Picture Of The Day

[BJ]

Lovely to see the Snow and you enjoying yourself. A good snowfall brings out the kid in all of us.

[FishyFolk]

Good old winter you're having, and perfect temperatures for being out in the snow. Not to cold, but cold enoutgh so the snow does not turn wet :-)

[shepherd]

cant beat the snow, looks like a good evening walk!

[OakAshandThorn]

Good old winter you're having, and perfect temperatures for being out in the snow. Not to cold, but cold enoutgh so the snow does not turn wet :-)

Fresh powder snow is something rather rare here unless you're inland enough or better yet, in higher elevations (Litchfield Hills, Berkshires, Green Mtns, White Mtns, Blue Mtns, Catskills, etc.). Heavy, wet snow is far more common, and makes for sluggish snowshoeing....it's like lifting 20 lbs on each leg LOL.

Because this storm came from the sea, the coastal counties really got hammered, as did Long Island, Maryland, and DC. They're not accustomed to snowy conditions due to the warming effect in the Atlantic, which makes snow for the rest of us turn into rain, sleet, or a "wintry mix" for them. Long Island hasn't seen that much snow in awhile, that's for sure. There have been 20 or so deaths "blamed" on the storm, though looking at the stories, most of those fatalities resulted in poor driving....though I think 2 of the 20 deaths were from hypothermia.

My part of the state was under a "Winter Storm Warning" from the onset of the nor'easter until morning today. All coastal towns and cities were issued a "Blizzard Warning", and the northernmost counties on the Connecticut-Massachusetts border were issues a "Winter Storm Advisory". It's rather bizarre that shoreline cities like Fairfield received a claimed 34 cm/13.5 inches accumulation, whilst northern towns such as Winsted and New Canaan got only a dusting.

[FishyFolk]

Fresh powder snow is something rather rare here unless you're inland enough or better yet, in higher elevations (Litchfield Hills, Berkshires, Green Mtns, White Mtns, Blue Mtns, Catskills, etc.). Heavy, wet snow is far more common, and makes for sluggish snowshoeing....it's like lifting 20 lbs on each leg LOL.

Because this storm came from the sea, the coastal counties really got hammered, as did Long Island, Maryland, and DC. They're not accustomed to snowy conditions due to the warming effect in the Atlantic, which makes snow for the rest of us turn into rain, sleet, or a "wintry mix" for them. Long Island hasn't seen that much snow in awhile, that's for sure. There have been 20 or so deaths "blamed" on the storm, though looking at the stories, most of those fatalities resulted in poor driving....though I think 2 of the 20 deaths were from hypothermia.

Always a treat for a Norwegian to look at Youtube vids of americans trying to drive on snow/ice...you don't have proper winter tyres over there do you?

[OakAshandThorn]

Always a treat for a Norwegian to look at Youtube vids of americans trying to drive on snow/ice...you don't have proper winter tyres over there do you?

Oh we do, it's just that less than 20% of the population uses them in winter, and at least in southern New England, much of the populace hasn't grown up there so that they would be accustomed to winter weather. Most people I talk to very much dislike winter, almost acting as if anything below 50 F is "cold" lol. And any snow accumulations over 2 inches is a "MAJOR SUPERSTROM BLIZZARD OF THE CENTURY!!!!" It's like these people have never even heard of snow! What the heck????

That said, another problem is that fewer and fewer people today drive manual transmissions, instead preferring the automatic, so that even a monkey can steal a car and drive away with it. The control in a manual is unparalleled compared to an automatic, even in "Low" gear. It is rather unnerving that automatic cars move forward even when you aren't using the accelerator pedal, even on a slight hill.

And there will always be the idiots who speed and do dangerous manoeuvres, oblivious to anyone else but their own entitled selves. Several of those fools have been involved in storm-related deaths so far from the nor'easter. The people who know how to drive here are those who have grown up here (or in some other environment that receives substantial snow in the winter) and respect the slick conditions snow and ice can make. Powder snow is best, of course, but it's the heavy wet gunk that we get more often, and that stuff, even 2.5 cm, can make driving quite tricky. No one loves ice, that's for sure. Connecticut does not allow winter tyres to have any metal studs protruding from the tyre itself to grip the ice, and the only people with chains are the postal workers, the snow plows, and some other truck drivers. The "reasoning" for this that our useless, inept state government doesn't want to spend the money to fix and repair the roads, unless it's absolutely necessary. Of course, by then, it will cost several million $$$, and guess who has to fork over the $$$? That's right, us pee-on state residents, who are among the most heavily taxed in the country.

The studded tyes are legal in New York, not sure about other neighbouring states. Oh, and if you really want a good laugh, see what San Fransico, CA, drivers do in 2.5 cm of snow LOL

[FishyFolk]

Here all cars come with a double set of tyres when you buy them, and if the police catch you creating an accident driving with tyres that are not fit for the condition of the road, your driving days are over, and your insurrance is void. And when there is a snowfall, even residential area roads are cleared before we drive to work, the only exception when it starts snowing heavilly like 5 in the morning, the crews may not have finished the side roads...and the municipallity road crews (there are state and local crews) do not start clearing until there is 10 cm of snow). I have never seen a road being closed due to snow. Alsp all municipallity roads are classified as winter roads...meaning they do not clear down to the tarmac, but leave a sole of compacted snow and ice...this saves the road surface from some of the damage the studded tyres cause. and normally is not a problem, unless we get a spell of mild weather and rain...then it gets very icy, but normally they have sanded the roads within a few hours.
Anyway, those years that winter really takes off, it may snow 10- 50 cm every day for a month or two...yet everything functions as normal. Schools are open, people go to work as normal, roads and airports are kept open etc.

[Humakt]

Now that's proper looking snow!
Perfect for a frolic and playing wilderness explorer!

The problem with having snow in the UK, and particularly here in the south-east, is that we don't get enough of it. For the two weeks when we may have snow on the ground it's not financially sensible for local authorities to spend limited funds on the equipment needed. Oh yes, it should happen, in an ideal world. But it's not ideal. In Scandinavian countries you get snow hard enough and often enough for it to be a necessary purchase. Ditto when it comes to driving skills. Here we don't get enough snow nor often enough for drivers to be suitably experienced when (and if!) it does come down. Again, in Scandinavian countries that's different.
Bit of a catch 22 situation. Hence why the snow we get, that to some other nations would be considered little more than a flurry, grinds the country to a standstill for the day.

[OakAshandThorn]

Here all cars come with a double set of tyres when you buy them, and if the police catch you creating an accident driving with tyres that are not fit for the condition of the road, your driving days are over, and your insurrance is void. And when there is a snowfall, even residential area roads are cleared before we drive to work, the only exception when it starts snowing heavilly like 5 in the morning, the crews may not have finished the side roads...and the municipallity road crews (there are state and local crews) do not start clearing until there is 10 cm of snow). I have never seen a road being closed due to snow. Alsp all municipallity roads are classified as winter roads...meaning they do not clear down to the tarmac, but leave a sole of compacted snow and ice...this saves the road surface from some of the damage the studded tyres cause. and normally is not a problem, unless we get a spell of mild weather and rain...then it gets very icy, but normally they have sanded the roads within a few hours.
Anyway, those years that winter really takes off, it may snow 10- 50 cm every day for a month or two...yet everything functions as normal. Schools are open, people go to work as normal, roads and airports are kept open etc.

Looks like our states can take a lesson from this . Compacting the snow would make things easier, I guess the towns and cities spend so much $$$ with plows because many people here do not use snow tyres. Ha! If it snowed over 13 cm everyday for a month here, I'm pretty sure most of the population would go bonkers, leave after winter, and leave many people wondering if global warming is actually real LOLOLOL . Again, most of these people are not used to it. Only the Stars know what they would do if they did not prepare ahead of time for a blizzard that shut down the state for weeks with widespread power outages.

[OakAshandThorn]

Now that's proper looking snow!
Perfect for a frolic and playing wilderness explorer!

The problem with having snow in the UK, and particularly here in the south-east, is that we don't get enough of it. For the two weeks when we may have snow on the ground it's not financially sensible for local authorities to spend limited funds on the equipment needed. Oh yes, it should happen, in an ideal world. But it's not ideal. In Scandinavian countries you get snow hard enough and often enough for it to be a necessary purchase. Ditto when it comes to driving skills. Here we don't get enough snow nor often enough for drivers to be suitably experienced when (and if!) it does come down. Again, in Scandinavian countries that's different.
Bit of a catch 22 situation. Hence why the snow we get, that to some other nations would be considered little more than a flurry, grinds the country to a standstill for the day.

Ah, a bit like North Carolina . The only substantial stuff fall over the Appalachians, and the rest dribbles over the lower country to mostly bewildered residents, that is, if the accumulation is over 7 cm. But unfortunately for them, they tend to get icy roads in the winter because the low temperatures hover around or just below 0 C. By mid-day, though, the temp is often above freezing and thus the ice melts.