06 Jan No school today

I predict school board officials will cancel classes throughout Cape Breton Monday, setting off a cascade of disruptions and financial losses to families, businesses, and government offices.

The unnecessary closures were rendered all but inevitable by a reality-challenged declaration issued by Environment Canada’s Cry-Wolf Division at 8:23 last night, just as the snow stopped falling and the winds tapered off.

Hazardous winter conditions are expected.
Total snowfall amounts for this current ongoing storm: 15 to 25 cm. Locally higher amounts possible.
Further snowfall amounts expected tonight: 5 to 10 cm.
Maximum wind gusts: 70 to 80 km/h.
Locations: Cape Breton.
Time span: Until late this evening for accumulating snow; until early Monday morning for strongest winds and blowing snow.
Remarks: Snow will taper to flurries late this evening. Strong and gusty north to northeasterly winds will likely give frequent reduced visibility in blowing snow tonight into Monday morning before gradually improving.

This statement was baloney from start to finish, warning about a weather event that had already ended, and was nowhere near the calamity EC proclaimed. Total accumulation wasn’t 15-25 cm.—more like 5-15. Locally higher amounts may have been “possible,” but lower amounts were much more likely.  Further snowfall was not 5-10 cm., but zero, or close to it. Maximum winds had occurred hours earlier, and they were never 80 km./h.

Of course the media loved it, milking the event with hyped up descriptions of what was, in reality, a minor winter storm, nothing that conceivably justified closing schools the following day.

Except that’s what we do. We’re the Fraidy-Cat Province, taking a holiday to celebrate our culture of defeat.