Posted on 01/05/2014 1:12:25 PM PST by BenLurkin
While America collectively freaks out over their impending 'polar vortex', Canada is changing the game when it comes to cold weather phenomenon as reports of 'frost quakes' emerge from around Toronto and Ontario.
Indeed, as temperatures drop overnight to around -4f around the city hundreds of people are being startled by hearing large booms - causing them to think their homes are being broken into or gunshots are being fired.
In fact, they are merely hearing the after-effects of the frost quakes - or cryoseism - which are more commonly found on a glacier in the polar regions.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Stay warm, Canadian FRiends.
While living in my cabin in Idaho at 3500’ or so elevation, during the real cold stretches, -20 and below, you’d hear trees cracking with the cold, almost like gunshots.
I'm not freaking out, I'm just saddened that the Algor's environazis aren't sitting home, alone, in the dark, freezing.
Permafrost it turning permafrostier.
More commonly heard on large frozen lakes. Rather disconcerting to be sitting a mile out on ice and having a monster crack and heave rip across a lake.
I first heard about them here on FR just last week.
Pretty eerie !
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My wife and daughter just went to the beach. It’s a gorgeous day down here in Floriduh.
“Rather disconcerting to be sitting a mile out on ice and having a monster crack and heave rip across a lake.”
I’m thinking that’s one of the scenarios where, even if I made to it shore without further incident, I’d still have had an ‘accident’.
The very next paragraph said NOAA scientists say it's related to warming temperatures in the Arctic that can send these storms spinning off our way. But you had to read to the very last paragraph to learn that not all scientists think the current cold snap is caused by a polar vortex and that: "Many factors, including random chaos in the development of weather patterns, can produce such extreme winter events."
Talk about burying the lead!
Don’t worry...we got lots of tires to burn.
It’s a global warming quake, kinda like the stuck ships in Antarctica...
***’polar vortex’,***
Back in the olden days of a few years ago they referred to as “The Siberian Express” or “Alberta Clipper”.
“Polar Vortex” gives it a more fearful ring, like calling a rain storm a “drenchero” or a sandstorm now called a “haboob”.
hehe
Even old-timers get VERY jumpy when they get too close.
Resorts that put out a lot of ice houses have portable bridges for when the cracks show up.
We hear frost related sounds on our lake. Sounds almost like some little animal chattering, but it’s the lake ice cracking.
When it gets really cold, like -20F or colder, the rafters in our home make banging noises which I believe are the nailed joints minutely shifting due to contracting parts.
When we go on the roof to shovel snow off, care must be taken to prevent the asphalt shingles from breaking. A thick dull plastic shovel works best.
Here in the states we call those “Glowbull Warming Quakes”, and the only way to stop them is to elect demoncrats.
Toronto: 32
Ottawa: 23
Montreal: 26
Calgary: 3
Current temps in the US:
Billings, MT: 2
Minneapolis: -5
Bismarck,ND: -13
Been hearing that on my little lake this year. Was wondering what it was till I figured it out about a week ago.
I’m thinking “polar vortex” will be the name of a Sci-Fi channel movie very, very soon.
“First there was the Sharknado...now comes the POLAR VORTEX!!!”
Soon to be yet another, unmemorable SyFy Original Movie...
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