shivering
Scribbled down on November 27th, 2006 by she
Posted in Frothing At The Bit
It’s freezing outside. Eventually there comes a time when the actual degree marker on the thermostat no longer matters. After five winters in Winnipeg, I had decided my cut off temperature is -20. Sure, I know that makes me a wimp, but it’s a dry cold. Those who’ve been raised in a dry cold will swear it’s much warmer than a wet cold. I’m sure that’s true if that’s what you’re used to, but I was raised on the east coast with the bone chilling wet cold that’s so familiar to Maritimers.
Today, it’s -24 (wind chill makes it feel like -37) and it hasn’t stopped snowing in days. I am not looking forward to shoveling the snow surrounding the house. Per the Edmonton bylaw:
Property owners are responsible for removing all snow and ice from City sidewalks adjacent to their property within 48 hours of the snow being deposited. It is illegal to remove snow from public or private property and place it on other public property.
Bah! The streets are packed in snow and many city sidewalks aren’t cleared in a reasonable amount of time, but if I and my neighbours don’t run out in freezing temperatures to dig out the sidewalks we risk being fined.
More importantly – does the 48 hour time period start when the snow starts falling or when it stops? The walk was shoveled this morning before I began work and a few more centimeters have fallen during the day. Since the snow is still falling, can I wait until it stops before I have to start shoveling again?
Technorati Tags: cold, winter, snow, Winnipeg, Edmonton, freezing, temperatures
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November 27th, 2006 at 5:45 pm
Geez…can’t say that I envy you at all. I grew up in Sweden so I can relate to snow and both the dry and wet cold. Don’t enjoy either of them at all.
Now I live in England and we still have what I would say is fall. Rain, wind and it’s chilly, but so far it’s not even been frozen and absolutely now snow. I doubt that we even get any snow at all this year.
November 27th, 2006 at 7:27 pm
The wise choice is to remove the snow early…..
If it snows more you have less to move the next go-round.
If it does not snow any more or much more you are ahead of the game.
BTW – Throw it on the street if you want….the plows have no compunction about throwing back on your clean sidewalk or driveway!
Suck it up get tough and go shovel…sheesh!
November 27th, 2006 at 7:51 pm
Christa – Apparently we had a very mild winter last year but I missed it. I’m willing to go back in time based on the weather this year…
OMMAG – Easy for you to say, you’re not the one who has to do the shoveling ;P
November 27th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
Don’t complain. It could be worse. It could be happening here in Toronto. We Torontonians do, as you no doubt know, live at the centre of the universe, so we can’t be expected to put up with that sort of nonsense. Besides, if it happened here, we’d call out the army to deal with it so you’d have to pick up your share of the tab.
November 27th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
Joel – Call out the military all you want – the hubby could use a free trip home to see his parents 0;-)
Actually, if I recall correctly, the city of TO was the only one that actually offered to pay DND for the use of soldiers as slave labour. I know similar offers were not forthcoming during the Ice Storms, floods in Quebec, Manitoba or BC, or fires in BC. If the city of TO is still willing to pay the bill, then I’m willing to send the hubby to dig you out AFTER he comes home and digs me out…
November 27th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
Fined for not shoveling snow on your own property? That’s insane….I’m glad I still live over here on the coast so I don’t have to deal with all of that garbage. Matter of fact, I don’t remember my parents ever shoveling snow when we lived on base in Germany for 4 years either.
November 27th, 2006 at 10:26 pm
As I understand it the sidewalks are city property – or at least, the city has access to an easement of so much land from the curb – thus we can be fined for not shoveling the snow from the sidewalks in front of your house. Don’t take my word for it though, I’m a brand new home owner and still learning the ropes.
November 28th, 2006 at 7:01 pm
[…] I seriously feel bad for the weather they’re already experiencing in Edmonton, I know it’s but a matter of time it’ll arrive in Toronto too, but for now I’m looking at temperatures of +15°C weather for at least the next two days, which I think is also confusing all the birds as they are flying in circles. […]
November 28th, 2006 at 8:14 pm
I feel so guilty living in FlatLand (not really) while our Northern Neighbors suffer the bite winter.
I offer you these to for the warmth they bring me.
http://davedragon.blogspot.com/2006/11/sunset-in-flatland-11252006.html
Dave Dragon
http://davedragon.blogspot.com
November 30th, 2006 at 5:15 pm
FYI
Edmonton Traffic Bylaw #5590
“Property owners are responsible for removing all snow and ice from City sidewalks adjacent to their property within 48 hours of the snow being deposited. It is illegal to remove snow from public or private property and place it on other public property.”
There still is debate whether the 48 hours starts when the snow does or when the snow stops.