Attention: Brits. We're all going to freeze to death in a pristine white hell.

[James Harrison]

We've got about 2 inches and it's started again.  I also have to chuckle at the number of schools and colleges closed down because of this- what are we becoming, a nation of wimps?  Just carry on regardless I say, but stop once in a while to have a look at the beauty of it!

[Professor Fzz]

I've been out with the kids in the snow since before it got light, as their school is closed today.  We got about 8 inches here in Kingston-upon-Thames: not much by North American standards, but a lot for southern England.  The last time our local council actually really needed their snowploughs, Margaret Thatcher was in power, so when they went to start it last night they discovered the tires had gone down and the battery were flat    Seriously though, it's cheaper (and much more fun) to take a day off every 20 years than to maintain readyness for snow.

[Jemima Annabelle Clough]

PS: I've just seen someone in a BMW Chelsea Tractor, and although they've cleared the snow from their windows, there's still a foot of snow on their roof- anyone else witnessed stupidity in the snow?

Most of the cars I've seen today still have snow on the roof - the most recent one (a 4wd of some description) was shedding large chunks as it was going along. The worst I've seen is some-one who'd cleared a narrow strip off the bonnet (hood for those across the pond) in front of the driver's window, and left the rest - a good 8" or so of it, all over the rest of the boonet, roof etc!

As others have said, this isn't much snow if you're used to it. But I can't remember the last time it snowed this heavily in this area, and we've been here nearly 15 years! I do remember snow like this as a child, but I lived a bit further north, and a bit further out of London than I am now.

I'm working at home - I could have got into work with a struggle, but we've been told to stay at home if we can work at home and it's not easy to get in.

[Sir Ninian Marsh]

I live just outside of York and we had about 4 inches of snow last night. I live on the first hill of the Wolds so it's always fun driving / sliding down it, think I'll park the car at the bottom and walk up tonight.

As a nation we always seems suprised when it snows, the country grinds to a veritable halt just becasue we've had a few inches.

God help us if we got snow like Canada or Norway....

[elShoggotho]

This winter, Berlin had frozen lakes for the first time in fifteen years. People reacted quickly and opened makeshift bratwurst stands directly on the lakes. Oh, and surface train service was frozen. Literally. -20°C, the track switches were frozen in position.

[James Harrison]

Staffordshire update- we've now got about 3 inches of the stuff and it's still coming down heavily.  My brother's been sent home from college and the roads around here are becoming impassable (we live on top of a hill accessed by little estate roads the council don't sweep or grit).  I do love this weather!   

[Siliconous Skumins]

We've got a couple of inches up here in the NorthEast, seems to come in small bouts about every 30 mins.


In certain northern parts of the UK, you can get snow fall that is quite serious, though this seems to be a rare event thesedays...
I remember the weather was much colder back when I was a kid. I remember when the water main had frozen solid just outside the house, so we once had to dig up parts of the front yard, in order to place piles of coal on top of the water main, and had three large Propane tanks feeding the burners to ignite the coal. (this was only in the 1980's too!)    Couldn't do that these days - they replaced the cast Iron mains pipes with plastic!   

I have actually experienced -44.3deg C in only a t-shirt and shorts. It is something you have to experience to appreciate just HOW FREAKING COLD that is!!   
It was a bet while I worked night shifts at a local supermarket (Hehe, walk-in freezer!). 

SS

[SalieriAAX]

I do so love snow, but I have to travel from Manchester to London on a Virgin Train tomorrow and feel sure that it will be severely delayed, cancelled, or derailed.

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

Well, I managed to dig the car out, get all the snow off of it, dig the driveway clear, and make it to work. Reckon we had 6"+ of snow last night, with the same again forecast for today.

Once on the main roads it was not too bad - they'd been gritting heavily. Side roads (such as our road) are utterly horrible though.

Not a lot of traffic. Most idiots hadn't cleared the roof or bonnet (hood) of their cars, although I saw one twit in a big 4x4 pickup who had litterally only bothered to clear off a slit big enough to look out of!

Made it in to work. Loaded the autoloader with the tapes for this week. Attended the emergency management team meeting (they are closing early due to lack of staff). Spoke to my boss (who can walk in) and he's said if it's more of the same tomorrow, don't bother coming in.

Couldn't get public transport in - no buses and even if I'd have walked to Wimbledon from home, the District Line from Wimbledon to Earls Court was closed.

[Danbury Shakes]

I live in London, on the Victoria line of the tube.  The trains on this line have been cancelled fat times for snow.  I dont understand why because the Victoria is an underround line - it doesnt ever breach the surface!!

Well the Victoria Line is working today, of course the busses I get to the Victoria Line (an all the other busses in London) aren't working.  Neither is the train I catch  after the tube, nor most of the other undergraound lines (though the ones that are have major delays)

[randomjedi_1138]

We managed a measly couple-or-four inches here in Nottingham, however being fairly central we miss most of the 'extreme' weather and just seem to get that all-pervasive drizzly greyness, so this is ore snow than I 've seen in probably 10 years.

It's great  Driving in to the office was like a mini arctic adventure, it's the perfect excuse to wear one of my steamiest coats (coachman's) and a bushman's hat, if I could have got away with my topper in the office I'd have that on right now   

[Herr Döktor]

I did seriously consider wearing my Crombie and a top hat out, but feared for the topper with the local urchins chucking snowballs, so I stuck with the sheepskin flying jacket and Яussian tank drivers hat instead.

While I'm here, anyone else got pictures of their local snowscapes?

[Seaton Begg]

If this does indeed happen, and the country grinds to a halt (as seems to happen every other week at the moment), the situation may become a spot grim. I'd advise you all to take any necessary precautions.

Thank you for the warning. I have ordered a hamper from Fortum & Mason

[Herr Döktor]

If this does indeed happen, and the country grinds to a halt (as seems to happen every other week at the moment), the situation may become a spot grim. I'd advise you all to take any necessary precautions.

Thank you for the warning. I have ordered a hamper from Fortum & Mason

If nothing else, you'll have plenty of snow to serve the caviar in!

[Professor Fzz]

Once on the main roads it was not too bad - they'd been gritting heavily. Side roads (such as our road) are utterly horrible though.

Not a lot of traffic. Most idiots hadn't cleared the roof or bonnet (hood) of their cars, although I saw one twit in a big 4x4 pickup who had litterally only bothered to clear off a slit big enough to look out of!

I just drove over to Mitcham and back to collect our kids' nanny who couldn't get her car out of the driveway (slight slope, no grip!) Much quicker than a normal day because although no-one's driving quickly, really no-one's driving at all.  Very very quiet.  

And yes I saw a similar idiot in a 4x4 who had only cleared a slit on the windscreen to look through.  There's something about 4x4's that make some subset of drivers think they're invincible.  I saw this a lot when I lived in California.  I'd be driving along the freeway up into the Sierra Nevada with everyone else doing 40ish in a snowstorm, and someone would pile past doing 70, throwing snow everywhere.  Ocassionally you'd come across them in a ditch a few miles further on, and then you'd realise that there is some justice in life after all.

[Alexander Edmund Clough]

I did seriously consider wearing my Crombie and a top hat out, but feared for the topper with the local urchins chucking snowballs, so I stuck with the sheepskin flying jacket and Яussian tank drivers hat instead.

While I'm here, anyone else got pictures of their local snowscapes?

Yups. Just need to get 'em off the camera and on the web

[Professor Fzz]

While I'm here, anyone else got pictures of their local snowscapes?

First light this morning:


And it's snowing hard again now.

[Seaton Begg]

Hampshire this morning.

Spoiler: ShowHide

[Herr Döktor]

While I'm here, anyone else got pictures of their local snowscapes?

First light this morning:


And it's snowing hard again now.

Well, if you're in Richmond, and I'm in Woking, it must be on it's way to me! I'll have to go for that afternoon walk on the common sharpish!

Hampshire this morning.

Spoiler: ShowHide

And you'll be getting more after me!

[Miss Kins]

Well this was about two hours ago - not particularly special I know but its still going so perhaps there will be a more rewarding sight toward the later afternoon/evening:

Spoiler: ShowHide

I'm down here in the Shoeburyness/Southend area, so probably not going to have half as much of an interesting spectacle as you lovely Northern Lads and Ladies ^_^.

[James Harrison]

Photo of my back garden not 15 minutes old. 

Spoiler: ShowHide

Snow's about 3-4 inches deep and the little corner of sky visible heralds nothing but still more of the cold white wet stuff. 

[Mr Bellows]

Sorry, no pictures but alarmingly I must tell you that all fourteen parcelforce depots in the London area have Suspended services until the weather improves & I have been sent home early due to lack of work  !!!

Its pure madness I tell you, Buckle up Britain, remember when you would all pull together to clear the streets of snow ?, remember too when vehicles got stranded in drifts & Strangers would help each other to dig them out ??

WHAT BLOODY HAPPENED TO YOU

[Ancient Design]

Well, in the south of London, it's reached 8-10", just checked the garden...

[Haizea]

Well, most of the snow in my area has been walked into grey mush by now, but my garden's still pretty pristine. I have a sakura tree that only flowers in winter; looks beautiful in the snow.

Aaaaaand a close-up:


EDIT: stupid photobucket, screwing up my pictures, grumblegrumblegrumble...

[Monti Christo]

I have friends who pulled a cottage across a lake with a bulldozer. That was near Sudbury. They get it even worse than we do around here.
In the winter they groom the sides of the road (that is, the tops of the snowbanks) so there's an extra 2 lanes for snowmobiles.
As for Toronto, they had to call in the army about 10 years ago to deal with the snow. The people in the country are left to their own devices, though.