It's tough living in the North!
- Thread starter Why not?
- Start date
That's not exactly true Sheep, that was recorded by the military. Although the low has exceeded this number in many areas since, most are not classed as actual weather stations, so they don't seem to count. Even that temp was only recorded by one individual at the Snag airport and as such was never actually confirmed. When he radioed in the temp to his headquarters in Whitehorse, a big deal was made of it and it went out world wide and as such became the coldest temp ever recorded in Canada. I worked north of the Arctic Circle most of one winter and the thermometer on the Eagle river regularly was -60 to -65 and one morning was -72, that's 98 degrees below zero F. The Snag temp all has to do with what is an "official recording". I think the Snag temp was also made such a huge deal of, because it would make other countries, like say Russia, think twice about possibly invading NA through the basically undefended north. One must remember that this was barely 2 years following WWII and Russia and the US were starting to vie for world power and the alliance between them during WWII was starting to break down. I do believe that Snag at that time was still being manned by US soldiers, I could be wrong on that, but I heard that they weren't all pulled out until early '49. Most of these stations along the Alaska flight route were US manned.
Anyway there are a lot of factors at play with that 1947 coldest ever recorded temp, but yes technically it is still the coldest "recorded" temp in Canada.
Anyway there are a lot of factors at play with that 1947 coldest ever recorded temp, but yes technically it is still the coldest "recorded" temp in Canada.
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I've been out once when it was freakish cold. I could watch my breath freaze and fall as ice while sitting in the car and the floor mat broke when I put my feet on it. The car would not even try to start, not a click when turning the key. My thermometer was marked down to -50c and it was below that.
Right now the forcast is for it to be -41c Thursday night in Yellowknife, my wife has never experinced cold like that so it should be interesting to see what she makes of it
Right now the forcast is for it to be -41c Thursday night in Yellowknife, my wife has never experinced cold like that so it should be interesting to see what she makes of it
I've been out once when it was freakish cold. I could watch my breath freaze and fall as ice while sitting in the car and the floor mat broke when I put my feet on it. The car would not even try to start, not a click when turning the key. My thermometer was marked down to -50c and it was below that.
Right now the forcast is for it to be -41c Thursday night in Yellowknife, my wife has never experinced cold like that so it should be interesting to see what she makes of it
Wow - that sounds pretty darn cold. We only ever see maybe -40C on a really cold night and any more that is few and far between.
Doug and sheephunter,
Certainly, official temperature records are a matter of some discussion.
As you know, Doug, there are still many people living here who claim the temp in Mayo that night was -81. Some say it was colder than that.
sheephunter, one fellow said his thermometer only went to -70, that it was so cold it bent the nail it was hanging from.
For a while, the welcome sign to the town actually proclaimed it being the coldest place in NA.
Ted
Certainly, official temperature records are a matter of some discussion.
As you know, Doug, there are still many people living here who claim the temp in Mayo that night was -81. Some say it was colder than that.
sheephunter, one fellow said his thermometer only went to -70, that it was so cold it bent the nail it was hanging from.
For a while, the welcome sign to the town actually proclaimed it being the coldest place in NA.
Ted
LOL...that is a classic......it's funny how bucks get bigger, women get prettier and temperatures get colder with the passage of time. A few years ago I used to laugh at the old timers telling those stories...now I'm the guy telling them...ugh
Always found the winters back east (St. Lawrence valley) tougher than out here in BC. That wind would whistle down that river and you would shrivel up inside. Miserable cold at -20c, your eyes would water and freeze shut. Never been to Whitehorse type country so cannot compare. Coldest experience was a Sudbury Saturday night in the 70's, had to push the vehicles inside to get them started. We plan on visiting Yukon soon but it will be in the summer.
I've been out once when it was freakish cold. I could watch my breath freaze and fall as ice while sitting in the car and the floor mat broke when I put my feet on it. The car would not even try to start, not a click when turning the key. My thermometer was marked down to -50c and it was below that.
Right now the forcast is for it to be -41c Thursday night in Yellowknife, my wife has never experinced cold like that so it should be interesting to see what she makes of it
The winter I worked north of the circle, no vehicle was ever shut off......period. Even after an hour nothing is going to fire at 85-90 below F and after six hours nothing turns over and batteries freeze and bust. Steel turns to glass and shatters if you hit it or shock it in the slightest way...........it's a whole different world at those temps............Another Jan, somewhere around '85 it was -53 with a 50 Kph north wind in Whitehorse for about a week.....no one went to work, nothing moved and everyone just stayed home and tried to keep things from freezing up............It's tough living in the North !!!
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So what you are trying to say, if I am reading between the lines correctly is that was the start of the "Cold War"
LOL
- Location
- AB foothills
Doug and sheephunter,
Certainly, official temperature records are a matter of some discussion.
As you know, Doug, there are still many people living here who claim the temp in Mayo that night was -81. Some say it was colder than that.
sheephunter, one fellow said his thermometer only went to -70, that it was so cold it bent the nail it was hanging from.
For a while, the welcome sign to the town actually proclaimed it being the coldest place in NA.
Ted
Thats a good one Ted!
I remember working near the Chinchaga river in northern Alberta 20 some years ago in -53. It had hit -58 the week before.
I can't even imagine anything colder.
So is that why you moved
J/K of course!!!
Actually crazy_davey, that was a very big part of why I looked for warmer winter climes. I'm sick and tired of fighting vehicles at -40, you get 4 hours daylight in late Dec and if you have to spend 2 of those hours fighting the cold and vehicles 1/2 your day is gone!! There are better ways to spend your winter months, especially as you get older and less tolerant of the extreme cold like that. Lot of things I love about the Yukon...........winter ain't one of 'em anymore.
- Location
- AB foothills
Fully understand, that was why I put in the kidding part... Just having a bit of fun with ya!
In the 30 years that I lived in the Arctic, coldest that I experienced was -56, with calm air. Two days before, it had been -48 with wind around 75mph. Just wild. This was in January '75 in Arviat, just north of pounder's home.
Retired from Baffin Island to Central ON. Winter is easier to deal with on Baffin - less snow, and you aren't vehicle dependant.
Retired from Baffin Island to Central ON. Winter is easier to deal with on Baffin - less snow, and you aren't vehicle dependant.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Alaska & myself have a love/hate relationship. In Jan 1989 a Canadian Hercules crashed and nine fellow soldiers and airmen died upon impact, at Fort Wainwright. A bizarre set of circumstances prevented myself from attending this Brimfrost Exercise. This was shortly after the cancelled paradrop, and was the second Herc' transport to attempt to land. At the time interior Alaska was experiencing record low temperatures. Trucks were freezing solid. My trips there in 1984 and 2000 were less dramatic, but certainly eye popping in natural beauty. Hence I'm still on the topside of the ground.
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Alaska & myself have a love/hate relationship. In Jan 1989 a Canadian Hercules crashed and nine fellow soldiers and airmen died upon impact, at Fort Wainwright. A bizarre set of circumstances prevented myself from attending this Brimfrost Exercise. This was shortly after the cancelled paradrop, and was the second Herc' transport to attempt to land. At the time interior Alaska was experiencing record low temperatures. Trucks were freezing solid. My trips there in 1984 and 2000 were less dramatic, but certainly eye popping in natural beauty. Hence I'm still on the topside of the ground.
Condolences for your lost friends Brutus.
Tried to find the news articles or any kind of evidence to back this but no luck. I spent several years in Armstrong Ontario and one year (winter of 95 or 96)was particularly weather-news worthy. Our coldest ambient temperature was -61 C and +41 C all in the span of 12 foul months.
Those kind of cold temperatures are very humbling experiences....ice fog, exhaust from vehicles staying at eye level, metal exceptionally brittle, material of my coat cracking just bending my arm, fully winter kitted up inside a "warm" vehicle. Not much to do except try to stay warm.
Those kind of cold temperatures are very humbling experiences....ice fog, exhaust from vehicles staying at eye level, metal exceptionally brittle, material of my coat cracking just bending my arm, fully winter kitted up inside a "warm" vehicle. Not much to do except try to stay warm.
