Perhaps hat expression about March should be changed– How about this: In like a polar bear and … Out like a polar bear.
The phrase old-fashioned winter has been appropriate to use the season. November is usually a transition from fall to winter and behaved normally this time. Most days featured melting conditions at least briefly until cold temperatures set in late in the month. The landscape had continuous snow cover by the end of the month – again, nothing out of the ordinary.
December is typically a winter month with cold temperatures and considerable snowfall. It was different this time with the temperatures. Extended times of frigid temperatures are usually interspersed with milder weather. In other words, usually there is a December thaw, or two, or even three.
Exceptionally cold weather set in later in the month and by the end of December the phrase “polar vortex” was in common usage in the American Midwest and Canadian media. This is not a new event; the term was first used in the mid-20th century. Displacement of this large concentration of cold air to central North America has become almost routine this winter. Blame it on the jet stream. The result is that Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures, especially when wind chill is considered, require little conversion: 40 C = 40 F = cold!
It has been relatively warm at the North Pole and Alaska and Moscow are relatively warm as well.
What does it all mean about the coming spring and the fishing season? Later than usual is likely over the next four to six weeks. Seasonal weather usually has little memory over the longer term. Be patient for early summer.
….Graham Saunders