Future Fuel
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| Jerrold Fleck for the Town of Provost works on building the wood pile even higher than it is at the fairgrounds as his chainsaw slices through another piece of tree. Two other people were in bluffs nearby, clearing out old trees that will be used for fuel by campers in sites nearby during the spring and summer months. The town staff are working off and on cleaning up the area when they have time during the winter. The natural 60 percent to 70 percent moisture content in growing trees (not these) must be reduced to about 20 percent by stacking them for up to nine months to burn well. The wood cells don’t lose much moisture through the bark; the moisture is most effectively removed through the cut cells at the ends of each piece of wood as Fleck can be seen doing here. ©Provost News Photo. |
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Expect More ‘Wonky Weather’ Here—Climatologist
• Precipitation Half What it Should be
The forecast is for more wonky and unpredictable weather, says a senior climatologist with Environment Canada.
David Phillips who has been looking at new weather data and studying old statistics also says there is “no such thing” as normal weather anymore. “The norm seems to not exist anymore” he told The News in a telephone interview from his Toronto office when he talked about the Provost area and other parts of East Central Alberta and Western Canada in general.
The big problem now though is the lack of precipitation says the man with 41 years of weather study. The precipitation “is again down. You don't lose your crop in January but for the last year there are some worrisome low amounts.”
From a snowfall point of view from September to February we had 41 centimeters of snow while the normal is usually 72 centimeters. “That’s less than 60 percent of what you normally get.”
This time last year this part of the province had 25 more centimeters than now.
The total rain and melted snow together was about 69 millimeters but this area would typically get 120 on average from September to February.
Phillips adds that there have been 37 days of cold (temperatures dipping below - 20 degrees C. while last year there were 53 days of cold so it’s been “a bit milder than normal” but precipitation is down and that brings concerns because last year was also a dry year. And over the last year and one half there has been about two thirds of the amount of precipitation should normally be “and that is worrisome.”
Complete story and photos in March 10 edition of The Provost News.
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Province-wide Seatbelt Enforcement Campaign on This Month
An annual spring seatbelt awareness and enforcement campaign will take place this month, say police.
Alberta and Provost RCMP, along with their enforcement partners, and in conjunction with regional health authorities and partners in the Alberta Occupant Restraint program, are co-operating for the campaign.
“In 2009, Transport Canada statistics show that 40 per cent of people in fatal motor vehicle collisions would of lived if they simply put on their seatbelts. Many of these occupants would have survived, and indeed, walked away from these collisions if they had been wearing their seatbelts,” says Provost constable Darcy Soloninko.
Complete story in March 10 edition of The Provost News.
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Mother and Daughter Enjoy ATCO Olympic Trip
Photos in March 10 edition of The Provost News.
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Street Spokesman
This week we ask: "Do You Prefer the Metric or Imperial System?"
. . . and we heard answers from Lynn Paulgaard, Alex Bosch, Deb Harlow, and Ove Aasen. Check out the March 10 edition of The Provost News for their answers.
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This, along with many other stories and pictures can be found in this week's edition of The Provost News.
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