With green grass still present in some areas and no ice on our lake it has been a bit surreal as we prepare for the holiday season in Williams Lake.
Unless you are from a different part of the world where green Christmases are the norm, most of us don’t bother dreaming about a white one because it is normally a guarantee.
This year is a different story.
We had snow fall in September two times and a bit in November that melted.
Read more: Early season cold snap has Williams Lake residents seeing white
We really don’t know if there will be snow on the ground in the lakecity by Dec. 25 or if the lake will every freeze over completely this winter.
Environment Canada’s forecast lists a 30 per cent chance of flurries for Wednesday, Dec. 18 and periods of snow or rain on Thursday, Dec. 19 and more chances of snow for Saturday and Sunday, so we could still get some white stuff.
Only time will tell.
Lakecity resident Anna Roberts, who has been living here since 1958, said the lake is usually frozen over by Dec. 25.
There have been a few years where that hasn’t been the case, she said, referring to the fact she has been keeping a record since 1995.
She dug those records out on Tuesday and confirmed it took until Dec. 27 in 1999, Dec. 28 in 2002 and Dec. 27 in 2004 for the lake to freeze completely.
“It actually froze on Dec. 25 in 1995,” she said. “There were some years the ice began forming in the fall when the winters were colder and there was lots of snow, but in the last two years it didn’t freeze until Dec. 22.”
Despite the lack of winter weather, it seems like locals are still spreading good cheer and sharing generously.
Besides, if anyone is really missing winter conditions, they don’t have to go too far to find a frozen lake where they can ice fish or skate.
Read more: Snowfall warning issued for Coquihalla, Highway 3
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