The original underground economy. (Sorry).

If the weather forecasters haven't missed the boat we are in for a bracing jolt of winter here today after a balmy late November. (Temps in the 60s the past several days -- nope, no global warming here). They say the high will be in the 30s and we will be treated to snow and/or sleet and/or freezing rain. Sounds like a fun commute, doesn't it? ;-)


>What is the most common source for heat up there? Is it gas and oil? I remember the cold winters in Wisconsin. Granted this was many years ago, but back then everyone mostly had oil heat to keep warm. I knew several families who lived in basement houses in the winter...
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>>When I lived in Edmonton, I loved summer (in fact, I loved Edmonton). The only problem was being awakened early in the morning because the sun was beating in the window. But I enjoyed the fact that it was daylight until late in the evening. Not being [entirely] insane, I wasn't crazy about winters there. You sort of get used to it, but in the end, there isn't much you can do outside in minus 30 or worse weather. In the morning, you turn on the radio to get the news on how long it will take for uncovered skin to freeze today - and it's often measured in single digit seconds.
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>>>I love those long days but have to have it dark (very) to sleep. 24 hours of sunlight would drive me nuts! I also hate driving home from work in the winter in the dark (which I do now).
>>>
>>>You may enjoy:
>>>
>>>http://www.windows.ucar.edu/sparc/
>>>
>>>
>>>>>>SNIP
>>>>>>>A few years ago I had a holiday in Ontario, in August. If I'd wanted to, there were but 2-3 days where I could have sunbathed. And that's been true of every time I've visited, and the US, hot and sultry and grey.
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>>>>>>Hot and sultry and grey in the U.S.? I don't know where you visited, but I've lived and travelled all over the U.S. and there are few locations that fit that description in the summer. Granted a slow moving front may pass through periodically but they seldom last more than a couple of days. Here in NC we typically have very sunny summers and in fact, it is typically sunny most of the time. In the very hot summer we may have afternoon showers but they seldom last more than a few minutes in the late afternoon/early evening and the mornings and early afternoons are usually sunny. The sunniest places I've been too have been Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Wyoming. Where in the U.S. were you and what time of year was it? How long did you stay?
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>>>>>Unfortunately I've only visited the New England states. I wasn't trying to point out that the continent is dull and miserable, only that it's weird for a canuck to crticise English weather.
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>>>>Take a trip to Edmonton sometime. Most per diem sunlight hours of any major city in Canada. In the summer, people can be out playing in the sun late into the evening. Of course, you don't want to visit in the winter. Or, if you do, make sure you don't blink around noon, or you'll miss daylight altogether (not to mention the temperature).