Let's Talk About the Weather

FTLComm - Tisdale - January 30, 1999
Prairie people seem obsessed with the weather, it is the common denominator between every individual who lives in an agrarian society that experiences huge changes from day to day in climatic conditions. When we talk to one another seldom does any conversation not include some comment and valuation of the weather conditions of the moment. For us all weather is more then a fact of life it is the determining condition that controls and regulates all of our behaviour.

Once again we are experiencing an extremely mild winter following the warmest year in recorded history. Though we had a couple of weeks of -30 weather temperatures this week end will be around freezing for a couple more days. On the right is a picture of a snow pile by our driveway. I altered the contrast and brightness of the image slightly and the affects of the morning sun are clearly visible as you can see that this material is rapidly changing its form and texture. The days are growing progressively longer and we have a very strong
flow of warm air from the South washing over the landscape. However, we still have two more months of winter to contend with and from here on we can expect more variation with storms that will cruise by and the possibilities of miserable arctic air masses that can slip out of the North and grab hold of us like a galactic vise.