What's the weather like over there?

[chattius 2,523]

"After about an hour, the front was beautiful, stairs scraped and dusted, drifts properly laid back."

 

Sorry never had english at school, what does stairs dusted mean?

 

We had a lot of black ice recently and germany was running out of material to fight this. I am used to a granulat which includes 30% Caliciumchlorid-Dihydrat. To work with it: gloves, breath protection, ... I mix it with water and spray it or use a watering can.

Normal salt, natrium chlorid , is not allowed except at extreme dangerous road conditions.

 

Snow ships, salt, granulat was all sold out this winter... I bought 500 pounds granulat already in autumn, and I have 150 pounds left. My daughter went creative and was selling biological anti ice material on a local kid market: which was nothing else but a mix of ash (from an open wood oven), tiny left over pieces of bark and wood from chain saws. Nice add to her pocket money. What to you use or allowed to use to fight ice?

 

My daughters were angry yesterday: waiting for a schoolbus which never came for an hour. The bus couldn't climb the hills at our village. But no information/warning to the parents. In 2010 the district sold the right for bus transport for 2011 to the cheapest company, which is a very big one with thousands of busses. But the large busses of this company are mainly planed for cities and 2 track country roads. 6th time this years kids wait at bus stop and no bus arriving. So they found themself allways in the decision to leave bus stop and go uphill (5 minutes walk) to be able to use a cellular phone to ask school mayor about the bus or stay in valley and wait. Climbing up has the risc that the bus arrives while they are away.

Even asking the company to equip the bus with cb-radio so one of the kids could use a walkie talkie for asking has come to nothing. Stupid district, the former bus company was local and had busses designed for our hilly area with small roads. So district has to pay for the taxi the kids are forced to use. First time I had to leave work to drive them, second time a co-worker who had a son waiting and then we asked and were told that district will pay a taxi if no bus will arrive. At least the taxi has cb radio and some 4-wheel driven car.

 

So not that much snow, but the wind blowing over the hills cools down the ground and clouds climb when passing the hills so more chance for rain/fog, both together: several days with ice rain/black ice a year.

Edited February 4, 2011 by chattius

[Knuckles 904]

Ugh got another 5-8 inches coming Saturday....Winter stopped being fun a long time ago. My whole driveway is ice, even after 4 bags of rock salt. Was able to get a sander down from the town department to lay down some (sometimes it's good to maintain their radio system). Been doing their radios for over 15 years and I live right down the street from one of the workers. He knows I got a bad back so he came over to help out. I owe him big time.

 

When I thought back on all the snow we've gotten and how sick I am now of it, it reminded me of this little story

 

December 8: 6:00 P.M. It started to snow The first snowfall

of the season. The wife and I took our cocktails and sat for

hours by the window watching the huge snowflakes drift down

from heaven. It looked like a Grandma Moses print. So romantic.

We felt like newlyweds again. I love snow!

 

December 9: We awoke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white

snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic

sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world?

Moving here was the best idea I have ever had! Shoveled for

the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both

our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow

came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the

driveway, so I got to shovel again. What a perfect life!

 

December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a

disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry. We will

definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would

be awful! Bob says we'll have so much snow by the end of winter,

that I'll never want to see snow again. I don't think that is

possible. Bob is such a nice man. I'm glad he's our neighbor.

 

December 14: Snow, lovely snow! Eight degrees last night.

The temperature dropped to minus twenty. The cold makes

everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I

warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is

the life! The snowplow came back in the afternoon and buried

everything again. I didn't realize that I would have to do

quite this much shoveling, but I'll certainly get back in

shape this way. I wish I wouldn't huff and puff so much.

 

December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a

4x4 Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife's car and two extra

snow shovels. Stocked the freezer too. The wife wants a wood

stove in case the electricity goes out. I think she is silly.

After all, we aren't in Alaska.

 

December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my rear on the

ice in the driveway while I was trying to put down salt. Hurt

like hell. The wife laughed for an hour. I think she's very cruel.

 

December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go

anywhere. Electricity was off for 5 hours. I had to pile the

blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and

try not to irritate her. I guess I should have bought a wood stove,

but I won't admit that to her. God, I hate it when she is right.

Can't believe I'm freezing to death in my own living room.

 

December 20: Electricity's back on, but had another 14" of the

damn stuff last night. More shoveling. Took all day. Damn

snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel,

but they said they're too busy playing hockey. I think they are

lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying

a snow blower and they're out. Might have another shipment in March.

I think they're lying. Bob says I will have to shovel or the city

will bill me. I think he's lying.

 

December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13

more inches of the white stuff fell today, and it's so cold it

probably won't melt until August. Took me 45 minutes to get all

dressed to go out to shovel and then I had to pee. By the time

I got undressed, peed and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel.

I tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of

the winter, but he says he's too busy. I think he's lying.

 

December 23: Only 2" of snow today. And, it warmed up to 0.

The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning.

What is she.....nuts:) Why didn't she tell me to do that a month

ago. She said she did, but I think she's lying.

 

December 24: 6". Snow packed so hard by the snowplow, I broke

the shovel. I though I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch

the SOB who drives that snowplow, I'll drag him through the snow

by his family jewels. I know he hides around the corner and waits

for me to finish shoveling and than he comes down the street at a

100 miles and hour and throws snow all over where I have just been!

Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas Carols with her and

open our presents, but I was busy watching for the darn snowplow.

 

December 25: Merry Christmas! 20 more inches of the darned slop

tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil.

God, I hate the snow. Then, the snowplow driver came by and asked

for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife

says I have bad attitude. I think she's an idiot. If I have to

watch "It's A Wonderful Life" one more time, I'm going to kill her.

 

December 26: Still snowed in. Why the heck did I ever move here?

It was all her idea. She's really getting on my nerves.

 

December 27: Temperature dropped to -30 and the pipes froze.

 

December 28: Warmed up to above-50. Still snowed in. The wife is

driving me crazy!

 

December 29: 10 more inches of snow. Bob says I have to shovel the

roof or it will collapse. That's the silliest thing I have ever heard.

How dumb does he think I am:)

 

December 30: Roof caved in. The snowplow driver is suing me for a

million dollars for the bump on his head. The wife went home to

her mother. 9" predicted.

 

December 31: Set fire to what was left of the house. No more

shoveling.

[stubbie 21]

Six days of temperatures nudging 40°C here in Sydney....apparently a heat wave record.

One more day to go and then we get a southerly buster which will drop the temps down to mid 20's.

 

But I am not looking forward to the power bill..........air con has been going 24/7

[emmabee11 2]

It's not that bad here in Botlon, England, still kinda cold though and been windy with some rain but what's new in the UK? lol we always get rain. Glad there's no more snow here now.

[gogoblender 3,069]

And again it snows, and snows... just came in from outside, had to do another few inches. Chattius,by dusting off I meant I really like the stairs to get down to the base, so I use a really heavy metal shover to get a "dusted off" effect on the stairs.

 

All you guys in hot weather and your heating bills...wanna switch for a day?

 

Emma, great having you here on this weather thread. Hearing about your rain has kind of made me jealous...I'll trade in my umbrella for a shovel any day ^^

 

Great story Knuckles, that's the kind of community I admire and always want to be a part of.

 

 

gogo

[emmabee11 2]

Aww snow starts to get a pain especially when you need to go places, I hope it goes away for you too very soon, makes you appricate you can just walk down streets and run down them without the fear of sliding on your bum with every foot step you make haha, that's me, I look like an old granny trying to walk in snow, I've had my times where I've slid on my bum lol.

[Knuckles 904]

After a brutal start to the winter, things have been really really quiet here. In fact, temp got around 50F (10c) Friday. Then a little cold front comes in and drops temps 30 degrees in 2 hours and creates the world's shortest duration thunderstorm.

 

Saw 2 lightnings, rained for maybe 30 seconds and that's it. But it had time to wipe out my power for at least 4 hours (got tired and went to bed). Now to go see how much progress I lost on that wiki page I had been working on for the last hour before I lost power

[Genenut 8]

no thunder storms for me but black ice in the morning.... took a turn in my drive way at my normal speed of about 8 mph .... went sideways through it and then fishtailed out the end of my driveway..

 

but later that day, it was like spring had arrived early. I miss spring.

[cider_steve 26]

Cold, wet 'n' windy, but no ice/snow, so I won't complain...........well, not too much, lol !

[gogoblender 3,069]

I had a run of bad luck. Went away for this weekend on Friday with a balmy +9 , then came back home last night FREEZING cold. In fact it was so cold, I was too lazy/fearful to even walk from the Metro back to my place, and instead just caught the bus that goes down the street. I know this is lazy, but my nostril hairs were crying for mercy

 

 

gogo

[Aegis 256]

Kinda similar to your situation weather-wise, except the temperature was higher. Thursday or Friday, I can't remember, but it was a record breaking weather since way back in 1984. It was freakishly warm that day. Saturday rolls around, and the wind was bad enough to freeze me just being out there in mere seconds.

 

Today didn't feel so cold, but the air was noticeably drier. Felt it in my throat. Tomorrow, I'm expecting snow. Whether it will be 15cm as reported or not, who knows. I'm kinda glad much of the snow melted before we get our next round.

[chattius 2,523]

The weather isYELLOW!

 

Northwestern germany and netherlands had sunny weather at easter. We are not used to be the hottest places in europe. No rain for weeks, ground is dry, fire alerts in forests, ....

 

But the worst is: Pollen. They paint everything YELLOW! at the moment. You wake up, open the window shutter, and the whole room is painted YELLOW! by the sunlight filtered by the pollen on the glas.

 

At 5am I open the house door for a walk with the dog, and my wife yells: 'Don't let too much of this *!%&§$ YELLOW! into the house!"

 

Normally I use a rapeseed-oil driven motorbike to move to work. But currently the morning fog together with the pollen in the air paints my helm visor YELLOW! in seconds. So I use the car. My car is not in a garage and when I walk to it in the morning I do hard to find it in all this YELLOW. I start the engine and start to drive and when looking in the mirror I see clouds of YELLOW blown from the car.

 

Our 8 year old considered cheerleading the bee's and humblebees in our beehives: "Go bees, go, fight the Pollen!". It is strange, this is the first time that I see my kids wishing for rain in school breaks.

[cider_steve 26]

This past week has been warm. We actually hit 20 celcius a couple of times. The average is usually around maybe 13.

 

Been making the most of it by doing some work on my parents house.

 

The only slight problem is that we haven't had any rain for some time now. I think we could do with some really. I know my folks garden would appreciate it !

 

They are forecasting some showers next weekend, but we would be better off with proper rain, rather than just a shower.

 

Bye for now,

 

Steve.

[Stormwing 40]

Steve: About the same here. Had some slight rain yesterday evening, but other than that, it's been quite warm here. I'd say 22-23 tops in shade.

Hoping this could last until the weekend, since it's Walpurgis Night. I'm sure traditions vary a lot. if someone's interested, read here that Finnish part.

In the nutshell; drink a lot and be merry.

[chattius 2,523]

We have the tradition that the unmarried girls and boys chop a birch tree (the holy tree of Freya) and place it at the central place of their village at Walpurgisnight. Then the tree has to be guarded while some of boys and girls try to steal a tree in another village. If people from another village can paint a part of the tree with their colour the tree is marked stolen. It has to be 'bought back' with beer, pizza or kisses from the unmarried girls.

In earlier times the trees were really stolen but it was changed to painting in our area because the central places of a village are nowdays filled with tents to sell beer and food and dance platforms. A falling tree could damage them.

I can only hope that it will rain today or tomorrow so that all this YELLOW pollen is out of the air. Millimetres thick everywhere. The wind is blowing all the pollen from the surrounding flat lands with their rapeseed farms to our hills. So the concentration in our valleys is so thick that a car standing for half a day has a layer of one millimetre of pollen. Air filters for the engines have to be cleaned weekly

[gogoblender 3,069]

 

I can only hope that it will rain today or tomorrow so that all this YELLOW pollen is out of the air. Millimetres thick everywhere. The wind is blowing all the pollen from the surrounding flat lands with their rapeseed farms to our hills. So the concentration in our valleys is so thick that a car standing for half a day has a layer of one millimetre of pollen. Air filters for the engines have to be cleaned weekly

 

 

 

I can't even imagine this Chattius! I was going to complain about some stil cold weather and and grey days, but we don't have anything like having to move through cough-syrup think atmosphere. Any pix of this phenomenon?

 

First time I've heard of this

 

 

 

gogo

[essjayehm 58]

Soon, the YELLOW will invade my area as well. Typically, it is not nearly as bad as Chattius' situation, but usually everything will get a good covering of pollen with strong winds and dry conditions. It makes my beach look like toxic waste sometimes.

 

I had an allergic reaction to it one year, while I was working to clean it myself rather than wait for rain and let mother nature to the work... and I became quite ill very quickly. It was a little scary, but thankfully there was allergy medication handy (non-prescription) and I was OK within an hour or so. Not that I am sensitive to any pollens, I just got an overwhelming amount of it in a short timespan.

[chattius 2,523]

Toxic beach?

 

 

Photo above was at firefighters 5 years ago when people thought something would pollute a bathing lake and called the firefighters, but it was just pollen.

 

Just some quick newspaper pictures:

Beer gardens at Düsseldorf, even the pub owners cleaned tables each hour, no one wants to sit their, even it was best weather for a cool drink or ice at sunshine:

 

 

Tuesday after easter monday(work free) car washs opened and had long traffic jams.

 

The car of my wife needed like 1 hour to look like the picture above after moved out of garage. Standing outside for a night and it is totally yellow. But as soon as you drive most is blown away as I wrote 6 posts earlier.

 

The problem is part because of politicians wanting more rapeseed oil for cars. The amount of rapeseed harvested is 10 times higher than 20 years ago. Now add that we only got 15% of the average rain this year...

 

Luckily none of my family is allergic to polls.

 

Sadly the weather is YELLOW!

Edited April 27, 2011 by chattius

[Stormwing 40]

chattius: That's sure is a heapload of pollen... A lot more than I've seen here. Wouldn't be nice if it was like that here, since I'm quite allergic. The pills surely help, but even they've got limit.

I'd vouch for some bio-gas as an alternative fuel over rapeseed. From what I've heard it isn't as good as they keep on telling...

[gogoblender 3,069]

I just can't imagine this kind of weather, this kind of irritation. I don't have any allegies, though I know when I was a kid I was always jealous of all the other kids who had them and got special attention.

 

Counting my blessings and hope all of you can find some reprieve from the sneezes. I know my mom had all kinds of allergies, and her sneezes and wheezing during the season were no fun.

 

 

gogo

[chattius 2,523]

The pollen is still everywhere on earth, but luckily way less in the air. Do you ever had to call for a water truck? I had, the well was empty to just 4 feet water left. Normal are 32 feet. We are not connected to the village water supply but have a 320 year old well. The remaining water has to be carefully filtered: no germs luckily but lot of minerals. So the well had to be refilled with a water truck. If the wall of the well gets too dry it may crumble because of its age.

 

No rain since I did my last post in this topic a month ago. Only 6% of the usual rain this year.

 

Please...

... everyone knowing a rain-song: sing it

... everyone knowing a rain-dance: dance it

... everyone having a rain-rocket: shoot it

... everyone who prays for sunshine: stop it

[Delta! 985]

 

... everyone who prays for sunshine: stop it[/size]

 

LOL Chattius.

 

I understand about wanting some rain. My parents living in Pietersburg, 250km north of where I am, have had water shortages for almost 4 years. and now all of a sudden we have rain this late in the year.

 

The whole of South Africa is very cold all of a sudden, a very rude awakening to winter jumping on us!

 

Hope the summer is nice in the Northern Hemisphere!

 

Delta!

[Knuckles 904]

Looks similar to the pine tree pollen we get here...a bright green dusting that gets everywhere. Just shaking a tree causes this

 

[gogoblender 3,069]

We're still clear of the Pollen here folks, and only a tizzle of grey rain. Not too bad, when combined with the coming Friday.

 

 

gogo

[chattius 2,523]

Yesterday evening watching clouds with kids:

 

rainclouds..

hoping

they are coming closer and are dark

yes yes yes!

they suddenly become few tiny white clouds

Ohhhh no!

The forest on next hilltop is pressed down!

FALLBÖ!

Kids run in!

Close storm shudders at windows!

 

Rain, but rain not reaching the ground. Air was just to dry and rain vapourized before being at ground. This causes a massives cooldown, cool air needs less room, so kinda a vaccuum. The air from above is sucked into this vaccuum and creates a downward storm. Fallbö (Bö is a gust of wind, so a falling pushing wind) is a variant of what is a downburst in english.

 

Window shudder, storm shudder, I do not know the exact name. It is something like this, but massive colourful painted single oak plate with a single small hole at head height to watch out and prevent vaccumm effects. The closing mechanism is 90 years old and was made by my grandgrandpa and can be used from the inside with glass windows closed.