School closures due to extremely cold temperatures = külmapühad ("cold holiday").
In Estonia, classes may be cancelled if there is no organized transportation to and from school and the temperature is minus 20 degrees C and colder (for grades 1-6) and minus 25 degrees and colder (grades 7-9).
• Snow days (school closures due to snow) = lumepühad ("snow holiday")
• Wind-chill factor = tuule-külma indeks
• Black ice = kiilasjää, jäide
• Wet snow = lörts, lobjakas
• Freezing rain = jäävihm
• Snow squalls, blowing snow = tuiskav lumi, tuisk. There are three levels of blowing snow: pinnatuisk (surface), madal tuisk (low) and üldtuisk (white-outs).
The word squall appears to be Nordic in origin, although its etymology is considered obscure. It is thought to probably have roots in the word skvala, an Old Norse word literally meaning "to squeal".
• Drifting snow = tuisuvaal
• White-out conditions = üldtuisk
• Snow pellets = lumekruubid ("snow barley"), teralumi
• Ice crystals / needles = jäänõelad
• Hail = rahe
• Snowshoes = lumeräätsad
Eesti lumeoludekaart = Map of snow conditions in Estonia = www.ilm.ee/lumi/
Suusaradade info = Estonian ski trail information = www.ilm.ee/suusailm/
Jääolud Balti merel = Baltic Sea ice conditions = www.iceservice.fi
(Editor’s note: Tallinn has not experienced winter this year to the degree that Toronto has enjoyed. Hence, tongue-in-cheek, this vocab pointer might just come from winter envy. Sorry, Riina, this year Canada is the place to be for real winter.)
Kiilaspäisele kujule kujunes korralik kiilasjääkiht = A substancial layer of black ice developed on the bald statue.
WHO? Scottish artist Kate Robinson. WHAT? Made this ice sculpture of an Easter Island Moai figure, seen here lit up at night. The ice hails from Kiruna in Northern Sweden. WHEN? During the first week of February in unseasonable above-zero temperatures. WHERE? By the Luigetiik (Swan Pond) in Kadrioru Park, Tallinn. WHY? As part of the annual Tallinna Valgusfestival (Light Festival), Tule ja jää pidu (Fire and Ice Celebrations) and in honour of the park's 290th birthday.
Photos: Tiiu Kirsipuu
