Tough to walk down the beach with high winds and water this week.
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.
