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

[Mercury Wells]

Compared to 1947 & 1963, the amount of snow we have at the moment is like a dusting of icing sugar on a Victoria Sponge.

But on the bright side though...if the power lines for electric trains get damaged, then maybe just maybe, steam trains would have to be used.

[garingling]

Haizea that is a lovely picture of your tree. I love when snow clings to everything I wish we would get some real snow here. I'm in Southern Maryland and we don't get that sort of stuff often. Its been at least 10yrs since we got over 24in of snow in one storm. Then again a good inch of snow can bring everything to a stop around these parts. 

[Seaton Begg]

The main roads in and around Winchester were passable with care, but as soon as you got onto the estate roads it was like a skating rink. I slid the back end of my car out just getting out to the main road, fortunately I was going very slowly at the time

I managed to get my morning appointments done on foot. One of my colleagues got stuck and I had to go and pick him up (didn't seem fair to let him try and walk all the way back in to town).

Lucky for me I can 'work from home' with my laptop I think the big problems will be tomorrow when all the slush freezes over and makes the roads even worse than today  But we have to expect a bit of disruption, beter that than buy a lot of expensive road clearing kit just to have it sat in a shed for the next 10 years gathering dust.

[bizarre_chicken]

Why is it, when we get the SLIGHTEST bit of weather, Britain freaks out?
I mean, totally freaks out. I love this weather!

[SteamBlast Mary]

There's somehting so very British about reactions like this. Six inches and we're up in arms; if it were six feet, we'd be strapping on our wellies to walk the six miles to work on principle, and would have reporters going around the country saying "What ho, good ol' British spirit, young Dazza here actually went next door to dear ol Mrs Jones's and offered to make her a cup of tea. Actually he went round to steal her purse, but when the plucky lad broke in and noticed she was frozen to her chair, he became a Good Samaritan and called an ambulance."

Besides, as Jeremy Clarkson points out, it makes for a talking point. Hell, this thread is in it's forth page and was only started a couple of hours ago!

Spoiler: ShowHide

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/jeremy_clarkson/article412902.ece


"in Britain more ferocious and turbulent weather would be a good thing because it was 57F and drizzling yesterday and it'll be 57F and drizzling tomorrow. And yet, despite the sameness, we are the only people on earth who use prevailing conditions as an ice breaker at parties.

"Ici qu'il fait frais pendant cette période d'année," is not something you will hear at French social events. And nor have I ever heard a German say, "Es ist ausgefallenes nettes."

Last week, every news channel in Britain cut live every 15 minutes to some dizzy bird in wellies, standing in a puddle, saying the wind was very strong and the sea was very rough. No other nation would do that; not just two weeks after the definition of a rough sea had been rewritten by that tsunami.

An Englishman's home is not his castle. An Englishman's home is, as Bill Bryson once pointed out, a large grey Tupperware box. A constant, year-round sea of endless misty greyness. So I would therefore welcome some proper storms and heatwaves and swarms of locusts sweeping down from the heavens every afternoon.

Imagine the joy, when conversation begins to flag, of being able to substitute "it's turned out nice" for "I was sucked into space by a tornado this morning". And imagine being told on the weather forecast that a glacier had buried Birmingham. Big British weather. Bring it on. "

[bizarre_chicken]

I love how no-one's at work / school, because of SIX. INCHES. of snow.
If, say, we were six inches tall, we could honestly say we were snowed in.
However, I agree with Mary - if we had six feet of snow everyone would be digging their way out the house out of sheer bloody-mindedness.

[Herr Döktor]

Speaking as someone who has had people who don't know how to drive in the snow slide ito his stationary car, and as I have walked into both local towns today, I feel confident to say that it's better that some people are incapacitated by the weather, makes it safer for the rest of us!

[akumabito]

I love how no-one's at work / school, because of SIX. INCHES. of snow.
If, say, we were six inches tall, we could honestly say we were snowed in.
However, I agree with Mary - if we had six feet of snow everyone would be digging their way out the house out of sheer bloody-mindedness.

Hahah, yeah, back in college there was this Russian exchange student and she was all like "WTF??" when everybody showed up late because of 3 inches of snow.

[BrethrenAndBetrayer]

It's snowing over here too Not much, comparatively, but enough to be interesting
Might post pics tommorrow, supposed to be even worse better then

[Sean Patrick O-Byrne]

You dirty buggers! It won't even consider snowing here! Snow removals my only source of income right now 

That and I like snow, for the most part. But after those first six months it does get kind of old... "Summer in Banff is two months bad skiing." 

[Von Gast]

We have a reasonable amount of snow. I've mostly been dodging the idiots who have yet to realise that stopping takes a bit longer. I have a callout tomorrow, sending two vehicles to deliver some sort of care worker to a very remote location. We're sending two because if one gets stuck the other can tow them out.

Low range gears are extremely useful for steep downhill bits, as you don't have to brake. See, I may have four wheel drive but I still only have four wheel stop and two wheel steer...

[Professor Fzz]

See, I may have four wheel drive but I still only have four wheel stop and two wheel steer...

The big problem is that only 4WD drivers who have driven extensively off-road seem to realize this.  Too many other 4WD drivers seem to think it gives them immunity to Newton's first law. 

Fzz (ex Jeep driver)

[Siliconous Skumins]

North East region weather update:

Snow has turned to strange rain + hail combo, plus the occasional bit of sleet. Snow on ground being washed away. slightly windy.
Current conditions:  Bloody 'orrible! 


Try to avoid the 100 yard dash to the corner shop, it's not worth it (trust me...).

SS

[Von Gast]

See, I may have four wheel drive but I still only have four wheel stop and two wheel steer...

The big problem is that only 4WD drivers who have driven extensively off-road seem to realize this.  Too many other 4WD drivers seem to think it gives them immunity to Newton's first law. 

Fzz (ex Jeep driver)

I realised it long before I started off roading, believe me! It only became essential when I started dealing with rocks attempting to overtake me on the way down the hills...

I've now been stood down from the callout, one section is completely impassible. Still on standby for anything else that might happen.

[Professor Fzz]

Finally found a few minutes to go out and grab a few pictures:

[Sir Nikolas of Vendigroth]

I love how no-one's at work / school, because of SIX. INCHES. of snow.
If, say, we were six inches tall, we could honestly say we were snowed in.
However, I agree with Mary - if we had six feet of snow everyone would be digging their way out the house out of sheer bloody-mindedness.

I went to Uni. I got bogged down, and had to eat half of my huskies. 

I buried the other half in the snow, for on hte way back 

[The Kernel]

See, I may have four wheel drive but I still only have four wheel stop and two wheel steer...

The big problem is that only 4WD drivers who have driven extensively off-road seem to realize this.  Too many other 4WD drivers seem to think it gives them immunity to Newton's first law. 

Fzz (ex Jeep driver)

Had a wonderful day with the Greater Manchester Police on their skid pan, this was a recurring theme in their tuition too, but not just limited to "Chelsea Tractors", including many BMW and Mercedese products as well.

[Ambie]

The posted pictures are grand!

Thanks to all for posting a glimpse of what you are seeing.

[George De Vraic]

Finally found a few minutes to go out and grab a few pictures:

Lovely Photos Fzz!

Alas, our new flatmate Brett, seen here on the right has been stolen.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Last seen about two hours ago. The local chavs.....*sob*
emotionally,
George

[Sir Nikolas of Vendigroth]

Who steals a snowman, when it's infinitely more satisfying to make one?

You should make another. And a pile of snowballs. And wait, unseen....

[Professor Fzz]

Finally found a few minutes to go out and grab a few pictures:

Lovely Photos Fzz!

Thanks! 

The top one is a 20-second exposure, looking across the Thames from Kingston to Teddington.  It's almost entirely illuminated by the glow of the London sky as it was rather dark and there aren't any lights along our stretch of river.  The camera was plonked on an empty baked bean can stuck upside down in the snow -  I really must buy a tripod 

Alas, our new flatmate Brett, seen here on the right has been stolen.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Last seen about two hours ago. The local chavs.....*sob*

This lunchtime I saw that some (presumably large) kids had built an 8-foot high snowman, with a 6-foot snowball as the body.  It was truly impressive - I don't know how they made it.  Unfortunately, by this evening it was headless.  That made me really sad.

[Captain_Minty_Gearhertz]

I got sent home early so those who live in the more valley vallies could get home before everything was blocked.
Work tommorrow should be fun.

[Sir Nikolas of Vendigroth]

I got sent home early so those who live in the more valley vallies could get home before everything was blocked.
Work tommorrow should be fun.

I may not even be able to get into Uni tomorrow.

Oh cruel fate, Who mock me so!

No wait.

[George De Vraic]

Who steals a snowman, when it's infinitely more satisfying to make one?

You should make another. And a pile of snowballs. And wait, unseen....

Ahhh! Well 'evil' flatmate wanted to make another snowman, with " a poo in his belly." I guess come melt time, revenge would have followed, but he is 28 and shouldn't use the word poo. We had him sedated.

I am not hiding anywhere in north London with just a few snowballs! Maybe if the snow balls had been upgraded by The Doctor, or Mr O-Byrne was waving a piece of 2x4 nearby!
Yellow George

[Sir Nikolas of Vendigroth]

Ahhh! Well 'evil' flatmate wanted to make another snowman, with " a poo in his belly." I guess come melt time, revenge would have followed, but he is 28 and shouldn't use the word poo. We had him sedated.

I am not hiding anywhere in north London with just a few snowballs! Maybe if the snow balls had been upgraded by The Doctor, or Mr O-Byrne was waving a piece of 2x4 nearby!
Yellow George

I'm in favour of both of these points. Particularly the second, although if your "Evil" freind still uses words like "Poo", you should have him sectioned and retrained.