in case you haven't heard...

[Bowlie]

Enjoy your nice weather!

Thanks, the sun came out today and warmed things up a little (to 2C). Unfortunately in the last little while ...

Spoiler

It got dark!

Time for a

[hlewton]

I have never minded snow but would hate to have as much as in some of those photos above. Actually some of my neighbors think I'm crazy because I like getting my snow blower out to clear my driveway even if I have to do it 3 or 4 time in a day. Also I have a couple 4 wheel drive vehicles so getting my wife to work is usually no problem. LOL

[Bigaldoc]

... so getting my wife to work is usually no problem. LOL

And YOU stay home and blow snow, huh?

[hlewton]

... so getting my wife to work is usually no problem. LOL

And YOU stay home and blow snow, huh?

OH yeah, I'm retired and loving it.

[viking33]

"Also I have a couple 4 wheel drive vehicles so getting my wife to work is usually no problem. "
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Now if they only had four wheel STOP, like some people THINK they do!

[hlewton]

"Also I have a couple 4 wheel drive vehicles so getting my wife to work is usually no problem. "
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Now if they only had four wheel STOP, like some people THINK they do!

Can't argue about that but when I shift into 4 wheel drive I SLOW down. Still nothing grips well on ice especially when trying to stop and that is scary, very scary.

[stuck]

nothing grips well on ice especially when trying to stop and that is scary, very scary.

Our snow has frozen brick hard overnight, radio said it went below -14degC not far from my village. That's not normal for the UK

My drive is flat and still it took three attempts, including chipping at the ice, to get onto the road. En route to work the car thermometer showed the outside air temp ranging from -7.5degC down to -12.5degC. Yes, it did take me a looooong time to get to work.

Ken

[hlewton]

That is cold and it is about the same temperature here right now. I too have to go out but I'm warming my truck up first. Actually we are pretty much used to temperatures like that around here but usually not until January. It may be a colder winter this year if this is any indication. They do a pretty good job of keeping the all roads open around here.

[Goshute]

Still nothing grips well on ice especially when trying to stop and that is scary, very scary.

First big storm of every autumn, there's always a few fools who think 4 wheel drive makes them invulnerable in all road conditions. They learn the hard way, but unfortunately they usually take collateral casualties.

[viking33]

Still nothing grips well on ice especially when trying to stop and that is scary, very scary.

First big storm of every autumn, there's always a few fools who think 4 wheel drive makes them invulnerable in all road conditions. They learn the hard way, but unfortunately they usually take collateral casualties.

Seems like we have more than our share of fools that think that way. Last winter, there was a TV newscaster doing a road conditions bit on one of the Boston expressways during a snowstorm. In the background comes one of these jerks in their SUV flying along, then tried to stop or slowdown and there he went over the guardrail and into the ditch! All live and unedited, "breaking news."

[hlewton]

Still nothing grips well on ice especially when trying to stop and that is scary, very scary.

First big storm of every autumn, there's always a few fools who think 4 wheel drive makes them invulnerable in all road conditions. They learn the hard way, but unfortunately they usually take collateral casualties.

Seems like we have more than our share of fools that think that way. Last winter, there was a TV newscaster doing a road conditions bit on one of the Boston expressways during a snowstorm. In the background comes one of these jerks in their SUV flying along, then tried to stop or slowdown and there he went over the guardrail and into the ditch! All live and unedited, "breaking news."

Unfortunately there are those types all over and they are dangerous. Still that does not make owning a four wheel drive a bad thing. Sometimes in our allotment it is needed to get out to the main streets because we are often times the last to have our roads plowed.

[Goshute]

Still that does not make owning a four wheel drive a bad thing.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be without 4WD here in Salt Lake City, even if I never drove up the canyon to go skiing in three feet of new snow. 4WD gets you better acceleration traction, but it does nothing for braking, and only a little for cornering.

[viking33]

Not at all. I have a FWD Jeep and have had either Jeeps or Chevy Blazers for many years. It is a great enhancement to have on your vehicle as long as you recognize what it can and cannot do.

[Claude]

Bowlie, nice picture. Is that much snow at this time of the year normal for your part of Switzerland?

Where I grew up, this would have been quite welcome, having only 30 cm of snow. I used to have to dig a path to the road in the morning so I could walk to school, then, at lunchtime, dig my way back to the house and the same in the evening. OTOH, once we had 50 cm of snow, it was safe to go skiing on any hill whatsoever.

It certainly was normal to have that amount of snow, it could start snowing as early as October, but then again, we lived at a higher altitude than Bowlie...

[HansV]

The weather is really unusual for this early in the winter:

Snow.jpg

In the years before 2009, we had many winters with hardly any snow at all, and now two in a row with lots of snow...

[hlewton]

Not sure exactly where you guys live but Europe and the UK is making news locally here in the Ohio, USA because of the cold and snow you have been getting recently. I'm actually looking forward to getting some and especially to having a white Christmas. I hope that happens.

[Bigaldoc]

... here in the Ohio, USA ... looking forward to getting some and especially to having a white Christmas.

Well, "down here" in Kentucky (Lexington) it's been lightly snowing all night and morning. At my age, I don't like cold and snow AT ALL. Take all ya want, please!

[PaulB]

As much as I hate snow and winter, I have to admit that all these pictures sure are pretty.

[stuck]

It's been above zero all day today, first time in days, felt positively balmy out there!

On a local weather blog, someone asked if a certain Icelandic volcano and its ash cloud might have something to do with this weather but their comment didn't get a reply. I've Googled this idea but not found anything to support it but as someone who fell foul of that volcano earlier in the year I wouldn't be at all surprised if it was to blame

Ken

[Jezza]

What a difference a few days make.....and then the snow settles: