National: Severe Cold/ Snow Discussion (Thanks to all!)

snowbabe

Supercell wrote: »

I distinctly remember in the new stories about the army having to do helicopter food drops to some towns completely cut off in '82, don't remember where but my monies on somewhere in Wicklow like Roundwood, Laragh, Rathdrum or the like?
Curious if anyone else here can remember the specifics?

yes,your dead right and a pregnant woman giving birth ,airlifted from roundwood!!!!how old would that baby be now?:D:DI really am off to bed now.

Wine Goddess

I remember in 1982 that the drifts reached the top of our window in Dundrum......so about 8-10 feet....
It was so bad that the milkmen stopped delivering so me and some neighbours ( I was about 12) walked all the way from Dundrum to Premier Dairies in Nutgrove (opp. where shopping centre is now) to get milk

Army was defo out dropping food to people - but cannot remember where sorry!
Petrol was rationed also as I remember

We went to H Williams to do shopping when it finally opened again and the place was MENTAL....
One girl stood in queue which was halfway down the shop and the rest of us raced around getting food and she still had not got to top when we had got everything....

But temps were not as cold as they are now and this period is far more sustained 1982 was only 1 or 2 days as far as I remember

JJJJNR

Supercell wrote: »

I distinctly remember in the new stories about the army having to do helicopter food drops to some towns completely cut off in '82, don't remember where but my monies on somewhere in Wicklow like Roundwood, Laragh, Rathdrum or the like?
Curious if anyone else here can remember the specifics?

Yeah theres a helicopter landing area out by the GAA pitch in Rathdrum towards Arklow, not 100% but I think there is a red wind sock visible out that way ..

We still haven't hit anywhere near the snow levels seen in 82, drifts were up to the height of the trees here.

caseyann

At Dublin's Phoenix Park, with -20C on the ground.




Found this here http://thethirstygargoyle.blogspot.com/2008/01/big-snow-of-82.html

kazoo106

It was Friday Jan 8th 1982 - Started off at about 7am on a gale force easterly - I was 9 at the time. ESB went about mid-day. It did not stop snowing until about 3am on the Saturday morning.
This was before most people had telephones and the only way of communication was via the pirate stations at the time. Carousel, Boyneside, ARD etc.
I remember there was an SOS out for the Dundalk/Ardee bus which was missing for 4 hours - eventually a call came to Radio Carousel that everyone had made it to a pub half way !!
Im not from Dublin, but have had Airport misadventures both tonight and on Tuesday night - 82 was a different beast

ardmacha

Comparing the present snow to 1982 is like comparing Jedward to Bruce Sringsteen.

But temps were not as cold as they are now and this period is far more sustained 1982 was only 1 or 2 days as far as I remember

The snow fell in 36 hours, but temps then dropped and stayed really low for a one week when no snow melted whatsoever. The grass temperature record at Glasnevin was set during that week. (grass minimum temperature was -19.6°C at Dublin (Glasnevin) on 12th January 1982)

The forecast wasn't much help.

Calibos

As we approach the end of this cold spell, I think its time we ask serious questions of the administrators and staff of the individual council areas and how they dealt with this crisis. There were manifest failures in preperation and planning all over the country especially Dublin which is all the more suprising as this region although obviously having the highest population density still gets more than its fair share of infrastructure investment. The contrast with the well run efficient county councils is stark in the extreme. These council areas deserve praise. CC's such as Cork, Waterford and Bray. They have led by example and there are a lot of lessons to be learned by the rest of the country from them. I am of course talking about their expertise in the installation, maintenance and operation of their Snow Shield Generators.........................

Supercell

I have to say though this winter is every bit in someways as 82.
82 was pretty short lived and dramatic. But I never remember such persistent heavy snow cover, twice in one winter (and its only December!) in all my life.

I am sure in years to come we will tell our children and the young folk about '10 as a classic to as they get excited about a 5cm fall..pfft!

df1985

My Mam and Dad always told me their story of 82, my mam worked in st lomans hospital and had been on nights, she was in the hospital all night as it snowed and in the morning had to drive home.

She made it to Leixlip village somehow but after that the car gave up in the main street, just wouldnt go through the snow it was that deep. she knew people who lived on the main st and called into them to phone my dad. my dad and neighbour set off with 2 shovels to dig the car out but to no avail, car was abandoned.

That night they went to the local gaa club for a drink, they said to themselves they were daft going up and no one would be there. They said "we opened the door and the steam hit us from the hot whiskeys", place was jammed.



Almost 30 years later, i got stuck in a car park in leixlip today, had to dig the tyres out.....and the pubs are packed-times havent changed!

kazoo106

I second that and commend Monaghan CoCo. - Louth could learn a lot from them - there has been nothing gritted in this county for a week

Wine Goddess

BTW
what happens when the forum gets to 1 million views?

Will we all get gold stars and the chance of winning a weekend with MT???!!!:D

th3 s1aught3r

Lads, relax. Its still only December. All the other major cold events you reference happened in January 1982, 1947 etc
Given the December we just had, just dare to dream
A few weeks ago someone in this forum proudly stated that we had seen the last of the snow if Dublin ,forecasts at this stage are FI

caseyann

th3 s1aught3r wrote: »

Lads, relax. Its still only December. All the other major cold events you reference happened in January 1982, 1947 etc
Given the December we just had, just dare to dream
A few weeks ago someone in this forum proudly stated that we had seen the last of the snow if Dublin ,forecasts at this stage are FI

Agree take it at face value any reports of weather here lol

Supercell

New winters to be discussed in hushed tones amongst weather anoraks...'47,'63,'82,'10
I guess the next one due is around the '30's

DiscoStu

Good to know met eireann hasn't changed its inability to commit when it comes to snow. Constants like that are helpful in uncertain times like these.

caseyann

Wine Goddess wrote: »

I remember in 1982 that the drifts reached the top of our window in Dundrum......so about 8-10 feet....
It was so bad that the milkmen stopped delivering so me and some neighbours ( I was about 12) walked all the way from Dundrum to Premier Dairies in Nutgrove (opp. where shopping centre is now) to get milk

Army was defo out dropping food to people - but cannot remember where sorry!
Petrol was rationed also as I remember

We went to H Williams to do shopping when it finally opened again and the place was MENTAL....
One girl stood in queue which was halfway down the shop and the rest of us raced around getting food and she still had not got to top when we had got everything....

But temps were not as cold as they are now and this period is far more sustained 1982 was only 1 or 2 days as far as I remember

I spent everyday out in it and was hell of alot longer than 1 to 2 days

Calibos

Calibos wrote: »

As we approach the end of this cold spell, I think its time we ask serious questions of the administrators and staff of the individual council areas and how they dealt with this crisis. There were manifest failures in preperation and planning all over the country especially Dublin which is all the more suprising as this region although obviously having the highest population density still gets more than its fair share of infrastructure investment. The contrast with the well run efficient county councils is stark in the extreme. These council areas deserve praise. CC's such as Cork, Waterford and Bray. They have led by example and there are a lot of lessons to be learned by the rest of the country from them. I am of course talking about their expertise in the installation, maintenance and operation of their Snow Shield Generators.........................

kazoo106 wrote: »

I second that and commend Monaghan CoCo. - Louth could learn a lot from them - there has been nothing gritted in this county for a week

Eh? Did ye miss my punchline?

Chocolate

kazoo106 wrote: »

I remember there was an SOS out for the Dundalk/Ardee bus which was missing for 4 hours - eventually a call came to Radio Carousel that everyone had made it to a pub half way !!

I think I remember that announcement on the radio! Although I never heard of Radio Carousel so we must have been listening to a different channel. Was it a schoolbus? I seem to remember thinking it was hilarious that schoolkids were being looked after in a pub. I was 12 at the time. Thanks for blowing the cobwebs off that memory!

th3 s1aught3r

Supercell wrote: »

New winters to be discussed in hushed tones amongst weather anoraks...'47,'63,'82,'10
I guess the next one due is around the '30's

Yeah and they will all be exaggerated by time
"Jaysus Paddy it was ten foot if it was an inch"

BostonB

th3 s1aught3r wrote: »

Lads, relax. Its still only December. All the other major cold events you reference happened in January 1982, 1947 etc
Given the December we just had, just dare to dream
A few weeks ago someone in this forum proudly stated that we had seen the last of the snow if Dublin ,forecasts at this stage are FI

Does it follow that a cold/snow in Dec means it will continue to Jan?

th3 s1aught3r

BostonB wrote: »

Does it follow that a cold/snow in Dec means it will continue to Jan?

I have no idea. I think really cold November and Decembers are quite rare for us

delw

Supercell wrote: »

New winters to be discussed in hushed tones amongst weather anoraks...'47,'63,'82,'10
I guess the next one due is around the '30's

we still in this one supercell:D
never know what jan/feb has in store

jimmy.d

ardmacha wrote: »

Comparing the present snow to 1982 is like comparing Jedward to Bruce Sringsteen.



The snow fell in 36 hours, but temps then dropped and stayed really low for a one week when no snow melted whatsoever. The grass temperature record at Glasnevin was set during that week. (grass minimum temperature was -19.6°C at Dublin (Glasnevin) on 12th January 1982)

The forecast wasn't much help.

the same thats coming stephens day:D

mymo

I'm watching a forecast on RTE and beginning to think they are reading these boards (specifically M.T. Craniums forecast) and updating their forecasts with the info!

200motels

jimmy.d wrote: »

the same thats coming stephens day:D

It looks very similar.

Supercell

Gonna be unpopular but here goes..
I reckon we are getting treated (with snow)this year by sunspots but comparison with synoptic charts in '82 is likely to give a snow to rain event, global warming is real.
Cue the its not melting its the salt....

lucernarian

kazoo106 wrote: »

I second that and commend Monaghan CoCo. - Louth could learn a lot from them - there has been nothing gritted in this county for a week

I thought they did an average to reasonable job in comparison to Meath or Fingal Co. Co. They at least went to the trouble of leaving piles of grit at various places and crossroads in rural Louth, and indeed I'm told that ploughs and/or men with shovels cleared stretches of road on some of the local hills.

lucernarian

Ardmacha, thanks for the post with the weather forecast. I'm going to have a dig around and see what the synoptic chart was the next day:D

Siobh2010

Down in Gorey with kids, wanting to get up to Dublin to grandparents on Christmas eve, rear wheel drive..what are my chances??? Horrible to be stuck here on our own...

lolie

what does FI refer to in peoples posts??