Valley Weather - a way of life for 40 years

Happy New Year! 
It is hard for me to wrap my thoughts around the reality that we are in 2019. It was a bizarre weather year in Montreal to say the least, from the frigid cold snap in January, to the wicked May windstorm, the deadly record-breaking summer heatwave, and finally, our green Christmas. I will take a look at some of the big weather events from 2018 in my next post.

Valley Weather turns 40 years old

I want to share a personal milestone with you: 2019 marks the 40th anniversary of Valley Weather. I have been obsessed with the weather my entire life, a love affair that began innocently enough during the famed Montreal Blizzard of the Century, March 3-5, 1971. From there, a fear of thunderstorms eventually turned to curiosity and the desire to know what causes them. During Christmas 1979, my father bought me a desk calendar and encouraged me to start keeping track of the daily weather. I did and have continued for 40 consecutive years. At first, I recorded what I was seeing, which gave me a tremendous understanding of the mechanics that create weather in Montreal. Later I produced my own weather maps and dabbled in forecasting, while sharing my information with family, friends and eventually my co-workers at the Montreal Gazette.

What I first called the Verdun Amateur Weather Bureau back in January 1979, and later VAWB while I was living in southern Saskatchewan, became Valley Weather while writing for the Kemptville Advance in 2005. The name came from my joy of growing up in the St. Lawrence Valley, along the shores of the mighty river. Our region is one of the most challenging forecast locations in North America.

The science of weather has changed over the years and is now driven by advanced satellite, radar and super computers. But at its core, lies the simple task of observing and recording what you see outside.

Over the years, my interest has presented itself in many different formats, from my personal collection of weather data, to my time at the Dawson College student radio station, to finally writing for the Gravelbourg Tribune, Kemptville Advance and The Suburban here in Montreal. My first columns were in print only, but as social media grew, I made the jump onto the web. Now, thousands of maps, data entries and columns later, here we are in 2019!

I want to thank each and every one of you who have taken the time to chat with me about the weather, seek out my advice when travelling or simply read the blog. Please feel free to read more information about Valley Weather HERE.