Best of: Weather buzzwords (yes, including Polar Vortex) that got us talking

Tuesday, December 16, 2014, 10:29 AM - Every year is remembered for certain bizarre weather events that get everybody talking, and 2014 was no exception.  Thanks to the rise of social media, we're able to look back at the stories that captivated the nation's attention, one clever hashtag at a time.

#PolarVortex

This was undoubtedly the buzzword of 2014 as an unseasonably cold winter and spring gripped most of the country. The Polar Vortex is actually a permanent feature of the atmosphere, but the use of the term in the context of the neverending winter conjured up images of a great mass of Arctic air swooping down to ensnare North Americans in its icy clutch. It even spawned its own parody Twitter account:

#Frostquake

Have you ever heard a frost quake? Neither had most Canadians until the winter of 2013-14. Frost quakes occur when the ground becomes saturated with water and suddenly freezes. The water, having nowhere else to go, cracks rock and soil and causes a loud boom that can be heard and felt in homes. Some powerful frost quakes can even cause damage to roads and foundations. The technical term for a frost quake is a cryoseism – but frost quake is infinitely more fun to say.

#Augtober

The revenge of the polar vortex had North Americans craving pumpkin spice lattes a month early as temperatures dropped well below seasonal in the last weeks of August.

Some trees even got in on the faux fall act:

But Augtober was nothing compared to what came next…

#Snowtember

Alberta is no stranger to snowfall in any month of the year, but what happened in Calgary from September 8-10 was definitely exceptional. More than 40 cm of snow blanketed the city, snarling traffic, knocking out power to 30,000 residents and causing $4 million in damage, mostly to trees. Some 12 million kilograms of wood was taken to landfills in the wake of the storm. Calgarians took the snow in stride, even penning a spoof "special weather statement” that went viral.

#BuffaloSnow

One of the most amazing things about social media is how it enables a local story to engage a global audience. This was powerfully demonstrated when a massive snow squall developed off Lake Erie in mid-November and dumped an incredible 150 cm of snow on parts of upstate New York. For days, the Twitter community watched in horror and amazement as highways were buried and roofs collapsed – and cheered as Buffalonians overcame the storm with humour and grace.