Commentary, musings, nature, Photography

Baby It’s Cold Outside

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Having spent six winters in the subarctic Northwest Territories, I am accustomed to cold weather. I used to walk to work in -40C (-40F) and colder, in fact. The very atmosphere was frozen and crackly and my eyelashes and parka froze too, but dressed properly, I was perfectly comfortable and warm.

I am also accustomed to cold conveyances. Cold trucks, cold aircraft, cold snowmobiles, cold machinery, period.

Fresh snowflakes; photo taken outside my door in February 2023 while on my way to work.
Dash 7 Combi – a northern workhorse that is capable of an amazingly incredible amount – ferrying passengers and cargo and getting into and out of demanding landing and takeoff circumstances.
Underneath the snow is my reliable truck, also capable of a lot.

Any engine of any type has to be treated with respect, especially if it has been left outside to cool to the surrounding temperature. The north forces patience. Everything takes more time and more preparation and precaution, and trips, even “quick trips to get a litre of milk” are weighed more carefully. Do I really need to go outside in -42C for milk? Or can I go without it until tomorrow when I have five other errands to do?

Yellowknife street clearing.

It’s funny how everything is relative. Now that I’m in the south, I see our weather from a different perspective. A couple of days ago, M and I walked to our neighbourhood brewery for a beer and a sandwich. It was windy and snowing a little. Before we left, the waitress wished us a safe walk home “in this terrible weather.” M and I laughed a bit but we also are falling into that mindset, too. I recently complained to a northern friend about an expected cold snap; she laughed and told me that I’m getting soft. Simultaneously it also occurred to me that I’m no longer a northerner, a northern-domiciled nomad who travels to the south for breaks and lives “real life” in the (mostly) cold.

There’s a saying that “we are what we eat.” But after many years of wayfaring, I’m beginning to think that we also “are where we eat,” too. We take on the characteristics of the places where we root ourselves, even if we wish our roots were somewhere else. It’s part of the human experience, I think.

I find myself thinking of our upcoming cold snap with “my! That’s cold!” But really, I’ve experienced much colder, much more demanding weather with a lot more riding on the decisions regarding it. But that’s also not my reality any more and my perception has been affected.

At least, that’s one of my little theories of relativity.

65 thoughts on “Baby It’s Cold Outside”

  1. Ah that’s all so true – your theories of relativity are sound. Such things change as you get older too, I was always the one without a coat and the one sleeping with windows open in winter. Nowadays I find the cold (and wet) difficult and pine for hot sunshine all the time we’re back in England.

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    1. Yes, I find that I’m beginning to have some temperature regulation issues: takes me longer to warm up or cool off and I’m also much more sensitive to temperature differences, too. The interior system isn’t working as well as it used to! I also find that I just want an easier climate to live in, as well. In the north, getting dressed to go outside for 10 minutes takes 20 minutes. 😊

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  2. Very interesting post. The pictures of fresh snowflake and Aurora borealis are my personal favorites!

    I definitely agree with ” we are where we eat”. It displays the dynamic perspective of life that changes based on the location and is never the same the very next day. “We are what we eat” , I feel, is more restrictive in that sense.

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    1. Thank you very much, Keerthi. 🙂

      When I travel, especially if it’s off the beaten track, I usually find that the easiest way to access the culture of a place is through the food (although with globalisation that has changed, particularly in some areas of the world) so where we eat and what we eat can be tightly linked. But I agree, “what we eat” can be restrictive, particularly as our world becomes smaller.

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  3. Your post is a good reminder that we should keep things in perspective. I’ve become a real wimp since I’ve lived in the coastal version of winter, but I appreciate how hard it is to function in extreme cold. That northern weather commands respect.

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    1. It sure does, Anneli. I’m amazed at how quickly I’m acclimating, although I was dismayed to awaken to -17 this morning. (The overnight low of -21 broke a record set in 1950! ) I know how to dress for this kind of weather – I still have my NWT parka – but realised how mentally ill-equipped I am (or want to be) for these deep-freeze conditions any more. It’s like my patience for it retired as well.

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  4. Nice post Lynette. Always good to harken back to the “good old days”. Sometimes you realize they were neither as good nor as bad as you thought, but you still survived them. -37 here this morning….-45 tomorrow. Will see if the old car will start. Cheers. Allan

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    1. Thank you very much, Allan. Agreed; they’re neither as good nor as bad as you thought.
      We had -21 as an overnight low which broke a record set in 1950. Many people here are struggling with it since there aren’t any plug-ins and many vehicles left outside aren’t starting. Lots of folks just don’t have the clothes, either. Yesterday I saw some city employees trying to get the homeless off the streets. I hope everyone was inside last night.
      -37 is way down there, Allan, although I recall those cold temperatures were pretty normal for Edmonton when I flew out of City Centre. Good luck with your car. Cheers.

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    1. I agree, Wayne, an excellent point. I’m former military though and did winter training in northern Quebec in -30C temperatures, so I think I know what you mean. I also did civilian search and rescue and was once out on an overnight search in -20. I was a good bit older then and definitely found it colder!

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  7. I completely agree with you. I grew up in Winnipeg, not the north, but one of the coldest places in Canada in winter. Anyway when I moved to Calgary and people complained of the cold when it reached -20, I thought they were whiners. Now I’m one of them! Although this week Calgary is getting Winnipeg weather😊

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    1. Winnipeg can get pretty cold and I’m sure you’ve heard all the inane jokes. But yes, it’s amazing how quickly we acclimate! The cold we have right now is pretty mild compared to other areas of the country but then I realise the effect it could have on all the grape vines and fruit trees. On the other hand, yes, it’s usually cold here but the prairies are really getting walloped. Stay toasty. 😊

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  8. I love this, perfect photos & perfect remarks — you take me back, there was a time when I wrote a lot for First Air’s Above & Beyond so travelled the hamlets a lot in those Dash 7 combis, even wrote a story for Canadian Geographic about how they juggle passengers & cargo, from one stop to the next, so very impressive and we outsiders take it all for granted — I’m about to post about our much milder day here in Vancouver, so it’s good to be reminded of real cold — I also rememember, I think in Yellowknife, why everyone preferred a particular brand of car: not because it was more reliable but because the accelerator & brake pedals were widely spaced enough that, when wearing fat winter boots, you didn’t risk stepping on both at once

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    1. Thank you very much, Penny. 🙂
      I knew that you had spent time in the north on combis but I didn’t realize that you wrote for First Air and Canadian Geographic. The combis are amazing but of course they have to be loaded correctly. In lots of ways, they’re F150s of the sky (I only say that because so is my truck, and it fit the bill exactly (could also be a Chev or another kind as they’re all about the same).
      Yes, I remember that about the vehicle pedals. Of course, vehicle design has improved and so have boots!
      Looking forward to your post – my understanding was that Vancouver got walloped with cold as well? -7C or so?

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      1. I remember sitting with the guy in the Ottawa First Air office, while he plotted the logistics for each next-day flight — figuring how the bulkhead would move at each hamlet stop as the balance of cargo & passengers changed, how to factor in the closest alternate airport and weather probs… It all gave me huge respect for the backroom work that makes the flights possible and keeps the intricate dance of people and materials moving back and forth.

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        1. Thanks for recognising that, Penny. It’s a lot of work that most people don’t know about at all. The planning has to be done carefully to ensure proper balance in tandem with fuel burn. What timeframe was it that you were with the flight planner as he worked? Was that as part of your job? I ask because that wouldn’t be allowed any more due to security regulations. Cheers.

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          1. It was the 1990s — I was freelance, and wrote a lot for First Air, as well as southern mags like Equinox, Saturday Night, Financial Post etc. I remember once flying the mail flight Ottawa-Iqaluit with First Air, mid-winter and middle of the night, flying into an endless curtain of northern lights, it was stunning — and another glimpse into the background work needed to supply “normal” services, like mail delivery, into the far north. What flying were you doing?

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          2. I didn’t realize you wrote freelance for so many publications, Penny, and make no wonder you do such great blog posts. It sounds like a job you loved.
            At that time I was still collecting experience but eventually did a lot of flying in Alberta, NWT and Yukon on a number of different aircraft types.

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  9. I remember the photo of your truck barely visible under the snow and thought to myself winter here is pretty tame.
    Mind you, I remember tremendous snowfalls when I was a kid and seeing people skiing down a major artery of the city because nothing else was moving. I loved the snow then. Now not so much😊.
    Your photo of the Northern Lights is spectacular!

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    1. Thank you very much. 😊
      One of the best things about living in the Okanagan is that there’s no shovelling! (Even with this cold snap there hasn’t been much snow.) I’ve shovelled that truck out countless times; house exit doors, steps and path to the road, too. Glad I’m retired from that!
      I agree about those childhood snowfalls and how everyone was sent home; nothing much would be moving. Of course, it’s much different now; kids (and a lot of adults, too) don’t get those snow days any more.

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    1. Thank you very much. 😊
      It doesn’t take long, I’m finding. I’m also finding that as I age, my internal temperature regulation isn’t working as well as it used to. Like Goldilocks in Baby Bear’s bed, I’m beginning to want everything just right!

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  12. I can relate to this, having lived in both a tropical environment and a northern cold environment. I witnessed people breaking out heavy sweaters and coats for 60f or 15c in Florida. That kind of weather is shorts and tank-tops for northerners. I don’t feel like I ever grew thin-blooded while there. I’m not a person who handles long-term heat well, or even short-term for that matter. We’re getting socked with snow today. Over a foot!! I haven’t seen this much snow in one storm since I was a child. Then, this weekend, those frigid temps are coming our way, so the snow will be hard and crunchy. Ack. Only 67 days to spring. 😉

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    1. Hi Lori, I knew you would be able to relate. When I lived in Arizona I also remember seeing people wearing heavy fleece jackets when it was about 15C or so.
      I’m finding as I age that my internal temperature regulator isn’t working as well any more. I am now easily getting hot and easily getting cold. Like Goldilocks, I would like things to be just right! Basically, I’m turning into an old lady. 🙂
      This nasty weather system is affecting a lot of North America, it seems. Ontario and Quebec are apparently getting a shellacking this weekend, too. You’re right, Lori; we have to focus on spring now! 🌸 Stay warm and be careful with the shovelling.

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      2. I looked at it on Google Maps and I notice Prince of Wales Heritage Centre. So, is the NWT still part of the British Empire? Is that a thing there? Is there pride in it or divided opinion?

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        1. The Northwest Territories is part of Canada (it makes up a lot of our northern landmass), and as part of Canada it is also part of the Commonwealth of Nations.

          If I recall my history correctly, the British Empire was dissolved in 1931, and former colonies who had become semi-independent were invited to join the Commonwealth, an organisation of equal countries who chose to keep the British monarch as head of state and that also promoted democracy, peace, good government and in many cases, significant trade ties with each other as well (Australia and NZ are also members).

          Canada continues to be a member which means that QE II and KC III are/were recognised as heads of state. Since the end of WW II, this has become totally ceremonial, however. The monarchy is represented in the Parliament in Ottawa by a governor-general appointed by the government. This person oversees ceremonial events but has no political power whatsoever.

          Every now and then people discuss the idea of dropping the monarchy altogether (it has been seriously debated in Australia), but then we go back to the idea that “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” so I think the monarchy will be with us in a ceremonial way for a long time. I wouldn’t say that there’s pride in our royal affiliation (and those of French-Canadian background – me included – have opposed continuing to maintain it), it’s more that in the end, removing it would cause a tremendous lot of expense when we really have effectively sidelined the monarchy anyway. Pragmatism and easing out is more in line with the Canadian way. 🙂

          That’s the quick background explanation for why there’s a Prince of Wales centre in Yellowknife. More specifically, when he was a prince and visiting NWT, Charles officially opened it and it was named after him. Every now and then a working member of the royal family visits to support a charitable cause or open a building, so you will see references to royalty here and there, but that’s not happening as much as it used to years ago.

          So there you are. Probably more information than you were expecting but I hope that explains it. 😊 Cheers.

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    1. Thank you very much. 🙂
      These photos were taken in the north (above 60° north latitude) where it normally gets very cold. Right now, though, most of the country is experiencing a very unusual cold snap that’s dropped the temperatures well into extreme minus ranges (yup – insane is right!). I live in part a of Canada that’s usually very temperate (below zero is also unusual here) but we’re being walloped too. Our wineries and orchards are under serious duress right now – big heaters have been put up in the fields. In my little opinion I think we’re seeing some of the effects of climate change. Ugh.

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      1. Sorry about the adverse weather events , we have had our share of flooding in recent summers in NZ. I visited Whitehorse 35 years ago but in an August heatwave. Too soft to have gone in winter! But did see the Northern Lights play en route on the Alaska Highway. Your photo brought back the memories of the most wonderful natural sight I have seen!

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        1. You have visited Whitehorse! It can get quite warm because of the midnight sun (or the very long daylight hours) and a lot of northerners find the heat difficult to deal with, of course (and insomnia is pretty common, too). Glad to hear that you got to see the lights – they are so amazing.
          So sorry to hear about your flooding. It sounds as if this is something relatively new.

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  15. Interesting observations Lynette. I remember many of my relatives saying that they had to keep their vehicles plugged in at night when they lived in Alaska. I have found that as I’m getting older I have less tolerance for temperature extremes; give me a pleasant 17 – 20C and I’m perfectly content. Beautiful photos; the one of the northern lights is stunning!

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    1. Thank you very much, Tricia. 🙂
      Plugging in vehicles is required in many parts of this country. You will see rows of plug-ins outside of office and government buildings, schools, and hotels. A lot of BC doesn’t need them though because it’s very temperate (similar to Washington) so with the extreme cold snap we’re experiencing right now many vehicles aren’t starting. I imagine that Washington is getting some of this too. Ugh.
      I’m having the same issue with my internal temperature regulation. Like Goldilocks, I would prefer “just right!”Cheers. 😊

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    1. Thank you very much.😊 Those photos were taken in the sub-Arctic above 60° north latitude; we moved to the south last May. We’re supposed to be temperate here in our wine producing, tree fruit growing valley; that was one of the reasons for moving here. But it seems that the weather has distinctly different ideas in mind. Right now it’s definitely bed-sock time!

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  18. That’s a great observation. We humans are adaptive creatures and tend to change our habits and tolerances based on where we live. Maybe necessity has something to do with it. If winter is consistently below zero where you live, you’re going to have to go out eventually and get used to it 🙂

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    1. Thanks Jake. I agree. I handled the north well and thought nothing of walking to work in -40 or lower. But now that I’m in a temperate climate in the south, I find the cold such an irritant, even though I know how to dress for it and cope with it. Expectations figure into it a lot, I’m thinking! Thanks for stopping and commenting.

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  19. I subscribe to that completely, Lynette, though I never lived anywhere with temperatures so extreme. My home on the north east coast of England was cold, grey and damp most winters, and some summer times too. When inland was sunny, often we had sea fog. I loved cold bright days, but they happened so rarely. The move to the Algarve in Portugal was planned some 15 years before we could make it happen, and no regrets (other than family are further away) now that we’ve been here 5 years full time. But I can be cold at 12-14C here some winter days, when once 2-6C was nothing rare.
    ‘T luxury! Winter days here are more often 18-20C. I feel quite spoilt on those occasions.

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    1. It sounds like you did something similar to us. We worked in the far north and then eventually bought our “forever home” in the south a couple of years before making the permanent move. We did a lot of planning and the execution was much smoother as a result. We briefly considered Portugal as well but then decided to stay in Canada. It sounds as though you are very happy with your choice.

      Canada is huge and while many see it as a strictly northern country (to be fair there actually is a lot of north) there is so much variation, too. We live in a deep valley between two mountain ranges that’s very temperate in winter and hot in the summer. It’s covered in orchards and a major wine industry exists. We love it here.

      I was raised by the ocean and experienced those cold, wet winters also although the summers were lovely.

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting and also for the follow. Cheers.

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  20. Ah yes, you’ve definitely experienced much colder, snowier and tougher winters than most of us. It’s kind of funny how we can acclimatize so quickly though. Goes to show how resilient we are … and how much we don’t like the cold!

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    1. I couldn’t agree more, Linda. By comparison, the little cold snap we just experienced here was nothing, but I felt like it was going on for a long time. So funny. My patience for cold weather is kind of worn down!

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