When most people around here think about climate change they don’t predict a snowstorm for the middle of April.
It’s called global warming, not global frosting.
That’s why we were all a little disappointed when it started snowing a week ago. It’s enough to frustrate even the hardiest northerner.
We complain bitterly about our winters but I’ve never heard anyone say we have the worst weather in the world.
That honour is claimed by the observatory at the top of Mount Washington in New Hampshire.
This peak is located at the intersection of major weather patterns as they collide and combine forces over North America. The strongest winds ever recorded (372 kilometres per hour) blew during a storm there in 1932.
That record stood until 1996 when winds of 408 km/h were recorded during a cyclone on Australia’s Barrow Island.
While many try to escape the cold, the snow and the north wind, some misguided souls actually crave those conditions. They find what they’re looking for on that nasty mountain in New England.
Extreme weather tourism is a dangerous pastime that involves getting up close and personal with hurricanes, tornadoes, volcanoes and in this case, the strongest winds on the planet.
Consider this for your spring getaway. For $459 you can ride a snowcat all the way up Mount Washington (1916 metres) to the chilly observatory at the top. You can stay for a sleepover.
The winds will howl and the temperatures will plummet below zero. It’s a convenient way to experience harsh, Arctic weather without travelling all the way to the North Pole.
When you are visiting you can experience the extreme weather while enjoying the comfort and safety of a controlled indoor environment. Hot meals, a warm bunk and free Internet are included.
Expedition
During your stay you can organize an expedition to the summit of Mount Washington, which is conveniently located about 30 feet from the visitor’s centre.
It’s like climbing Everest except the round trip only takes a couple of minutes and you are slightly less likely to perish during your hike.
Or, if you crave more risky adventures you can join the Century Club. All you have to do is walk the perimeter of the outdoor observation deck during 100 mile per hour winds without falling.
It’s an exclusive club in a dangerous environment. There is a commemorative list on the inside wall with the names of 148 weather tourists who didn’t expect to freeze to death on the mountain.
If unnecessary risk turns you on and you want to beef up your lifetime adventure resumé, extreme weather tourism may be for you. Some consider this the greatest show on earth.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Thunder Bay is equipped to enter the weather tourism market. A snowstorm in April is an annoying inconvenience but there is nothing particularly extreme about it.
These daredevil tourists expect more thrills than that. They are unlikely to pay good money to join our collective bummer over inclement weather.
However, they will drop a thousand dollars for a six-day hurricane watching adventure.
For $500 more they can join a tornado chasing safari. On this adventure they get to live out of the back of a Chevy Suburban for a week while trying to avoid being sucked up by a swirling vortex.
If you survive you can purchase a T-shirt from the wind-blown folks in Tornado Alley.
When you are given lemons, you make lemonade. When you are blessed with horrible weather you brag about it, package it up and sell it to rich, thrill-seeking tourists.
For them, snow in April is no big deal.
