Saturday, December 28, 2013

White-out!


We had been at the Red Deer Rebels hockey game on Friday night. We got on the road and discovered wind flailing the snow until it was tumultuous.

Three of us wanted to turn back and stay in Red Deer. But the driver felt we needed to keep going, that there was a reason ... We stopped at every vehicle that had hit the ditch, ensuring that there was no one inside; the reason we were not there ourselves was that there were three of us navigating between the bumpy yellow centre line and the suddenly wavy outer white lines - on both sides of the highway. 

 We had just passed a little town called Huxley when we encountered a complete white-out. With our hazard lights on, we sat in the middle of the highway for a few moments until the wind died down somewhat and we could inch our way forward again. 

Suddenly: "Are those footprints?!" and a few yards up ahead there was the bobbing figure of someone walking on the side of the road. We picked him up. His truck had swerved all over the road before coming to rest, stuck at the side. He had no cell phone and had running shoes on his feet and a Red Deer Rebels cap on his head. He was trying to get to Trochu, where he lived. He had about eight miles to go, and he was pretty frozen and somewhat disoriented. 

We drove him to his home: his wife was sitting in the semi-dark next to their front window. And then we pulled wearily back onto the highway for the last 15 kms to Three Hills. 

What if we had stayed in Red Deer and that man had been struck by a vehicle in one of those white-out spells or had wandered off into a drift himself? We ourselves made it safely to Three Hills, three hours after we had set out from Red Deer. I am so grateful that our driver didn't listen to the majority vote and listened instead to the "still small voice" in the middle of the storm compelling him to carry on. God moves in mysterious - sometimes terrifying - ways!

And we, all four of us, are so grateful.


Three Hills, AB


    Current Conditions


    -18°C
    Observed at:
    Three Hills
    Date:
    12:00 AM MST Saturday 28 December 2013
    Condition:
    Not observed
    Temperature:
    -17.6°C
    Dewpoint:
    -19.5°C
    Humidity:
    85%
    Wind:
    NNW 51 km/h
    Wind Chill:
    -32

      Forecast

      Graphic forecast

      Fri
      27 Dec

      Chance of flurries
      • 60%
      •  
      • -19°C

      Sat
      28 Dec

      Chance of flurries
      • 60%
      • -15°C
      •  

      Sun
      29 Dec

      Cloudy
      •  
      • -8°C
      • -21°C

      Mon
      30 Dec

      Chance of flurries
      • 60%
      • -12°C
      • -14°C

      Tue
      31 Dec

      A mix of sun and cloud
      •  
      • -7°C
      • -17°C

      Wed
      Jan

      Sunny
      •  
      • -4°C
      • -10°C

      Thu
      Jan

      A mix of sun and cloud
      •  
      • C
      • -9°C

      Detailed forecast

      Issued: 1:33 AM MST Saturday 28 December 2013
      Blowing snow warning in effect.
      Tonight
      Snow ending overnight then mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Amount 5 to 10 cm. Blowing snow with visibilities frequently less than 1 kilometre. Wind north 50 km/h gusting to 70 diminishing to 30 gusting to 50 overnight. Low minus 19. Wind chill minus 27.
      Saturday
      Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Local blowing snow early in the morning. Wind north 30 km/h gusting to 50 becoming light in the morning. High minus 15. Wind chill minus 31 in the morning.

    9 comments:

    1. And so the real work of that first Christmas - the rescue mission - carries on in full effect, with all its hazards and hopes and the promise of coming home safely. Thank you for being part of it. Thanks to the driver for being a good shepherd.

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    2. Oh my goodness Karyn! That gives me goosebumps! We drive home in that too. It was awful!

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    3. Acts of kindness ... Christmas miracle ... It is truly amazing when we have a listening heart & are obedient

      ReplyDelete
    4. Glad to hear you made it home safe & were able to help someone too. I was thinking of you last night & was wondering if you made it home safely.

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    5. Thank God you all reached home safe n sound! It all sounded pretty scary ... God placed you there so you could help that poor guy in those terrible conditions and protected you too.

      ReplyDelete
    6. Hope your Christmas was blessed with love and joy! Joyful NY to u too! Hugs

      ReplyDelete
    7. You're beautiful inside and out, Karyn. Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and wishing you a very happy, healthy 2014. Do you ever get down to Calgary as I'd still love to see you!

      ReplyDelete
    8. I was the one with the 'angel rescue' a week ago Sunday. I ended up stopped on the road in a total white out not realizing I was strandling the center white line! Well, it was a clue when three cars passed me on the right...! The third in line stopped and got me going again, following their tail lights until we passed the worst of the storm. I was praying for a break in the storm so I could see the road and God sent me a young couple instead :) who took me through it.

      ReplyDelete

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