How lucky we are.

amacachi

Might be the wrong place but I hope the mods will indulge me.

Right now a lot of us are annoyed about not having snow. I understand, I'd kinda like it myself. But when it comes down to it, we basically never have heatwaves, rarely have dangerous floods, people don't die from cold weather.

Public transport shuts down for a couple of hours once in 10 years and we talk about how it doesn't happen in Finland. That's a bloody good thing!

One thing we have in common with the British is that we always prepare for the worst. Maybe that's a sign of pessimism, maybe it's realism. But we're always ready. This winter we're finally hitting cold weather. Great! We turn up our radiators and use the oil we got money together for 4 months ago. We're always ready one way or another.

Our summers are usually dreary, but Jesus Christ when we get 3 days of good weather we bloody well enjoy it! No other place on Earth would ever understand the Irish desire to drink outside!

None of us will ever appreciate it unless we have to go without it. Don't get me wrong, last summer was poor but when I see the Atlantic conveyor start in October and keep on going even (for us) against what Siberia can throw at us I'm secretly delighted. We miss out on the fun of snow but we get to keep going.

I'll probably get a warning for this and have the thread deleted but I think it's well worthwhile for us all to remember and cherish the luck we have on this soggy island adrift in the North Atlantic.

Redzer7

amacachi wrote: »

Might be the wrong place but I hope the mods will indulge me.

Right now a lot of us are annoyed about not having snow. I understand, I'd kinda like it myself. But when it comes down to it, we basically never have heatwaves, rarely have dangerous floods, people don't die from cold weather.

Public transport shuts down for a couple of hours once in 10 years and we talk about how it doesn't happen in Finland. That's a bloody good thing!

One thing we have in common with the British is that we always prepare for the worst. Maybe that's a sign of pessimism, maybe it's realism. But we're always ready. This winter we're finally hitting cold weather. Great! We turn up our radiators and use the oil we got money together for 4 months ago. We're always ready one way or another.

Our summers are usually dreary, but Jesus Christ when we get 3 days of good weather we bloody well enjoy it! No other place on Earth would ever understand the Irish desire to drink outside!

None of us will ever appreciate it unless we have to go without it. Don't get me wrong, last summer was poor but when I see the Atlantic conveyor start in October and keep on going even (for us) against what Siberia can throw at us I'm secretly delighted. We miss out on the fun of snow but we get to keep going.

I'll probably get a warning for this and have the thread deleted but I think it's well worthwhile for us all to remember and cherish the luck we have on this soggy island adrift in the North Atlantic.

Someone has had a few too many drinks and decides to come on to the weather forum and have a rant :P good post though.

derekon

amacachi wrote: »

Might be the wrong place but I hope the mods will indulge me.

Right now a lot of us are annoyed about not having snow. I understand, I'd kinda like it myself. But when it comes down to it, we basically never have heatwaves, rarely have dangerous floods, people don't die from cold weather.

Public transport shuts down for a couple of hours once in 10 years and we talk about how it doesn't happen in Finland. That's a bloody good thing!

One thing we have in common with the British is that we always prepare for the worst. Maybe that's a sign of pessimism, maybe it's realism. But we're always ready. This winter we're finally hitting cold weather. Great! We turn up our radiators and use the oil we got money together for 4 months ago. We're always ready one way or another.

Our summers are usually dreary, but Jesus Christ when we get 3 days of good weather we bloody well enjoy it! No other place on Earth would ever understand the Irish desire to drink outside!

None of us will ever appreciate it unless we have to go without it. Don't get me wrong, last summer was poor but when I see the Atlantic conveyor start in October and keep on going even (for us) against what Siberia can throw at us I'm secretly delighted. We miss out on the fun of snow but we get to keep going.

I'll probably get a warning for this and have the thread deleted but I think it's well worthwhile for us all to remember and cherish the luck we have on this soggy island adrift in the North Atlantic.

Here, here! I love a wee bit of snow and would take a week of it this February if possible.

However, having viewed the images of severe cold from Europe it really brought back memories of our last 2 winters here in in Ireland (temps below -10oC widespread, compacted snow, car batteries failing, planes and public transport in total disarray, cold that would go through your bones)......................so after mature reflection, I am fine with a mild February. I never thought I would say that however your point hit home with me.

No big deal with England getting snow this weekend and Ireland not receiving any!

D

Ellis Dee

The sentiments in the OP are sound. We are, of course, lucky that we don't suffer any great extremes of weather or other natural disasters. Just as long as that big chunk of the Canary Islands doesn't collapse and we are hit by the massive tsunami that experts say is due some time in the next 10,000 years (which could be tomorrow...) But maybe Dundalk will be safe, and Laois if I'm in Ireland at the time. That said, both of the last two winters caused fairly severe and expensive damage to the pipes and central heating system in my house in Laois.:cool:

Back to the subject of snow. Few people in Ireland seem to know that it rarely snows when the temperature is below minus five or so. That's because the air is usually too dry when it's so cold.:)

Now, however, it's minus 16 here in Helsinki (it was minus 18 at 6.30 am) and snow, in very small flakes, has been falling steadily for hours. It's leaving a very pretty, fluffy coating on everything it touches and the world looks beautiful from the window.:)

I may change my mind after I put on numerous layers of clothes and venture out into it with the dog.:eek:

The picture below was taken yesterday in a place called Kiutäköngäs, where the temperature dipped to below minus 40. Still a fair bit short of the all-time record of minus 51.5 measured in January 1999.:eek:

Cú Giobach

amacachi wrote: »

Might be the wrong place but I hope the mods will indulge me...............

Being a lover of dramatic weather whatever that weather is, living in Ireland (especially on the south coast) my own "weather feelings" contain quite a lot of disappointments, therefore when something decent comes along the day of arrival is quite exciting and any activities are constantly interrupted by watching the numbers rising or falling and taking trips to areas to appreciate the full effect.

However
Because of the very nature of dramatic weather, it usually doesn't take too long to start to become severely inconvenienced by it, and the feelings then usually start to change to "Ok thanks, but that's enough for now, lets get back to the drizzel".
We are lucky here, in that we rarely get anything too extreme, with the associated hardship or even tragedy, and when something good does come along we can really appreciate it.
I mean if you had a full Terry's Chocolate Orange every day, it wouldn't be long before you started to hate even the smell of one.

gbee

The thing that tends to grate me is the model watching and the expectancy and the certainty as the models intensify as time approaches, I read the forums I read the charts, I watch weather forecast from all continents and then get into my storm shelter and charge up my underwater camera battery.

Then it passes and what? How come we got a downgrade so much in so short a timeframe?

As I am walking back to my with post mortem reports in my hand and the sun shining in a clam day, my notes are suddenly wrenched out of my hands and blown away and then a violent gust implodes my shack as the doors are all open now and the thing is lifted into the air and dismantled into a million splinters.

Where the 'ell did that comes from, what chart did I miss, why did't weatherman or weatherwomen or weather prodigy see this coming, oh I'm in a whirl, but I know what this is and I must load the latest chart and YES, I see it that infamous hook echo and I'm right .....

Diamond Dust

I agree we are very lucky that we don't suffer with extreme weather often.....

However I can't help feeling you may have jinxed us all by starting this thread :eek:

derekon

gbee wrote: »

The thing that tends to grate me is the model watching and the expectancy and the certainty as the models intensify as time approaches, I read the forums I read the charts, I watch weather forecast from all continents and then get into my storm shelter and charge up my underwater camera battery.

Then it passes and what? How come we got a downgrade so much in so short a timeframe?

As I am walking back to my with post mortem reports in my hand and the sun shining in a clam day, my notes are suddenly wrenched out of my hands and blown away and then a violent gust implodes my shack as the doors are all open now and the thing is lifted into the air and dismantled into a million splinters.

Where the 'ell did that comes from, what chart did I miss, why did't weatherman or weatherwomen or weather prodigy see this coming, oh I'm in a whirl, but I know what this is and I must load the latest chart and YES, I see it that infamous hook echo and I'm right .....

Hi gbee - your problem is easily sorted and this is the solution:

"Never trust anything beyond T+48 hours" - that is the golden rule and if you follow that, you won't go far wrong.

For example, looking at the models last Friday 27th January you would have thought Ireland would have been in for a snowfest today (Saturday 4th February).

However, when the models were checked two days ago on Thursday 2nd Feb, we all knew it would not snow in Ireland and we would get rain. Which we have had today. This is because Thursday was within the reliable timeframe of T+48 hours. Its that simple (and even within T+48, there can be slight changes).

So learn from your experience of watching the models over the past couple of weeks - the models are neutral, its us human beings that interpret them in Fantasy Island timeframes and then feel let down when their output changes, which it invariably does!!

D

howlinwolf

amacachi wrote: »

Might be the wrong place but I hope the mods will indulge me.

totally agree with you amacachi i like a bit of snow but the last two years showed we are just not able to deal with any extreme weather so i for one am glad we have a mildish climate. the hassle just to get to work when we get snow is a nightmare and looking at whats happening in europe with all the people dieing its not all fun and games when it comes to snow

Mountainsandh

Agree with you too, deep down, but it's a case of being like a child, and wanting something regardless... couldn't we just get the right amount, the right length of time, and without too much damage/pain ? is that too much to ask ???

Mr Benevolent

As a T+96 starts to look like a reality this forum goes nuts, and when it fizzles at T+48 there's howl of despair. More like gamblers on their last €10. I enjoy the weather, but hyping it up like you're a Daily Mail journalist doesn't help in the least.

ednwireland

Confab wrote: »

As a T+96 starts to look like a reality this forum goes nuts, and when it fizzles at T+48 there's howl of despair. More like gamblers on their last €10. I enjoy the weather, but hyping it up like you're a Daily Mail journalist doesn't help in the least.

i agree, we get loads of weather i really dont understand this snow thing

mikemac1

Quick question

It's spring time here. First day of February is the first day of spring.
Well that's how I learned it when I was a lad in primary school

But I'm reading an online British paper and they say it's winter all over Europe

So which is correct?

I know we have a pagan/Celtic connection somewhere with our seasons and calender.

Is Ireland an odd case around Europe?

Not realy a weather question, more a calender one

Conor30

Ellis Dee wrote: »

Back to the subject of snow. Few people in Ireland seem to know that it rarely snows when the temperature is below minus five or so. That's because the air is usually too dry when it's so cold.:)

They actually do though! Irish people are forever saying "It's too cold for snow!" The only thing they get wrong is that they say this when it's around +5 C or so!!!

Conor30

mikemac1 wrote: »

Quick question

It's spring time here. First day of February is the first day of spring.
Well that's how I learned it when I was a lad in primary school

But I'm reading an online British paper and they say it's winter all over Europe

So which is correct?

I know we have a pagan/Celtic connection somewhere with our seasons and calender.

Is Ireland an odd case around Europe?

Not realy a weather question, more a calender one

Culturally and calendar-wise, spring starts 1st Feb in Ireland & UK but meteorologically-speaking it's winter until 1st March. Hope that clears it up.

On the Continent, spring starts on March 1st in every sense.

gbee

mikemac1 wrote: »

I know we have a pagan/Celtic connection somewhere with our seasons and calender.

It's based on the rotation of the Earth and it divided up [more or less] equally. Our longest day is in the height of summer, 22nd June which matches the summer solstice between the 20th and 22nd.

It is therefore anatomically correct, so to speak.

The summer solstice is in our mid summer
The autumn equinox is in our mid autumn
The winter solstice in our mid winter
The spring equinox is in our mid spring

These would be factually correct. However, the seasons also follow the sowing, growing, harvesting and these will be weather dependent annually as well as weather dependent during phases. Spring could be early or late, the growing season short and winter could close in again before harvest. ~ Regardless of the actual season.

200motels

We're so lucky over here with our mostly mild damp winters, our terrible wet summers, we're lucky alright.