h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The first snow *always* seems to come as a surprise here in Stockholm, although I've no idea why - we *do* get snow in the winter!

But during the 12 years that I've lived in the vicinity, this winter's arrival had the worst effects I've ever seen!

The trouble was that the temperature was not quite at freezing point when the snow first started to fall, which made it slushy, and sleety - but then the temperature dropped, and it froze to ice, covered by the now light and dry snow that kept coming.

Last night lots of vehicles collided, or slid down into the ditches along the main roads. All bus traffic was cancelled, all long distance train traffic was cancelled.

People who had flights to catch at the main airport Arlanda found there was no way they could get there - not even by car, as the queues lasted for miles, and miles - moving very, very slowly.

A colleague of mine who drives to/from work in 20 minutes got home after 3 hours.

My journey home by public transport took 2.5 hours instead of the usual 1.0 hours - and by the time I got home, I was cold inside and out, because the snow storm kept howling all the time, and there was not enough space in the few sheltered spots to hold the hundreds of passengers that patiently waited for some sort of transport to show up.

The last bit I had to walk.



But Finno-Ugric Elves (http://www.sci.fi/~alboin/finn_que.htm) will not be defeated that easily! *steely look, chin high*

*instead of her usual, small, flower-shaped with-blue-stones earrings, this morning she picked silver snowflakes earrings*

Not much I can add here. We have the same weather. Though I think we handle it slightly better. Most of the traffic is working, though slow. It hit the hardest northern parts of EE.
The view from my doorway looks like this: http://hatifnat.myphotoalbum.com/view_photo.php?set_albumName=album09&id=02_11_06_1

Damn, you've ruined my illusions of Scandinavians and their ability to cope with snow.

Year on year in the UK we get taken by 'surprise' by the snow and my contempt for this has always taken the form of "you don't see Sweden and Norway grinding to halt because of a little bit of snow!"

But apparently you do! There is no hope!

Nice photo Hati!

Orcus, it has turned out that the ones who weren't prepared well enough, despite repeated warnings from the meteorologists, were the people organzing the salting/sanding/plowing of the roads...

A couple of years ago, that whole section was privatized, and we've had trouble ever since. Two years ago there was only a narrow path in each direction plowed in the main streets in the very city centre of Stockholm, and ambulance staff and firefighters complained loudly because if there was a car driving ahead of them, they had no chance of overtaking it.

The ones responsible got thoroughly yelled at, and last winter things seemed to work alright. But this winter, it seems there will need to be a new brouhaha in order to get things working - things that should work without saying.

Sounds a very familiar story.

In Birmingham a couple of years back they failed to grit the roads effectively one night and the roads were total gridlock all night as various buses and lorries could get uphill and so stopped blocking the roads. Massive numbers of people simply abandoned their cars and those travelling by bus had to walk home - miles and miles home in some cases. My uni shelterd a few hundered people in a sports hall who couldn't get home.

Luckily (it didn't seem lucky in the morning!) my car had broken down that morning - my annoyance turned to relief as I walked past miles and miles of stationary cars.

The cheeky gits at the council sent out their traffic wardens to book every abandoned car in the city centre the next morning! Nothing like a bit of extortion on top of the negligence. It was either abandon your car or spend the night in the deep freeze.


The weather forecasters had been going on and on about the upcoming freeze all week.

>>various buses and lorries could get uphill<<

could not get uphill rather

We had much more snow when I was young than we do now. But I think our city and state road crews handle it very well when it happens.

Snow is so beautiful. I know it's treacherous - especially if there is a layer of ice underneath - but I always enjoy it anyway. And an ice storm is absolutely gorgeous. We generally get at least one a winter. Those I don't enjoy. They are far too dangerous and they take down the power lines.

Trsveller in Time counting snow
"< A2408492 > Did you already claim your h2g2 Photographers Badge ? "

Thanks for reminding me, T in T - I'll check with the group.