Mild weather in Canada forces Vancouver to ship in tons of snow for Winter Olympics

[babylonsister]

Mild weather in Canada forces Vancouver to ship in tons of snow for Winter Olympics

By Barry Wigmore
Last updated at 1:55 PM on 23rd January 2010


Snow-bound Britain may be slipping and sliding through the worst winter for decades, but it’s a different story in once-Arctic Canada.

As spring flowers bloom early and birds start to nest around balmy Vancouver, officials there have chartered a fleet of helicopters to fly in thousands of tons of snow for the Winter Olympics.

Without the emergency snowlift, which is also shipping in tons of snow in convoys of giant lorries, Olympic chiefs feared they might have to abandon the Games that have already cost £1.5 billion and are due to start in three weeks.

Organisers admitted that they seriously underestimated the impact of climate change when they picked the venue at Cypress Mountain, Vancouver, for some of the most popular ski and snowboard events.

With the temperature hovering around 11°C it was too warm to make snow with snow-blower machines so the winter fun resort was closed to the public yesterday while new snow was flown in from mountains 500 miles further north.

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1245478/Mild-weather-Canada-forces-Vancouver-ship-tons-snow-Winter-Olympics.html#ixzz0dSqceaAX

[Junkdrawer]

1. Why, it's almost like the climate was changing n/t

[FarCenter]

2. The Olympics have become a total waste of resources to provide circuses for the masses

[Quantess]

3. It's been warm on the west coast.

Last night, with heat turned off, I was so warm I woke up and kicked off the extra blanket. We hardly ever turn on the heat.

I'd describe the recent weather as balmy.

[Baclava]

4. Vancouver is "arctic Canada"? ha ha

They get the same weather as Seattle.

The Brits must see all the Great White North the same.