Weather.... late 2009

[cohan]

The rock salt they put on the roads round here is as mined with nothing added. It hasn't really much effect on habitats near roads, except for the spread of Danish Scurvy Grass along motorway central reservations. They must think it's the splash zone on a sea shore? In lands that have guaranteed snow there would be no point in gritting. I assume cars and lorries would be fitted with appropriate tyres or have chains fitted for the season? This Christmas has been unusual. Normally we get a couple of days snow twice a year.

i'm not sure exactly what they put on roads here, i know the stuff commercially available for home use is usually something other than basic salt --supposed to be non-corroding etc..

there are campaigns to encourage people to get proper winter tires, and i'd suppose most people do eventually, (mandatory in at least one province) maybe in cities more try to get by without
-chains arent usually used these days in populated areas, but may be carried for extreme spots--my brother just had to make a mountain crossing in a truck pulling a sawmill on the way back (23 hour trip from here into b.c. and back) and he needed chains in the high passes..

i'm not sure if its still the case, but it used to be that used cars from eastern canada were not popular here--rusted out from salt..

[Sinchets]

Thanks, David.
I suppose it is all about being prepared and preparation costs money, and the precautions you take may not be needed so not many people bother. Too many people drive too fast in bad weather conditions. So I wonder if the drivers of those jack-knifed lorries will learn anything from the experience.
Maybe it is just a feature of the modern world wherre the lorries have to get to their destinations as quick as possible because some supermarket needs to have 'fresh' bread delivered from the other end of country. Or people need to visit family several hundred miles away even though it may not be the best weather for it.
There was a story on the news last year here of a sudden snow storm which came down from the Central Mountains 'unexpectedly' and hit the main road from Sofia to some of the Black Sea resorts where the wealthy have their holiday villas. There was a lot of traffic on the road heading to the coast and from what you could see most of the cars were 4X4's, but the drivers were ill prepared and army tanks had to be sent in to rescue them- quite laughable really. The same day saw a story of tourists stranded in the mountains who had food airlifted in- they were only cut off for 3 days. Who on earth goes up into the mountains in winter without preparing for snow?
The mountain passes here, if they are open, suggest they are impassable without tyre chains in snow. So I guess if you want to try without it is at your own risk. We don't quite have the idea of a 'nanny state' here -yet

[Gwenblack]

Remember your Shakespeare... When icicles hang by the wall.........   it seems many a long year since we had to tell the children to beware of icicles hanging from the house roof in case they, the kiddiewinks,  were impaled when the frozen fringe fell to the ground       ....... well this year is a vintage icicle year    ... our longest so far is 30 "       this is a record for our house here in Scotland so far    and they do look handsome.   Sadly the feeder trees where we hang out peanuts, sunflower seeds, fat balls and niger seed are seriously oversubscribed by all manner of birds and this morning a fine fat Wood Pigeon had laid itself to its final rest beneath the peanut dispenser  It is a miracle the way the tiny things, wrens, tits etc survive the night in these low temps 

[Paul T]

Strange things afoot here........

The extremely warm November and early December, followed by a week or cooler weather then this rain, has confused a few things.  I have 2 different clones of Urginea maritimum flowering now, something like 3 months earlier than usual.    I guess they think it is autumn.  Boy, are they going to be in shock when the heat comes back.  The first stem on one clone was already up before the rain started, so it wasn't just the rain that triggered it.  It is usually in full flower when the second clone starts sending up a spike, but the first flwoers haven't even opened on the first and the second clone has a spike emerging (it I think WAS triggered by the rain).  The weather is definitely confusing things, that is for sure. 

[Sinchets]

I wonder if you will have reblooming in autumn?

[johnw]

A few Shortia & Berneuxia shots from today.  Despite their apparent good looks the ground is frozen down at least 15cm and this is not apt to change until late March.  Temperature +5c and sunny after a long cloudy stretch. 

johnw

[Lesley Cox]

I have 10 tiny (pin-prick size) Shortia seedlings from John's seed, sown over grit and no sign of liverwort. They are snug in my tunnel, out of the sun.

[Lesley Cox]

Paul your climate is almost unbelievable. A few days ago so dry with bush fires in NSW and elsewhere. Now flooding in NSW.

[Anthony Darby]

Here's some pics of today's walk to The Gathering Stone on Sheriffmuir.

[Anthony Darby]

The children are just back from a trip to the pantomime in Edinburgh (oh yes they are) with their aunt and uncle. They left Dunblane at noon with the temperature of -7^oC and arrived in Edinburgh 35 miles away where the temperature was +2^oC and the pavements and roads were clear and dry.

[Susan Band]

The -14C we had last night  probably puts paid to my experimenting with South African Bulbs. Apart when like Anthony we had 8in snow it hasn't risen above -8C for a week, most unusual for us recently. Everything outside has been under 1 ft of snow apart from the 1st night, but things in the shelter have taken the full brunt of the cold, interesting to see what happens.
Susan

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Keeping our fingers crossed for you Susan .... 

[ichristie]

Super pictures Anthony, and like Susan we await to see what survives outside under the frame covers minus 12c today with freezing fog last night so here is a very wintery picture taken this afternoon,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[johnw]

The -14C we had last night  probably puts paid to my experimenting with South African Bulbs. Apart when like Anthony we had 8in snow it hasn't risen above -8C for a week, most unusual for us recently. Everything outside has been under 1 ft of snow apart from the 1st night, but things in the shelter have taken the full brunt of the cold, interesting to see what happens.
Susan

Susan -  I'd assume your wonderful field planting will be fine with a foot of snow.  Wishing you the best of luck with all the rest, many precious items I'm sure.

We are to take the plunge in the next few hours.  Ground frozen and they say -10c tomorrow night and a howling gale, high -8c, BUT upwards of 50cm of snow on the weekend. That should keep the frost in the ground for a very long time.  

johnw

[David Shaw]

Nine o'clock in the evening, -10C outside and snowing, again. There are certainly going to be some empty holes next year.