Abiding memories of 2nd cold spell 2010/11 winter

Corruptedmorals

The bus I had been on for 3 hours sliding down the sliproad from Chaelizod to the n4 at palmerstown (bottom of kylemore road) before finally making it to the middle and seeing 2 other busses slide right into the kerb and eject everyone, numerous cars franticxally trying to get out of the way. LOADS of people getting off 4/5 busses walking up to the n4, (nothing had moved up at the top in hours)loads of other people pushing cars, all of which were stuck at some point, and others jumpstarting others. One car trying to skip the unmoving queue further up to get onto the n4, effectively plowing into deep snow...black smoke everywhere. The long walk back to a relative's house, passing about 10 other busses and loads of cars waiting to turn onto the same hill...

PauloMN

My abiding memory of this snow was that for the first time since the Internet was invented, I never once saw the question so typical in Ireland when it snows:
"Is it sticking?"

Min

Frozen pipes, frozen hands, frozen landscape, hands when wet sticking to frozen surfaces, I will remember that I was just frozen by the experience.
Thank God the Ice Queen of Narnia has died for now.

lawhec

As I was probably in the coldest area of Ireland (stretching from East Donegal into West Tyrone to Fermanagh and into parts of Cavan) during the spell which lasted just over a week from the 18th to 25th inclusive...

* Measuring 231mm of snow in the back garden on Saturday (18th) going up to 290mm on Sunday morning.

* Having my bedroom window open on that same morning not realising that it was -12C at the time! :cool:

* Later confirmation that a record low "maximum" temperature for NI was set at -11C at Castlederg, that evening I was speaking to my grandfather who lives in the Sperrins say that he had never seen a daytime so cold.

* My jaw hitting the floor when Castlederg hit -17.7C (later confirmed at -18.0) late on Sunday night on the UK Met Office website.

* Going out for a few walks locally in the day having absolutely no excuse for not wrapping up well (gloves, warm coat, woolly hat etc.), just a pity the photos I was taking were spoiled by freezing fog.

* Cozying up beside a warm fire in the living room, then if I had to go outside it was like going from sitting in a warm office, opening the door and going straight into a deep freeze container unit. :eek:

* Doing my final bit of Christmas shopping in Omagh on Thursday morning and lunchtime, when Castlederg broke the record low temp again (-18.7C) at sunrise :eek:, surreal doing the shopping in temperatures of around -15C and despite the temperatures and state of many roads up here, the town was buzzing. Also the Strule river in Omagh was frozen solid in many parts.

* Walking about home on Christmas day, knowing that a thaw was about to come and make the most of the conditions.

Twice last winter we had spells where minimum temperatures went below -10C for several nights. This winter again it's already happened twice (late November/early December, and last week) and I won't be surprised if there's a third or fourth.

In saying all this, I have never seen so many people around here glad to see the heavy rain and temperatures between 5-10C in December like it is now, it's normally a winter curse for us! Personally I'm thankful enough the big freeze is over for now, as our houses, buildings and general infrastructure are not designed for that weather especially over such a prolonged period. As I type, about 99.9% of the snow has now gone.

plein de force

falling about 3 times in the one day on the slippery snow

and one day when i left the house it was fairly bright, then within a minute i could hardly see in front of myself because the snow was so heavy

SeaFields

Not a memory but something i missed and hope to see a photo of....The skellig rocks in Kerry were covered in snow last week. A friend is originally from The Glen which looks out on them. A first in living memory by all accounts.

fizzycyst

Waking up on Saturday 27th November to what I can only describe as a winter wonderland in Waterford city. Totally unexpected on my part which made it all the more wonderful.
After that, I expected snow but it never came :cool:

Edit: wrong date

Senna

The river Finn in Donegal, pictures taken from the Donegal forum.

Speak Now

fizzycyst wrote: »

Waking up on Saturday 11th November to what I can only describe as a winter wonderland in Waterford city. Totally unexpected on my part which made it all the more wonderful.
After that, I expected snow but it never came :cool:

First snowfall in Waterford was November 27th.

ellieh1

Taking my daughter to school one morning and it was -7C at 9am. :eek:

Having 5 different pipes freeze in my house and yet only having a 10 min flurry of snow for the length of the whole of Winter 2010-2011 so far, we must hold the record for the least amount of snowfall!!

dirtyghettokid

so many memories...
- the IOM effecting streamers - making it snow in the city but not north county where i live so driving to santry and getting stuck in traffic just so i could see some snow lol
- feeding the starving birds
- that really heavy frost... it was so beautiful!
- the igloo that i built that collapsed the other day hahaha
it's been a great winter! could have done without the water shortages though :mad:

Gazzumped

Watching a cheeky little mouse compete with the birds for the seeds and nuts we left out in the garden. He hid in a tree trunk and scooted in and out daringly for his free lunch - top class entertainment

123balltv

After walking home from work got home took off my
trousers looked down and my legs were pure red took me ages getting home in the deep Tallaght snow.
Feeding the birds made me feel good they we're starving.

Worst memory ICE had a bad fall so glad the ice is gone horrible I can actually walk like a normal person instead of hanging onto fences slipping
and sliding everywhere
I'm watching Britains big freeze more4 its bring back memories

Pangea

If anyones interested there are programmes on right now on More 4 about Britains snow, if you go to More 4 +1 you can see the first programme.

bogman

Watching it here also

"Digging up the spuds with a kango hammer during the winter of 1963"

Calibos

Just finished watching that. Covered the Feb '09 UK event and the Jan '10 event. I laughed when the presenter said, "Who knows what next winter will bring". If only he knew

Pangea

lol yeah, they original programme of that was actually made after February 09s event, they then changed a few things and updated it to cover both Ferbruary and January 10 events.

On a seperate note If someone was to ask me which Cold spell was the worst I would have to think for a while , Last years duration of unbroken cold weather was astonishing, just short of a month but with no major snowfall , just 2 or 3 inches here collectively.
November freeze lasted over two weeks and then Mid Decembers one lasted for roughly 10 days but had the coldest temperatures of all the cold spells and had the most snow (for my location) but was the shortest of all.
Its a tough one. Perhaps to say the Novemeber/December freeze together was worse than last year may be the best way to describe it albeit with a thaw inbetween. Although last year I did see the harbour in my area freeze over and didnt quite see it freeze over this winter, just bits of ice starting but then the thaw came.

Noffles

Realising how much I hate the snow, Ireland does not have the infrastructure, the services, the houses (how they are built) or the money to deal with it when it hits hard and in particular the rural areas (which is most of Ireland) really get ****ed...

Can not for the life of me understand how people are glad to see it???

gbee

Noffles wrote: »

Can not for the life of me understand how people are glad to see it???

We've a big thread on that subject find it and read it.

thetonynator

Pangea wrote: »

lol yeah, they original programme of that was actually made after February 09s event, they then changed a few things and updated it to cover both Ferbruary and January 10 events.

On a seperate note If someone was to ask me which Cold spell was the worst I would have to think for a while , Last years duration of unbroken cold weather was astonishing, just short of a month but with no major snowfall , just 2 or 3 inches here collectively.
November freeze lasted over two weeks and then Mid Decembers one lasted for roughly 10 days but had the coldest temperatures of all the cold spells and had the most snow (for my location) but was the shortest of all.
Its a tough one. Perhaps to say the Novemeber/December freeze together was worse than last year may be the best way to describe it albeit with a thaw inbetween. Although last year I did see the harbour in my area freeze over and didnt quite see it freeze over this winter, just bits of ice starting but then the thaw came.

For my area i would have to say the november/ december (freeze mark I :P) was by far the best. It was long, loads of snow here, and very cold temps( the coldest of all 3 cold spells here . . ).

OfficeStuff

The 36 hour journey from Blackrock, Dublin to Stockholm Sweden... Hope this photo attaches properly.

We sat on the plane from 10.00 am Christmas eve until about 2.30 waiting to be de-iced (after having been de-iced the previous evening and then bumped off to come back for 6.00 am check in).

This photo was taken by a Swedish woman on the plane who was cracking up at the attempts to brush the snow off. This after they tried to get rid of the snow from the wings with a rope! Fair dues to the captain though, once they finally de-iced us, he was off like the clappers. Happy new year all.

http://img11.imageshack.us/img11/1645/20101224012.jpg

kindredspirit

One of the fountains freezing up in our pond.




Local lough frozen over.



My most abiding memory is, however, the complete absence of any response by the government to the icy roads around us. Not ONE road was gritted or salted in our area. Incompetence on an unbelievable scale, particularly after they'd seen the mayhem around here in January.