A White Christmas

So, we do get snow on the Island after all.  

This has not been a typical year for us in BC, record warm spring, extreme heatwaves and fires in summer, multiple atmospheric rivers of rain from September on, flooding and devastation, and now Arctic air and snow.    Lots of retrospectives in the papers and TV on the winter 1996 which was the last record snow fall, and we were not close to thst, but it’s the most we’ve experienced.  (But to be honest, we’re often in France when most of the snow days show up)

The week leading up to Christmas delivered some light, picturesque snow, before the Christmas Eve into Christmas Day fall. 

  On Monday December 20th, I walked along the Parksville boardwalk, very icy, just about 0 degrees. 

Mount Arrowsmith, our local weather maker, looks majestic with a fresh mantle of snow  

And then, Christmas Eve, going into Christmas Day the main event happened, and the frigid temperatures came right after , -9 or -10 at night, and -5 to -6 during the day. 

It was fortunate that we had cloud cover for the week or the temperatures would have been even more frosty. 

Here’s the view we woke up to, on Christmas morning from our living room windows.  It was still snowing until noon. 

Then there was partial clearing..

We decided to go for a short walk down some of our deserted streets, but it was so peaceful and the heavy snow on the trees so captivating that we branched  off the road and returned via the golf course that we back onto, and found some untrodden paths and some photographic opportunities.  

This was the point where we left the street and began waking the course.

Here’s one eagle, but we spotted a few flying around. Perhaps they were anxious that the snow was burying their food supply of mice and other prey. 

Here is a view we never get to see,  of the back of our house, the one on the left. 

Editors note: my in house editor tells me this is NOT the back of our house, but a look alike, because, well, they all look alike.

A longer view of the back of our houses, with the golf course pond. 

This winding secluded arbour-like path leads to our back door, and warmth and wine

And, we received another fall over night into today, Thursday 30th.  

The total accumulation on my unscientific patio table measurement scale was 23 centimeters or 9 inches this morning.  But!  The outside temperature this afternoon rose to a balmy zero, so, the Arctic air mass is moving on to  whiter pastures.  Or more likely receding back to from whence it came.  And for Saturday/Sunday, 40mm of rain, glorious rain   

Have a wonderful, safe, peaceful and healthy 2022 everyone! 

And,  one last photo from a very talented photographer on Twitter of the  Vancouver skyline blanketed with this  mornings snow.