Edmonton and the weather

On a cold day like this one, one might expect me to be complaining about the weather, but I'm not. I might have small complaints now and again about being cold (for example if/when the doors are broken at work letting in too much cold air, or if I've somehow planned poorly for the weather by not wearing the appropriate clothing because of inaccurately reading the forecast, or because dress codes make it difficult for me to stay warm or something), or hot or something but generally I don't find the weather the best thing to complain about. Why? Because I can't honestly change it. It's something I live with whether there's snow drifts higher than the height of my boots or shoes or whether it's a hot summer day.

Some folks think that purely because I live in the North, or in Canada (and Edmonton very far north for its population in Canada… we're really far north when compared to most large cities in Canada) that it is always cold. But by virtue of our location we actually get a lot of sunlight, and while yes we can get rather cold in the winters, we're often really warm in the summers too. My favourite seasons weather-wise tend to be spring and fall because they're often either the most beautiful or easiest to dress for, but that isn't entirely true either. I adore winter because of winter sports, because of holiday activities, because of how clean the snow makes everything look, because I can curl up with a book indoors and just enjoy my central heating. I adore summer because I often don't need a jacket, because I can enjoy the festival season and have some really long periods of daylight and fun outdoors, because there's simply so much to do and enjoy in Edmonton when the weather is good.

Edmonton doesn't tend to get much severe weather: unlike places with more moisture we don't tend to get the ice storms, the crazy blizzards, the floods etc. And we're pretty fortunate in that respect! My least favourite part of winter is ice because falling on a slippery patch is no fun (skating rinks are different of course, I'm referring to the ice that crops up in places that are not where it is wanted!).

Anyway, on a cold day like this one, I try to remember just how awesome Edmonton weather really truly is, how thankful I am that I don't live in a place where heat waves necessitate crazy amounts of air conditioning and staying indoors in the summer, and that we have insulation and central heating to be thankful for. I'm also pretty darn happy that I can stay inside sometimes too.