First snow

[Alistair]

From recollection, we now get snow less often and it's generally less severe, so yet again driver education / experience suffers and fewer people have the skillz to tackle it correctly, as said above re: mega-rev brigade. Oh and electronic driver aids have lessened the need for these skills as well (in fact these aids probably make it harder to build the skills even if you wanted to!)

I once recovered a Ford Sierra from a ditch after he'd slid off sheet ice on a minor road in Cumbria. The old "rock it" by just engaging then dipping the clutch on minimal revs, getting it rocking back and forth in the ditch then giving just a bit more juice each time it was rocking back the right way. No ropes, no pushing, nowt, just physics and patience

I really enjoy driving on snow. Quite miss it! Got a fair dusting down here in Linlithgow but not enough to make driving either interesting or dangerous The kids should enjoy crunching around delivering Christmas cards in it though.

Plenty snow up Cockleroy

Bad news is the Blue Sledge is cracked It survived a circa 30mph descent from the top - hitting a jump which sent me around 5 feet in the air. I forgot to hold on to the sledge though (schoolboy error) and someone ran over it virtually splitting it in two

My own fault though - Jack and Kellie had gone back to the car to warm up and I couldn't resist a trip back to childhood and flying down from the top! How nobody was killed I'll never know!!

Grrrrreat fun though!!

I'll get hunting on ebay to find a new sledge.......

[Cheery]

Eventually had to phone Susan to come and help

Elise Recovery Service on standby again...

[Alistair]

From recollection, we now get snow less often and it's generally less severe, so yet again driver education / experience suffers and fewer people have the skillz to tackle it correctly, as said above re: mega-rev brigade. Oh and electronic driver aids have lessened the need for these skills as well (in fact these aids probably make it harder to build the skills even if you wanted to!)

I once recovered a Ford Sierra from a ditch after he'd slid off sheet ice on a minor road in Cumbria. The old "rock it" by just engaging then dipping the clutch on minimal revs, getting it rocking back and forth in the ditch then giving just a bit more juice each time it was rocking back the right way. No ropes, no pushing, nowt, just physics and patience

I really enjoy driving on snow. Quite miss it! Got a fair dusting down here in Linlithgow but not enough to make driving either interesting or dangerous The kids should enjoy crunching around delivering Christmas cards in it though.

Plenty snow up Cockleroy

Bad news is the Blue Sledge is cracked It survived a circa 30mph descent from the top - hitting a jump which sent me around 5 feet in the air. I forgot to hold on to the sledge though (schoolboy error) and someone ran over it virtually splitting it in two

My own fault though - Jack and Kellie had gone back to the car to warm up and I couldn't resist a trip back to childhood and flying down from the top! How nobody was killed I'll never know!!

Grrrrreat fun though!!

I'll get hunting on ebay to find a new sledge.......

New model en route - http://tinyurl.com/y8u7r8y

[tut]

Hooligan........



tut

[duggiesmith]

Eventually had to phone Susan to come and help

Elise Recovery Service on standby again...

Not required this time
Still, had some good fun again

[roadboy]

Got nearly 8 inches lying in my back garden now. We had 6 inches fall in 30 minutes last night. Even the main roads were impassable. (Lots of steep hill round here).

Jag is totally useless in the snow (285/40/18 tyres and RWD). Bought a cheap Freelander to get around in these conditions. Been sat outside my workshop for 4 weeks. Went to get it yesterday and the barsteward wouldn't start. Still haven't got it going and its too cold toi bugger about outside with it.

On the plus side, Laura's Bettle has been admirable in the snow. Not got stuck anywhere in that.

Dan

[mrahead]

For Alan and Janet thats the bottom of Sherry Drive ,Glad a dont live up next to you guys

Had to travel to Cumbernauld yesterday for my Fathers 70th Birthday, normally a 30 min journey, took 2.5 hours

We travelled all the way down Sherry Drive, right to the bottom where Ian is. We got to the last of the seven or so traffic calming chicanes to be confronted with grid lock. Turned around and went back up the hill only to lose momentum at the top chicane because someone could not get up. Dug a couple of channels for my wheels and off we went again.

The poor standard of driving of many motorists is very worrying. Tailgating is bad enough at the best of times, but in snow !!! It only takes one of these "quarter wits" to create a 3 mile tailback that takes hours to clear. We eventually made our way to the East Kilbride - Hamilton expressway via a very contrived route of backroads to avoid the "muppets". Only to find a 3 mile tailback on a perfectly useable road surface.

[campbell]

Plenty snow up Cockleroy

Ah, made a bad call there then!

Might take tomorrow as hols to go and enjoy. Lisa broke the kids' new sledge last year but it still works, and - little bro - your original high-flying red placcy sledge of approx 1980 vintage is still on the go so James will be test driving that shortly!

[craigs135s]

For Alan and Janet thats the bottom of Sherry Drive ,Glad a dont live up next to you guys

Had to travel to Cumbernauld yesterday for my Fathers 70th Birthday, normally a 30 min journey, took 2.5 hours

We travelled all the way down Sherry Drive, right to the bottom where Ian is. We got to the last of the seven or so traffic calming chicanes to be confronted with grid lock. Turned around and went back up the hill only to lose momentum at the top chicane because someone could not get up. Dug a couple of channels for my wheels and off we went again.

The poor standard of driving of many motorists is very worrying. Tailgating is bad enough at the best of times, but in snow !!! It only takes one of these "quarter wits" to create a 3 mile tailback that takes hours to clear. We eventually made our way to the East Kilbride - Hamilton expressway via a very contrived route of backroads to avoid the "muppets". Only to find a 3 mile tailback on a perfectly useable road surface.

My Mum and sister have been told to get out there cars and leave them where they are in Cumbernauld tonight. Police have closed most of the roads from what they are Saying.
Hardly any here in Preston.

Cheers
C

[campbell]

My Mum and sister have been told to get out there cars and leave them where they are in Cumbernauld tonight. Police have closed most of the roads from what they are Saying.
Hardly any here in Preston.

Cheers
C

See I think that's crackpot. Yes there has been snow, 20 miles away here in Linlithgow we have maybe an extra inch of covering from the last hour but all is quiet now. What the feck?!

These cams are good for a look round Scotland at REAL snow issues on the roads...at time of posting, Drumochter, Rannoch Moor, Loch Glascarnoch and Cluanie don't look too clever but as I said before, people with the skillz will be fine. Nanny state I say.

http://www.trafficscotland.info/lev/

Drove from Ft Bill through Cluanie to Shiel Bridge, then OVER the Bealach Ratagan and on down to Arnisdale, in utterly atrocious snow to get to a New Year holiday about 8 years ago or so. We had the Scooby 5-door under us which helped, but on reflection I'm not sure I'd have continued the journey nowadays...getting too feart in my old age maybe?! Wasn't helped by bruv and sis in law in their fully-laden Vectra TDI right behind us on the steepest bits, clearly finding better traction than we were

[neil]

My Mum and sister have been told to get out there cars and leave them where they are in Cumbernauld tonight. Police have closed most of the roads from what they are Saying.
Hardly any here in Preston.

Cheers
C

Just spoke to my parents and they're in the same area. Sounds like they're moving again after an hour spent stationary on the A80. Trafficscotland website now showing the road as being closed though

[David]

Things are bad in Cumbernauld - a good 6-10 inches fell in about an hour. My wife had to abandon her car and walk the last few miles home. Abandoned cars everywhere

[campbell]

OK so I take it back. Cumbernauld is officially closed for business!

[cla5h]

Odd. No recent snow at all in Renfrew nor South Side, and the same temperature it was after lunch today (i.e. milder in real terms.)
Seems like a warmer front is moving in.

[jen]

No new snow in Abz either. On my way down to Livingston this morning there were about 7 cars abandoned atcthe side of the A90. Roads were fine by the time I got there however. The low sun reflecting off the wet ground near Dunfermline was my problem though. Couldn't see a thing. There had also been a wee accident north of Dundee heading northbound this afternoon. The car in question was in a bit of a state. It had no front end left. I think it was an older style corsa....

Yesterday we saw a fiesta in a field, near Balmedie, with the fence it went through/over still intact!