Snow and Sun Rise

We have been hit with a cold and snowy winter this year, with off and on snow storms and very low temperatures. It hit us early, back in November and has been up and down since them. We get lots of deep snow, which later melts away, and then we are hit again.

Its actually been a little bit warmer (relatively speaking) the last couple of days, the snow is melting today as I type this, but not too long ago the temperature was -18°C, which felt much much colder when there was a windchill on top of that. Someone at work one day said it that it was in the negative 30s with the windchill. I don't know how accurate that was but we did have a few people come to the hospital with frostbite that needed digit amputations, so maybe there was some truth to it?

My walk to the hospital from our parking lot is short (2-3 minutes at most) but on days like that anytime outside feels too long. Getting inside as soon as possible is all you can think about. Its instant brain freeze if you're not wearing a hat (or a toque as we call them in Canada).

I like to stand in front of the windows in the hallway near my office when the sky is clear of clouds, to see the sunrise in the morning.

My office doesn't have any windows so I rarely get to see the sun in the winter. It can be depressing really.

Getting some sun in your eyes in the early morning supposedly helps with seasonal depression, so I try and take advantage when I can. The days are few and far between typically.

On extremely cold days like when its -18°C out, the factory smoke stacks look extra billowy. When warm air meets cold it creates condensation (as you probably know). I wonder though, if people who live in perpetually warm climates know that you can actually see your own breath when its cold out? I wonder if they have they ever seen or experienced it? Seeing your own breath is a common everyday occurrence in Canada in the winter, so I take it for granted. It could be a novelty if you have never experienced it.

Anyway, the extra billowy smokestacks are kind of cool looking. I don't know exactly what the factories produce but the city is a steel town so I'm guessing that's what they are for. I try not to think about the toxic air quality or how bad it might be.

The photos were taken over several days with different weather conditions, which you can see. The view is the prettiest when the sun is out and the rooftops of the houses and buildings are covered in white snow. The city almost looks like a quaint little village on those days. The last photo isn't a good representation of that but you can use you imagination, or go back to the photos above.

Well thats it for now? How's the weather where you are these days? Is it summer or winter for you, spring or fall? If you have never seen your breath on a cold day let me know in the comments. Bye for now.