The Christmas forecast

First the good news. If you live in Denver you will have a white Christmas. Well I assume so since they've received two feet of snow. But for Canada, well maybe next year:

Toronto: Sunday will have a high of +4 with a chance of showers and Christmas Day will be sunny with a high of +3. Some golf courses are still open. I of course am thrilled. If I could control the weather I would like a dusting of snow Christmas Eve and a dusting of snow Christmas Day and then adios, see ya next year at this time. There are ski resorts within a few hours drive of Toronto and of course they can't even make snow because it is too warm. I dropped in at a cycle and ski shop last week and overheard a conversation: "my bike needs a tune-up, when can I bring it in?" "April" "April?" "our bike people are gone and our ski people are here now" "their is no snow within a thousand miles" "would you like a wax?" "on my bike?" "no, on your skis" Needless to say this ski/bike shop is not doing a roaring business.

Calgary: I'm not sure if there is snow in Calgary now but I do know on Christmas Day it will be sunny with a high of +6. Which really isn't terribly surprising I guess, it just never happened when I lived there. As far I can remember Calgarians are much more positive about the cold weather than those in Toronto. "hey Bob, nice weather aye, it's only 41 below, maybe a chinook tomorrow, how's your block heater?" "it died Neil, my battery is dead and our cat froze to death when we let it out last night but I'm pleased we have a dry cold".

Cranbrook: We have hope. Although Cranbrookians don't have a hope in hell of seeing snow on Christmas Eve with it being sunny all day with a high of -4, they could see two or three flakes of snow on Christmas Day. It's a strange world indeed. A few years ago Jim, Roy and myself go ice fishing on a gloriously sunny day in the middle of winter. It was cold but Jim had it all figured out and I enjoyed it immensly. I should have remembered that even though it's cold the sun shining off the snow can be deadly. Which it was for me: "Jim don't spend too much on crab and lobster for supper at this SuperStore, I'm starting to feel ill" "ill?" "getting there, the migraine and the shivers and shakes are starting to engulf my body" "any nausea yet Uncle Don?" "only if you count the dry heaves behind the canned goods section".

Creston: Close but no cigar. On Saturday in Creston it says snow and a high of zero. With a high of zero on Sunday with a mix of sun and clouds, there will no little wee flurries coming down in Creston on Christmas Eve. Robin and Karen might care: "yo Robin, quit with the guitar and look at the flakes of snow, they are coming down" "I"m practicing jingle bells Karen, for the kids, they will enjoy it" Which makes Ger an oddity, not because he's flakey, he is just odd: "would you quit with the decorating of the tree for a moment Karri, I need to take a pic of each stage of the progress made and by the way the hot tub has got to go, I'm having a good time aren't you".

And Kevin. If the Storms and Douvilles could control the weather (which I'm very disappointed we can't by the way), we would all want a little snow on Christmas eve and wake up to a glorious sunny Christmas with the sugar plum fairies having done their thing. Except for Kev: "oh gawd, please tell me it didn't snow overnight, okay I'll get up, I have to think about this, I'm still in one piece, all parts of my body are still attached to each other, I did it, Merry Christmas everyone"