European Members...Keep Warm.

[Harryc]

The weather sounds brutal where you are...comments?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8449906.stm

[jdhurst]

Yes. please let us know. Is it more snow? or too cold? or both?

We spent a winter week at our cottage in mid-Ontario in early December, and on the day we left, we had 60 - 80 cm of snow (over 2 feet). Enough so that it closed major highways, trapped us on the highway, and we had to stay overnight in a small town. So I can sympathize and empathize with all the snow I just saw on the news this evening.

I join with Harry in wishing you well. ... JDH

[killer]

Thank you for your concern, Harryc and jdhurst. It is appreciated.

It is cold here in the UK. Luckily we have legs and can walk to the shops so we can get supplies. The people who really suffer are the elderly. When I say elderly I mean those over 75 who have a genuine fear on icy pavements (sidewalks). One slip and they are in hospital.

The roads get gritted but the pavements are like glass. We visited my in-laws yesterday . They hadn't been out all week and were getting short of essentials. Their car is stuck in deep snow and no chance of moving it until it gets warmer. We have more snow expected tonight and for the next few days. We helped them stock up and they'll cope.

I haven't known weather like this since the early 1960s.

The rest of northern Europe is facing the same, or worse. Perhaps we'll get the gulf stream back soon to melt all this ice. Meanwhile El Nino continues to haunt us all from the Pacific ocean which is so very far away. In November it brought us all the hurricanes that normally hit the USA ... bumped out of the way by El Nino. Now the jet stream winds are to the south of northern Europe ... again caused by El Nino, according to the Met Office.

What causes El Nino? I have no idea. Any one any ideas?

[jdhurst]

Hi killer,

A decent source about El Nino is here:

http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/elnino/whatis.html

... JDH

[RealBlackStuff]

My family in Dublin/Ireland told me, that schools have been closed until further notice, due to the bad weather.
Before we moved to the States in 2006, in the previous ca. 10 years we had snow there only on one day for maybe 3-4 hours.
I really feel for them...

[A31]

It is VERY COLD over here in the UK - and I live in the East (Norwich, Norfolk, UK), but the weather in the North, Midlands and Southern parts of the UK have been very severe. It is also fairly bad in the east but not as severe as other parts of the country...

[Toine]

Here in the Netherlands is everything okay. A lot of snow, but the highways are clear and normal. Getting colder but no more snow, so everything is fine! Driving in the snow with 200HP is difficult though!

[jdhurst]

Here in the Netherlands is everything okay. A lot of snow, but the highways are clear and normal. Getting colder but no more snow, so everything is fine! Driving in the snow with 200HP is difficult though!

Slow down!! I have a cottage now where winter snow is the norm. I can go for a week up there and never see any black pavement. Sometimes, when the side roads are not ploughed and I still want my morning paper, I get my Volvo wagon in the grooves made by some truck in 20+ cm of snow and just plod along about 30 - 40 Km/hour. No rush, no problems, just safe home with my morning paper. ... JDH

[killer]

@ JDH, Your remote cottage sounds lovely. Who needs a daily paper these days when many are online? Anyway, sound advice to drive at slow speeds on snow and ice.

We've had a load more snow overnight. Apparently an Atlantic frontal system was heading our way and bumped into the massive block of arctic air sitting northern Europe. The result was heavy snow. Hopefully the next frontal system will bring back our normal temperate weather.

[paul*robertson]

Its a bit of snow and everyone thinks its the end of the world

[killer]

Its a bit of snow and everyone thinks its the end of the world

Yes, but isn't Grimsby the end of the world?

[paul*robertson]

="killer"

Yes, but isn't Grimsby the end of the world?

Grimsby Town are second bottom in the football league, so not quite the end.

[jdhurst]

@ JDH, Your remote cottage sounds lovely. Who needs a daily paper these days when many are online? Anyway, sound advice to drive at slow speeds on snow and ice.

It is a nice place. It was new (new building) in 2009 and we purchased one interval in it (5 weeks). It is in mid-Ontario called Muskoka and is great cottage and resort country, so we like. The G8 are meeting in Huntsville near us in 2010, so that gives one a bit of a flavour.

We have broadband Internet in the cottage and good speed; however, I still like my morning read with a cup of coffee. Old habits die hard.

Cheers, and thank you, .... JDH

[A31]

Its a bit of snow and everyone thinks its the end of the world

It's all melting now anyway... heavy rain forecast for Saturday and sun for Sunday so bye bye snow!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/ ... &region=uk

[killer]

That's OK for the UK (thank heavens) but the rest of northern Europe is still suffering from the arctic air that has been sitting here for weeks. What about Poland? Anyone still in touch there?

[A31]

It has FINALLY gone!!!

Does this mean I can now walk at least 2 feet without almost slipping over?

[sb102]

What about Poland? Anyone still in touch there?

Greetings from the "north pole" of Poland (as Białystok is concidered to be the coldest city in Poland during winter). When the UK was fighting with snow in the beginning of January, here we had slightly more snow than usual at this time of the year (normaly the biggest snow is in February). Yet we had problems - especialy the south of our country. Some trains there had almost 17 hours of delay due to the fact that the snow has broken power lines (also this is why many thousands of households didn't have electricity). A couple of days ago the temperature had risen to about -5 degres Celcius and we had more snow. Now, after a week of temperatures below -10 degres Celcius the situation is going to repeat (yet still, on the south the temperature is oscilating around zero).

[killer]

@sb102:
We are lucky here to have had a really good Atlantic frontal system to clear everything away. You are too far east to benefit. We wish you luck in the remaining winter months. Keep warm and keep happy.

It was really hard here for the last 4 weeks and we don't need any more ... my wife hasn't been able to play golf since November.

[jdhurst]

... my wife hasn't been able to play golf since November.

Ummmm, it's Winter! Only fanatics play golf in the GTA (Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada) after October 31 and before April 1. Even then, mortal golfers play between May 1 and October 1 for the most part.
... JDH