BTW the harbour froze this year, something that only happens a couple of times in a decade.
Posted on 01/03/2014 5:41:41 AM PST by Squawk 8888
While the bitter cold makes life uncomfortable above ground, it appears it is causing problems below the surface, too.
In emails and tweets to CP24, residents from various parts of the Toronto area, including York and Peel regions, Oshawa and Rexdale, said they were awakened overnight by thunderous booms that they suspect were caused by cryoseisms, also known as frost quakes, in the frozen ground.
Some viewers said the loud booms startled them and shook their houses.
Police in York and Peel regions said they received several calls from people who were alarmed and wanted to know what was going on.
Similar noises were heard earlier this week and Christmas Eve.
Frost quakes are a rare event in the GTA and they occur when ground water freezes and the ice expands, creating an explosive expansion of air, said CP24 meteorologist Bill Coulter.
In the GTA, the temperature dropped to about -23 C overnight with a wind chill of -35.
Wimps. -36 a few hours north, with wind chill pushing it to -42. Ran both woodstoves flat-out this morning.
Wimpy I am. Spent one winter in Sudbury listening to the locals extol the virtues of “dry cold”.
Never. Again. In. My. Lifetime.
I’m not as far north as Sudbury—but having spent a number of winters in TO, I’ll take -36 up here over walking on a North-South street near the Lake in February with a wicked wind coming off of the Lake. Plus—wood heat is comforting, and who heats with wood in the GTA?
Lots of free firewood lying in the streets here- come down and pick it up and the locals will thank you ;)
Just remmebner, at -45 your pish freezes before it hits the ground. Hence the term: “having a tinkle.”
Tinkle should not be confused with frost quakes, unless
its Michael Buble having his tinkle./s
It was your first time, eh?
We get them all the time from the Ottawa river. At -25c, we start getting them from our deck. They used to un-nerve me a bit at first.
Why don’t they put snow tires on rental cars in winter?
Of all the people who could be helped by snow tires, ......
Both wood stoves going full blast here in Ottawa.
Did you hear about the Propane shortage? Here in eastern Ontario people are only getting 1/2 the propane they ordered, and it’s said this could last until March.
BTW the harbour froze this year, something that only happens a couple of times in a decade.
Haven’t heard about it but not really an issue in a city with gas mains. If it happened in the summer, though, BBQ enthusiasts would treat it as an emergency.
Hadn’t heard about the propane shortage—out in the sticks in Renfrew County, a solid majority heat with wood. Work, however, is partially heated with propane, so if it has impacted us, I’ll be hearing soon—fortunately my office is south facing.
The area does have a long underwear and kids’ glove shortage. It is cold in the ice huts. Fortunately (sort of), we will be heading into Ottawa a couple of times over the next few weeks.
Global warming is causing scared Canadians to wake up in the middle of the night.
Thanks Squawk 8888.
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