ICYMI: Five must-read stories of the week (September 6-12)

Friday, September 12, 2014, 10:07 AM - Another week has buzzed by and now it's time to dive deep and bring your attention to the most popular (and bizarre) stories that made headlines this week.

GET READY: A national pattern change is coming

5. Summer snowstorm creates commuter chaos, power outages in Alberta 

Downed trees, power outages, commuter chaos and air travel advisories. Sounds like a typical February day doesn't it?

That's what Albertans were dealing with earlier this week as two rounds of heavy, wet snow hit the region.

City crews there continue to work around the clock to manage any fall/damaged trees from the early snowfall. 

At the height of the storm, some 30,000 customers were left without power. 

And while some residents were left digging out of 40+ cm, they still managed to find the humor in it all. Take a look at ten hilarious tweets from the Alberta snowfall.

4. Ontarians swap cars for canoes 

Talk about a temperature contrast between Alberta and Ontario.

While snow blasted the west, severe thunderstorms lashed parts of southewestern/southern Ontario causing excessive flooding in some areas. 

In fact, things got so bad in London that residents had to use canoes in order to get around the city.

For more on recovery efforts, click here for the full story. 

3. The Weather Network releases it's Fall Outlook (and winter preview) 

The Weather Network’s meteorologists have issued this year’s Fall Outlook for the months of September, October and November, with a sneak peek at the 2014/15 winter season as well.

So, what's going to happen this fall? 

"In terms of temperatures, our team is expecting a continuation of the pattern we've been in, generally favouring above normal temperatures in parts of B.C. and chillier across the eastern Prairies and through Ontario and western Quebec," says Weather Network chief meteorologist Chris Scott, adding that a "rollercoaster" weather pattern is to also be expected. "We're already seeing that in September with a lot of wild fluctuations of temperatures." 

A couple of active storm tracks could also bring above normal precipitation to Manitoba, northern Ontario and through the Great Lakes and into Labrador. 

For a closer look at our Fall Outlook and a sneak peak at the 2014/15 winter preview, click here!

2. '97 Hours of Consensus' seeks to close the gap on public perception about climate change

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Time and time again we hear how the vast majority of climate scientists - 97 per cent of them to be more precise - are in agreement about the facts that the Earth is accumulating more heat these days, the reason for it is the excess carbon dioxide being dumped into our atmosphere, and the ultimate source of all that excess CO2 is fossil fuel burning and deforestation. 

However, despite that overwhelming consensus, apparently the general public believe that agreement is closer to a 50-50 split.

In an effort to close this 'consensus gap' between the scientists and the public, a new Twitter campaign called '97 Hours of Consensus' has started up this week. 

Click here for a look at representation of the #97Hours caricatures so far, a little over halfway through the event (). 

1. Fuzzy, venomous caterpillars invade parts of the U.S.

Megalopyge opercularis, also referred to as the puss caterpillar, is common in parts of the U.S. during the late-summer months -- but coming into close contact with the creatures can land a person in the emergency room.

Photo courtesy: Wikipedia

Doctors say that their fur is covered with venom and a sting causes "instant" and "intense" pain, worse than that of a jellyfish or scorpion. 

Other symptoms include vomiting, convulsions and a drop in blood pressure. 

So, where do these terrifying little creatures hide? Click here to find out.

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