Snow and more snow.....

[VegasNath]

South East Wales
North West Wales

It has just stopped snowing and the forecast suggests that there will be no more today, but we have had 4/5 hours of consistently heavy snow in SE Wales this morning. Buses & Trains have halted, most public services have closed. Very unusual for this region, I cannot remember ever seeing conditions this bad. Cardiff airport is closed, I feel so sorry for those that need to travel for christmas.

[Hey Jude]

Please send some my way! We want a "White Christmas" :-)

[HansV]

It's starting to look like we're going to get a second White Christmas in a row, for the first time in memory (at least since 1900).

Most of the country was shut down during the weekend, with heavy snowfall on Friday and Saturday. Things are slowly starting up again now.

[Argus]

Ah, you've got winter? Beautiful.

I notice that we got some cold weather during the night, in the northern part of the country.

2010-12-20.png

It’s the lowest so far. Here? Around -7°C this night, much better.

Here are some images that different people have taken during last winter and so far during this, I assume (captions in Swedish).
http://svt.se/svt/road/Classic/article/ ... popup=true" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[HansV]

Beautiful pictures, thanks!

[VegasNath]

Please send some my way! We want a "White Christmas" :-)

I always tend to feel a little left out when there are reports of snow accross the UK, but rarely does it reach us. But...... when it comes, it's just a pain, beautiful, but a bloody pain!

I am due back to work on Wednesday after a week and a half off work. I haven't left the house since last Thursday, no fun! I am so not prepared for christmas!!

[Rebel]

Gorgeous pictures indeed! Thanks for sharing Argus.

[HansV]

South East Wales
North West Wales

Great picture of Parys mountain!

[Bigaldoc]

Here are some images that different people have taken ...

Gorgeous pictures but I'm glad to say I don't live where the climate is so intensely WINTER!

I tried a translator but it doesn't help. Do you know what this picture is? It looks like a marshmallow house with a fire inside: Rapport

[HansV]

If I understand correctly: "An ice light (or lamp) to look at and enjoy". So they probably put a lamp outside and built a kind of igloo made of snowballs over it.

[Gfamily]

It's starting to look like we're going to get a second White Christmas in a row, for the first time in memory (at least since 1900).

Most of the country was shut down during the weekend, with heavy snowfall on Friday and Saturday. Things are slowly starting up again now.

Oh, don't say that! We have a myth in Britain that we are uniquely incompetent when it comes with dealing with occasional falls of snow. UK road, rail and air travel is disrupted and the papers are full of "It's not like this in Europe" comments.

[HansV]

"It's not like this in Europe"

But it is - at least in The Netherlands.
In the spring, as soon as the temperature rises a bit, the rails unexpectedly expand and either deform or block the points. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.
In the summer, when everybody wants to travel, half the personnel is on vacation and the other half is busy with maintenance on the tracks. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.
In the autumn, falling wet leaves are a complete surprise every year, they cause the rails to become slippery. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.
In the winter, miraculously snow falls and points freeze. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.

[VegasNath]

But it is - at least in The Netherlands.
In the spring, as soon as the temperature rises a bit, the rails unexpectedly expand and either deform or block the points. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.
In the summer, when everybody wants to travel, half the personnel is on vacation and the other half is busy with maintenance on the tracks. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.
In the autumn, falling wet leaves are a complete surprise every year, they cause the rails to become slippery. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.
In the winter, miraculously snow falls and points freeze. So trains have to run at a lower speed and frequency.

[Argus]

Do you know what this picture is? It looks like a marshmallow house with a fire inside: Rapport

If I understand correctly: "An ice light (or lamp) to look at and enjoy". So they probably put a lamp outside and built a kind of igloo made of snowballs over it.

Hans is as close as it gets; but when I first looked at it I didn't notice it said "is"; i.e. "ice"; usually we say "snölykta", and the best translation for that is snowball lantern (snö = snow; lykta = lantern (or lamp etc.), and it's made of, yep, snowballs). I've never heard "islykta", ice lantern; that seems to be something else (but then as in every country, they call things different in different parts).

So, a search for images of snowball lanterns might generate something like this:
http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=sv&q= ... 8gPRsumDBw" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Usually one put a small candle on the inside, such as a tea light (or perhaps a stable lantern).

[Argus]

It has just stopped snowing and the forecast suggests that there will be no more today, but we have had 4/5 hours of consistently heavy snow in SE Wales this morning.

Nathan,
They mentioned on the radio, over here, the severe weather in your part, and SW England & Ireland (as well as some other parts of Europe, for example Germany & France). So it must be quite "bad". I saw somewhere (BBC?) that Bucks have had -20°C; that's cold.
Still, beautiful pictures; BBC usually gather good pictures.

[HansV]

I was tempted to translate "Stäng fönstret" too but thought better of it...

[Argus]

(Translation gallop?)
(The images open in a separate window, at the news site, so I picked that address, it's better this way since it can open in a tab.)

[Hey Jude]

Please send some my way! We want a "White Christmas" :-)

I haven't left the house since last Thursday, no fun! I am so not prepared for christmas!!

The spirit of Christmas is alive no matter if you are prepared or not. You don't know how badly my daughter wishes for this magnitude of a snowfall around here. There is something about being truly "snowbound" that is not only invigorating, but unveils the child-like behaviors which have long been left behind as adults.

I truly wish you a wonderful Holiday Season whether you are prepared or not. The spirit of Christmas resides
in our hearts. May your hearts and those of your family be showered abundantly with the many blessings that abound during this time of year

[Hey Jude]

Snowball lanterns! Simply amazing~!

[Skitterbug]

Please send some my way! We want a "White Christmas" :-)

Not me! I would rather have a warm and green Christmas! You can keep the snow up north!

Merry Christmas in spite of the weather!