Yay! We Made It!!

[ronandannette]

...to Winter Solstice! The longest night of the year is behind us and the daylight hours now begin to gradually lengthen. Although it’s officially the first day of winter, I feel like we’re actually half-way through.

Here in northern Canada it’s not full light until after 9:00 am and it’s pitch dark before 5:00 pm and that gets even worse the farther north you go. There are places in the arctic that never reach full daylight for weeks at a time. It’s a long, long cold and dark season and many people here struggle with SAD.

 

[Sinder]

Longer days are coming!!

 

[RedAngie]

You call Calgary “northern Canada”??

Why, you’re Miami Beach compared to Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Iqaluit in Nunavut.

(I just wanted to impress you with my knowledge of Canadian geography. )

 

[MamaMermaid]

I'm in South Florida - so the solstice/light isn't a huge deal for us BUT, I love celebrating the solstices and am so happy for those of you who are seeing the light at the end of the cold, dark winter tunnel!

 

[ronandannette]

You call Calgary “northern Canada”??

Why, you’re Miami Beach compared to Edmonton, Saskatoon, and Iqaluit in Nunavut.

(I just wanted to impress you with my knowledge of Canadian geography. )

Ha! That’s kind of true. They say the majority of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the southern border but we’re a little outside that. As a climate zone Calgary is actually considered Arctic Desert, and that’s not exactly speedos and sunscreen conditions.

 

[ronandannette]

I'm in South Florida - so the solstice/light isn't a huge deal for us BUT, I love celebrating the solstices and am so happy for those of you who are seeing the light at the end of the cold, dark winter tunnel!

It’s always a marvel to me when we travel to Florida or the Caribbean, at how the days and nights are roughly the same length all year. In summer here, it’s dawn by 5:00 am and the sun sets closer to midnight. It sort of makes up for the winter dark. ☀

 

[RedAngie]

Ha! That’s kind of true. They say the majority of the Canadian population lives within 100 miles of the southern border but we’re a little outside that. As a climate zone Calgary is actually considered Arctic Desert, and that’s not exactly speedos and sunscreen conditions.

The reason I mentioned Miami Beach 🏖 is from the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988. At least one day back then was so warm they had to postpone many outdoor events. The host of the US broadcast said it reached a balmy 67F that day, while Miami Beach only reached 64F.

 

[Karin1984]

In the Netherlands the shortest day is from approx 8.45am to 4.45pm. The sunrise stays at this time for 3 weeks. The sunset starts to lengthen the days in about a week.

 

[Moliphino]

I'm glad, but true happiness starts in March when things start growing again and daylight saving time resumes and we have evening light.

 

[mrodgers]

I know the daylight gets longer each day now, but why is it that it seems not to happen until March? It will be dark in the morning and dark when I get home now until about March.

 

[ronandannette]

I'm glad, but true happiness starts in March when things start growing again and daylight saving time resumes and we have evening light.

Sounds nice but we don't count on things beginning to grow again here until June. There is always still substantial snow through April and deep frost in the ground until mid-May. You wouldn't dare put out bedding plants until after Father's Day.

 

[Aladora]

Sounds nice but we don't count on things beginning to grow again here until June. There is always still substantial snow through April and deep frost in the ground until mid-May. You wouldn't dare put out bedding plants until after Father's Day.

Lol, I'm in Victoria...we bbq all year round and start mowing our lawns in early February!

Of course, I also have a friend in Yellowknife who posts screen shots of the weather reports...the most recent one was -35C!

 

[Silver saucer]

When I was living in Edmonton the winter days were short. Then I went up to Fort Mac mid-winter to work a shutdown at one of the oil companies. Boy those days seemed much shorter and colder!!
I appreciated Edmonton weather much more when the shutdown was completed and I returned there! Ha!!

 

[ronandannette]

Lol, I'm in Victoria...we bbq all year round and start mowing our lawns in early February!

Of course, I also have a friend in Yellowknife who posts screen shots of the weather reports...the most recent one was -35C!

Ha! I remember making a trip to Butchart Gardens in early May a few years ago and being totally crestfallen that we'd missed spring bulb season entirely. It was still freezing overnight in Calgary when we left.

When I was living in Edmonton the winter days were short. Then I went up to Fort Mac mid-winter to work a shutdown at one of the oil companies. Boy those days seemed much shorter and colder!!
I appreciated Edmonton weather much more when the shutdown was completed and I returned there! Ha!!

Ah, yes...nothing like a little "it could be worse therapy" to set you straight. That's what we say to ourselves when we see winter weather news from the Maritimes. "Well, at least ours is a dry cold...".

 

[Moliphino]

Sounds nice but we don't count on things beginning to grow again here until June. There is always still substantial snow through April and deep frost in the ground until mid-May. You wouldn't dare put out bedding plants until after Father's Day.

I get excited at the first hint of buds on the trees, which is usually sometime in March. We are definitely not in full bloom then, either, but the signs of life make me happy.

 

[Aladora]

Ha! I remember making a trip to Butchart Gardens in early May a few years ago and being totally crestfallen that we'd missed spring bulb season entirely. It was still freezing overnight in Calgary when we left.

Oh yeah, if you want to see spring flowers here you have to come in February!

This was taken on Christmas Eve a few years ago...those are irises starting to grow in my front yard.

 

[prairie_girl]

It’s always a marvel to me when we travel to Florida or the Caribbean, at how the days and nights are roughly the same length all year. In summer here, it’s dawn by 5:00 am and the sun sets closer to midnight. It sort of makes up for the winter dark. ☀

I love summer ONLY because our hydro bill is so low. We don’t have to turn on lights til around 9-930

Sounds nice but we don't count on things beginning to grow again here until June. There is always still substantial snow through April and deep frost in the ground until mid-May. You wouldn't dare put out bedding plants until after Father's Day.

for us, conventional wisdom says to wait til after May long to plant. Before that and you risk a late frost.

 

[ronandannette]

I love summer ONLY because our hydro bill is so low. We don’t have to turn on lights til around 9-930





for us, conventional wisdom says to wait til after May long to plant. Before that and you risk a late frost.

Ha! It very often snows here on the Victoria Day weekend...just ask all the chumps that are out camping. And it’s traditionally the last weekend the ski hills operate in Banff.