It never happens in Europe!

[J-G]

If you were about in the 1950 - 60's in the UK we had winters,

My memory only retains 1947 & 1963

 

[Agent_zed]

If all shop owners etc cleared their frontages, surely this would be advantageous to councils, saving them the expense, SHOULD they decide to do it?
Back in '81/'82, when we had a massive snow storm, a local builder used his Bobcat to clear as much as possible from the pavements. Then it was loaded onto tippers & dumped in the Wye.

I can't remember seeing enough snow on the ground outside of a shop to make it worthwhile getting anyone to do anything about it. What snow I have seen turns to slush pretty quickly or is no issue to walk on.

Don't think I've ever seen any council operatives clearing snow from a pavement in my life, but perhaps it happens in bigger towns with more snow.

I was however quite suprised in Courchevel 1850 ski resort to find the pavements outside the shops were heated to prevent the rich people falling over whilst shopping for their 1000euro Swarovski crystal adorned ski helmets.

 

[Distinterior]

About 15 years ago, we had a relatively light snowfall predicted in my area ( about 4 or 5 inches) by the weathermen. I live on a fairly steep hill and the road is a Cul de Sac, so doesn't normally get gritted by the local Council.
The problem is, coz it's a steepish hill, it only takes about an inch or two to fall and no one can get out of the road.

I decided to phone the local council office to see if they were going to grit my road. I was put through to some guy and I initially assumed it was the guy in charge of sending out the Gritting Lorries......I assumed wrong...! The guy I actually spoke to was in the Accounts Department.....He explained that the Council didnt have the budget to grit all the estate roads in the area, as they only did the main roads & Bus routes.
I then enquired as to where my nearest Grit Bin was, as I would then grit the road myself to aid in myself and my neighbours being able to get out of the road......He then said, I wasnt allowed to do that, coz if I did, and someone slipped up on the gritted road, I would be liable for any injury that befell them.......Surely, I said, if the Council dont grit the road, then any person that slipped on the un- gritted road, could then sue the Council......."No", he said,....." That would be an Act of God".............I kid you not!

 

[Agent_zed]

About 15 years ago, we had a relatively light snowfall predicted in my area ( about 4 or 5 inches) by the weathermen. I live on a fairly steep hill and the road is a Cul de Sac, so doesn't normally get gritted by the local Council.
The problem is, coz it's a steepish hill, it only takes about an inch or two to fall and no one can get out of the road.

I decided to phone the local council office to see if they were going to grit my road. I was put through to some guy and I initially assumed it was the guy in charge of sending out the Gritting Lorries......I assumed wrong...! The guy I actually spoke to was in the Accounts Department.....He explained that the Council didnt have the budget to grit all the estate roads in the area, as they only did the main roads & Bus routes.
I then enquired as to where my nearest Grit Bin was, as I would then grit the road myself to aid in myself and my neighbours being able to get out of the road......He then said, I wasnt allowed to do that, coz if I did, and someone slipped up on the gritted road, I would be liable for any injury that befell them.......Surely, I said, if the Council dont grit the road, then any person that slipped on the un- gritted road, could then sue the Council......."No", he said,....." That would be an Act of God".............I kid you not!

Think they were covering their own behind rather than it being the actual rule. Otherwise it makes no sense in the council leaving grit bins around the place for no one to be allowed to use them.

This website says they are for public use on public roads/paths.
https://wheeliebinsolutions.co.uk/blogs/advice/everything-you-need-to-know-about-grit-bins-in-the-uk

 

[Ozi]

I dread to think how badly the UK wouldnt cope with the same levels of snow fall and those low temperatures as sweden suffered

I dread to think how upset we would all be if our tax money was spent on having the same level of snow plowing equipment as Sweden.

 

[selectortone]

I dread to think how upset we would all be if our tax money was spent on having the same level of snow plowing equipment as Sweden.

If it had been we might not have had hundreds of millions to spend on unfit for purpose PPE for doctors and nurses fighting Covid.

 

[Ozi]

If it had been we might not have had hundreds of millions to spend on unfit for purpose PPE for doctors and nurses fighting Covid.

Yes, thank goodness we were able to support some very rich people in that difficult time

 

[Terry - Somerset]

The UK is clearly inadequate in its provision for natural disasters.

We should of course plan for tsunamis the like of which hit Thailand in 2004, magnitude 9 earthquakes, tornados the equal of the US alley, wind gusts up to 150mph as recorded in the Cairngorms in 1986, rainfall of 300mm in any 24 hour period etc etc.

This will cost a bit - but it is worth being prepared. We may have to sacrifice a few public services and cut back on already stretched budgets - NHS, education, old age pensions ..........

Alternatively just accept that for most of the UK things will grind to a halt once or twice a decade for a day or two. Difficult choices!

 

[Just4Fun]

About 15 years ago, we had a relatively light snowfall predicted in my area ( about 4 or 5 inches) by the weathermen. I live on a fairly steep hill and the road is a Cul de Sac, so doesn't normally get gritted by the local Council.
The problem is, coz it's a steepish hill, it only takes about an inch or two to fall and no one can get out of the road.

When I was out today I took a photo of the road where I live. It is a single track gravel forestry road but of course the road surface makes no difference at this time of year. The road goes nowhere. It is 4km long and I live 3.2 km down it. You can tell from the photo that it is not a heavily-populated area but is regularly ploughed and I have never known the road to be impassable. Here it is:

 

[artie]

My grandad was a farmer and after one of the big winters (I can't remember which and was before my time) he was paid to have a snowplough for the tractor on standby. It subsequently sat and rusted away in the following years and wasn't used again as it didn't snow like that again.

It was the same in this area, I think it was 82/83 we had an unusual amount of snow which hung around for longer than usual.

The council bought snowploughs and dished them out to people willy nilly so to be ready for the next big event.

We're still waiting.

During that period I drove <>100 miles round trip to work and back on ordinary tyres I just went a little slower.

 

[artie]

If all shop owners etc cleared their frontages, surely this would be advantageous to councils, saving them the expense, SHOULD they decide to do it?

The Butcher I visited had not cleared the pavement in front of his shop, while the rest of the street had. I asked him why. He told me that if he clears it and someone falls he can be liable. If he leaves it alone God is liable.

Possibly true I don't know.

 

[the great waldo]

Leather soled shoes are the ONLY sensible shoes - I won't tolerate any other !

They might be very sensible, just try walking up an icy slope with them!! The icy slope definitely wont tolerate you!!
Cheers
Andrew

 

[Cabinetman]

When I was out today I took a photo of the road where I live. It is a single track gravel forestry road but of course the road surface makes no difference at this time of year. The road goes nowhere. It is 4km long and I live 3.2 km down it. You can tell from the photo that it is not a heavily-populated area but is regularly ploughed and I have never known the road to be impassable. Here it is:
View attachment 173258

Wow! Absolutely wonderful! Mind you I noticed how cold you said it was earlier, minus 26c? Crikey

 

[JimJay]

The UK is clearly inadequate in its provision for natural disasters.

We should of course plan for tsunamis the like of which hit Thailand in 2004, magnitude 9 earthquakes, tornados the equal of the US alley, wind gusts up to 150mph as recorded in the Cairngorms in 1986, rainfall of 300mm in any 24 hour period etc etc.

This will cost a bit - but it is worth being prepared. We may have to sacrifice a few public services and cut back on already stretched budgets - NHS, education, old age pensions ..........

Alternatively just accept that for most of the UK things will grind to a halt once or twice a decade for a day or two. Difficult choices!

Unfortunately the situation in the UK isn't as simple as people are told/like to think. Governments have spent decades laying the country open to shortages of food, energy, fuel etc with their short-term and short-sighted policies. Almost every aspect of life is subject to lack of security due to the laissez faire attitude of the rich/powerful when it comes to the rest of us. Ukraine has shown us that war in Europe isn't unthinkable, and "the world's policeman" hasn't been someone to rely on for generations.

When the chips are down, we have to rely on ourselves - and cries of "haven't got the budget" are simply unacceptable.

 

[Scruples]

@Agent-zed: You wrote, QUOTE: Sure people could drive more sensibly but thats about all you can do. Unless you live in the highlands or a few other places there is no reason to have winter tyres for the few days a year it may or may not snow. UNQUOTE :

Entirely disagree, and you obviously have NOT tried winter tyres! The clue is in the name, your driving will be easier and safer when you drive in winter with winter tyres fitted. They are NOT "just" for snow!

Suggest you read the rest of this thread, then the thread linked to above. Even better, try a car fitted with winter tyres on typical winter roads where you live (I see it's in the south west - Devon, Cornwall, etc, etc).

I repeat, your QUOTE: ...... there is no reason to have winter tyres for the few days a year it may or may not snow. UNQUOTE: is just completely and utterly wrong.

Well, not wishing to take sides here, but I've been driving for 50+ years and never felt unsafe on the roads in winter. I was too young for the only prolonged white winter in the Uk back in 63. Even the buses stopped, and I do remember in the 70s a short cold snap during which I had to follow a snow plough through some rural roads ot get to customers in need of help.

 

[Superduner]

It is now law in France to have all season tyres (3PMSF’ (3 Peak Mountain Snow Flake)) in certain hilly/mountainous areas . Failing that, you have to have chains or "snow socks" on the driven wheels at least. The area covered by this law is most of the eastern side of the country.

 

[Austin Branson]

NO, it's not.

Hello, I’d be interested to hear your reasons for saying that. Best wishes.

 

[J-G]

...for the only prolonged white winter in the Uk back in 63

You are too young to remember 1947 then - - - - it snowed in JUNE! and had been doing so since December '46

 

[the great waldo]

The UK is clearly inadequate in its provision for natural disasters.

I wonder if one would consider the recent batch of politicians as natural disasters??
Cheers
Andrew

 

[Norman Boyes]

Living in what can loosely be called Southern Europe, just 3 hours drive to Greece, and in the poorest EU country to boot, the difference between winters here and in the UK are marked. Years back we got "real" winters, with a couple of metres of snow and temperatures up on our mountain regularly below -30C. Nowadays it's more like a metre of snow and in the -20s.

Everyone uses winter tyres and there are queues when it's time to switch them at the "tyre hotels", where for a small fee . your summer/winter tyres are boarded out when not in use if you're short of storage space at home. Insurance companies can refuse to pay out if you're not using the correct tyres for the conditions. Trains and flights are very rarely cancelled, and snowploughs are seen on the roads as soon as the forecasts mention snow/ice. There's no such thing as "the wrong kind of snow or unexpected leaves" and everything works as usual.

There's no excuse in the UK for the perennial shambles caused by lack of preparation, and claims of cash shortages are just bogus.

The UK would actually be much better advised to spend more resource on flood defences (both coastal and riverine) than more snow clearing equipment. Flooding is a far greater threat than snow from an economic perspective.

i have lived in my property for 24 years and snow is a rarity here, the majority of those years absolutely zero snow, never ever been ‘snowed in’ and only once (for one day) when my car could not traverse the hill to get out of our neighbourhood.