Severe Winter Weather: ESSENTIAL PREPARATIONS, TRAVEL ADVICE, DRIVING TIPS & CLOSURES

spookwoman · 28-02-2018 11:49AM

Footpaths and estate roads are lethal in Waterford. Just watched 2 cars nearly slid out onto a roundabout at Billinakill

privateBeavis · 28-02-2018 11:50AM

B0jangles wrote: »

Finally got to try out my lidl snow spikes that I bought in 2011 - they are GREAT!

I can now walk on compacted wet ice without skating around the place.

10/10 would recommend

I bought some yaktrax and a sled back then too after the snow for the "next time"... finally can dust them off now and make use of them!

fricatus · 28-02-2018 11:50AM

Silent Rain wrote: »

Went from Laos to IFSC this morning to grab a laptop

Wow, that is one hell of a journey just to pick up a laptop!

cnocbui · 28-02-2018 11:52AM

Stern wrote: »

I'm sorry, I don't think I gave full context to my previous message. While I did ask my team to take adverse weather into consideration, all of it was with a clear addendum that they should consider their own safety first.

What I do ask is (just an example) that someone who usually drives to work, perhaps can walk or take a bus, even if that takes longer, and to be prepared for that. I don't think that is unreasonable and would expect the same from other companies. If they call me and say "snowed in and no bus", I won't have a problem with that. But none of them did, they're all at work now, and I may send them home early depending on how things develop.

Pertaining to just the US: "42,480 work injuries involved ice, sleet, or snow in 2014"

I decided not to risk driving my daughter to school this morning. Got 1/3 the way there walking and a neighbour lower down the hill where it is less steep kindly gave us a lift the rest of the way. Coming back, he was wheel spinning the last 150m to his house and just made it and dropped me off. While walking back to my house, I heard a vehicle behind me and turned to see a small white van coming. I walked closer to the edge and turned to look back again to see the van spinning it's wheels and the front of it slide sideways gently into the hedge/wall. The van gave up.

It is potentially lethal in places. I was wearing good hiking boots and my feet slipped multiple times.

d'Oracle · 28-02-2018 11:52AM

lucy2010 wrote: »

Question for the experts .. In a red weather warning what MUST close ? Is there official wording anywhere ? Or is it discretionary..

Its discretionary.
It's a warning, not a legal instrument.

Dial Hard · 28-02-2018 11:52AM

PLL wrote: »

What else can we leave them. I can see little ones looking for food. Worried for them.

I made fat-balls earlier. Melted two tbs each of coconut oil and peanut butter and mixed in two packets of Lidl's mixed seeds. Spooned into muffin tins til set and then out they went.

Dotsie~tmp wrote: »

Sorry to hear some of you work for twats. Boss call me earlier. Says am I mad to go driving today. "Get the sausages in and have a pinto with your Aulfella". Legend.

As I said in another thread yesterday, I work for a huge foodservice logistics company that was looking at whopper penalties from clients if we miss SLAs/deliveries. Management team were having four-hourly meetings all day yesterday to monitor the situation. We got an email at 7am this morning saying all drivers are stood down until further notice and all office staff are to stay at home. I dread to think how much it's costing them but, thankfully, employee welfare means more to them than money.

Heroditas · 28-02-2018 11:53AM

Silent Rain wrote: »

Went from Laos to IFSC this morning to grab a laptop so I can work from home... Just sitting on a train leaving Dublin now... Glad to be on it, I assume even the trains are going to have issues later if it gets much worse even before the main event hits...

Fair play! Hope you get home ok!

monty_python · 28-02-2018 11:53AM

What's the n4 and m50 like?
My father is picking me from the airport (hopefully) at 7pm tomorrow

OldMrBrennan83 · 28-02-2018 11:54AM

This post has been deleted.

Heroditas · 28-02-2018 11:55AM

lucy2010 wrote: »

Question for the experts .. In a red weather warning what MUST close ? Is there official wording anywhere ? Or is it discretionary..

It's kinda discretionary but if something were to happen to a staff member because of the weather, the company had better be able to show a complete risk assessment outlining how they felt it was justifiable to get their staff to come in.

CM24 · 28-02-2018 11:55AM

If I’m off work today, would it be safe to say I’m off til Monday?

Cork Boy 53 · 28-02-2018 11:57AM

leahyl wrote: »

Is there going to be an update from the national emergency whatchamacallit this morning?

It`s the National Emergency Coordination Committee and they are having a meeting at the moment so wait and see.

little bess · 28-02-2018 11:58AM

Anyone know if any shops are open around D5?

PLL · 28-02-2018 11:59AM

Dial Hard wrote: »

I made fat-balls earlier. Melted two tbs each of coconut oil and peanut butter and mixed in two packets of Lidl's mixed seeds. Spooned into muffin tins til set and then out they went.

Thanks a mill, I have all of those ingredients.

mini homer · 28-02-2018 11:59AM

I have to make a trip to cork today from Dunshaughlin I don’t fancy driving In that weather by looks of it.I don’t want to be stranded.

jobless · 28-02-2018 12:00PM

local school here closed today.... students and parents notified but teachers not officially notified and wondering what was going on around 8am (most not knowing of notifications to students)

snow_bunny · 28-02-2018 12:01PM

Does anyone know what the M4 to M6 is looking like? What are conditions in Athlone?

kingshankly · 28-02-2018 12:03PM

Flying Fox wrote: »

I pity your employees. Very thankful to work for a reasonable employer who advised yesterday that as soon as a red warning was issued the office would close.

That’s all well and good but if you not making it in to work affects 100s of people it’s a different story your expected to make it in

endacl · 28-02-2018 12:03PM

Woke up to a 'don't come in to work today' text. Nice one. Probably the same till the weekend. Just have to sit it out in front of Netflix till it all melts.

I'm kinda torn. Nice to have a few paid days off v wish the poxy snow would melt...

red_bairn · 28-02-2018 12:04PM

antodeco wrote: »

What's the prognosis for the next few hours? Is this the start of the streamers and what intensity are they going to get to? My missus is working Dublin 2 since 5:30am and due to leave at 2pm, but I've been telling her she may need to leave early!

She may have some down when it dies down but the buses are taking 2x their intended journey time into the CC.

28-02-2018 12:07PM

kingshankly wrote: »

That’s all well and good but if you not making it in to work affects 100s of people it’s a different story your expected to make it in

Depends what the impact is. Frontline services, yes. General corporate/office work, no. Nothing is that urgent, and if it is the company should have better contingency planning.

uck51js9zml2yt · 28-02-2018 12:07PM

Flying Fox wrote: »

I pity your employees. Very thankful to work for a reasonable employer who advised yesterday that as soon as a red warning was issued the office would close.

Government department and we're in work!

uck51js9zml2yt · 28-02-2018 12:08PM

mini homer wrote: »

I have to make a trip to cork today from Dunshaughlin I don’t fancy driving by the look about there and I don’t want to be stranded.

Stay at home.

kingshankly · 28-02-2018 12:08PM

Flying Fox wrote: »

Depends what the impact is. Frontline services, yes. General corporate/office work, no. Nothing is that urgent, and if it is the company should have better contingency planning.

I’m a train driver and it looks at the moment we’re the only show in town

Stern · 28-02-2018 12:15PM

listermint wrote: »

Depending how things develop....

Have you read the announcements from bus companies please look at twitter.

Services leaving Dublin cancelled all over the place....

If your going to see how things develop please don't limit it to looking out the window which is apparently the sum total of your observations

I'm at work, will be heading home at 5:30pm if the snows allow, and no I don't live right beside work. I've been updating my team with public transport notices and so far everyone's routes are looking to stay open. None of my team feel I am being unreasonable, I have a very good relationship with all of them, and because of a reasonable amount of planning they were able to come into work. Tomorrow I think may be a different story but it's really not a major issue today.

Overall the responses to my post in this thread make me despair at the lack of work ethic and personal responsibility in this country. I totally agree that safety comes first but there are a lot of workarounds and alternatives available to those people who plan properly and do a bit of research in how to prepare for situations like this. This allows people to carry out their job even in rare weather occasions (depending on the job of course).

cnocbui · 28-02-2018 12:22PM

mini homer wrote: »

I have to make a trip to cork today from Dunshaughlin I don’t fancy driving by the look about there and I don’t want to be stranded.

I would re-evaluate the meaning of 'have', if I were you.

I 'have' to crash my car today.

I 'have' to get stuck in a blizzard, abandon my car and try and work out what to do now.

These are from a couple of minutes ago (rural Tipp):

Lashes28 · 28-02-2018 12:23PM

I work in retail..off today anyway but defo expected in tomorrow..Red weather warning or not..

goat2 · 28-02-2018 12:27PM

KingBobby wrote: »

For those with horses/livestock etc a tip I heard (but have yet to try myself) for preventing water from freezing over is to half fill a few plastic bottles with water and put a load of salt in it and put the lid back on. Then the salty water bottles bob around in the trough and take longer to freeze over.
I'll be going out today and filling every spare bucket and container I can find with water as a back up supply if (when by the sounds of it) the pipes to the troughs freeze.

That is a great tip, top tip, thank you

cnocbui · 28-02-2018 12:27PM

Lashes28 wrote: »

I work in retail..off today anyway but defo expected in tomorrow..Red weather warning or not..

Walking distance, I presume?

goat2 · 28-02-2018 12:30PM

I hhave a wedding Saturday, wonder how it is going to be then, God help the bride, bet she bought dress during summer and winter was not in mind, never mind freezing weather

Severe Winter Weather: ESSENTIAL PREPARATIONS, TRAVEL ADVICE, DRIVING TIPS & CLOSURES

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