I must have blinked and missed winter. Aside from a week in February, I've been in Squamish every day since mid-October and I haven't seen anything remotely close to what I thought was winter.
When I moved here, I figured it was raining because it's autumn and that's what happens in the fall. The cold rain drums down on you while you try to convince yourself that there will surely still be a few warm sunny days before fall actually sets in.
More often than not, I grumble about the cold rainy weather until the first cold snap and then I wish it were still raining.
This year was different. I grumbled about the rain every week, it just never let up. I kept expecting a gust of winter to sweep across town, blanketing everything in snow but it never happened. In fact, I'm not sure I'd even say it actually got cold here.
Judging by the general lack of astonishment amongst locals, this type of winter weather is fairly common for the coast. I guess my years in Toronto, Ottawa and Medicine Hat wrongly taught me winters are full of snow (white or muddy grey), bone chilling wind that helps grow icicles in your nostrils, and cold temperatures that make you reconsider your hatred of turtleneck sweaters.
My first winter in Squamish made me reconsider my entire wardrobe - waterproof or not? Somehow October turned into Christmas time which turned into the Olympic Games which turned into the present and yet I don't think I pre-heated my car even once.
So far spring seems to be very lush, green and mossy. I've seen flowers in full bloom and it's only April. Purple crocus flowers share soil with bright yellow daffodils as I walk along residential areas near downtown.
A sweet smelling sea of pink, purple and white hydrangeas welcome me when I arrive at Brennan Park. Upon my return from a drive to Whistler one afternoon, I noticed all the trees got a tad greener while I was away.
Spring is on its way in Ontario, just not as quickly as here on the coast. Alberta? Well, that's a different story. Recently the southeast portion of the Prairie province got walloped with a winter storm leaving 18 inches of snow behind. Unbelievably after spending a few winters in Alberta, I know for a fact that snowstorms in April, May or even June happen.
I've seen them with my own eyes. Last June, a summer street-festival in the Gas City was cancelled because of snow, hail and slush.
With vibrant flora and fauna at practically every turn I take on Squamish area trails, I'm stoked to see what a coastal summer has to offer. Thus far, I've figured the air will be far less polluted than Toronto's, and much less dusty than the Hat's.
With mountains surrounding the municipality and open waters a few kilometres away, I think I'm really going to love my first Squamish summer. Hopefully I won't encounter a bear.
