Strange Weather Sees Snow near LA, Record Heat in East, and Milder Temps in Canada

Feb 27, 2023

In the past few days, a blizzard struck Los Angeles; sunbathers headed to DC's parks; and officials said a popular Ottawa skating tourist attraction won’t open this year. It’s been too warm. 

The wild weather broke temperature records for cold in the West and heat in the East. The southern US appears to have skipped spring and started summer. Some parts of the South saw temperatures near the 90s in recent days.

Experts expect the unusual weather to stick around for several weeks.

"All winter, we've seen this … pattern, where the western US is seeing below-average temperatures and the eastern US is seeing above-average temperatures," a climate scientist told the BBC. 

Temperatures in much of Canada have been well above normal since the start of 2023.

Parts of Los Angeles were covered in snow Sunday. Over the weekend, a blizzard struck the city. It's the first time since 1989 that the National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office issued a warning for one. In the East, a heat wave broke records on Thursday. The heat, though, seems to have cooled off.  

People in Ottawa, nearly 3,000 miles north of Los Angeles, learned that the Rideau Canal Skateway wouldn’t open this winter for the first time in more than 50 years. The warm weather has left the ice too thin. The park is the largest ice skating rink in the world.

"Despite our best efforts, the weather got the best of us for the first time in our history," the National Capital Commission tweeted. "You’re disappointed. We’re disappointed." 

Photo from Reuters. 

Question
Which of the following expressions could best replace “despite” in the quote in the final paragraph without changing the meaning of the passage? (Common Core RI.5.4; RI.6.4)
a. without
b. because of
c. even with
d. no matter what
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