The big SNOW thread merge

RandomAccess · 23-02-2018 10:33pm #1

I've been camped out in the weather forum for the last week and well indications are we are in for quite a week of extremely cold weather with a very very real expectation of heavy snow on the Eastern seaboard.

It's been mentioned in the media more and more for the past few days, but I think people have gotten a dose of weather warning fatigue so potentially are ignoring this. But it's been steadily ramping up such that met eireann have finally mentioned we 'could' be heading for a red weather warning related to this with severe transport disruption.

The indications suggest it could be similar to 2010s big snow event.
Now obviously everyone is trying to play a cool hand but it's getting to a point where it's wise to take precautions.
There is a winter preparedness thread stickied on the forum with some useful information.

If you have a small shovel etc best to stick it in the car with a few bits and pieces this weekend.

Having the weekend to get things sorted would be better than finding out about this during the week.

Doltanian · 23-02-2018 10:37pm

I'll be filling everything with anti-freeze tomorrow, The MF 35 split the block back in the mid 1960's during a similar freeze up. It was welded back together and its going fine fifty years later.

23-02-2018 11:24pm

Perfect timing to change the front shocks on the drive tomorrow.....

BillyBobBS · 23-02-2018 11:26pm

I'm convinced at this stage these weather warnings are like clickbait.

RandomAccess · 23-02-2018 11:49pm

BillyBobBS wrote: »

I'm convinced at this stage these weather warnings are like clickbait.

A lot of them are rubbish yes, but I don't believe this is one of those. For most people it won't make any difference anyway, but if you are living on high ground or are commuting in the East it would be wise to take some precautions, even if they turn out to have just been precautions.

Most people would do these anyway if it was December but complacency will have set in by now.

RandomAccess · 23-02-2018 11:51pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

Perfect timing to change the front shocks on the drive tomorrow.....

Should stay cold and dry for the weekend at least. Great weather really. Much better than our usual Atlantic winter variety.

Del2005 · 23-02-2018 11:56pm

RandomAccess wrote: »

A lot of them are rubbish yes, but I don't believe this is one of those. For most people it won't make any difference anyway, but if you are living on high ground or are commuting in the East it would be wise to take some precautions, even if they turn out to have just been precautions.

Most people would do these anyway if it was December but complacency will have set in by now.

I think that you are overestimating most people. Most people don't clear their windscreen on frosty mornings never mind pre their car for winter.

EPAndlee · 24-02-2018 12:05am

I normally leave my car in the garage when the weather gets frosty but last time we had bad snow the door froze and couldn't get the car out. Will be throwing a few essentials in the car tomorrow

BillyBobBS · 24-02-2018 12:08am

Jesus just looked at the weather forum, embarrassing. Its a bit of snow not a tsunami or volcano eruption

Doltanian · 24-02-2018 12:10am

Its a change from the damp mundane crappy rainfest we are so used to.

Atlantic Dawn · 24-02-2018 12:24am

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Jesus just looked at the weather forum, embarrassing. Its a bit of snow not a tsunami or volcano eruption

It's gone complete the boy who cried wolf, feck all snow the whole country this year, a 20 year old Corolla on Landsails would go through it like a Yeti.

barney 20v · 24-02-2018 12:29am

BillyBobBS wrote: »

I'm convinced at this stage these weather warnings are like clickbait.

Billybob is in for a surprise next week so !

BillyBobBS · 24-02-2018 9:18am

barney 20v wrote: »

Billybob is in for a surprise next week so !

We'll see. Sure it's just snow for flip sake.

Bandito909 · 24-02-2018 12:58pm

Anyone know where to buy cans of that snow grip spray?

EPAndlee · 24-02-2018 5:00pm

Bandito909 wrote: »

Anyone know where to buy cans of that snow grip spray?

Seen a site called winterstores.ie selling it

testicles · 24-02-2018 6:01pm

This post has been deleted.

wotzgoingon · 24-02-2018 6:07pm

RandomAccess wrote: »

Should stay cold and dry for the weekend at least. Great weather really. Much better than our usual Atlantic winter year round variety.

FYP

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy · 24-02-2018 6:40pm

I’m after buying six huskies

24-02-2018 7:35pm

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

I’m after buying six huskies

Are they better than horse power? :P

ongarite · 24-02-2018 7:49pm

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

I’m after buying six huskies

Front wheel drive with them isn't it. Should be good for the snow.

wotzgoingon · 24-02-2018 7:52pm

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

I’m after buying six huskies

I prefer reindeer's for the extra torque.

TrailerBob · 24-02-2018 8:10pm

I love all the joking about this, but yet, when the couple of inches comes, the country grinds to a halt because most people don't prepare, and can't handle the conditions at all. Also not to forget rural areas that don't get the gritter passing by and can get more lying snow with less traffic.

I'm prepared, but my choice of jalopy does that all by itself for the most part. No harm in encouraging people to be ready. BTW, this will be cold, and a foot of snow is not in any way out of the question, even if it doesn't materialise.

Dartz · 24-02-2018 8:13pm

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Jesus just looked at the weather forum, embarrassing. Its a bit of snow not a tsunami or volcano eruption

It'[s not as bad as the creamfest that was The Hurricane

Anyway

Rear wheel drive. Summer tyres. This'll be grand.

corks finest · 24-02-2018 9:07pm

BrownFinger wrote: »

Perfect timing to change the front shocks on the drive tomorrow.....

Enjoyyyyu

EPAndlee · 25-02-2018 12:45am

RWD + summer tyres + traction control off = a lot of fun driving for the week

Toyotafanboi · 25-02-2018 12:54am

Yeah the weather is gone completely "boy who cried wolf". I'll be doing nothing to prepare because I'm not a weather enthusiast and I havn't been even mildly inconvenienced by any kind of weather condition this winter and I have both a long and early/ late commute.

All this ****e of status yellow and orange warnings. I don't even know which is more important and clearly neither are really as there has been countless quantities of both over the winter and really all I've needed is to de-ice my windscreen some mornings.

It's all part of something that I can't put my finger on. Something generation snowflakey, excuse the pun. The powers that be could possibly benefit from these reports to ensure they have trucks/ men/ grit organised because as a layman, if I need to do anything more than de-ice my windscreen I'm probably going to stay at home if there is six inches of snow overnight. We aren't a country that gets frequent snow so work are reasonably forgiving that one day every decade that you can't make it because of it.

Next week will be grand.

Dartz · 25-02-2018 2:11am

Met Eireann had great craic when they has to consult "Their colleagues in Miami" - they just can't face being boring anymore after their one day of excitement.

DaveyDave · 25-02-2018 10:21am

Every time there's a severe weather warning "up to -10" was the last one, it was maybe -1.

Every second week there's news articles 'Met eireann issues warning blah blah" yeah grand, so it's cold again. Nothing new really.

I'm working the night shift this week so it will be just like every other cold week. I'll slip in the carpark going out to the car, de-ice the thing for 5 minutes more than usual while waiting to clock out, get in the car, get annoyed while I sit idle outside waiting for the gate to slowly close, then drive home 10kph slower than normal while waiting 2 minutes longer for the heat to kick in.

gozunda · 25-02-2018 10:26am

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy wrote: »

I’m after buying six huskies

If it gets really bad you can eat them. I think the vegans would like that - they're always asking why we don't eat dog. Wouldn't be my cup of tea but hey if you're stuck;)

25-02-2018 10:46am

7 day forecast for Dublin is less than terrifying. A little snow and some cold days & nights.

gozunda · 25-02-2018 11:31am

Augeo wrote: »

7 day forecast for Dublin is less than terrifying. A little snow and some cold days & nights.

This one?

http://m.met.ie/weather-warnings.aspx?t=National

25-02-2018 11:35am

gozunda wrote: »

This one?

http://m.met.ie/weather-warnings.aspx?t=National

That's not a 7 day forecast for Dublin

It's a non specific speel.

gozunda · 25-02-2018 12:00pm

Augeo wrote: »

That's not a 7 day forecast for Dublin
It's a non specific speel.

Ah ok

TrailerBob · 25-02-2018 12:21pm

Ah well, the people in Dublin will be fine sure that's all that matters..

Simply put, the Dublin urban area gets the lowest rainfall totals in Ireland, because of wicklow rain shadoweffect and the highest average temperature, due partly to it being an urban centre. It also has the best road network, and high traffic volumes help keep road temperatures up. It doesn't get harsh weather like rural areas do.

During the 2010 'event' temperatures in Dublin were hovering in the -6 to -10 range. Where I live in rural Carlow got -15 and 3x the amount of snowfall that the capital got. This is shaping up to have a similar pattern, with the rural southeast looking likely to be worst affected. People in these areas do need to take heed of these things. Life is very different here. I hope it's not as bad as the warnings suggest, but if it is, then rural areas are tough places to live

25-02-2018 12:33pm

Oh Christ.... forgive me, if things are bad in rural carlow that would indeed be horrendous for the country

TrailerBob · 25-02-2018 1:06pm

Poor Dublin attitude Augeo... unfortunately in my experience it's all too common. No it wouldn't be bad for the whole country, but it would be for all of my elderly relatives and neighbours, many on their own well which could freeze and so on.. not to mention we have to deal with the roads largely on our own... sure it would suit all the city folk better if rural Ireland just went away altogether...

25-02-2018 1:30pm

You seem to have a chip on your shoulder..... lots of rural dwellers too & I live in a little town myself, not Dublin.

My point is the weather warning and this thread title are quite likely to be OTT to a large degree. Some weather fanatics mentioned 1947 prematurely so there's a seeming duty to hope for the worst.

TrailerBob · 25-02-2018 1:38pm

No chips... just responding to the idea earlier, not yours, that a forecast for Dublin represents Ireland, which is too prevalent. Your "Oh Christ" comment led me to believe that you cared nothing for rural areas or the people within them.. maybe it's just Carlow.. I dunno

I agree that the whole 'weather warning' thing is out of hand, and very much in danger of the Boy who cried Wolf scenario. This time all the leading weather forecast models are in agreement though, and while it's not going to be end of the world stuff, my original point was that most people don't prepare in any way... so what harm if they did.

MarkN · 25-02-2018 6:19pm

Are you actually having an internet row over the weather lads?

TrailerBob · 25-02-2018 7:52pm

No, a discussion about whether or not motorists and others should prepare for an upcoming spell of winter weather. It just became evident that there's 2 very different viewpoints.. that's what a forum discussion is for.

uck51js9zml2yt · 25-02-2018 9:25pm

Joanne Donnelly said it will snow. That's all anyone needs to know.

BigEejit · 26-02-2018 11:15am

Same type of warnings on UK tv, I've had the show chains, shovel, a couple of hessian sacks and some warm clothes and boots in the boot of the car since the last time it got down to -3 or -4 with a risk of snow in January. I drive a fair bit though and could be 200+ miles from home some days.

Always worth keeping the tank full and some food and drink in the car, YOU might be fine getting home, every clown who cant drive in the snow on their landsails/triangles who just happens to have blocked the motorway and offramps will still stop you.

We have had snow on and off this morning in Kent, temps hovering around 0 to -1. Snow not really sticking so far.

Caliden · 26-02-2018 11:44am

BigEejit wrote: »

Same type of warnings on UK tv, I've had the show chains, shovel, a couple of hessian sacks and some warm clothes and boots in the boot of the car since the last time it got down to -3 or -4 with a risk of snow in January. I drive a fair bit though and could be 200+ miles from home some days.

Always worth keeping the tank full and some food and drink in the car, YOU might be fine getting home, every clown who cant drive in the snow on their landsails/triangles who just happens to have blocked the motorway and offramps will still stop you.

We have had snow on and off this morning in Kent, temps hovering around 0 to -1. Snow not really sticking so far.

I skip the motorway whenever there's snow. You've got more options for a diversion whereas on the motorway if a pileup happens and multiple lanes become blocked you're stuck.

ION08 · 26-02-2018 3:18pm

If we do get snow, I wonder will there be DoneDealers trying to capitalise on this by over pricing their "Jeeps" (ie any 4 by 4 SUV) in preparation for each subsequent "winter" for the next 5 years :rolleyes: