A chinook is a warm wind that blows from the coast over the Rocky Mountains. When it hits the prairies, the snow melts. You can get up in the morning to -20 C and a foot of snow then by noon, the snow is almost gone and the temperatures are hovering above zero. People shed coats and enjoy the spring-like temperatures for a few days before the cold returns. Yes, a chinook does mean wind - sometimes gusting up to 120 miles per hour - and it means things get a little muddy for a few days. But after weeks of temperatures well below freezing, I'll take a little mud. So many people here gripe about the wind, but I'll admit, when I moved away from the area I found myself missing it just a little.
So I'm ready for a little warm. Just for a few days. Then I can take the deep freeze again for a while. My pantry is well stocked with hot chocolate after all.
5 comments:
I miss the chinooks. Luckily we haven't suffered from the cold like Alberta. But wait, winter isn't over yet.
Or you could come visit Arizona! :)
I do sometimes miss the chinooks too. Weird...missing wind. If you could only have a chinook without the wind...hmmm.
We finally got our chinook. Now everything is just a great big slush puddle. And a chinook without the wind is just called spring I think :)
Nicole - we are talking about coming to Arizona, but we aren't very clever and can only get the time to come in August. Makes us appreciate the Alberta weather that much more.
I'd love a chinook right now, but it's been fog for a few days and it will NOT burn off.
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