During late autumn we begin getting a lot of valley cloud that can envelop us for days at a time in a sort of luminous cotton ball.

On average, the Okanagan Valley is about 230 metres (754 ft) deep and during late autumn and winter, a thermal inversion occurs which is a thick, low-lying layer of cloud that stops up the valley like a cork in a bottle.

It typically arrives around now and can be unrelenting until about mid-February. While it protects our wine grapes and fruit trees from the winter low temperatures that most of the rest of the country experiences and usually gives us mild, snowless winters, it can also ground air traffic and impact mental health when the sun is blotted out for weeks on end. 

Although this phenomenon is common wherever deep mountain valleys can be found, the valley floor’s 132 km (82 miles) long Okanagan Lake contributes to the strength of its effects and causes it to be extremely stubborn here in the Okanagan. So, other than visiting a sunny southern country or sitting in front of a sunlight lamp, how do we get a rest from all that cloud?

Well, one thing we do is to visit a ski resort for lunch. We are surrounded by mountains that have a corresponding number of ski hills high enough to be quite far above the valley cloud, so since we don’t ski any more, we go for lunch to enjoy the sun and blue skies. It’s a lovely break from the overcast.

Another thing I find helpful is to look for the remaining autumn colours.

This cotoneaster is brilliant as is the barberry pictured below.

There are also the seasonal lights – coming soon – that brighten these shorter, grey days.

Although many people are really affected by the grey conditions that usually develop here during the winter, I find that it does have its own beauty.

The clouds themselves as they hang on the sides of the valley and puff over the lake are lustrously pearlescent and their shapes gorgeous, and given how they protect the valley during the coldest months, I think that’s a fair trade-off.

Happy Monday.