Weather winter 2010/2011

[cohan]

If you have trouble with snowy roads: Even a Jaguar needs autosocks!

From:http://www.vg.no/bil-og-motor/artikkel.php?artid=10028781

interesting--this is instead of using winter tires?
we have winter tires on, and have excellent traction, even on ice at very low temperatures.. some people here try to get away without proper winter tires, and of course suffer for it--many winter accidents are because of poor tires (besides idiot drivers)

[Hoy]

If you have trouble with snowy roads: Even a Jaguar needs autosocks!

From:http://www.vg.no/bil-og-motor/artikkel.php?artid=10028781

interesting--this is instead of using winter tires?
we have winter tires on, and have excellent traction, even on ice at very low temperatures.. some people here try to get away without proper winter tires, and of course suffer for it--many winter accidents are because of poor tires (besides idiot drivers)

Yes, it is an alternative to winter tyres. We have two kinds of tyres for winter: hard rubber with studs and soft rubber without studs. If you only have summer tyres you can use auto/snowsocks or chains or some other gear. The socks are the easiest and quickest to fasten and very reliable. I have soft winter tyres on my car and always snowsocks at hand but haven't used them this winter.

[cohan]

neat... i have not seen those here; soft winter tires are most common here, you can have studs put in also, or put chains on, though that's not usually necessary for most vehicles around here, more likely for work vehicles that need to  go on bad roads, or to go on mountain roads  (far from here) .

[Paddy Tobin]

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2011/01/australian_flooding.html

Photographs of flooding in Australia.

Paddy

[Paul T]

They're also saying that coal prices worldwide will rise by around 30% due to the flooding.  They showed pics today of one of those massive machines that open mine coal, rising from the middle of a massive lake.  it will take months to dry the area out, millions to replace the equipment etc.  Apparently the mining industry is currently losing a million $ a day.  And Australian food prices will be rising as so much of our "food bowl" area is underwater and crops ruined.  There and also in New South Wales where there has been flooding in the last few months.  NOT good, on all counts.

[Hoy]

How to keep the airport open in winter:



This is the world's largest (in capacity) snow plow! (Gardermoen, Oslo airport- never closed due to snow))

http://www.vg.no/reise/artikkel.php?artid=10028886

[mark smyth]

wow.

[mark smyth]

here are photos of places in N Ireland during the freeze. It includes some lakes and loughs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8451679.stm

[Hoy]

here are photos of places in N Ireland during the freeze. It includes some lakes and loughs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8451679.stm

N Ireland? Looks more like Arctic! (or some places in North Norway!)

[Luc Gilgemyn]

here are photos of places in N Ireland during the freeze. It includes some lakes and loughs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8451679.stm

Mark,
when I was at school, Ireland was always referred to as the green isle .... 

[Paul T]

They're also saying that coal prices worldwide will rise by around 30% due to the flooding.  They showed pics today of one of those massive machines that open mine coal, rising from the middle of a massive lake.  it will take months to dry the area out, millions to replace the equipment etc.  Apparently the mining industry is currently losing a million $ a day.  And Australian food prices will be rising as so much of our "food bowl" area is underwater and crops ruined.  There and also in New South Wales where there has been flooding in the last few months.  NOT good, on all counts.

A "slight" correction to me information above....... the mining industry is losing $100 million a day in lost coal exports, not the million that I had stated.  That is truly scary!!

Another interesting bit of information I just saw on the news..... the flood that is slowly moving through Queensland at present and that is shortly to hit the town of St George.... it will take the water in that flood until the beginning of winter to reach the mouth of the Murray river and reach the ocean..... that means it will take at least 5 months to reach the ocean.  Knowing how quickly the waters are flowing, it just made me realise just how big my country really is!!!!!    Yes, I know the figures, but floodwaters taking 5 months+ to reach the ocean is pretty amazing.  That is of course on the western side of the Great Dividing Range..... the rivers on the east side that are in flood will spill into the ocean much more quickly (and a completely different ocean as it happens!!  ).

I just thought some of you might be interested. 

[Paul T]

How to keep the airport open in winter:



This is the world's largest (in capacity) snow plow! (Gardermoen, Oslo airport- never closed due to snow))

http://www.vg.no/reise/artikkel.php?artid=10028886

Trond,

That is one HECK of a snowplow!! 

[Stephenb]

here are photos of places in N Ireland during the freeze. It includes some lakes and loughs
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8451679.stm

The arctic sea ice reached a new low in December 2010, 270,000 sq. kilometres less than the previous minimum! See

http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2011/010511.html
 
I suspect that the scientists have been looking in the wrong place and it's just moved to Northern Ireland...

[Maggi Young]

it will take the water in that flood until the beginning of winter to reach the mouth of the Murray river and reach the ocean..... that means it will take at least 5 months to reach the ocean

Good grief.. yes, that really does bring the scale of the country into focus, doesn't it?

The Queensland floods are a  disaster but I suppose less catastrophic than flooding in a heavily populated area... such as we have seen in the Indian sub-continent on several occasions.
We all need water, and plenty of it.... but it's dangerous stuff.

[Paul T]

Maggi,

And it will take some places months to dry out, because everything is so flat.  Waterlogged soil holds the water and there is nowhere for it to go.  There'll also likely be a big Dengue Fever outbreak, just to add to the misery.  They're saying that at present one of the biggest dangers is snakes, and they're fleeing to anything above the floodwater.  One guy who's house was surrounded but above the water level was saying it was just him and 2 thousand snakes inhabiting the house at the moment.    It is a danger for rescuers and those who are dropping food to cut off houses.