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Storm in a tea cup: The weather thread

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    Dogs in the snow, eh?

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      Got 4ft snowdrifts on my roof garden. Will be borrowing a shovel tomorrow I fear, or the living room might cave in.
      Last edited by Lang Spoon; 02-03-2018, 23:23.

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        Aye, nor cute dog neither. Their idiot joy showland at sna would definitely be a big compensation for this weather.
        Last edited by Lang Spoon; 02-03-2018, 23:24.

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          Yesterday our local newspaper led with a story bemoaning the lack of snow.

          We were all geared up for it - a forecast of two days heavy snowfall, schools closed, thousands of civil service workers sent home in anticipation of a whiteout, and in return we had perhaps 3 or 4 mm (rising to perhaps 7 or 8 mm in drifts). It’s been bitterly disappointing for us snow lovers.

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            Thanks for the advice. We decided to come up as far as tebay last night and do the rest this morning. A702 looks main concern.

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              We've been managing our freezer down with a plan to defrost it this weekend. Last night we left it open to defrost (it's in the garage). Went out this morning and I think if anything the ice has thickened.

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                Originally posted by Furtho View Post
                Dogs in the snow, eh?

                So cute. Great photo, fantastic close-up (wish I could get my dog to sit still for more than half a second and look at the camera... She's even more hyperactive in the snow than she normally is, possibly because it is totally new to her being hardly out of puppyhood).

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                  The thaw set in yesterday in the High Weald in SE England. Not a moment too soon for me - I’d had enough of freezing my knackers off on dog walks in sub-zero winds. And I was able to drive along our untreated lane for the first time since Monday to restock on milk and feed our latte addiction.

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                    Originally posted by Third rate les bleus View Post
                    I think one of the issues that has made the chaos worse in recent years is the number of HGVs on the roads. Quite a few of the reports I've read this week have mentioned that lorries have become stuck on quite gentle inclines, which means cars cannot get past and ploughs/gritters can't get through either.
                    As a truck driver, I do have to sigh at this. There is absolutely no training or information given to the public about how to actually drive in icy conditions. I can guarantee you that 95% of trucks that are stuck on inclines are there because some idiot has stopped on the road in front of them. One a truck stops on a hill there's no way it will get going again. I always leave at least 200m free in front of me on an incline. This doesn't stop people trying to overtake you, of course.

                    A good tip for anyone driving in the snow is to drive as if you have no brakes so that if necessary you can stop by rolling out. Another is don't hassle truck drivers when it's icy. Patience.

                    On a different subject, as well as the moaning about the lack of gritting, the subject will now switch to pot holes. There really is only one solution to this: pay more tax, I'm afraid. My income is ok but not massive. As a trucker I still come in the 42% tax bracket. But, hey, everything works over here.

                    Until The British accept they are willing to pay for a decent infrastructure they'll end up paying for it indirectly through thousands of lost hours in traffic jams and on railway platforms. And also through the pot hole lottery of hundreds of pounds on new axles and shock absorbers not to mention dead or injured cyclists and motorbike riders. Take your pick.

                    I'm still very much in the snow is fun rather than a problem camp though.

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                      Has this run of bad weather actually caused more pot holes or is it my imagination?

                      Interesting post that Logan which I heartily agree with, the state of the driving this week was horrendous, some of the people in 4x4s obviously think they can drive even more recklessly than normal. With their increased sense of security from their vehicle I think they've forgotten the risks.

                      There was also the bravado or stoicism of schools to keep open, close them and keep people off the roads who don't need to be there.

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                        On the other hand, the cub's school was open which meant countless parents didn't have to take off work ( in the financial industry this is the busiest time of year) and/or find childcare at super short notice. The roads were still pretty empty. I wouldn't have criticised our Head teacher for closing, but we were very glad she didn't.

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                          Running nursery and primary schools as glorified childcare during this period makes sense, getting staff in from miles away to empty and collapsed classes doesn't.

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                            Originally posted by Antepli Ejderha View Post
                            Has this run of bad weather actually caused more pot holes or is it my imagination?
                            .
                            We have tons of pot holes here every spring. Water gets in the cracks, freezes and basically destroys the tarmac. Because temperatures are typically not that cold in the UK you get far less of an effect. This year with the harsher winter I am quite sure you're seeing a lot.

                            Cobbles is the answer it seems. There are a few cobbled roads round here and because there's room for expansion/contraction they see out winter after winter with no problem

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                              Originally posted by Kev7 View Post
                              So cute. Great photo, fantastic close-up (wish I could get my dog to sit still for more than half a second and look at the camera... She's even more hyperactive in the snow than she normally is, possibly because it is totally new to her being hardly out of puppyhood).
                              Thank you, it’s Mrs F who is the photographer. She and the dog are both used to it, which buys a few seconds to take a snap even if the hound wants to dash around just as much as yours does. I am not surprised an 18-month-old lab is excited to be out in the snow and it’s a joyful thing to see. For a Springer that feeling doesn’t seem to go away...

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                                Originally posted by Furtho View Post
                                Thank you, it’s Mrs F who is the photographer. She and the dog are both used to it, which buys a few seconds to take a snap even if the hound wants to dash around just as much as yours does. I am not surprised an 18-month-old lab is excited to be out in the snow and it’s a joyful thing to see. For a Springer that feeling doesn’t seem to go away...
                                Beautiful shot. I love springer spaniels.

                                In fairness, our young lab is not always zipping round like a Duracell bunny (although she is extremely lively, far more than the average young lab I mean, hence her Julius-K9 harness - she tends to jump on people a lot for instance, on walks, in town etc. - so we need to be able to grab her very quickly and firmly, but she's slowly improving), she can sit perfectly still for a few seconds and be very pensive...

                                (at Gibside, near Newcastle)



                                (at home, only about 4 months old)

                                Last edited by Pérou Flaquettes; 04-03-2018, 14:25.

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                                  You lot really need to start a separate thread on dogs!

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                                    Originally posted by Logan Mountstuart View Post
                                    As a truck driver, I do have to sigh at this. There is absolutely no training or information given to the public about how to actually drive in icy conditions. I can guarantee you that 95% of trucks that are stuck on inclines are there because some idiot has stopped on the road in front of them. One a truck stops on a hill there's no way it will get going again. I always leave at least 200m free in front of me on an incline. This doesn't stop people trying to overtake you, of course.

                                    A good tip for anyone driving in the snow is to drive as if you have no brakes so that if necessary you can stop by rolling out. Another is don't hassle truck drivers when it's icy. Patience.
                                    Sorry Logan, I certainly didn't mean to blame the truck drivers - it was more an observation that the volume of trucks on the roads seems to be greater than it was when I was first driving, when we had more snowfalls yet less chaos. Or maybe that's just my rose-tinted snow goggles?

                                    I completely agree that the standard of driving in snow and ice is abysmal, whether it's an inability to clear their windows before driving off, a lack of knowledge about sensible throttle and gear use in snow or sheer overconfidence in their own or their car's ability. I wouldn't claim to be a great driver, but I think I am competent - though I was fortunate enough to learn to drive in an area with little traffic and fairly regular snow, so I was able to go out and have a play in wintry weather and learn from my mistakes without endangering anyone but myself.

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                                      The Met Office are issuing weather warnings for the weekend, it looks like more snow is on the way.

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                                        Fuck you, summer!

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                                          Snow has kaiboshed my plan to go and see a Sunday morning film. It's still -2 out there apparently.

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                                            The weather here is fucking mental. After foolishly going out earlier I now count myself extremely fortunate to be home safely and in the warm.

                                            Winter is very much back

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                                              That's another 2 weeks on the snowman...

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                                                Same here, Ad Hoc. There was heavy and incessant rain all day Friday, which failed to deter more impressive turnouts at our 'for a decent Slovakia' protests. This was replaced by freezing temperatures and biting northeast winds for Saturday and Sunday. These very much did deter me from going to any football, not that there's been much on.

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                                                  We had crocuses (croci?) out in the garden yesterday. Now they're buried under 25cm of snow

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                                                    Missing all the fun here in Gva, in fact had a long semi-urban ramble in very pleasant weather this morning...gone cold and rainy with a frigid wind now though...

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