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12
Consort Veteran
February 14, 2012
Vol. 10, Issue 3 FREE
Warm winter topic of endless discussion Lorraine Poulson Editor Viking Weekly Review
Weather has always been the heart of most conversations but this winter discussions surrounding the unbelievably warm conditions have become part of daily banter. The conversation often turns to why this winter has turned out to be one of the warmest winters on record and if there were any signs last fall that would have warned of what was to come? For most of us, the mild winter has meant no snow to shovel and clear, and clean highways to travel. However, for those who are in constant contact with nature, a warm winter takes on a whole different meaning. Neil Stratton, owner and operator of L.O.S.T. Arrow Archery in Wainwright, has spent his life in the great outdoors and notes seasonal changes with a keen eye. Stratton, who is also a Wilderness Survival Instructor, has operated a wilderness survival business for almost 30 years. He teaches courses for colleges, universities, sporting shows, and many oilfield-related companies, including free instruction in schools with youngsters. That business is called
L.O.S.T. Survival Inc. which stands for Learning Of Survival Technology/Techniques and he adapted the name for his archery business. He says there are often indicators and hints in nature of what is to come with the weather, but adds with his wily sense of humour, “Most years we just think they (the indicators) are just lying.” Stratton says he noticed last fall that although the robins did flock up, the birds did not appear to be in a hurry to leave Alberta. “In fact, we saw robins in November... something I don't think I have ever seen. The hawks, which have now rebounded in numbers and are a pleasure to watch, were also here in November. “The deer didn't seem to carry the body fat they usually do before a hard winter. For a while we thought the herds were in poor shape due to the lack of body fat on harvested deer,” he said. Stratton says these all could have been read as possible signs of coming mild weather. When asked if wildlife know how to predict weather or know something we don't, Stratton answers with a definite, “I'm sure they do." “However, I don't think they can predict an
entire winter of snow or cold, but I believe they may sense what weather system we are in and what weather we are going to have that winter," he added. “My momma snowy owl that perches on her favourite telephone pole near my home just showed up on Jan. 29. The latest she has ever been here before is December and earliest has been November. “And a neighbour actually saw a robin just this last week,” he said. That neighbour is not the first to report a robin sighting in January. There have been a number of calls to the Caribou Publishing newspaper offices from people saying they have seen robins in their back yards as early as midJanuary. And many people have seen moles this winter. While moles do not hibernate, they burrow deep down in the winter to find worms that have migrated lower. Moles resurface in the spring and this is when they cause the most damage to lawns. But this year a number of area residents have spotted moles under porches and similar surface hiding places. And while these are all likely resulting from the mild weather we have been enjoying, Stratton is
convinced that what does regulate our weather consists of two factors. “El Nino and La Nina... two weather systems that totally control our weather systems and can alter the climate on half the planet. "El Nino - (El Nee-nyo) is the warming of water
in the Pacific Ocean. La Nina - (Lah Nee-nyah) is the cooling of water in the Pacific Ocean. The two systems can fight each other and dramatically change our weather in Alberta for 10 year stretches. La Nina is the nasty girl, she hung around in
the 70s and gave us three to four feet of snow and cold, cold weather. “We are obviously enjoying the company of El Nino with the mild winter, however he can be nasty, too. "In summer he can be the cause of heavy rain See WEATHER P2
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