The Freeze bites back -6th December onwards (All discussion here please)

Min

Figuramatyi wrote: »

By equating people enjoying the cold and snow with them wanting hardships and miseries to continue you have just confessed that you are here to troll. Welcome to the ignore button. Way too much demagogy for my tastes anyways.

Thanks for ignoring me, it is your choice but then you can't read this

Harps

irish1967 wrote: »

And back OT... still snowing heavily here in Donegal Town... 3hrs 24mins now:cool::cool::cool::cool:

How much have you got there now?

Its been going for over 2 hours here now and we've only got a few cm's. Its added quite a bit to the snow already on the ground but only about 2 cm on freshly covered ground

Compare that to 4 inches last Sunday from a 90 minute shower!

smashey

This thread is turning into a mini Donegal forum.

Brenireland

Min wrote: »

Thanks for ignoring me, it is your choice but then you can't read this

I hope we get loads of snow for chrimbo

Min

Hells Belle wrote: »

All the major energy suppliers have suspended disconnections for the duration of this cold snap, saw it in the news.

Our heating & water went during the last snap and tbh hot water bottles, a superser and several layers kept us toasty warm.

That is good but then after Christmas and we might be in the same situation now, the disconnections will be on again, I hope they are reconnecting people who have currently no electricity.

The water froze in my attic for the first time this winter, turned on a heater under the hatch which I opened to let the warm air up, thankfully there is currently a dribble of water now

snow ghost

Min wrote: »

There is a difference between complaining and people wanting the hardship to continue as they only think about what they want rather than people who are suffering from the current weather.

I am not giving out to you but do the people who think the snow is great, the cold is great, do you actually bother to think about the homeless, the people who have their electricity or gas turned off, people who have no heating in these conditions?

I have listened to more hardship stories on the radio, by reporters, by charities who work with people who are suffering in this weather, I just can't enjoy something knowing it is putting children, adults and their lives at risk. Why want that to continue, Joe Bastardi might say to enjoy the weather it is the only weather you got, but I don't think people freezing on the streets or in their homes are actually enjoying it no matter how hard they might try to.

We had the current cold long enough for these people. I don't get why anyone would want it to continue.

Heat waves kill more people, heavy mild rain can be lethal on driving and heavy Atlantic winds can be highly destructive.

Personally i think it is the height of ignorance to ask whether people who like this weather care about others. Why wouldn't they?

Isn't there a Snow Whingers Anonymous thread anywhere where people can discuss their addiction to whining about the weather?

demakinz

smashey wrote: »

This thread is turning into a mini Donegal forum.

Was an east thread last week. And hopefully it will be a midlands thread later today:D

irish1967

Could someone start a " The good and bad things about snow" thread PLEASE ! :mad:

Irish Steve

Just looked at JB's blog on accuweather, and I am reminded of a winter that most people here may not have seen.

in 1962 I was living in Devon, near the south coast of England, and we had a winter there that's not been repeated since that I can remember. We had a significant snowfall on St Stephen's Day, (Boxing day in the UK ), which deposited snow to within 100 Metres of the sea on the south coast. Over the next few days, that froze to a layer of icy packed snow, even that close to the sea, and we then had no further precipitation in that area until near the end of March.

It didn't thaw either.

The roads were soon clear and passable, but anywhere else just remained white. As relatively young children, we had great fun on hastily built toboggans with whatever we could use to make them go faster, and if I recall correctly, a piece of alkathene water pipe on each runner made a distinct difference to the attainable speed on a reasonable slope. It certainly caught one of our parents out, he was attempting to stop us at the bottom of the slope, and failed, with the result that we buried ourselves in the hedge to a signficant distance, and had to be very careful getting out again due to the high percentage of blackberry stems with big sharp painful thorns in that area. Suffice to say that we moved to a less hostile stop zone shortly afterwards!

The hints that both MT and JB are giving is that the patterns this winter could well be similar, and if that's the case, we could end up remembering this winter for some time.

And yes, for my grandchildren, I have toboggan MkII sitting in the garage waiting for suitable conditions, it was built during a harsh winter in the 70's and had aluminium top hat section as runners, and goes like s**t off a plated shovel, even in powder, as the runners are so wide. It came with us to Ireland 20 years ago, and hasn't really been used since, as we've seen so little real snow. I am thinking this year will be different:D

As for today, it's -1.5 now, having been -5 first thing in Ashbourne, and even the cobwebs were very visible this morning after the freezing fog, along with all the conifers. Bright sunshine now, the fog has gone away, and no sign of any cloud cover as yet. Spectacular frost on all of the poplars at the end of the garden, and on some of the other trees as well.

I'm going out for a few hours, there's work that has to be done, but only for a short while, portacabins are not the best places to be working in these conditions!

Steve

Godge

Min wrote: »

It will come back to life which will be good news for children who are living in homes with no electricity or heating, for the homeless who have to live out in the snow and ice, for the elderly and incapacitated who can't get out of their homes, for those who have no water, for those who are isolated and don't see anyone.
It will be happy thaw time again rather than the current misery some people seem oblivious to. I know the cold will return but there are a lot of people who need a break to simply survive.

I can't get to see my mother who is hospital. I am just looking forward to the thaw so I can just visit her, get in my supplies before the freeze starts again.

In the summer heatwaves, those who don't prepare and take care are more likely to suffer from sunstroke and other effects of the sun. If they don't protect their bodies properly, they will be at risk from skin cancer. All of that leads to suffering, illnesses and even death.

In heavy rain, especially of the cold type in Ireland, those who don't prepare and take care are more likely to suffer from colds, influenza and complications such as pnuemonia. If it is a storm and they venture out, they are more likely to suffer from the effects of strong winds and fallen trees. Again that has consequences, suffering, illness and even death.

None of the problems caused by snow are unique to snow. They are the result of being ill-prepared and taking avoidable risks. Weather, in all its forms causes problems. Strong sun, large storms and snow are the extremes, but even other types of weather can cause problems.

Don't blame the weather, blame those who didn't prepare and took avoidable risks.

As for the examples you mentioned, children living in homes without electricity or heating only do so because the social welfare money was spent on something else, be it drugs or alcohol. The problems of society are caused by other reasons, the weather only shows them up. Those same children probably lack adequate nutrition and no change in the weather will give them that.

The easy way out is to blame the weather and ask it to change. The hard way is to try and solve the problems that the weather shines a cold light on.

Harps

smashey wrote: »

This thread is turning into a mini Donegal forum.

At least people can actually talk to each other today, it was ridiculous last week, about 100 pages of 'Snow in D4' & 'will there be snow in Lucan?' type posts

WallyGUFC

Anything on the way for Galway?

demakinz

Check this out very funny!

Min

Min wrote: »

That is good but then after Christmas and we might be in the same situation now, the disconnections will be on again, I hope they are reconnecting people who have currently no electricity.

The water froze in my attic for the first time this winter, turned on a heater under the hatch which I opened to let the warm air up, thankfully there is currently a dribble of water now

Can I just remind you that its really only in the last 20 years that most familys had heating I certainly didnt have heating apart from the fire when I was growing up. The fire had to be lit every day. Often had baths on front of fire too.I survived. People make things sound so dramatic, and Dickensian. Years ago people lived in stone homes with no heating just fires, and got along great
As for homeless people thats an issue for you to take up with your local Politician really. Im sure you feel no worse about them than any of us. But we dont control the weather.

H2UMrsRobinson

Iancar29 wrote: »

THis front is definitely fizzling out goin over land.... just look at the rain today radar loop and its clear from that, dont get ur hopes up people in the east.... Its not looking like much!, UNFORTUNATELY!

I'm quite glad actually, even though I LOVE SNOW ! By time it get's to us will be night-time and not a lot left in it and I much prefer daytime snow. (see how fussy we get - this time 10 days ago would have given my right arm for a single flake)

Just need a bit of respite at this stage - will make the next snowfall seem just as exciting. I've slipped on me arse a couple of times now and consider myself fortunate not to have an broken bones or sore bits...!

Min

I never wished for heatwaves, I like a bit of rain now again - nothing excessive, some dry weather, nothing too warm or cold, just good farming weather.
I live by the weather, I can be aware of the weather.

Then you have people who are idiots about the weather, well that is what they were called on the Pat Kenny show, three lads went up in a four wheel drive upto the Sally gap and got stuck, they called a friend who came with another in a four wheel drive and they got stuck, they had to call the mountain rescue who have been working and on call 24 hours a day during the current cold because snow lovers want to see what the snow is like up a mountain.
I could tell them, it is the same as on lower ground, just deeper.

Harps

Harps wrote: »

At least people can actually talk to each other today, it was ridiculous last week, about 100 pages of 'Snow in D4' & 'will there be snow in Lucan?' type posts

Sorry about ye, next time we dubs will just siot quietly at our keyboards.. :D:D

irish1967

It has now stopped snowing here.. 3hrs 42mins of snow

Irish Steve

Min wrote: »

That is good but then after Christmas and we might be in the same situation now, the disconnections will be on again, I hope they are reconnecting people who have currently no electricity.

The water froze in my attic for the first time this winter, turned on a heater under the hatch which I opened to let the warm air up, thankfully there is currently a dribble of water now

Practical suggestion. Have a look at your tanks, is there insulation under the tanks, if there is, it needs to come out, and a new layer of insulation needs to be put around and over the tanks instead. The pipes to and from the tanks also need to be insulated if they are not, even if they are alkathene and not copper.

Quick action now could mean the difference between keeping the supply or going a long time without water, or worse, a burst pipe that will cause a lot of damage.

Steve

snow ghost

Jake1 wrote: »

Can I just remind you that its really only in the last 20 years that most familys had heating I certainly didnt have heating apart from the fire when I was growing up. The fire had to be lit every day. Often had baths on front of fire too.I survived. People make things sound so dramatic, and Dickensian. Years ago people lived in stone homes with no heating just fires, and got along great
As for homeless people thats an issue for you to take up with your local Politician really. Im sure you feel no worse about them than any of us. But we dont control the weather.

And it is only for the last 15 years - up until last winter - that winters were mostly relatively mild and wet here. Prior to that in the 80's winters were more like this and last years.

smashey

Still snowing here and this is my back garden...

Iancar29

H2UMrsRobinson wrote: »

I'm quite glad actually, even though I LOVE SNOW ! By time it get's to us will be night-time and not a lot left in it and I much prefer daytime snow. (see how fussy we get - this time 10 days ago would have given my right arm for a single flake)

Just need a bit of respite at this stage - will make the next snowfall seem just as exciting. I've slipped on me arse a couple of times now and consider myself fortunate not to have an broken bones or sore bits...!

NO!... LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOWW!!... I miss it! haha.
Plus , constant cold is worse than snowy intervals.
But ye i do pity those who cant go anywhere and get supplies, i went up the shop for my neighbour there yesterday just to get some basics and her daughter is visiting later wit a full shopping so ye, theres always bad sides to it all. But hey , she was even saying " i hope it snows again " !

Min

I remember 1982 and the huge drifts of snow, the snow plough came out.

They did more back then than now...

I had a lot of snow over the last 12 months - two blizzards, we had snow in December '09 and '10, snow in January, snow in February, snow in March, still snow around in April and snow in November.

Of the last 12 months - 6 had snow.

Harps

Strabane smashey?

Really heavy here now, heaviest its been yet and finally starting to look like some decent depth.

stevenmu

Min wrote: »

do the people who think the snow is great, the cold is great, do you actually bother to think about the homeless, the people who have their electricity or gas turned off, people who have no heating in these conditions?

Speaking just for myself, no!. That would just be depressing. There's constantly people suffering from something or other all year around, no matter what the weather conditions. Somebody somewhere is suffering because of pretty much anything you can think of. I refuse to constantly feel miserable about absolutely everything, especially things I have absolutely no ability to change. When it comes to snow, I can't stop it so I have the choice of getting depressed about it or enjoying it for the awesome beautiful feat of nature that it is, it's a pretty easy choice when you think about it.

(I do wish the paths weren't so slippy though)

demakinz

Iancar29 wrote: »

NO!... LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOW LET IT SNOWW!!... I miss it! haha.
Plus , constant cold is worse than snowy intervals.
But ye i do pity those who cant go anywhere and get supplies, i went up the shop for my neighbour there the yesterday just to get some basics and he daughter is visiting later wit a full shopping so ye, theres always bad sides to it all. But hey , she was even saying " i hope it snows again " !

A bit of community spirit is whats needed. Glad to see there is a lot around at the moment.

smashey

Harps wrote: »

Strabane smashey?

Yup.

Min

stevenmu wrote: »

Speaking just for myself, no!. That would just be depressing. There's constantly people suffering from something or other all year around, no matter what the weather conditions. Somebody somewhere is suffering because of pretty much anything you can think of. I refuse to constantly feel miserable about absolutely everything, especially things I have absolutely no ability to change. When it comes to snow, I can't stop it so I have the choice of getting depressed about it or enjoying it for the awesome beautiful feat of nature that it is, it's a pretty easy choice when you think about it.

(I do wish the paths weren't so slippy though)

Thanks for your honesty

Harps

Jake1 wrote: »

Sorry about ye, next time we dubs will just siot quietly at our keyboards.. :D:D

I dont mind people posting, its just nobody read anyone else's posts so people were asking the same questions on every page and it was impossible to talk about anything aside from snow in Dublin

people DO seem to be more considerate in the bad weather dont they? :D