Severe Winter Weather: ESSENTIAL PREPARATIONS, TRAVEL ADVICE, DRIVING TIPS & CLOSURES

Realtine

Watching the weather with interest probably like half the country - due to fly to Amsterdam in the morning at 11am - I'm hoping we'll get out -

I suppose it's just to early to tell just yet - I'm more concerned about getting home on Thursday night - I guessing I have to prepare for the possibility of getting stuck in Amsterdam for a day or so, any suggestions for survival if that is the case?
Even if I get back to Dublin on Thursday night there's a chance I could be stuck at the airport if no taxi's or buses are running.

(the weather in Amsterdam is very cold but with no snow forecast just at the minute)

EEK! It's starting to snow very lightly in Dublin 10 - really, really hoping to get flights out in the morning!!

Chilly Willy

They just said on the news that they don't forsee businesses having to close?

jiltloop

Charles Babbage wrote: »

The proper thing to do is put the sock over the shoe, for grip.

This would also work in the 90s when a bouncer told you that you weren't allowed in to the nightclub in runners. Quick nip around the corner and put the black socks over the runners and hey presto, you're in!

There could possibly be further a joke here relating to dancing your socks off but I'm too lazy....

Gaoth Laidir

Light snow now falling here in Tallaght. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beast is in the building!

Kermit.de.frog

Gaoth Laidir wrote: »

Light snow now falling here in Tallaght. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Beast is in the building!

George Sunsnow

Deedsie wrote: »

Could Bus Eireann Expressway bus services be affected by this storm?

Yes

JJJJNR

Dunnes cornelscourt packed atm. Saturday queues.

jobless

im just after seeing a punch up down my local tescos over the last loaf of bread! ... the end is nigh

crashadder

oh god i need to renew my residence permit on tuesday evening at 19:00 . my employment will be suspended if i couldnt :-) i hope immigration people works on tuesday.

George Sunsnow

https://twitter.com/CarlowWeather/status/968150024042541056

sjb25

jobless wrote: »

im just after seeing a punch up down my local tescos over the last loaf of bread! ... the end is nigh

Ahh stop

spoonerhead

Completely sold out of bags of salt. The reaction I get when I tell customers it’s gone, you’d think it was my fault

vandriver

Panic buying at its finest.

lolokeogh

All this stocking up is crazy,i have watched enough yukon men to handle this week,and the neighbours cat is an easy target for a trap..anyway nothing in swords north dublin,ill be awaiting its arrival tomorrow evening,and ofcourse keeping on track with this thread,much appreciated folks.

davidsr20

Lots of bread in Galway I can meet half way in Athlone €4 a loaf

Reati

vandriver wrote: »

Panic buying at its finest.

Tesco should start sponsoring weather alerts. They will be winning this week.

DEFTLEFTHAND

crashadder wrote: »

oh god i need to renew my residence permit on tuesday evening at 19:00 . my employment will be suspended if i couldnt :-) i hope immigration people works on tuesday.

Think Wednesday is when it gets bad so hopefully they will be open tomorrow.

Maybe phone them to make sure, if they're not I'm sure the circumstances of the situation will be taken into account.

iLikeWaffles

FFS not a snow shovel to be seen in the hardware shops. All sold out!

m17

I'm stocking up on the double because Wednesday and Thursday will be mayhem

the 12 th man

The birds are milling the seeds.

AndyBoBandy

I wouldn’t say I’ve stockpiled, but I have planned for & bought enough food to not need to go to the shops for the remainder of the week. Typically I’d only plan 1/2 days in advance and shop accordingly.

It’s by no means panic stations, but it’s certainly prudent to not be relying on having to go to the shops until Monday at the earliest.

(Planning a big pot of coddle for Wednesday)

Macy0161

Got extra beers over the weekend. Will start thinking of the none essentials like bread and milk now...

davidsr20

Lots of bread in Galway I can meet half way in Athlone €4 a loaf

jobless

how does the dart normally handle the snow?.... need to get into town tomorrow night and it looks like it might be the only mode available to me

the 12 th man

the 12 th man wrote: »

The birds are milling the seeds.

keep feeding them..... they are at the end of a long hard Winter and very susceptible to this cold on the way. Many will die.

Melt margarine, or suet or any kind of fat and toss oatmeal in it, cheap stuff will do it doesn't have to be organic (!) let it cool then scatter it outside . They need fat far more than the likes of breadcrumbs in this cold. If I run out of nuts and seeds I always do this and they love it.

pad199207

Deleted User wrote: »

keep feeding them..... they are at the end of a long hard Winter and very susceptible to this cold on the way. Many will die.

Melt margarine, or suet or any kind of fat and toss oatmeal in it, cheap stuff will do it doesn't have to be organic (!) let it cool then scatter it outside . They need fat far more than the likes of breadcrumbs in this cold. If I run out of nuts and seeds I always do this and they love it.

We dont have proper bird seed, but they are scoffing down grated cheese,porridge oats, ground up cornflakes and breadcrumbs.

az2wp0sye65487

Not sure if It's been mentioned here already but I've found in the past that if you find your car covered in snow and have to drive somewhere, a household dustpan makes a great snow-scooper. The ones that have a rubber strip along the front are ideal since it reduces the chances of causing damage to the paintwork on the car.

KingBobby

iLikeWaffles wrote: »

FFS not a snow shovel to be seen in the hardware shops. All sold out!

Literally every person coming out of homebase in nutgrove this morning was carrying a snow shovel. One guy had 3!

pad199207

pad199207 wrote: »

We dont have proper bird seed, but they are scoffing down grated cheese,porridge oats, ground up cornflakes and breadcrumbs.

yeah they love all that! melt it all down in some fat if you can too!

The trouble is feeding them all. I have so many little ones, but also starlings, crows, pigeons and now seagulls!!!!

Lackey

optogirl wrote: »

Just had a text from my 6 year old's football training to say 'don't forget the senior infants have training this Thursday'. Eh, I think not

Welcome to the glorious world of football matches and training in all weathers cause 'Its a soft day sure wont do them any harm'

Time to get your priorities sorted ...and your weather proof coat :P

Larbre34

jobless wrote: »

going to a gig..... id say it will only be cancelled if they unleash the red weather warning

Keep an eye on it, all transport could struggle under orange conditions depending on concentration of showers, the venue might open and act appear but there mightn't be much of an audience

CerebralCortex

Deleted User wrote: »

keep feeding them..... they are at the end of a long hard Winter and very susceptible to this cold on the way. Many will die.

Melt margarine, or suet or any kind of fat and toss oatmeal in it, cheap stuff will do it doesn't have to be organic (!) let it cool then scatter it outside . They need fat far more than the likes of breadcrumbs in this cold. If I run out of nuts and seeds I always do this and they love it.

Don't give any animal margarine! There are different types of fat and margarine is not the one you want to be eating.

munsterlegend

m17 wrote: »

I'm stocking up on the double because Wednesday and Thursday will be mayhem

I hope your water supply stays intact.

CerebralCortex

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Don't give any animal margarine! There are different types of fat and margarine is not the one you want to be eating.

how is that different to the suet that the balls are made of? So they can eat meat/animal derived fats but not margarine/cookeen/ butter? Are they carnivours ?? I think its gonna be a case of whatever I have got and a case of trying to feed as many as I can. I have done this for years and don't see lots of little birds bodies around the garden??

I don't think the crows than ransack bins are that fussy - or magpies, seagulls, starlings. I wish a few of them would die off but its like something out of Hitchcocks The Birds in my garden!

smodgley

CerebralCortex wrote: »

Don't give any animal margarine! There are different types of fat and margarine is not the one you want to be eating.

is duck fat ok to use ?

beefburrito

munsterlegend wrote: »

I hope your water supply stays intact.

Actually I must open up the stira....let the heat up into the loft....

Dickerty

smodgley wrote: »

is duck fat ok to use ?

Wouldn't that be cannibalism?

beefburrito

Dickerty wrote: »

Wouldn't that be cannibalism?

Lol love it sounds like something Dave Allen would come up with....

Whispered

I've been giving the birds our leftovers. The dogs are murderous at this stage. But they've been getting everything, oats, honey, yoghurt, bread with thick butter, houmous, peanut butter, diced fruit, crackers, chia and sesame seeds. I hope that's all ok?! Never considered it might be bad for them. I know breadcrumbs alone aren't great so figured fats and sugars would be good.

smodgley

smodgley wrote: »

is duck fat ok to use ?

apart from cannibalism do you realise how much duck fat costs??

sorry I am trying to feed a multitude - they will have to do with "stork"

Chrongen

Lucreto wrote: »

My fear is that I get in to work and can't get home again.

I live in Naas and work in Ballsbridge if its bad in Ballsbridge and the trains get shut down I am fecked.

I'm in the same boat.

During ophelia, the buses were running in the morning so people got to work but then Dublin bus shut down services around 11am so people had to scramble to leave work while other got stranded.

arsebiscuits82

flying out Friday myself for the weekend, first trip out of the country in nearly 4 years. The wife suggested it to me to head away for a weekend away from work/wife/kids as with no.3 on the way it will be my last chance for a while. She's been abroad a few times and basically kept telling me to book something so I booked it.

Just my f##king luck! Had to book a hotel on Dublin for Thursday night to ensure I get to Dublin at least. Hoping for the best, but more than likely i'll be back at home Friday evening.

Sickened

Whispered

[Deleted User] wrote: »

apart from cannibalism do you realise how much duck fat costs??

sorry I am trying to feed a multitude - they will have to do with "stork"

Oh and while I'm asking questions, how do you deal with feeding the different sizes. The bigger ones here are scaring the little ones off. Currently have the toddler on "crow duty" but union rules say he will need a break soon.

Have asked my husband to get a bag of coal on his way home. He's gonna hate me

spookwoman

Deleted User wrote: »

how is that different to the suet that the balls are made of? So they can eat meat/animal derived fats but not margarine/cookeen/ butter? Are they carnivours ?? I think its gonna be a case of whatever I have got and a case of trying to feed as many as I can. I have done this for years and don't see lots of little birds bodies around the garden??

I don't think the crows than ransack bins are that fussy - or magpies, seagulls, starlings. I wish a few of them would die off but its like something out of Hitchcocks The Birds in my garden!

Birds do need large amounts of saturated fats to replace the vast reserves of energy they use up, especially in winter, but soft fats like this are dangerous, because if clotted on feathers they can damage their insulating and waterproofing capacity.

Dont feed them plain bread, we usually break up bread and leave it soak in the weekend roasts pan.. A good way to make fat cakes is lard melted into a pan add any left over meat diced small, cat / dog food, bread broken up, crushed peanuts, seeds etc and put into a xmas pudding container and left to set. one of these lard masses will last about a day. Once they get a taste of it they will come back in their droves.

gimpotronitus

Due to be driving into Dublin on N7 tomorrow around 6PM. Can easily postpone if needed. Any advice?

Whispered

Whispered wrote: »

Oh and while I'm asking questions, how do you deal with feeding the different sizes. The bigger ones here are scaring the little ones off. Currently have the toddler on "crow duty" but union rules say he will need a break soon.

Have asked my husband to get a bag of coal on his way home. He's gonna hate me

I honestly don't know - its a huge problem. The crows are very intelligent and seem to be able to figure out how to knock feeders down and take the top off! They mill all my food but the little ones are getting a bit braver and cleverer too.

Its a hierarchy..... its been going on all Winter and its fascinating to watch. I live near the coast so have seagulls, pigeons, magpies, crows, and all the lovely little ones too including a pair of robins. But its bloody costly at this stage!

crashadder

crashadder wrote: »

oh god i need to renew my residence permit on tuesday evening at 19:00 . my employment will be suspended if i couldnt :-) i hope immigration people works on tuesday.

As well as calling them first thing in the morning, I would also send off an email, right now, just advising them of your concern regarding Weather Reports.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I've a rear wheel drive automatic. If it snows heavily where I am it's staying where it is. I've very bad experiences with it in snow before, it's totally unsuitable for such conditions.

123balltv

Feel's like Christmas eve shops are crazy

spookwoman

Waterford Regional hospital canceling appointments for wednesday.