr. Phillips said the weather will almost certainly be worse than the last couple years for much of the country. Last year, a number of traditionally cold and snow-covered cities like Quebec City, Ottawa and Timmins, Ont., had a green Christmas for the first time in decades. And places like Moncton, all of Prince Edward Island and Toronto had only two-thirds of their normal snowfall. If there is a bright side to the gloomy forecast that most Canadians will probably curse, it's that snow and cold in the winter is good for the economy, Mr. Phillips said. When Canadians see snow outside their windows they'll likely get into the Christmas spirit and start shopping, he said. And others will see the snow and make immediate plans to head south. “I always think it's good for the economy when weather is behaving like it should, when winters are cold and summers are hot,” Mr. Phillips said. “With the Canadian dollar the way it is and with this colder than normal weather, it very well may be that the busiest people in the country are travel agents.” Mr. Phillips said the forecast for cold weather is being triggered in part by La Nina, a period of lower than normal temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.