Snow!

We have received our first more than dusting of snow. Again, it's far from the advertised amount. This morning the weather ad men were promising 10 to 15 cms and wind and they called it the Alberta Clipper (which I think might make a great name for a new rye whiskey). Those weather ad men. What were they thinking? Yesterday at this time the Environment Canada website said there'd be snow happening yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Now it predicts sun and cloud tomorrow, with an "abnormal temperature trend" - which means that rather than getting warmer during the day, it's going to get colder - My Lands! What shall we do! Wring mittens?

Lord help me but I just have to learn to look out the window. Maybe take a walk and look at the sky. Maybe watch the clouds. You know, pick up a geography textbook and refresh myself on the climate and weather section. One thing though, is all I ask you radio show hosts: in the morning, when you're nudging us gently from beneath the warm sheets and duvets, give us the straight what-the-weather-is-right-NOW information in its totality, which would be: temperature, precipitation, wind speed, wind direction. ALL of those things. I am more than annoyed when wind speed is given without direction. Of course I'm speaking (ranting) as a winter cyclist, but wind direction, along with temperature, makes all the difference in how I will dress to ride in to work. I'm positive that to the city announcer though, wind direction is irrelevant - maybe it's the buildings that get in the way and just make it unnecessary. 

Anyway. The forecast is for a 30 to 60 k wind tomorrow morning. And I, for one, would like to know whether to brace myself for a grueling workout (a west or northwest wind) or smile and ride high (east or southeast wind).

The ride in:          Temp -6' C Wind SE 30 ks

The ride home:    (ill prepared for the wind (no face protection) I jammed out and called for a car)

                           Temp -10'C Wind ESE 30+ ks