Pretty snow in the UK

[yakalskovich]

(As to have one Urquhart-free post today:)

While The Island is groaning (rightfully so!) about Greenland having stolen the gulf stream (What does it want with it, thaw out all its Eskimo mummies like the ones from Qilakitsoq*??), the effect that all this has on the landscape is very pretty**ducks from all the snowballs the Brits start hurling at

Comments

[anghara13]

No snowballs from here, although I will gripe about the panic buying, the sudden desperate urge to hibernate (ie not turn up for work) and the immediate propensity for schools to close at ten minutes notice.

It's like, two inches of white stuff (and we only have about an inch here right now) and the entire country just, grinds to a slow, powdery, icy and slushy halt. Like, forever! Oh and there are the morons who think it's funny to accelerate or brake sharply on iced roads and cause seven car pile ups that leave me sitting in traffic jams while they wait to be rescued from their own stupidity..... but probably the least said about them the better.

But I have to agree, the landscape looks beautiful, truly gorgeous, so long as you're inside, with a roaring fire, a blanket, and hot chocolate!

[yakalskovich]

Yes -- but in this case, I didn't want to mock the British because it's bad enough to make international news. Of course, it's all nothing compared to Finland every winter for four to six months, but then, the Finns are used to it, their entire material culture is adapted to it (all pipes and houses well insulated, car lights wired to 'on', etc.), and they have saunas in almost every house. The Brits, on the other hand, usually don't have to deal with that sort of weather, and have no coping mechanisms in place.

[anghara13]

The question is, as always, why are we so unprepared? The forecasters tell us it will happen, and yet, when it does? We're not ready! I had grit, and sand, and rock salt ready for a snowfall, I'm doing fine since my path and the pavement outside my house are done, but the council are not doing minor roads, because they are "short of supplies of grit and road salt". Why? Did they not hear the forecasts? We were warned some months ago that the weather patterns indicated a long cold winter. People should have been more aware, more prepared, and that would have stopped all this whining about it.

I am enjoying everything except the persistent need to leave work and sort things out because schools and childcare facilities are closed. My poor mother can't take much more of my son!!

[yakalskovich]

I think people don't really believe in weather forecasts all that much; and the Brits assume they never get snow, and there are no long hard winters, as a sort of principle.

The river Thames freezing over belongs in stories of the olden times, just like wolves in Scotland.-

[cracicotus]

These are nice, especially the snow mohawk on the car!

[yakalskovich]

Yep -- such a nice idea! I found that especially striking, too.