Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful.... Let it Snow!

Well Friday the 15th held the first day of snow up in Fort Smith, NWT (Yes - Middle of October!) and I feel it may be here to stay!

Luckily, I was able to snag a ride with my roommate to work, as we worked the afternoon shift (11-8) together. Not forcing me to ride the bike in the snow! Good thing, because the wind picked up in the afternoon and was blowing 30, gusting 40 kts! (up to 75km/ hr).

My roommate and I loaded up the Otter, with the help of the Pilot, Bryan and sent it off on its last trip up North. It was going to a Lodge on one of the smaller rivers, with 6 guys and 6 months worth of food, who will stay there fishing and hunting until mid-march. It was the one of the last flights for the Otter on Floats, as this is now entering the period where there could be small amounts of ice building up on the lakes, not enough to support Skis, but could damage the floats if it were to try and land on it. The otter will have to wait until about Mid-December for the lakes and rivers to freeze enough to support the weight of the aircraft (approximately 6 inches of ice is necessary for that).
Fort Smith doesn't get that much snow, after a while, it gets too cold for there to be any moisture in the arctic prairie air. (Guess that's a good thing for sunny days!!)

The day was pretty hectic with things coming up here, and there; not busy, busy but just enough to keep you moving the entire time.

All the black spots you see is the paint peeling, not a bad cleaning job!

After we swept and mopped the hanger, we were thinking it would be a slower Friday night, were we could just get everything done and get out of there. Unfortunately it was the opposite! Because of the snow and the cold more of the winter operations were in effect. It entailed opening the hanger doors, bringing in the airplanes to be kept outside (one at a time) closing the hanger door to keep the warmth in, putting engine covers, wing covers and tail covers on, opening the hanger doors parking it and bringing in the next one to do all over again. Definitely a team effort and I'm glad I wasn't working alone - sure would have taken all night!

Just as we were bringing in the last 3 airplanes to clean and leave inside the hanger for the weekend, the Operations manager told us we needed to tie down all the light singles so they don't blow away in the windstorm! SO... back out into the blowing snow! Boy was it ever cold! The shot below is the one picture I thought I would take picking up the big 45 Gallon Oil Drums with the forklift to keep the aircrafts from blowing away. At that point, I was more interested in getting back inside than anything else at all!

Blowing Snow on a cold fall night (feels like winter!)

Palettes with 45G Oil Drums to tie down the aircraft wings

With this weather, I think I will be wearing my winter coveralls, all the time now - I am told they will keep me toasty up to -60 C. Hopefully its true, because I'm the only one in town already walking around in a parka!