Spring finally springs tomorrow

From the addition of the terms “polar vortex” and “frost quakes” to our day-to-day conversations — to brutal ice storms and bitterly cold weather — this winter has been one to remember — or forget — depending on your perspective.

Hundreds of thousands of people will never forget being without power for days, thanks an ice storm just before Christmas. Tree branches were encased in 20-30 millimeters of ice weighing them down, or worse breaking them to pieces.

Then came an unusual phenomenon. Environment Canada’s Geoff Coulson describes frost quakes. “People hearing explosive noises. Their houses shaking, window panes rattling and the couldn’t figure out where noise was coming from but with some research we found as the water was seeping into the ground, freezing up quickly and expanding as it froze it was creating pressure in the ground the pressure was being released by these booming noises.”

Environment Canada says this has been the coldest winter in the Golden Horseshoe since 1993. They recorded 15 days where temperatures dipped below minus 20 degrees celsius.

“Our normal is about 3 so, another way to put this winter in to context not only long, not only cold but extreme cold.”

Snow storms kept children home from school several times. “It’s pretty much as bad as everyone thought it was.”

Snow caused chaos on the highways; especially last month when 96 vehicles crashed in to each other on the 400 just south of Barrie.

Two died in a crash involving 37 vehicles on Highway 402 west of London.

Airports shut down. Needless to say if Old Man Winter was real, he’d be getting an earful.

“Brutal. I have 2 little kids and it’s hard to go outside.”

“Long and brutal.”

“Cold and I never know what to wear, I got three coats and I wear a different one every day.”

“It would just be nice to enjoy some spring.”

As of 12:57 tomorrow afternoon, winter’s officially over, and spring arrives. But Geoff Coulson says don’t put away your parkas, winter boots or take off your snow tires just yet: we’re expecting more snow this weekend.

Coulson says spring will be cooler than normal as we try to shake the polar vortex gripping most of the country. He says it’s too early to predict what kind of summer we’ll have but the Farmers’ Almanac is calling for a warmer-than-normal summer and in fact it predicts a warmer-than-normal spring as well, so there’s some conflict as to what to expect in the next few months.