Curiosities of the Canadian winter

1. The highest snowfall in one day occurred at Lake Tahtsa in the interior of British Columbia, with 145 cm of snow in one day. That happened in February 1999, one of the coldest winters in Canada.
   
2. Extreme temperature changes. Alberta has the "chinook" which are winds in the western interior of North America, where the Canadian prairies and Great Plains meet several mountain ranges, although the original usage refers to the warm, moist coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest. This phenomenon causes massive temperature changes at almost any time of the year. A clear example was in the town of Pincher Creek in 1962, the temperature changed from -19C to +22C in the span of an hour.
   
3. There's a party! Winter is mental, many say haha. From Quebec City's famous Carnival to Edmonton's Ice on White, Canadians see winter as a season to enjoy. In Montreal, a giant igloo transforms the season into an all-night party and dance festival on the banks of the St. Lawrence.
   
4. Salt trucks. The salt that is spread on the roads to melt the snow destroys everything from pants to shoes to asphalt. They do this so that the sidewalks and roads are not too slippery. It is very important not to get stuck behind a salt truck, it is very uncomfortable. Snow removal budgets are a big part of city budgets across the country, but there is one Canadian city that spends far more than any other. Montreal is half the population of Toronto but ends up spending twice as much (about $155 million) on snow removal each year.
   
5. Record wind chill: -91. Even by northern Canadian standards, the extreme cold recorded in Pelly Bay, N.W.T. (Northwest Territories), on January 28, 1989, was something from another planet. Core temperatures dropped to -51 Celsius, and with the wind chill at -91, imagine how cold!

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