Annamoe - When good snow turns bad

Supercell · 13-01-2010 6:20pm #1

There is a time when snow becomes too much. Last night this area got dumped on with over 35cm of heavy wet snow.
This is not the feather light stuff from last week that blows around in the wind. No, this stuff sticks to everything, it brings down power lines and destroys trees by sheer weight.
Hope you like the pics!

During the night I heard some rumbles that didn't sound like thunder and honestly at one point wondered if Scarr was having an avalanche or something.
It was actually huge mounds of snow sliding off the roof :-

Steps to house obliterated

Bleak house (I live the other side of the building), note the birds in the trees in the background, they were clearly distressed and flew around all day making quite a racket.

Looks nice doesnt it ...

However...the damage caused is everywhere to see ..

Pretty gate to field

Snow is up to knee hight. In fact the only way to get round is to walk in the tracks left by the tractor.

These pony's must have had a rough night. They are well cared for though and were fed shortly after this was taken and seemed no worse for wear.

Looks nice eh? Look closer, look at the angles the trees are at and the damage to the fence. There were huge cracking sounds as branches snapped off and fell to the ground.

Entrance to the estate, the sliding gate is bloce from pulling back further by a fallen tree branch.

Everywhere trees were totally bent out of shape

Locals armed with chainsaws clearing the road

Road cleared and snow bulldozed

Careful now, walking under that could get messy!

To be continued...

Supercell · 13-01-2010 6:20pm

Is that supposed to be like that?!!

Tractor tracks cut a path to walk in the snow

There is actually a wall beside the road, just the snow has piled up against it

Not much traffic this morning!

All overhead power cables are coated to the thickness of a fist with snow and ice.

Another road blocked

Downed power line

Quite a scene to see. Still massive amounts here, will take a few days for this lot to melt away.

Mothman · 13-01-2010 6:48pm

Thanks for getting the pics up. I drove up to the resevoir from Ashford today. The most used roads are ploughed and gritted and because they had not froze they were very passable. Amazing scenes as Supercell has described very well. I saw snowmen buried, a car profile under snow. There was a lot of digging to be done for people to get out because of the snow plough pushing snow in the entrances and some people were taking advantage of the not frozen snow to clear their whole drive.
The snow on the trees was like a blanket of cotton wool. I saw 3 cars abandoned. No camera with me, it was a spur of moment decision to head up while I was out in car in Ashford.

Darwin · 13-01-2010 7:02pm

Absolutely terrific pictures. The building you describe as 'bleak house' looks very intriguing. At least you can say the roof of your house is pretty strong!

Supercell · 13-01-2010 7:59pm

Darwin wrote: »

Absolutely terrific pictures. The building you describe as 'bleak house' looks very intriguing. At least you can say the roof of your house is pretty strong!

Thanks, its Glendalough Estate, I live on the grounds.
There was some strange creaks last night that were a bit scary!
Its the first time I have seen snow being so destructive, I suppose its rare to have so much heavy wet snow in one fall here.

isle of man · 13-01-2010 8:13pm

great pics. looked like you got a lot

Davecrtmac · 13-01-2010 8:20pm

great photos ... amazing house, is it privately owned?

pistolpetes11 · 13-01-2010 8:54pm

Amazing pics , Cheers man

Would that snow rival the fall from 82 that I have heard so much about and can only dream about seeing ?

Mothman · 13-01-2010 9:05pm

pistolpetes11 wrote: »

Amazing pics , Cheers man

Would that snow rival the fall from 82 that I have heard so much about and can only dream about seeing ?

In a word no. If it was dry snow, then possibly. This snow was very wet and heavy, didn't drift very much. 82 saw drifts whatever the height of hedges, buildings etc. I rememebr one road in south Dublin bordered with 4m hedges and it was snow to top of hedges and wasn't cleared for something like 10 days.

snaps · 13-01-2010 9:15pm

Superb mate!

M.T. Cranium · 13-01-2010 9:55pm

Combined with Kippure's report on heavy snow a bit further north, I would have to say, no way is all that going to melt on the weekend, the lower portions will melt and some of that higher snow will too, but it will leave patches of waterlogged 8-12 inch snow cover on the higher slopes for flood concerns in some later events too, like perhaps end of January, or well on into the spring.

But it does show the flood potential when you consider the depths that must be available from 200 metres on up. What elevation would you say these pictures represent, I am guessing 400-500 metres? I realize the peaks around there are nearly a thousand metres.

Mothman · 13-01-2010 10:09pm

M.T. Cranium wrote: »

Combined with Kippure's report on heavy snow a bit further north, I would have to say, no way is all that going to melt on the weekend, the lower portions will melt and some of that higher snow will too, but it will leave patches of waterlogged 8-12 inch snow cover on the higher slopes for flood concerns in some later events too, like perhaps end of January, or well on into the spring.

But it does show the flood potential when you consider the depths that must be available from 200 metres on up. What elevation would you say these pictures represent, I am guessing 400-500 metres? I realize the peaks around there are nearly a thousand metres.

I'll jump in while I'm here, casue I'll add a bit of info.
Supercell lives at at a tickle over 200m asl and judging by condtions he didn't walk far today so all photos were from the immediate area.

The reservoir I travelled to is also about 200m asl a little closer to sea. I live near coast due east of Supercell about 8 miles. I recorded 30mm for this rain event and with orographic lift, it is reasonable to assume at least 50-100% more fell in Annamoe and more again the higher one goes. This would have been all snow. As I travelled inland the snow line was about 100m.

All in all certainly a flood potential particularly if a rapid thaw coincides with a heavy rain event.

Min · 14-01-2010 12:51am

Great pictures, did you get any snow drifts?

Can't really see any in the pictures. No offense, glad you got that snow and not here, over 230m asl and nowhere near that amount, thick snow where it drifted but in general just a normal amount, several inches but nothing exceptional.

You got devastation, looks scary, unbelieveable really. You're lucky it was not worse.

Supercell · 14-01-2010 5:40pm

Min wrote: »

Great pictures, did you get any snow drifts?

Can't really see any in the pictures. No offense, glad you got that snow and not here, over 230m asl and nowhere near that amount, thick snow where it drifted but in general just a normal amount, several inches but nothing exceptional.

You got devastation, looks scary, unbelieveable really. You're lucky it was not worse.

Actually less drifting than from the little (comparatively) snowfalls of a few days ago, was some weird and wonderful drifts to see.
This stuff is really heavy wet snow and just sticks like paste to anything it touched. That said there are still drifts deep enough to bury a person in ! Though without the wonderful effect of now shooting over the top like I saw before.

Its now extremely icy - I can walk over snow which is over 7 inches deep and not sink in, nasty stuff though it looks pretty!

fits · 14-01-2010 6:01pm

Great photos. I can hardly believe the extent of it. There must be a huge number of trees down

Are you still stuck there or can you get out?

Thanks for posting the photos

Supercell · 14-01-2010 6:24pm

fits wrote: »

Great photos. I can hardly believe the extent of it. There must be a huge number of trees down Are you still stuck there or can you get out?

Thanks for posting the photos

Thanks fits, got out today, gingerly crept out, the estate is still coved over with ice even where Mick has ploughed the roads clear.
He pulled my car out of a ditch yesterday with his tractor and snapped the tow rope in the process!! The big blue 4x4 landrover which the game keeper used to drive got stuck too. Mick drives that these days. So after he got me out of the snow I steered the blue landrover thing and he pulled it out with the tractor again, was good fun actually

The main roads are still pretty bad with quite a lot of ice in Annamoe village around the bridge area. And the road to Ashford though Devils Glen from Annamoe is a disaster area. But the road to Roundwood is grand if taken with care. I still wouldnt drive that after dark though
Is like driving in another country with the snow coved fields and the mounds of snow on either side of the road, really beautiful.
Vartry lake is 100% covered with ice and snow/slush , never saw that before.

fits · 14-01-2010 6:32pm

I'm sorta jealous and sorta not. I love that place, but that much snow, for that long, is too much methinks.

I read that you lost power too. What did you do for heat and food? And is it back on?

Supercell · 14-01-2010 6:53pm

Yep, the backup generator was turned on during the day. And the esb restored power in the evening so wasnt too bad. If the water had gone would have been worse, not being able to flush the bog would REALLY suck!

Mothman · 14-01-2010 8:48pm

Just been towards the hills a little and despite the thaw, snow line is still about 100m because of the quantity that fell

Annamoe - When good snow turns bad

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