Well friends, Spring/Summer is upon us, or at least, according to the Calendar (not according to the ground on the prairies). With Springy Summer, comes warmer temperatures, which means *sniff* people probably aren't going to be wearing Long Johns, which means most people probbbably won't be needing The Long John Index Service.
Of course you might think that all the staff are planning their Non Winters: and taking the weeks off to rest, golf, read trashy novels, and BBQ as many Hot Dogs as is legally allowed. YOU'D think that, but No!
As a $75 Billion Dollar a year department of the Canadian Government, We don't actually close the doors for the ENTIRE Non Wintery Season. There will still be much work behind the scenes, mostly reviews; Lots and Lots and Lots of Reviews. See the Long John Index is so busy Saving the Lives of Frost Bitten Canadians, that we need the summer to take a step back and review how things are done. We are planning ann overview of Long John Index, where we will review the effectiveness of the Index and its various widgets and permutations, and decide whether they can be improved. Maybe we'll start considering the Wind Chill when we do the Long John Index! Maybe it will be on a scale from 1-8 instead of 1-5! Maybe YOU, the informed Canadian, have some ideas, and maybe JUST Maybe, we'll even listen to them (Unlike those 'know it all' jerks at the UV Index, who think they're so big because they are listed in various weather news outlets).
In the mean time, The Long John Index will be on 'Standby Mode'. We'll definitely keep an eye on that grump Old Man Winter, and if something major happens within the next 4 months, we will do what we've always done: Alert Canadians in a clear and professional manner about what horrific danger they are in. Those will happen primarily over the Long John Index twitter feed, but if something really awesome happens, like Vancouver getting a Long John Index of 4, in JUNE, then not only will we post it here, but ambush the Weather Network and the CBC Weather Centre to report it.
The Long John Index WILL Return to full operation, in the fall of 2011. No time table is set, but once your legs start to get chilly, we'll be ready!
Have a great Non Wintery Season, and thanks to everyone for their support,
The Long John Index Service of Canada Staff