Stray dog found cuddling orphaned kittens on freezing night in Ontario
Digital Writers
theweathernetwork.com

Saturday, November 23rd 2019, 4:37 pm - This incident has reminded many that winter weather calls for additional precautions when it comes to taking pets outdoors.

Many are calling this stray dog a hero after it was found cuddling five orphaned kittens that were stuck in the snow during a chilly night in Chatham-Kent, Ontario.

The animals were found in the cold last weekend by a passerby who then brought the animals to the Pet and Wildlife Rescue shelter.

The shelter shared a photo of the animals safely indoors and added the caption, “Our stray sweetheart is keeping her ‘babies’ safe at the shelter tonight!”

staaaary Credit: Pet and Wildlife Rescue

Last weekend there was a light layer of snow on the ground and temperatures were around -4°C with the wind chill dipping into the minus teens.

While certain animals and breeds can handle a variety of winter conditions, the frigid weather was dangerous for the newborn kittens.

54ewyo54wybo Credit: Pet and Wildlife Rescue

This incident has reminded many that winter weather calls for additional precautions when it comes to taking pets outdoors.

Dr. Gary Landsberg, a veterinarian behaviourist who has been practicing for more than 30 years, told The Weather Network that the dangerous weather threshold for outdoor play is around -10°C to -15°C, no matter what kind of breed you have.

Although certain sled dogs can remain outside for hours, not all dogs fare as well in the snow. "Breeds with short hair, smaller breeds and breeds that aren't used to spending time outside are usually more susceptible to the cold conditions," he says.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/stray-dog-found-cuddling-orphaned-kittens-on-freezing-night-in-ontario

Yesterday's hot and cold spots ...

Hot spot in Saskatchewan: 2.5 °C       36.5 °F Leader Airport

Cold spot in Saskatchewan: -13.8 °C    7.2 °F Key Lake

Hot spot in Canada: 12.6 °C               54.7 °F Sable Island Climate, NS; Sable Island, NS

Cold spot in Canada: -32.6 °C           -26.7 °F Svartevaeg, NU

Atlantic: Significant snow for some as potent system tracks in
Digital Writers
theweathernetwork.com

Wednesday, November 27th 2019, 8:00 pm - A Colorado low will bring snow to parts of Atlantic Canada this week.

A major Colorado low is set to cruise into Atlantic Canada through the second half of the week, and it's on a track to bring snow to spots that have avoided it so far this fall. Blustery northwest winds behind the system will also usher in brisk wind chill values and onshore snow for the weekend, as well. We take at the timing of this stormy and wintry set-up, below.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/atlantic-canada-to-see-rain-snow-wind-from-colorado-low-this-week

Ontario: Travel impact expected with heavy snow, ice Sunday
Digital Writers
theweathernetwork.com

Saturday, November 30th 2019, 8:02 am - December arrives on Sunday and so does the wrath of winter in southern Ontario. Plan ahead.

The (comparatively) warmer temperatures earlier in the week are a fond memory, with Saturday another cool day for Ontario. It will be calm, certainly, but the start of December on Sunday will be marked by the effects of a Colorado low that threatens the region with rain, snow and ice. For a closer look at when it starts, and who should expect the worst, read on.

Visit our Complete Guide to Winter 2019/2020 for an in-depth look at the Winter Forecast, tips to plan for it and a sneak peek at the spring season next year
WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS:

    Low-pressure system will bring freezing rain, ice pellets and snow late Saturday night and into Sunday
    Colder patterns looks to arrive during the second week of December
    Stay up-to-date on the ALERTS in your area

WATCH: TIMING OF FREEZING RAIN, ICE PELLETS AND SNOW

Below seasonal temperatures will be widespread across southern Ontario on Saturday due to a departing Colorado low. Despite being chilly, conditions will remain calm into the afternoon, making for the best travel day of the weekend by far.

That's ahead of the new Colorado low that will track towards southern Ontario region Saturday night, which threatens a widespread messy and wintry mix. All forms of precipitation are possible; snow, ice pellets, freezing rain, and rain.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/ontario-second-colorado-low-with-snow-freezing-rain-ice-threat-heading-into-december

Ontario: Hwy. 401 re-opens near Kingston after major, deadly pileup
Digital Writers
theweathernetwork.com

Monday, December 2nd 2019, 7:45 am - Travel was treacherous across southern Ontario on Sunday amid widespread freezing rain, ice pellets, and heavy snow.

Freezing rain warnings wound down across southwestern Ontario Sunday afternoon. Still, the damage had already been done after 10+ hours of icy precipitation left a thick glaze over much of the region and made for dangerous travel conditions. Farther east, snowfall warnings lingered into the evening along the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where a massive pileup closed Highway 401 and left at least one person dead

Ontario Provincial Police said the wreck happened around 2:30 p.m. near Kingston, amid heavy snow. In a statement to CBC News, Kingston General Hospital reported 15 to 20 people had been transported to the hospital, "most of whom have non-life-threatening injuries." Police also raised their initial estimate on the number of vehicles involved, saying as many as 30 to 40 were caught in the wreck.

The OPP has confirmed at least one person died in the pileup. Local media reported police were moving stranded travellers off the highway using Kingston Transit buses. The highway re-opened by about 4:30 on Monday morning after being closed for much of the night on Sunday, with the cause of Sunday's crash under investigation.
https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/ontario-freezing-rain-causes-fatal-accident-power-outages-flight-cancellations


CP Holiday Train in a beautiful evening in Winnipeg. Photo by Susie Jeroski

VANCOUVER ISLAND
Climate change to push food prices higher, nearly $500 for Canadian families: report

The Canadian Press
Staff

Contact
Published Wednesday, December 4, 2019 9:58AM PST Last Updated Wednesday, December 4, 2019 7:29PM PST

VANCOUVER -- The average Canadian family will pay up to an extra $487 on feeding themselves next year, according to an annual food price report that highlights climate change as a major culprit for rising food prices, especially in the produce department.

Unexpected snowstorms, droughts and other weather events have impacted crops and food prices in the past, said Simon Somogyi, lead researcher from the University of Guelph.

But for 2020, he and others behind the report highlight climate change as the cause.
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    Canadian annual inflation rate 1.9 per cent last month as lower gas prices weigh on rate

“We're deliberately pointing out that, you know: climate change is causing the droughts, is causing the bad snowstorms that's impacting prices,” he said.

The report calls the impact of changing weather patterns on our food systems through droughts, forest fires, heavy precipitation, reduced freshwater access and rising sea levels “the elephant in the room” for 2020.

“Canadian farmers will face challenges in the future dealing with unpredictable crop yields, heat-wave livestock threats, pasture availability, and pest and disease outbreaks,” reads the report from researchers at Dalhousie University and the University of Guelph.

That link between climate change and food prices comes along with a forecast that the average Canadian family will spend $12,667 on food at grocery stores and restaurants in 2020.

That's two to four per cent more than in 2019 - thought the researchers expect it to be closer to the top end of that range. It's the second-highest prediction since 2013. It's outdone only by an anticipated three to five per cent, or $420, rise for the year 2017. The algorithm provides a two-per cent range for the national forecast.

The expected rise in food prices comes as Canadians face relatively steady inflation. The consumer price index rose 1.9 per cent year-over-year in October, according to Statistics Canada - the same increase as the previous two months. Increases have remained below 2.5 per cent since Sept. 2018.

Next year, researchers expect price increases in all eight food categories they track with the biggest jump - four to six per cent - in meat.

Pork prices will likely lead that ascent due to the African Swine Fever outbreak in China roiling pork markets.

Food sold at restaurants, as well as seafood and vegetables, will likely see the next biggest price increases in 2020. The report estimates a jump of two to four per cent in those three categories. The estimated rise in vegetable prices comes after a staggering 12 per cent increase for the 12 months ended Sept. 2019. Much of that double-digit jump Somogyi attributes to climate change.

Storms and other weather events wreak havoc on logistics, he said. They can slow down transportation, for example, and create a shortage that results in higher prices.

A hotter climate is one factor behind an increase in bacterial outbreaks such as E. coli, Somogyi said, as hotter temperatures and unpredictable heat waves increase bacterial growth. In recent years, multiple E. coli outbreaks prompted grocers to pull romaine lettuce off their shelves and restaurants to stop serving the leafy green. That tends to drive up prices for alternatives, like spinach.

Produce prices also trend up because Canada imports vast amounts of its food as the colder weather in the country limits what can be grown. Imported goods can fluctuate in price due to trade issues


https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/climate-change-to-push-food-prices-higher-nearly-500-for-canadian-families-report-1.4715066

Prairies: Air straight from Siberia soon to make it feel like -40
Digital Writers
theweathernetwork.com

Saturday, December 7th 2019, 9:00 am - Get ready to bundle up across the Prairies as a blast of frigid air threatens low temperature records into next week

We're tracking snow for the Prairies this weekend, but it's the bitter cold that will be on most peoples' minds by the time the new week rolls around. A shot of air straight from Siberia will have wind chills pushing -40 for some in the next five days. Even daytime highs will struggle to crack -20 for major cities like Regina and Winnipeg. We take a look at who's headed for the freezer, below.

Visit our Complete Guide to Winter 2019/2020 for an in depth look at the Winter Forecast, tips to plan for it and a sneak peek at the spring season next year
WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS:

    Snow develops through Saturday for Alberta, tracks into Saskatchewan Sunday
    Frigid air descends starting this weekend, coldest temperatures of the season so far expected early next week
    Stay aware of ALERTS in your area

SATURDAY -- UPSLOPE SNOW EVENT FOR PARTS OF ALBERTA

As cold air begins its march south across the Prairies this weekend, winds from the east will spell an upslope snow event for parts of Alberta. 10 to 20 cm are in the forecast for west-central Alberta, beginning early Saturday. Heavier amounts -- as much as 30 cm -- are expected for the northern foothills.

PR snow (6)

Saturday night will see snow drift south to include Calgary and Medicine Hat, with 5 to 10 cm expected from Edmonton south before the snow tapers off for the province early Sunday. A skiff of a few centimetres will also push east across southern Saskatchewan through the day on Sunday.
INTO NEXT WEEK -- THE COLDEST AIR WINTER HAS TO OFFER

Cold air streaming across the pole from Siberia -- cross-polar flow -- will be moving into the Prairies by the weekend. That will start the descent into some truly bitter weather on the way for next week.

"Temperatures will feel like some of the coldest January days that we get, especially across parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba," says Weather Network meteorologist Jaclyn Whittal.

https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/prairies-face-siberian-cold-and-a-swath-of-snow-into-second-week-of-december

Bundle up: Coldest air yet this season to send Midwest into deep freeze this week
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated dec. 9, 2019 4:38 AM

A valley in Oak Creek, Colorado, had all the ingredients for a beautiful morning on Saturday, Dec. 7.

An invasion of Arctic air will plunge temperatures to their lowest levels since last winter, and may set the stage for the biggest lake-effect snow event so far this season in the Midwest.

This week's deep freeze can come as a shock to Midwestern residents who have not experienced an extreme cold snap since Nov. 10-13. During this stretch, single-digit lows were recorded in Minneapolis.

The cold push will prove to be more intense, longer-lasting and even dangerous for people and animals who are outside for long length's of time.

The cold will come rocketing southward out of Canada as a swath of snow spreads from west to east across the Northern tier states into Monday night.

"Very cold Arctic air will plunge southward into the northern and central Plains through Monday and into the Great Lakes and Midwest Monday and Tuesday," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/winter-weather/bundle-up-coldest-air-yet-this-season-to-send-midwest-into-deep-freeze-next-week/641321

Deep freeze, extreme cold to spread across much of Canada this week
By Staff Global News
Posted December 10, 2019 3:30 pm
Updated December 10, 2019 5:21 pm

Much of Canada will be feeling a deep freeze as a cold front passes through this week, bringing temperatures as low as 15 degrees below normal.

“As if often the case, the Canadian Prairies are dealing with the brunt of the cold this week,” Global News’ chief meteorologist Anthony Farnell said Tuesday, Dec. 10.

Temperatures could hit the low -20s C, which, combined with wind, creates a wind chill approaching -40 C.

“This air is anywhere from 10 to 15 degrees below normal for this time of year.”
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Farnell also said a strong cold front is spreading the Arctic air south and east through Ontario, Quebec and eventually Atlantic Canada, but the temperatures will be moderating at the same time.

Eastern Canada will only experience air that’s a few degrees below normal before warming right back up again this weekend along with more rain.

But he warned that the deep freeze will start again this weekend up north, and once again spread south and east next week.
“If the forecast holds, it will be even colder for much of the country [next week],” Farnell said.

If you’re already tired of the chill, there is some good news. Farnell noted that long-range computer models are hinting at a milder pattern heading through the holidays.

With Christmas still a couple weeks away, it’s still too early to say which cities will have a blanket of snow on Dec. 25.

https://globalnews.ca/news/6278650/deep-freeze-canada/

Yesterday's hot and cold spots ...

Hot spot in Alberta: 6.5 °C           43.7 °F Claresholm

Cold spot in Alberta: -37.5 °C     -35.5 °F Fort Chipewyan Airport

Hot spot in Canada: 13.5 °C        56.3 °F Pitt Meadows, BC

Cold spot in Canada: -42.6 °C    -44.7 °F Key Lake, SK