The Weather in the Crystal Empire

[Scion of Arcadia 69]

So it's been established that the Pegasi in Cloudsdale control the weather for Ponyville and presumably a couple other places. This includes manufacturing snow clouds, gathering water for rain, and releasing it at regular intervals. The sleepover episode also gave a brilliant reason as to why they can still have severe weather.

 

...So what about the Crystal Empire? How is it always snowing over there? If they had Pegasi controlling the weather over there as well, wouldn't they no longer need a magical shield to protect them? What could they be doing that it's always snowing over there?

[-Octavia- 1,176]

This may just be a guess, but I'm assuming no one wants to constantly tame the weather of the Arctic, which is where the Crystal Empire is located.

 

Is it even safe to fly in such conditions?

Edited September 18, 2015 by Wubtavia

[I used to be a stranger 7,989]

Magic.

 

Look obviously if the Everfree Forest is any indication, it should be clear that artificial control of the weather (as Pegasi exert) is not something that happens everywhere at all times. Do the horses in Saddle Arabia have controlled weather?

[Scion of Arcadia 69]

@@Blue Yeah, but I kind of assumed the Everfree Forest was unique in that regard, hence it's name. That one of the reasons ponies were nervous of the place was BECAUSE it didn't have anypony watching over it. I can't say anything for Saddle Arabia because as far as I know, it's only been mentioned in name.

 

@ Although you two do postulate a good theory. That they don't so much make the weather as they control it. If that were the case, then it would make a bit more sense with the Crystal Empire. Having the place sealed away for 1000 years, the weather would be free to run rampant without anypony looking after it.

 

And that's partially the reason I thought about it, Wub. I was thinking about how my OC would make it over there for the Summer Sun Celebration taking place there. She's a Pegasus so she could fly instead of taking the train... but if what we've seen is any indication, that's no weather to be flying in.

 

Which also begs the question, who controls the weather for Manehattan?

[-Octavia- 1,176]

Which also begs the question, who controls the weather for Manehattan?

Funnily enough I was thinking about this the other day. I was RPing with my OC, born, raised, and still living in Manehattan when it struck me. I just lightly tossed in that it was raining/snowing, and thought "why would Pegasi allow snowfall to disrupt such a busy city?" Well, I didn't really have an answer. In Rarity Takes Manehattan, it seems to inexplicably begin pouring with no intervention from Pegasi.

 

I'm wondering if Cloudsdale merely creates weather, and then nature takes its proper course. Stormfronts would develop naturally before drifting across Equestria. But this does not rectify the inconsistency, because then it seems the weather ponies are extremely biased towards Ponyville....

[Princess Lona 381]

Perhaps certain parts of Equestria and the rest of the planet (if Equestria is indeed located on a planet) need to be generally colder or warmer than others in order to maintain weather systems. If I'm not mistaken, the Pegasi seem to deal mainly if not exclusively in precipitation and wind. They don't necessarily control other aspects of the weather like temperature. Maybe the Crystal Empire needs to be cold all the time so that the Pegasi have a place from which to blow cold air in when they need to make winter happen. If the Crystal Empire is anything like our arctic and sub-arctic, they would need a constant cover of deep snow for almost all of the year to keep whatever minor vegetation they have there safe from the freezing temperatures so that it could grow again during whatever short, cool summer and spring they have.

[Scion of Arcadia 69]

@

 

I think it's more that the Pegasi in charge of weather have a schedule to stick to, regardless of what it does for the ponies on the ground. We just don't often see it because all the things we're focusing on are at ground level. Plus, it seems somewhat automated. They direct the clouds where they need to go but otherwise they rain when they want to. The few times we've seen Pegasi force lightning and rain out of one is when it's small and not really a storm cloud. So it's possible that they just place them where they're told. Although the weather ponies in Manehattan did seem to have it out for Rarity, because they certainly seemed to rain on cue. Apparently one of the rules they follow is the Rule of Drama.

 

I kind of thought each major area would have its own cloud city, or at least a rotation of them. It doesn't seem reasonable for Cloudsdale to supply all of Equestria.

 

@@Princess Lona ...Good point, I hadn't thought of that. It isn't exactly like we've seen the Crystal Empire during the warmer months and it's outright stated that it's the Artic.

[N.W. 3,619]

Based on what is largely considered to be the "canon" map of Equestria (in the spoiler) I'd say it would be most similar to Russia or Canada. (Original thread with map can be found here)

This map does pre-date the season 3 premiere, but I believe that the Crystal Empire falls between Cloudsdale and the Crytsal Mountain range.

Thus the winters are much colder and there is more snow, but the spring and summer season rarely climb to sweltering levels of heat. 

 

 

 

 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 40,284]

It could be that the actual location of the Empire is in a more general and easy to maintain location, whereas the rest of the area is wild and crazy in terms of blizzards and whatnot. That would take a lot of pony-hours to keep in check. I am not very good at coming up with detailed theories though.

[Justin_Case001 4,855]

There's no Equestrian way of knowing,

Which direction we are going.

Is it raining, is it snowing?

Is a hurricane a-blowing?

 

Maybe they can't stop the snow.  Maybe somepony over there's an out of control cryokinetic.

 

I suspect that if the weather in the Crystal Empire got too bad, Cadance would just head down to that Sombra sub-basement thing and turn the donkey wheel to move it.  Then she'd wake up in desert of the Ibex Empire.