Sunday, December 15th, 2019 – Strong northwest winds today have waves coming up close to the boardwalk. This picture taken from the boardwalk just west of beach one with the Blue Mountains in the distance.Sunday, December 15th, 2019 – Taken from the same location looking east. You can see structures in the distance that are normally “high and dry” now underwater as waves pummel Beach Drive.Sunday, December 15th, 2019 – We’ve had enough cold nights that the Nottawasaga River is frozen. This picture was taken from Second street looking south to Nancy Island across the Nottawasaga River. You can read about Nancy Island and the HMS Nancy during the war of 1812..Wednesday, December 18th, 2019 – Taken from the boardwalk near 5th street looking west into a snow squall.Wednesday, December 18th, 2019 – Looking east across the boardwalk toward the main beach. Usually the beach is wide at this point, but water levels on Georgian Bay are at record highs.Thursday, December 19th, 2019 – The ice was cool (as in interesting) today. There were high winds and the previous night and temperatures near -20C. This tree near 17th street had a lot of ice accretion in the past 24 hours. We easily picked up 50 feet of new shore ice overnight out in the distance – I assume that the winds must have been high enough to blow a lot of moisture from crashing waves against this tree to create the ice build-up.Friday, December 20th, 2019 – We’ve had three nights in a row below -15C. Technically it is not winter yet, but today felt like a January day. It was awesome for walking. The ice across the bay froze across the surface, but it is hard to sustain ice this time of year. Historically in December the water temperature @ Wasaga Beach ranges between 3C and 8C. It takes long periods of sustained cold in January and December to get the great lakes down to the freezing point.Friday, December 20th, 2019 – Taken looking south from the boardwalk near beach one in the morning. Today was simply awesome!Friday, December 20th, 2019 – Another cold, crisp day. This is the usual pattern of shore ice build up that we see every winter. This picture taken looking west towards the ski hills @ Blue Mountain. You can see the Collingwood Terminal across the far shore.Friday, December 20th, 2019 – Taken from the eastern boardwalk looking south towards the comfort station just east of the main beach. The sun is low in the sky to the south this time of year. My friend Paul Field will get a kick out of this. This is where he went swimming just a few short months ago!Friday, December 20th, 2019 – Looking west across the Bay – it’s beginning to look like winter around here.Saturday, December 21st, 2019 – My Mom and I trekked out to enjoy great weather on Saturday. My Mom standing in front of a frozen Nottawasaga River taken east of beach one looking south-east. Mom and Dad are doing the sensible thing and heading off to their place in Florida around the New Year.Saturday, December 21st, 2019 – The main beach looking west. I’m glad that snow has covered up the sand covering beach drive. The road is closed to traffic because of high water.Saturday, December 21st, 2019 – Looking across the Bay from beach one towards the Blue Mountains.
Sunday, December 8th, 2019 – The beach was really ugly today. This time of year the warmer the temperatures, the worse it is to walk down the beach. It was well above freezing today with melting snow making the beach very wet. Also, for some reason a whole pile of organic material is washing up against the shore (the black stuff you see in the photo above) – this is mostly tiny branches. I suspect this is from the erosion along the shore due to earlier storms. The organic matter gets swept out, and gets pushed back on shore depending on the wind and water conditions.Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 – same awful conditions Monday and Tuesday. We got up to 9C both days with strong winds. As you can see, the beach was pretty much impassible today because of winds and high water and I had to walk along Shore Lane most of the distance to get to beach one.Tuesday, December 10th, 2019 – looking WNW from the board walk about beach 2. It was windy and overcast today and you can’t see across Nottawasaga Bay.Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 – Wednesday was better – well below freezing all day making the beach easy to walk on. Clear enough to see across the Bay. Unfortunately the organic gunk from a few days ago is still here. The water is still high compounded by north-west winds pushing the water onshore. Taken near 18th streetWednesday, December 11th, 2019 – this pictures show how high the water was today – looking east from near 18th street. On a good day the trees in the picture above are high and dry. Last year, these same trees would have been 30 feet from the shore.Thursday, December 12th, 2019 – We got down to -10C overnight with high winds. The waves were clearly lapping up against this picnic table at 17th street north. I think the picnic table was thrown up on shore by earlier storms, but spray from waves and winds left it coated in icicles today.Friday, December 13th, 2019 – More evidence of overnight wave action. Looking east across Wasaga Beach.Saturday, December 14th, 2019 – We had mild winds gusting from the south today, so the water was pushed off-shore. No problem walking the entire length of the beach today. In case you’re wondering about the three roots, jutting up from the beach in the picture above, a year ago this was high ground with good sized trees. What used to be the beach last year is to left and underwater. The shoreline has dramatically changed.Saturday, December 14th, 2019 – Walking down the beach Saturday morning. Ice formed along the shore again overnight but the beach is a long way from being frozen!
Sunday, December 1st, 2019 – Walking down the beach today was awesome! Cold and no wind. When the conditions are like this, the ice tends to form from the shore – looking west across the bay to the Blue Mountains.Sunday, December 1st, 2019 – Taken from west of 13th street looking east. A mix of blown sand, snow, and glare ice!Monday, December 2nd, 2019 – A cold, still night resulted in ice forming far from shore. Looking east across Wasaga Beach on a beautiful Monday morning.Monday, December 2nd, 2019 – I was the first one to walk the beach today. Taking looking east from just east of 17th street.Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 – more snow overnight. Today was a tough walk. We had a few inches of fresh snow. Taken from my “half-way point” at Beach Drive as I turn around and head back to my usual parking spot at 18th street.Tuesday, December 3rd, 2019 – Just above freezing, and the ice along the shore is breaking up aided my warm water in Georgian Bay.Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 – The ice continues to recede.Wednesday, December 4th, 2019 – Looking NNW from Wasaga Beach.Thursday, December 5th, 2019 – we had more snow overnight. This pic taken from my half-way point at beach one looking west.Saturday, December 7th, 2019 – Looking west across the beach 2 boardwalk. My mom joined me today. It was easier to walk along the shore than the boardwalk.Saturday, December 7th, 2019 – unfortunately, walking along the beach was not an option again today – we retreated to the provincial park lots – taken looking west from the western end of the beach 2 boardwalk.
