Snow Joke

The forecast overnight last night was for snow, but not like this! By the time we woke this morning there were a couple of inches on the ground already and the sky was full of huge snowflakes coming down like icy paratroopers on an arctic invasion.






Before long the phone was ringing regularly as colleagues rang in and we rang out, reporting our difficulties in moving the car, checking whether conditions elsewhere were any better and to rate our chances of making it to the office.

These days it's possible via the internet to call up the images from motorway traffic cameras 'live' on the computer, and the M61 and M6 didn't look great. Fortunately I can work from home so leaving the car in the garage was an easy decision, but not many others made it in at all as everywhere ground to a halt.


It took until after lunch before the snowflakes began to reduce in size and then eventually stop altogether, and my this time the lying snow measured 15cm (6"), with the drifts even deeper. Whilst the kids next door began making an igloo in their garden, I started the job of clearing the driveway to give me a chance of making the journey to work tomorrow. Not as much fun as snowballs and sledging it has to be said, and hard work too!


These images are all from either through the windows or from the doorstep - I wasn't going out in that! Clockwise from top left: Tall trees weighed down by the snow; snow clinging to a car aerial; a Christmas card scene from our cul-de-sac; our Christmas tree (which we couldn't take for recycling on Sunday because of the ice and is still in our back garden) gets a covering; another snow-covered tree and (centre) a sign showing where to ride your bike (if you're daft enough!)

The television news reports this is the worst snowfall for many years and the longest sustained cold spell for perhaps 30 years - and there's no sign of it ending yet!