2025 Ends with a Chill
- Jennifer Van Massenhoven
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Hello!
I don't know how many of you follow the weather as closely as I do, (I'm kinda nerdy about it), but lemme tell you what we're in for this winter, according to the meteorologist types.
There's this thing over the northernmost point of the planet, way up in the stratosphere, called a polar vortex. Here's a quick pic for you:
This is what a strong polar vortex looks like; it's a mass of low pressure swirling around a cone at the North Pole. When it's strong, like the one shown here, it keeps most of the cold air up there in the stratosphere. It's not a storm, it's a layer of moving air some 6 to 30 miles (9.6 to ~48 kilometers) above the ice cap. It's strongest in the winter when there's an increased temp difference between those of us in the northern hemisphere and those in the mid-latitudes (like the Equator).
The purpose of this band of wind is to fence in a pool of very cold air. When the wind is moving with strength, the cold winds stay up there.
However, if the vortex weakens...
All that cold air and the low pressure system start moving south, into places it shouldn't be. That pushes warm air north and the pressure system starts to get wavy. We get a colder, snowier winter.
Which is what it's starting to look like this year. The vortex appears to be trying to leak all the cold air down all over us.
That means it's going to be a great season for skiing, snowboarding, fat biking, and heading out for a rip.
We would like to remind you to respect people's property if you're out there riding off-road. We know all of you are good people so maybe we don't have to say it (but as one who lost over $100 in holly bushes to a ...let's call him radical... snowmobiler, I gotta. lol)
(Man that was a long way to go to give a friendly reminder!)
It also means that winter riders may need repairs. Though we will be closed as of Tuesday at 1 pm, we will have our phone with us. Calling or texting is your best route. If we don't answer a call? Please text. We are always willing to help when we can.
We will have work to do in the shop over our break. We need to organize it some. Know someone who needs volunteer hours and doesn't mind grunt work? Know someone who is bored at home who needs something to volunteer at? Let us know, we may have something for them to do.
And now, a sale!
Have you been considering turning your favourite bike into an ebike? Have a Swytch and want another battery or an upgraded battery?
Swytch Bikes emailed to let us know that they're having an end-of-the-year kit sale! They lowered their prices but gave us room to lower them a bit more. Check it out:
They don't have a whole lot in each category so let me know as quickly as you can! (Prepayment is required, obviously.)
This year was a chaotic year for us. We are super grateful for the patience and patronage of all of you. We are always striving for better and better so we anticipate next year being a good one.
I have become a mechanic! (Probably said that in the last blog lol) I'm still slow but getting faster. If I can stop getting frustrated at derailleurs, things would go much more smoothly. 😄 I still have to hand most things to Mike but I know more than I did a year ago.
We will be opening again February 2nd. We do have the booking open on our website. Anyone bringing their bike in in February will get 2025 prices. Some prices will be going up next year, which I think is a given. Everyone's prices have gone up. Too bad wages haven't.
We want to thank you all, again, for helping us win a spot on Canadian Business Review Board's best businesses list, and for helping us win the Consumer's Choice Award with all your wonderful reviews.
We say Merry Christmas but we want everyone to know that we wish them the best, no matter what the holidays look like for you. Happy New Year! We look forward to seeing you in the 2026 season.
Mike & Jenn
Bibliography:
Comments