The ups and downs of a Nova Scotia winter

Another week, another spin around the winter weather wheel of snow, ice, rain and wind. We were pummelled by yet another rain event this week, this one accompanied by high winds, falling tree branches and power cuts.

Winter in this part of the world is not easy. If you embrace the winter, you’ll take up outdoor winter sports like skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling.

You hope the weather cycle will not ruin your plans but often it will.

We can go from fluffy snow to ice, slush and muck and back to ice, all within a 24-hour period. I don’t know many outdoor winter sports suitable for that particular combination.

I sold my two sets of nordic skis late last year. I had classic cross-country skis and skate skis.

Being that good Canadian, I love being in nature doing these sports in the fresh cold air, but I got tired of rain ruining the party and always having to chase the snow. Unless you can get out right away and take advantage of a fresh snowfall, you’re going to lose your ideal conditions with the weather cycle.

If you’re dedicated to nordic skiing, you’ll spend your weekends driving to northern New Brunswick in search of the snow.

I sold my downhill skis a few years ago for similar reasons. Here in Nova Scotia,

ski hills have adapted to the weather by investing in snowmaking equipment, which builds a base on runs. Then rain storms come along and sabotage them. Even if the snow survives, who wants to go skiing in the rain?

And this isn’t just a Nova Scotia problem for the ski industry. This year, resorts in the European Alps are closing due to a lack of snow.

I gave up on these sports and turned to a winter sport that is more reliable: curling. The indoor rink is always the right temperature, no matter the weather.

It’s hard for someone like me to say if this is a weather thing or a climate change thing.

Weather is defined as conditions happening today or this month. It involves measurements like temperature, humidity, wind speed and barometric pressure.

In a place like Nova Scotia, you just have to wait a minute and all of that will change.

This is particularly true in winter because our temperatures often hover around the freezing point. One degree up or down can make the difference between rain, snow and ice.

Climate, on the other hand, is a long-term atmospheric condition that is influenced by phenomena such as El Nino, the jet stream and greenhouse gas emissions created by burning fossil fuels.

As the international community battles to stave off climate catastrophes like extreme heat, fires and floods, I have to wonder if our fickle Nova Scotia winters aren’t another consequence of climate change.

Growing up in Dartmouth, I recall the winter carnival each February. Many of the events were centred on frozen lakes and involved snow. Each year, we enjoyed outdoor skating parties and made snow sculptures.

Now we have open water on the lakes and, if there is ice, it is dangerously thin.

I noticed this week that the Doomsday Clock moved closer to midnight than it has ever been. It is now 90 seconds.

The folks behind this clock aren’t just a bunch of Debbie Downers. It is set by atomic scientists and Nobel laureates who track threats to humanity.

They say the war in Ukraine has increased the nuclear threat, but the clock was already being pushed by things like the COVID-19 pandemic and the climate crisis. They also identify cybersecurity and disinformation as major threats to democracy.

I suppose we can focus on the positives of warm winters and be happy we are shovelling less than we used to. But given the above, I’ll take the shovelling and snowy, cold winters.