|
More discussion about the Arctic chill !
|
Those two front Pirelli four seasons tyres came into there own last night, cars stuck on hills i went past them with ease.
Should have fitted them on rear as it slipped out a little on rounabouts with a camber but that was fun.
Bring on more white stuff. :-)
|
Just been along the canal with our pooch. He has to be on the lead just now as he's had a little operation to remove a small cyst and can't get the wound dirty. All was fine until we were descending a steep bit of frozen path from a canal bridge down to the towpath and he saw an unwary duck at the bottom.
Just as well I can ski !
|
>>Just as well I can ski !<<
Just as well he's not a Rhodesian Ridgeback!
|
|
My sister, a lady of a certain age, has just driven from Thame via M40, M53 to Shrewsbury and on to Welshpool and Harlech without difficulty. M40 was a bit of a problem last night but clear when she used it and weather got better as she went West.
|
Its all gone in the Kingston area .
I note that there is still much more snow than we got in central London (from where the salute to HM was shown on the TV.)
|
Came across this Fusion around midnight, on the way home. Hazards were flashing. Stopped to check for occupants. There were none and the police stickers were there already, obscured by more snow.
img855.imageshack.us/img855/4673/img00255e.jpg
It looks as if it failed to make a right turn into the minor road it's gone off, but it's surprising as the turn is on a blind bend and you'd just about stop before you made the turn even in dry daylight.
Last edited by: Manatee on Sun 5 Feb 12 at 15:52
|
...Came across this Fusion around midnight...
Decent pic - the local paper might be interested.
|
>> ...Came across this Fusion around midnight...
>>
>> Decent pic - the local paper might be interested.
Somebody else has got the incident on to this BBC slideshow...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16894177 (image 6/12)
|
>> >> ...Came across this Fusion around midnight...
>> >>
>> >> Decent pic - the local paper might be interested.
>>
>> Somebody else has got the incident on to this BBC slideshow...
>>
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16894177 (image 6/12)
Better shot too..... ;P
|
As reported in the first volume of this thread
Then off to Mercedes Benz World for coffee, only to find that David Coulthard was out on the skid pan in some massively overpowered and undergripped MB open top sports car thing trying to round with the tail out. He constantly ended up going backwards to sarcastic applause from the audience. (Me)
Its just been shown on ITV London tonight - How to drive in bad weather.
|
No problem on my route this morning, provided I didn't mind it taking twice as long as usual. The first half-mile was the worst, over near-virgin snow. After that, I could at least see tarmac all the way.
But I was evidently in the wrong vehicle. A white(ish) van tailgated me out of town then shot past me through the slush; an XC90 made a close inspection of my rear bumper before turning off; and an old Voyager (ever seen one of those driven well?) couldn't bear to follow me at 40 along the partially cleared A4 and ploughed along the fully-slushed right lane, whooshing slush all over me and making contact with heaven knows what under his tyres.
Was I mimsing? Were these vehicles rendered superior by winter tyres? Or is it what someone described in vol 1: that there are drivers who expect a slush-covered road to offer the same control as a clean and dry one?
Anyway, airport snowploughs permitting, I'm off tomorrow to the near Continent for a couple of days, where it's -11'C, apparently. Then to a more distant continent for the rest of the week - where it's 29'C. Which do you think I'm looking forward to more?
|
|
Well there's only one of those places where I'd be wearing my budgie smugglers.
|
Years ago I was proceeding down the A1 in an Austin Maxi (no sniggering, they were good in snow) about as fast as I dared - probably 40 mph when I was overtaken by a Morris Marina.
Thought to myself - bet I see him again facing the wrong way. Sure enough, I did, within 5 minutes. Don't think he had dents but I bet he needed new underwear.
|
Years ago my uncle worked Motorway Maintenance on the M40, and like most of the gang, used to make his winter money up driving the gritters and ploughs.
They used to bet, usually in cigarettes, when speeding overtakers would crash.
He told me about an Audi ur Quattro which flew past them at about a ton in several inches of lying snow. As the tail lights disappeared in a plume of snow, the bets began in anger, interrupted almost immediately by the lights swinging violently left and right. The driver failed to catch this tankslapper and the car left the carriageway to the left, went down a bank and embedded itself in a snow filled ditch.
The driver was unharmed, but somewhat sheepish. The car, when recovery pulled it out an hour later was visibly unharmed too. It had missed half a dozen stout trees on its journey from tarmac to ditch, and the lying snow had cushioned the drop into the ditch and dragged the car to a stop.
I dont think anyone on the scene could believe the sheer luck that had played out.
|
My brother somehow managed to put one of my mother's Cortinas into a snow-filled ditch.
It landed on its side, but emerged without a scratch.
The incident is occasionally recalled at family gatherings, but even 35 years later, brother comes over all evasive when asked what he was doing.
|
We had 5" in Nottingham and it even settled on trunk roads. We went out in the car and had a great night challenging it to various slopes.
Did the same in the morning on the way to the park.
It was mostly BMWs that were stuck, there was also a new item on the TV that showed 4 cars abandoned on the motorway all were BMWs of various ages. Maybe snow traction should be part of NCAP?
This was my first winter of driving a 4x4, namely an Audi A8L and I don't think I would go back to FWD or RWD.
dl.dropbox.com/u/1273965/Screen%20Shot%202012-02-06%20at%2012.30.20.png
dl.dropbox.com/u/1273965/Screen%20Shot%202012-02-06%20at%2012.29.51.png
dl.dropbox.com/u/1273965/Screen%20Shot%202012-02-06%20at%2011.47.10.png
Last edited by: sooty tailpipes on Mon 6 Feb 12 at 12:34
|
|
Is that last pic a Turner?
|
Some places are reporting seeing 2 feet of snow
tinyurl.com/6w6juwf
|
Brother reported about five inches just outside Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.
He and the neighbours did some community snow clearing of the road leading up to their cul-de-sac.
The children who turned up later with their sleds were most disappointed.
|
|
No travel horrors this morning, provided you don't count the 0430 start. Dutch countryside very pretty from the air - snow everywhere and sun glinting off frozen canals. Now in Germany, where it's just cold. Fried zander for dinner, though, which can't be bad.
|
|
-35C in Eastern Switzerland and in Czech Republic -39.4. Not much of a problem but snow in Algeria must be unusual! 36000 houses in Tuscany without electricity for a week. I am always impressed with the quick help we seem to get to restore electricity supplies - people out in vile conditions working to get the power back
|
>>Then to a more distant continent for the rest of
>> the week - where it's 29'C. Which do you think I'm looking forward to more?
>>
26 and rain today here. Which is a welcome relief from the 35+ we've had for the past week.
|
On a bitterly cold winter's morning a husband and wife in Swansea were listening to the radio during breakfast. They heard the announcer say, "We are going to have 8 to 10 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the even-numbered side of the street, so the Snow ploughs can get through." So the wife went out and moved her car.
A week later while they are eating breakfast again, the radio announcer said, "We are expecting 10 to 12 inches of snow today. You must park your car on the odd-numbered side of the street, so the snow ploughs can get through." The wife went out and moved her car again.
The next week they are again having breakfast, when the radio announcer says, "We are expecting 12 to 14 inches of snow today. You must park...." Then the electric power went out.
The wife was very upset, and with a worried look on her face she said, "I don't know what to do". "Which side of the street do I need to park on so the snow ploughs can get through?"
Then with the love and understanding in his voice that all men who are married to blondes exhibit, the husband replied, "Why don't you just leave the car in the garage this time."
|
|
Very funny Dog the husband should have moved the car.>:0 Doh.
|
|
:) it made I larf as well.
|
How is the Ridgeback getting on Dog old age creeping up.?
Our cats won't go out the house to cold they keep telling me.
Any holidays you have planned for this year? Lots of questions.
|
D'ya know Dutchie, he's bin averse to the cold weather ever since I brought him home as a pup,
I wouldn't mind, but he's supposed to be a 'guard breed', wimp breed more like it!
Yes, he's coming up to 12 now, which is a good age for a large (ish) dog, I looks after him though, and that means good grub, and no junk non-food.
And, he never goes to the vets., he's a canine version of the Mitsubishi Lancer ;)
What are holidays Dutchie?
Last edited by: Dog on Tue 7 Feb 12 at 14:47
|
Look after him Dog,our cats are spoiled always having grub.
I like to have a Dog again can't make up my mind yet which breed.
|
>>I like to have a Dog again can't make up my mind yet which breed<<
Now there's a new thread if I ever saw one!
|
>> David Coulthard on the skid pan in a growling Mercedes SLS AMG Roadster
>>
>> www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motoringvideo/9066720/David-Colthards-sporting-challenge.html
>>
>>
Was that Zero in the silly hat?
|
|
Just in case anyone was wondering, six inches of snowfall contains approximately the same amount of water as one inch of rainfall.
|
That would make sense. When I was PL of the Woodpigeons, we would gather snow into a dixie to melt for cooking water if we were bivouacing in the Pentlands. When melted it was always disappointingly underfilled.
:-)
|
>> When I was PL of the Woodpigeons
How amazing Humph. When I was a boy scout my patrol was called the Woodpigeons too. Book-khooroo!
Come to think of it, my 'house' in the boarding school I was at then was called the Beavers. There's something sinister going on here.
|
|
I made my own non-standard woggle from a cross-section of antler. It was seen as rebellious initially but was overlooked in due course. Also used to sport a Bowie knife on my belt but that was regarded as perfectly reasonable at the time as indeed was a late evening Players No 6 round a fire after the younger ones had retired.
|
>> I made my own non-standard woggle from a cross-section of antler. It was seen as
>> rebellious initially
A bone of contention?
|
|
55 years ago when I was a cadet in the military I turned up to a formal function in my DJ and with a wine red bow tie. My Flt Cdr greeted me "Go back to your room and get your proper bow tie on - you are an officer cadet, not a band-leader!" Miserable s*d
|
How amazing ......- when I was a boy on the farm I used to shoot woodpigeons.......
Pigeon pie - Yummy....
|
>> When melted it was always disappointingly underfilled.
yellow snow always has more water content, avoid brown snow tho a little too savoury.
|
I joined the wolf-cubs but got thrown out after the inaugural meeting for fighting with another one. Brought great shame on the family, no doubt. Luckily, me ole mam hadn't invested in a uniform yet.
2nd Whalley Range, Manchester. Sadly, I could see the hut and all the fun they were having from my nedroom windoe.
Hasn't affected me though...dib-dib-dib...wibble-wibble.
SWM was a helper with the Brownies......Brown Cow or Snotty Owl or summat. She'd have been more suited for the Hitler Youth !
Ted
|
I'm so glad I wasn't the only one thrown out of the cubs.
Eldest daughter kept up the family tradition by being expelled from the Brownies. I was summonsed to appear before brown owl because of her behaviour. It became apparent my daughter was telling jokes because nothing was happening and she was bored. Brown owl got very upset when I asked what qualifications she'd got in child care.
|
Our daughter was in the Brownies.Not for long don't know what happened be she didn't want to go back.
|
I too was a Cub Scout sinner; shouting 'timber' when the flag pole fell down. Only suspended though, they let me back later.
On Dutchie's point some Brownie Leaders can be right tartars while others utterly fail to control bitchiness and bullying. Some combine both those characteristics with Nelsonian blinndness to the faults of their own kids/their favourites.
Miss B was lucky in local pack and thrived to extent of doing her own Adult Leader qualification at 18. Still goes in and helps when she's on vac from Uni.
|
Nice family tradition there, Tubby Tom.
My son carried our family standing in the community to greater heights by being sacked by McDonalds. Told to return his uniform, I don't think he ever did.
I'm not sure if he had his buttons ripped off and his burger flipper snapped in half over the adjutant's knee.
Ted
|
>> My son carried our family standing in the community to greater heights by being sacked
>> by McDonalds. Told to return his uniform, I don't think he ever did.
The wife's cousin manages the local McDs, and a few years back they changed uniforms, so we got a big bag full of the old ones.
I use them as 'work' clothes when doing odd jobs, gardening etc
Occasionally I have to dash out to grab stuff, and it is quite amusing to see people's faces as they see me pull up in some luxobarge or other, dressed as if I work at McDs!
|
An hour ago the weather station showed - 12.1, so probably lower just before daybreak.
Now up to 10 in hazy sunshine.
How cold in your part of the world? (I'm in Northants)
|
|
Currently -4.7 Lowest it hit last night was -6.4
|
Just above freezing outside Iffy Towers.
|
>> Currently -4.7 Lowest it hit last night was -6.4
>>
>> bbcsurreybreakfastblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-record-low-temperature-for-surrey.html
Someone says -11.5 in Woking
-18.4 C overnight in Chipstead Valley, near Redhill.- Surrey's coldest night on record.
|
>> >> Currently -4.7 Lowest it hit last night was -6.4
>> >>
>> >> bbcsurreybreakfastblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/new-record-low-temperature-for-surrey.html
>> Someone says -11.5 in Woking
>> -18.4 C overnight in Chipstead Valley, near Redhill.- Surrey's coldest night on record.
Well unless the temperature varied by -5c in less than 4 miles they are lying.
|
>> >> >> Currently -4.7 Lowest it hit last night was -6.4
>> >> Someone says -11.5 in Woking
>
>> Well unless the temperature varied by -5c in less than 4 miles they are lying.
>>
There is a pic of the dashboard reading but I would guess it is not as accurate as your device.
My car temp was registering -4 at 10:30 last night in the Esher area.
|
>> Now up to 10 in hazy sunshine.
Missed the edit, that should be -10!!!
|
Just below freezing East Riding Yorkshire.
Sunny where car is parked east.
|
|
According to my taxi home about an hour ago, it was -6'C at Heathrow and hit a low of -11.5'C on some shaded high ground near Maidenhead.
|
|
That would have been stay at home temperatures here I fear.
|
|
-14.6 outside, here in East Midlands alast night and -11 in Sainsburys car park in Stamford an hour ago. Got to get out with my camera - the frost on the trees is SO pretty
|
|
Don't worry, we still have disastrous global climate change warming here, It hasn't been below freezing for over a week.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 11 Feb 12 at 10:32
|
>> Don't worry, we still have disastrous global climate change warming here, It hasn't been below
>> freezing for over a week.
Must be raining then
|
+4c in Cornwall (and dry) no snow or ice (on roads) all winter, still got 42 bags o' coal left,
I've had the multi-fuel stove going 24/7 , tis grate mate.
|
...still got 42 bags o' coal left...
Has it got a 'use by' date?
|
|
I did put them in the deep freeze, but 'the wife' wasn't very amused (to say the least)
|
|
Bags of coal go in the bath. Everone knows that, shirley.
|
>>Bags of coal go in the bath. Everone knows that, shirley.<<
Been there Susan, I was probably about (now, let me see) 7
|
>>
>> Must be raining then
>>
I think we have had a brief shower in the last few days.
The main difference is we don't squeal if it is below freezing or we have a little snow. :-)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 11 Feb 12 at 11:23
|
>> The main difference is we don't squeal if it is below freezing or we have
>> a little snow. :-)
Not much point really you would be squealing all the time.
|
|
-5 in Leeds at 05.50 this morning and still feels as cold.
|
Its now officially warm here
0c
|
|
It's always warm in this country.
|
Yesterday in Staffordshire Moorlands (where men are men and wimps die of cold) we had frozen rain: on the pavements, on the walls, on the lamp posts and on the grass . Absolutely crystal clear ice. Virtually invisible . -8C on Friday early hours after rain meant the pavements were impassable without crampons. Literally. The local A&Es were I believe overwhelmed with broken bones.
I went out of the house at 7am primed and dressed to run, slithered to open our gate and decided I would not be brave and. So I went back in, changed into normal clothes and walked the 500 meters to the nearest Q8 with papers. I slid four times, once across the pavement - about 1.5 metres and into the side of a Passat. it was parked at the time.
Judgement vindicated.
Today I went running at 7am, pavements de-iced (-9C overnight), and clear. Birch trees on Congleton Edge covered in ice breaking off and falling to ground giving a path of ice crystals which sparkled in morning sun. 10cm long icicles on a fence silhouetted against morning sun made it look like Santa's grotto. Fortunately I have appropriate layers of running garments to prevent the sound of spherical objects hitting the ground.
Drove to Leek to local apiary to feed bees,, similar scene in bright sun. Stone walls glistening with ice, trees covered in clear ice and grasses looking like crystal swords.
Beautiful.
Roads all clear except minor side roads which were icy but navigable slowly.
Narrowly missed a peasant pheasant on my way home as he dashed across the road from one bank to another in front of me.
Last edited by: madf on Sat 11 Feb 12 at 13:30
|
>> Beautiful.
You paint a lovely picture madf. I would have liked to see some photos. -8C here last night, and very slow for temperature to rise.
What are bee's like at this time of year? Lethargic and slow moving I guess. We have winter honeysuckle hedges at work. Incredibly I've seen the odd bumble bee on the beautifully lemon scented flowers amongst the snow. Do they come out of hibernation for a quick feed to keep them going?
I run along the country lanes around the back of the house, and I come across pheasants, hares, partridges and all sorts *. Sometimes I surprise them, sometimes they surprise me. Being on foot and fairly quiet, it's amazing how much wildlife you notice when you're not in the car.
*Huge rats scurry back into the field ditches occasionally. Not so keen on them - wouldn't like to be bitten in the ankle!
|
|
I have just washed the car which was not much fun as it is only 1 degree above freezing, the hose pipe was frozen solid and the drive is still covered in 2" of snow However as it was no longer possible to tell what colour it was & I was having to open the windows everytime i came to a juction as the glass was no longer see-through I decided that I couldn't put it off any longer !
|
>>You paint a lovely picture madf. I would have liked to see some photos<<
+1
|
>>
>> What are bee's like at this time of year? Lethargic and slow moving I guess.
>> We have winter honeysuckle hedges at work. Incredibly I've seen the odd bumble bee on
>> the beautifully lemon scented flowers amongst the snow. Do they come out of hibernation for
>> a quick feed to keep them going?
>>
They congregate in a ball in the hive to keep warm c 20C.. And slowly move over the combs removing the wax capping covering from cells to eat stored honey.
On warmer and brighter days, they fly to relieve their bowels.. (in bad weather , nothing passes for months... their large intestine is LARGE).. Too early here for early pollen (or rather too cold) but in warmer parts (Dorset etc), they will be active gathering pollen to feed their brood (young bees)...
Baking fondant is fed in winter if stores are low.- place inside on top of combs.
No piccies sorry.. too busy looking..
But glistening walls have a unique image which will remain.
|
|
Went for a walk in Maidenhead this afternoon, the navigable channel (lock cut) to Boulters lock was frozen over.
|
Time for a winter tyre fenders on your longboat thread?
Still, makes a change from "My road has a dusting of snow, what ever can I do".
|
just drove back from north wales. a balmy 1c there and no snow. they havent had any snow at all.
drove back and watched the temp drop.
got to Birmingham and the temp was -1c and a slight dusting of snow on the fields.
Near coventry and almost complete cover of snow with -3c.
at milton keynes is where the temperature started nose diving at around -5c.
near bedford the roads were very slippery at bedford with at one stage -8c and freezing fog.
the same conditions were at the blackcat roundabout on the a1m and biggleswade.
some dangerous conditions there yet some people seem to have exceptional luck and drive like its a hit summers day.
near baldock it started to warm up a little and only -6c and same at hone.
time for a nice hot cuppa and relax.
whole journey time 4 hours in a VW 1,6L auto and 34mpg average indicated.
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 11 Feb 12 at 20:40
|
Went into work at 0400 this morning, -13 at depot, as i drove down the A43 it peaked or rather bottomed out at -14 but as progressed towards the West it warmed steadily to a sunny -5 at by 8am.
Some of us had fuel freezing slightly thismorning causing a bit of slow running for me for a while and two of my colleagues to grind to a halt for a while.
Last time i had Diesel waxing up was the 80's.
|
|
Nice photo's Dog.The blond little girl reminds me of my daughter when she was small she has ginger hair.Sister was saying it has been cold on the continent -20.
|
|
On the A30 between Blackbushe and Camberley a few moments ago, the temperature hit -10°C for half a mile or so. Otherwise its a balmy -8.5°C. These are pretty exceptional figures for this neck of the woods.
|
|
Temperature back to a more normal 0C here in Stamford!
|
|
here in s lincolnshire it was -15 on friday night and -8.5 last night.
|
|
Blasted washing machine drain froze up yesterday. This is a new problem introduced by a guy who serviced the gas Rayburn a couple of years ago. He insisted we needed a hole in the kitchen wall for ventilation or he would condemn the appliance. Now, when it's very cold, I end up putting a fan heater under the kitchen cupboards by the washer so I can thaw the pipe and heat Hertfordshire via the airbrick.
|
Try leaving the kitchen cupboard doors open.
Also worth doing for the cupboard under the sink to prevent the pipes freezing.
|
It was -4 here at 4.30am but it's up to -2 already.
Pat
|
+4 here ...
I/we nearly died yesterday! - I've managed to keep the multi-fuel stove going continuously during this ice age by raking the ashes every 12 hours and then banking it up high again with coal, well - the ashes come out like HOT, still glowing red, so, I put them in the scuttle on the hearth, and leave them there all day to cool orf :(
What an incredible stupid thing to do!! - it's the equivalent to having an open fire in the room without a chimney, anyway - I invested in a Honeywell carbon monoxide alarm a few months ago when I read in Iffy's paper about a couple being found dead due to sed odourless and colourless gas.
Very, very loud alarm (thankfully) and no-way to turn the blimming thing orf once its woken up the (almost) dead.
|
This is a new problem introduced by a guy who serviced the gas Rayburn a couple of years ago. He insisted we needed a hole in the kitchen wall for ventilation or he would condemn the appliance. the flow of air or shove a rag in it during the cold snap.
Can you restrict the air through the brick or block it off with a rag while the cold snap is here.
Last edited by: Bigtee on Sun 12 Feb 12 at 09:20
|
>> Can you restrict the air through the brick or block it off with a rag
>> while the cold snap is here.
>>
Thats terrific advice, blocking safety ventilation could be lethal.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sun 12 Feb 12 at 09:29
|
Red lodge, old A11, earlier this morning!
tinyurl.com/86ykfqg
|
>> Red lodge, old A11, earlier this morning!
>>
>> tinyurl.com/86ykfqg
Niiiiiiiiiice! yellow ice.
Last edited by: Zero on Sun 12 Feb 12 at 13:57
|
>> >> Can you restrict the air through the brick or block it off with a
>> rag
>> >> while the cold snap is here.
>> >>
>>
>> Thats terrific advice, blocking safety ventilation could be lethal.
We'll probably cover it if the temperature goes so low again, and open a window into the back porch instead. The inhabitants of the house survived quite well for 10 years before the hole.
|
|
We ran an entrance from an air vent directly under the floor to an exit next to the boiler..
|
www.wimp.com/drivecarefully/
Some interesting "approaches " to driving on ice and snow
|
Frozen Britain Vol 2 ! - Bigtee
