Originally Posted by
whitecat
There is no bad weather 99% of the time, just bad equipment and lack of motivation. I can ride 99% of the time, but do I have the motivation to do it, is another thing altogether. Only thing that can really stop me from riding are extremely high winds in which you can't stay upright, or hail. Both can make it impossible to ride. Everything else can be done, given the motivation and right equipment.
Yes, high winds, this morning we have the lowest winds in a week, 26km/h gusting to 37km/h with it being below freezing the last 4 days, and windy that means lake effect snow squalls of light, dry powdery snow, picked up by the wind and blown all over the place, this means at times we measure visibility in millimetres -- what are called whiteout conditions. Conditions where even seasoned winter drivers, give up. If you have never seen a whiteout, think of driving where you can't see the hood of the car, you know it's there, but you can't see it.
Let me explain Lake effect snow. Water cools much slower then air does, that means that while the air is -7℃ and the land is around -2℃ The Great Lakes are around +7℃ as the wind crosses the warmer water it warms slightly, and the warmer air can hold more moisture, as soon as it comes over the land, it cools and since cold air holds less moisture then warm air, it dumps the excess as snow. Where this occurs is a function of wind direction, wind speed and the lay of the land. Hills near the shore can force wind to increase it's speed over the land dumping Lake Effect now many miles from the water causing it.
Now high winds, poor visibility, blowing snow, I think I will do my riding on the trainer, even if it is a little boring at times.