4 - The Lamont Leader (Lamont, Alberta), Wednesday, April 4, 2018
Opinion Anyone getting sick of winter? If this winter seems to go on forever, and if this April seems colder than normal, your weather instincts are accurate although your memory might not be. When March arrives we are so anxious for Spring that we can’t seem to remember how typically cold it is on the first day of Spring in our area. This year on March 20, we had above seasonal temperatures for the first day of Spring (a high of +8 and dipping -7 C. at night). But what about our winter as a whole?, which goes on and on and on - for roughly six months from October until the end of March in East Central Alberta. Well according to AccuWeather, October started our winter out a little chillier than normal with 11 days above seasonal highs and 15 days below. Does anyone remember it hitting +19 on Oct. 28th? In November we had only eight days above average temperatures, while we recorded 19 days with colder than typical temperatures. Christmas wasn’t the only reason to be happy in December, as we had 19 days with warmer than average temperatures and only nine below average. December was the greatest example of our bi-polar weather patterns with a high of +10 on Dec. 12 and on Dec. 29 a high of -25. In January it was the same story, with 18 days above average temperatures and eight below. On Jan. 18 it reached +9, but from Jan. 10-12 it was -28 at night. Just when we start thinking Spring might be coming on, February hit us with 17 days below normal temperatures and only six above. March did much the same, as we experienced 15 days below normal temperatures while only 10 were above. We’ve already had four days in April below average temperatures and the weather forecast calls for a cool month, where we won’t hit even average temperatures until the middle of next week. So yeah, that makes for a little bit longer winter. Of course no weather is “normal” in Alberta, and in a typical month our temperature only ends up in the historical average range 3-6 days. The rest of the time it is either way above or below normal temperatures. Taking that into account we have had a fairly normal winter. Personally, I start getting cabin fever near the end of February, and that makes waiting for Spring very difficult indeed. Have a nice Spring and Summer everyone. Kerry Anderson
LETTER TO THE EDITOR Rural crime a serious problem, safety a priority for NDP government To the editor, I have seen the impact of crime in rural communities first hand. Where I live in Boyle, I have had my own property stolen more than once. Albertans from one end of this province to the other have their own stories. Rural property theft has long been a concern, one the Conservatives did little about when they were in office. Before I was elected MLA for AthabascaSturgeon-Redwater, I was an insurance agent in Athabasca and Boyle, and I worked with countless
rural property owners who were dealing with the aftermath of thefts and break-ins. As an MLA, I continue to hear these stories. In some areas, the problem is getting worse. Too many of my neighbours have had their houses broken into, their tools stolen, or have had their quads and trucks disappear. Some have even lost grain dryers while they’re still in use. It’s become so bad at some points I’ve heard shopkeepers despairing about being able to stay in business, and farmers wondering how they can keep
farming if they can’t leave equipment in their fields or leave their yards without fear of coming back to nothing. Albertans expect their elected officials to provide law enforcement with the tools to keep our communities safe. This government has the backs of rural Albertans, and I will continue to advocate to make public safety a priority in our communities. Colin Piquette MLA for Athabasca-SturgeonRedwater
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