MONTREAL—A brand new U.S. navy warship that has been stuck in Montreal for weeks will spend the winter in Canada after its journey to Florida was thwarted by cold and ice.The USS Little Rock was commissioned in Buffalo on Dec. 16 in a grand ceremony attended by over 8,000 people that featured a brass band, speeches by military leaders and a chaplain who prayed for “fair winds and following seas.”But it hasn’t gotten very far since then, after its maiden journey was complicated by unusually heavy ice conditions that have kept it in Montreal since Christmas Eve.Now the U.S. navy has decided to wait until weather conditions improve before allowing the ship to continue to its home port in Mayport, Fla., according to a spokesperson.“The temperatures in Montreal and throughout the transit area have been colder than normal, and included near-record low temperatures, which created significant and historical conditions in the late December, early January time … [Read more...] about U.S. navy warship to spend winter in Montreal due to icy weather
Weather
The Navy’s newest warship has been stuck in Canada for weeks due to ice — and will stay there ‘until wintery weather conditions improve’
The USS Little Rock is the most recent warship to enter service with the US Navy. It was scheduled to leave its commissioning ceremony and head to its home port in mid-December. However, it has been stuck in Canada, waylaid by harsh winter weather, and it looks set to remain there for the foreseeable future. The US Navy’s newest commissioned warship, the littoral combat ship USS Little Rock, was commissioned in Buffalo on December 16 and scheduled to sail for its home port at Mayport Naval Station in Florida the next day. But that departure was delayed three days by weather conditions on Lake Erie. It left Buffalo on December 20, and by December 27 it had reached Montreal, where it was scheduled to stop before heading on to Halifax in Nova Scotia. But an exceptionally frigid winter has kept the Little Rock in Canada much longer than expected. Because of ice on the water around the port and a lack of tug boats to … [Read more...] about The Navy’s newest warship has been stuck in Canada for weeks due to ice — and will stay there ‘until wintery weather conditions improve’
Winter weather travel advisory issued as snow returns to forecast
A winter weather travel advisory has been issued by Environment Canada for the eastern side of Toronto as well as York and Durham regions with snowfall expected to result in icy roads. The weather agency said a “bands of flurries” coming off of Lake Ontario could reduce visibility and bring up to 5 cm of snowfall across the east end Monday morning. Five additional centimetres could land on the city in time to disrupt the afternoon commute. The snowfall could quickly make roads slick and dangerous, so commuters are being warned to take care. Temperatures are expected to hover around -4 C over the day, but windchills may make the temperature feel closer to the double digits in the negative. A low of -6 C is expected overnight, with any leftover flurries tapering off by Tuesday morning, Environment Canada said.It is worth noting that it could be worse — 19 years ago yesterday then-Toronto mayor Mel Lastman called in the Canadian army to help clear about 27 cm of the … [Read more...] about Winter weather travel advisory issued as snow returns to forecast
Henry of Pelham takes on weather with trial of new monitoring system
Ontario’s wine makers and grape growers are nervously watching the weather, fearing that this year’s harvest could be literally nipped in the bud by an unusually cold winter.“We’ve gotten very close to the critical temperatures for bud survival for vines for next year’s crop,” says Matthew Speck, the viticulturist at his family’s vineyard and winemaking operation near St. Catharines, Ont., in the heart of Ontario’s best-known wine region. He said this winter reminds him of 2014-2015, when his winery lost 30 per cent of its yield.Speck notes what others in the industry know well — that temperatures are vitally important and can vary a great deal from place to place, even within a single property.But this winter has been harsh for all of southern Ontario, including the Niagara region, where Speck helps run the Henry of Pelham Family Estate winery operation, founded by his parents in 1984.“We’ve hovered, a few nights, very … [Read more...] about Henry of Pelham takes on weather with trial of new monitoring system
Weather roller coaster coming to Toronto as temperatures climb above 0 C
Mother Nature is giving the city an unusual break from the bone chilling weather as a forecast of above seasonal temperatures hits Toronto. Just expect a bit of a weather roller coaster to come with it.Environment Canada says Toronto is expecting a daytime high of 2 C on Wednesday with periods of rain expected in the afternoon that will taper off to drizzle in the evening. Keep a tight grip on that umbrella — winds will be gusting up to 40 km/h during the day and up to 50 km/h at night.On Thursday morning, the weather agency says the city will rise to a daytime high of 9 C with a 40 percent chance of showers. The average high for the city on this day is -2 C, Environment Canada says.At night, expect temperatures to hover around 3 C with periods of rain. The weather system should hold through Friday morning. … [Read more...] about Weather roller coaster coming to Toronto as temperatures climb above 0 C