Current Severe Weather

Beasty

Fingal CC have posted the following message on their website:

Fingal County Council has 185 staff presently deployed in snow and ice clearing operations.
This consists of 13 staff working on gritting of motorways and the main road network. See our list of Winter Salting Routes for more details.
An additional 172 staff are deployed in different towns and areas across the county. These crews are using other machinery and are working in priority areas such as entrances to fire stations, railway stations, pedestrian crossing areas, access to transport nodes and bus shelters, entrances to housing estates, entrances to burial grounds and ice breaking in town centres/populated areas.
Our crews will also treat areas that fall outside these categories, but which are known from past experience to give rise to difficult driving/walking conditions due to gradients etc.
Water Services crews are on standby to deal with any problems caused by bursts/leaks in the water network. Any updates will be posted on our Water Emergency Page.
Our Waste Collection crews will endeavour to collect refuse as normal. In the event that we are unable to do so due to the weather conditions, we will return as soon as possible.
Updates will be posted on this page regularly, and you can follow us on Twitter (fingalcoco).

They have also posted some useful tips and links on teh same page

Given the warnings of potentially significant snowfall overnight, I would request posters update this thread with any problems they become aware of, rather than start separate threads for particular areas/incidents.

Hopefully it won't be as bad as some reports suggest, but given the conditions please keep an eye out for the vulnerable in our society.

Eoineo

I wouldn't rely on the Fingal CoCo twitter feed it is rarely used. Hubby will be travelling towards Dublin from 6am tomorrow so I'll update with any problems he may encounter then.

www.schooldays.ie & www.98fm.ie will have the lists of closed schools tomorrow updated as and when they get the information. Safe travelling everyone.

Beasty

The roads into Dublin from Skerries were reasonably clear this morning - we don't seem to have much snow overnight (although I understand there may have been a bit more inland)

There was more snow the nearer I got to Dublin (it looks like Southside has taken the brunt of it overnight), with quite a bit of slush around in the urban areas, and the footpaths still covered in snow/ice.

It looks like it's going to get colder though, and there is a lot of slush/water lying around that can quickly turn to ice. The forecast for tonight looks pretty bad, with sub-zero temperatures, strong winds and the likelihood of more snow

Eoineo

Similar reports here. North County Dublin seems to have thawed out overnight. It is icy in places so caution is still needed. If the temperature does drop as expected then we can expect black ice.

doolox

Started chucking it down just 5 mins ago......

Wishbone Ash

The weather doesn't seem to be anywhere near as bad as forecasted especially here in Rush. I just cycled into Dublin and back again and encountered no problems. A lot of slush in the Dublin 2 area but plain sailing there and back. Perhaps the bad weather has yet to come.

cathy01

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

The weather doesn't seem to be anywhere near as bad as forecasted especially here in Rush. I just cycled into Dublin and back again and encountered no problems. A lot of slush in the Dublin 2 area but plain sailing there and back. Perhaps the bad weather has yet to come.

Cant believe you cycled into Dublin, fair play to you.Pat on the back....:)

Wishbone Ash

cathy01 wrote: »

Cant believe you cycled into Dublin, fair play to you.Pat on the back....:)

Thanks - I do it regularly. Usually have my breakfast in there and come home again.

Peckham

Interesting discussion on the Weather forum which suggests that the reason that NCD isn't getting as much snow is because we're in the "shadow" of the Isle of Man which is the direction that the weather is coming from at the moment.

See this weather chart for example:

Elessar

Does anyone know from what time the gritters work from?

I work in the airport and all this week I'll be leaving swords at about 4am to get to work. The first morning of this snow there was no road clearing at all - the place was like an icerink.

Alan Farrell

Update from the Council today.



Dear Councillor

Severe Weather Conditions – Update – 4.45pm

Fingal County Council staff are continuing to salt roads, key public transport facilities and main access nodes. Our supervisors and depot staff are using their local knowledge to work with businesses, schools and householders to manage this in as effective as manner as possible.

We are monitoring the Met Eireann weather forecast and will be ready to respond appropriately should there be any deterioration in the weather into this evening and tonight.

The network of communication you provide for us is most valuable in making us aware of any particular local difficulty that may otherwise escape our attention. Please contact us on foot of any such issue that comes to your attention.

Kind regards

Ann Murphy,
Assistant Communications Officer
Fingal County Council,
County Hall,
Swords,
Co. Dublin

T: 01-8905000
www.fingalcoco.ie
Aertel P624
Follow us on twitter.com/fingalcoco

Wishbone Ash

Elessar wrote: »

Does anyone know from what time the gritters work from?

It probably depends on how much they're done already as I think there is a restriction on overtime.
A FCC gritter worker lives near me. On normal situations, when a heavy frost is expected, he takes the truck home with a full load at night and leaves at about 2am. Probably different with the current spell though.

Bear in mind that grit/salt isn't much use in heavy snow that hasn't been reduced with a plough.

RobFowl

Balrothery is lethal at the moment. Sheet ice covered with snow now. Pretty much all the roads uphill are close to impassable and the footpaths are navigable with extreme caution.
Walked down to Dave's Gala earlier with the kids and my 4 year old gymnast went on his ear at least 4 times.
Be careful out there...

p1x1e

Agreed on Balrothery being bad- the OH couldn't get our car into the estate so had to leave it and walk (slide) to the house. I'm hoping it'll be easier in the morning. Lots of cars were sliding. :-(

wow sierra

Peckham wrote: »

Interesting discussion on the Weather forum which suggests that the reason that NCD isn't getting as much snow is because we're in the "shadow" of the Isle of Man which is the direction that the weather is coming from at the moment.

See this weather chart for example:

We were suggesting (after many pints;)) that it was nuclear fallout from Sellafield that was causing the strange oasis feeling here in Balbriggan - glad to get a realistic suggestion. Mind you we seem to be joining the real world with the snow tonight:rolleyes:

Eoineo

Update at 6.50am.

Many bus services in NCD have been cancelled and/or curtailed. The hill of Howth is impassable. There is ice under the snow and the roads are lethal. Please be careful out there. Many more schools are closed than for the past 2 days.

The Muppet

St. Finians CC swords closed again today due to changing weather conditions, It was due to reopen.

Peckham

Can those in NCD during the day today please keep those of us in work informed of changing conditions, in case we need to bail out and get home.

Don't know what it's like at the moment, but it's continuous blizzard where I am (Blackrock).

cathy01

Yep, will do.

Peckham

Thanks Cathy - has the weather in NCD gotten worse this morning? Is it snowing there at the moment (am particularly interested in Lusk area!)

iMax

Just stopped snowing in Dublin 13. Can see a break in the clouds (from my electric blanketed bed), but still heavy cloud there.

Well done to that cyclist!!

cathy01

Cloudy, with blue sky.Not snowing.Kids are off out to play as there is no school.Update later,Cathy

Dizzyblonde

Peckham wrote: »

has the weather in NCD gotten worse this morning? Is it snowing there at the moment (am particularly interested in Lusk area!)

There's only been a very light flurry here in Swords.

dubmick

There is a tractor bringing cars up the hill at Balrothery. Using the courtlough exit onto the R132 would be your best bet if you need to leave 'upper' Balrothery.

_blank_

I'm due in work on a 1.30 to 10pm shift, coming in from Finglas

M50-M1 off the M1 at the Lusk exit and back down to Swords from there, anyone know the current state of the Roads for that journey?

Cheers folks, trying to decide if I'll go in or not

cathy01

Snowing in Balbriggan now, quite heavy.

AlliOD

Lusk had a light flurry of snow but sun is shining now, there is definitely a thaw out there but roads in our estate (Lusk Village) are icy.
Good Luck to all commuters out there!

dubmick

Actually forget about Courtlough too, impassable.

dirtyghettokid

sunshine very bright up here between lusk & naul... was snowing earlier but died down...

Stheno

no snow in Swords at the moment.

Morpheus

Theres been a bad single vehicle smash on chapel street in Balbriggan, outside the entrance to tara court.

firebrigade and 2 ambulances there

avoid the area if possible

please can you request they salt or grit the road ASAP it is absolutely lethal.