Ice and Snow

We have been having some strange weather patterns - here's an excerpt from the news today -

"Snowy weather wreaks havoc on Alberta highways -
More than 160 crashes have been reported in Alberta so far, after a winter storm struck the province. Dozens of people were left stranded Saturday in Crossfield, a small town north of Calgary, following a multi-vehicle pileup on a snowy highway. Close to 40 vehicles collided in three separate crashes on Highway 2, which is the main route connecting Calgary with Edmonton. Two people were seriously injured and taken to hospital in Calgary.

Some drivers in Edmonton found their cars sliding off the roads, and a parking ban has been put into place to allow snow crews to clear the roads."

After the minus 30 temperatures with heavy snowfall, a warm front caused plus zero temperatures and melting. The piles of snow have an icy cover. You can see the shine from the icy snow in this photo. The sidewalks are covered with a thick layer of ice.

It is not uncommon to have a chinook in Alberta, typically further south and near the mountains. The warm Pacific ocean coastal winds travel over the mountains, causing warmer temperatures. You can identify a chinook by a huge arch in the southwest skies - somewhat like a colorless rainbow that touches the horizon, clear underneath and cloudy above. It is a relief to have warmer weather, but it is creating treacherous walking and driving conditions. One lady took her dog for a walk wearing skates (the lady, not the dog, haha).

My intent for the blip was to take a photo of a string of outdoor Christmas lights, uniformly spaced. You can see some in the background, but it is the icy snow mounds that really catch the eye.