top of page
  • Writer's pictureCory Morrison

My Experience With Weather During my Journey

Updated: Sep 15, 2023

Table of Contents







How Did I Get Into the Weather?

A richly coloured sunset over a road
An after-storm sunset sets in Oakville in August 2016 (Photo credits: Cory Morrison).

It all started in 2005.


First off, I went to Canada’s Wonderland with family and friends for my 12th birthday party. We got stuck in a severe thunderstorm while getting our season passes.


We ended up going to Dave & Buster's instead.


Four months later, Hamilton had a rare late-season tornado in November. I was surprised that a tornado could occur so late in the season.


Afterward, the first few weeks of December 2005 were unusually cold and snowy.


By the time winter arrived, there was more rain than snow and more thaws than deep freezes up to February. I thought “Wow, that’s odd. Our winter was basically from late November into mid-December.”


Since then, I’ve been fascinated with how weather patterns work around the world.


As many extreme weather events have occurred over the years since then, weather intrigues me more each year.

A dark storm cloud hovers in the sky
A storm cloud develops outside Oakville in August 2020.

What Are Some Standout Weather Memories I Have?


After I moved into my current house 18 years ago in mid-November, there was a major snowstorm just a few days after. I went tobogganing on the park hill by my house a lot of that day.


Four years later after Thanksgiving in October 2006, I remember The Weather Network forecasted a potential cold blast. I didn’t think much of it at first.


However, Thursday that week, I came home from school to snow flurries. I was shocked to see snow in October.


If that wasn’t bad enough, Buffalo and Fort Erie had a major lake-effect event where many inches of snow fell.


Fast forward to March 2012, there was a remarkably long stretch of late spring weather for so early in the season.


A climatologist even called it the most extraordinary temperature anomaly in North American history because record highs tumbled in much of the continent.


A road is covered in deep snow
Heavy snow falls in Oakville in January 2019.

What Inspired Me to Write Weekly Weather Reports?


In 2014, I started to read weather forums and Facebook comments on Accuweather’s blogs.


I joined in on many of the discussions people had. I eventually developed numerous friendships from Accuweather, many of who I still have today.


Making these connections was especially good because I wanted to recover from the emotional scars of losing many friends prior to 2014.


A car sits in a yard covered in many inches of snow
Snow coats Oakville roads in December 2013.

I and my friends would discuss things such as weather history, events, and analogs for potential seasonal forecast ideas.


Some other commenters didn’t like our discussions mostly because we preferred warm weather, but we didn’t care.


I learned so much about weather through these discussions, I wanted to share this knowledge with my real-life friends. My passion for weather and writing grew even more.


This is what inspired me to write weather reports.


What Do I Hope to Do in the Future?


With my college diploma in journalism from 2019, along with my continued interest in weather, I hope to one day write for a weather organization.


Even though these jobs are not easy to get into, I know it’s not impossible for me.


In particular, if I get a job in weather, I want to write about temperature extremes and how they have shaped our climate.


For example, we had a stretch of Indian summer with September-like weather two weeks ago.


Last November, however, winter came roaring in quick and strong.


In November, it can go both ways.


A field is covered in thick fog
Fog blankets Oakville in January 2017.

With this in mind, I hope to continue to learn what potential factors cause these extremes so I can determine what could happen in the future.


In the meantime, I will continue to research weather and then write about it to share my understanding.


I also hope to continue to make more connections related to this interest.



Comments


bottom of page