My annual first winter kvetch

Environment Canada meteorologist René Héroux said the unusual nature of the storm made it difficult for forecasters to predict accurately. He said forecasters follow a numerical model to predict weather patterns, but it seriously underestimated the amount of snow.

"In a way, it was a very unusual weather system. They had rain in eastern Quebec — Gaspé, Rimouski and so on — and snow in the west. Usually, it's the other way around," said Héroux."Forecasting is not an exact science, so sometimes those things happen. It's pretty rare, but it happens."

yeah right...

Email this morning to mom in Florida since last week:

Dear Mom,

A brief dispatch to put a smile on your tanned and sweaty face... Wouldn't you know - it snows here in Montreal in the winter. Spent 30 minutes digging out last night and another 30 this morning. It wouldn't have been so bad if the weatherman (I would say 'weatherperson' but in this case the flub was so glaring it could have only been a man) had predicted the 15-20 cms we got instead of 2-4 cms. I mean with the millions and millions they spend on the science you'd think they'd come within 50% of their target and not miss it by 90%. Caught the overpaid crack Montreal snow removal squad completely by surprise, which I suppose, given past experience with them, is not very surprising. I left home at 7:38 this morning and arrived at work (10 kms) at 9:00 on the dot. The agenda for my day? Survey the buildings to make sure that the huge snowdrifts which typically accumulate into dangerous rooftop canopies that threaten to come thudding down seven storeys onto pedestrian heads are safely removed.

The kids had their ears glued to the radio this morning for the school cancellations. Only the shee-shee $20,000 a year Westmount private schools were announcing a 'snow day' (Miss Edgar's, The Study). Of course - the overpaid teachers and administrators should be the ones to get the day off. Enjoy the beach,

Love Glen

Comes mom's answer:

My face is not tanned, I have given up sitting in the sun, I do not sweat and my heat is on and on and on. It is 3 Celsius this morning. I'll tell you what I do do, however, reading about you shovelling heavy snow. I palpitate. The ventricles and the auricles are going pa-boom, pa-boom, glub, glub. I do not think shovelling snow is a great activity for a slightly overweight Jewish boy in his mid-forties who never does any other exercise except drive his kids around the city to their extra-curricular activities. Your two feet (one for the brake, one for the gas pedal) may be in great shape. Try getting rid of the snow by kicking it! Yes, I'm worried.