many are sceptical about how much snow it really takes to bring "the country" (some might say "Southern softies") to a grinding halt. But I guess this guy probably has it about right:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8418457.stm

They have it in Sweden too when the white stuff is dumped on them out of the blue, particularly by the coast where it drifts. But you're talking a metre's worth or so in that case. The key to coping is winter tyres, which are compulsory, plus relentless gritting and snow ploughs on every road. Not to mention triple-glazed windows in houses and equipment to make clearing your drive easier.

Anyone who has been on more than a few ski holidays will have seen how the continentals deal with snow. You carry on as normal, knowing how to drive in it. Unless it's really coming down, in which case you stay put, knowing that an enormous army of clearance machinery is about to kick into action. What I don't know is what they spread / spray on the roads in France. It works rather well.

...that the Trans-Siberian Railway runs throughout the year and is rarely more than a few minutes late.

...that experience regular, heavy snowfall are bound to be better prepared, and have better infrastructure in place, than a country that experiences snow for a few days a year, if that.

that I have escaped the snow in the UK this week by virtue of a business trip to Buffalo - I've been here a week and have another week to go.

Today is the first day for about 10 days that it hasn't snowed. The locals say it's a fairly typical winter, although the -10 to -15 forecast for Saturday is a little unusual. There's lots of snow on the ground but it doesn't seem to cause much disruption - I guess people are used to adapting.

A lot of locals own trucks, and most seem to have plough attachments that can be hooked up fairly quickly. As a consequence, the roads are cleared fairly regularly - it seems this is a money making venture for lots of local trades people, not an act of charity. Even the parking lot of my hotel gets ploughed - at 1am and then again at 5am. Given the noise made, I think I'd prefer the snow.

Other than spending $90 on some decent waterproof boots, me and my 4 wheel drive hire car have been getting by OK. The only downside are the amused enquiries of the locals, who find the stories of panic buying in the UK highly amusing

Personally I don't and much prefer to put up with the snow for a few days every 30 years or so.

it was pretty chaotic the first couple of days too but the winter tyres help of course. Still loads of bitching about lack of proper clearing and as the snow has been laying for a couple of weeks and re-frozen its pretty treacherous off the main roads. -16C outside at present.

Cant be as bad as the UK though, at least we don't have a BIG FREEZE.

The snow is having similar effects in Northern Europe.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8445613.stm

Anyone wanna buy one of these? Keep yer path clear for a fiver...

Having lived in France for a few years I can tell you that other than in the Alps, three flakes of snow paralises the country. People abandone their cars on the autoroute just at the idea.

so much I have saved it on my computer to pinpoint my house...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/8447023.stm

...or so sayeth the Primal (Ice) Scream.

Here in the unglaciated hills and valleys of southwestern Wisconsin, every township has several thirty-foot piles of sand, and large covered sheds stuffed to the rafters with rock salt. The plows are usually out on the road before the first snowflake falls, putting down a heavy mix of that sand and salt.

We live on a low traffic county road, but even so, the plows come by every couple hours and keep the roads immaculate. Because we’re surrounded by dairy farmers we’re a top priority for plowing so the milk trucks can stay on schedule.

Like most of our neighbors we have a skidsteer with a bucket that we use for clearing our access road and the paths to our animal sheds (we raise goats and chickens). Those who don’t have a skidsteer use a plow with a blade. But everyone has some sort of heavy equipment for snow removal.

We have a 4-wheel drive Explorer as well. When we first moved here, we had a Camry with front wheel drive. That lasted a couple years before we got tired of getting stuck on our own access road, even after plowing. Plus, you can transport goats in an Explorer, which isn’t possible with a sedan unless you disassemble the goats first.

We had about 7-9 inches of snow fall today. The temp will drop to about zero degrees F. tonight and the windchill is supposed to be –20 to –25 tomorrow morning when I start to plow.

But I’m grateful it’s just cold and snow, and not the freezing rain we had a couple weeks ago.

...has been getting us about very nicely thank you - wife was 2 hours late to work cos of all the other cars that couldn't manage Gildersome roundabout in Leeds!!!
Worse bit for us is the parked cars at the bottom of the hill where people have just decided not to risk it. The thing is the snow was such that when you drove on it it was breaking up nicely but not enough cars were doing it. Snowplow/Gritters haven't come up our street for years now after one tipped over into a garden.
Got told in Norway by a taxi driver that they have a tire change day which you have to comply with.

To ease traffic problems when there is snow, the government could make all public transport free.

We (the British) are genetically incapable of driving in the snow, and prone to treating a few flakes as a Time of National Emergency, so we might as well overreact in a way that might help people. As opposed to our usual government response of either doing nothing, or overreacting in a non-useful way.

From Andrew Marr's 'A History of Modern Britain'

"In the winter of 1947 . . . a great freeze had covered the country in thick snow, a bitter cold which brought the exhausted British very nearly to their knobbly, ill-clad knees. The country still ran on coal. But at the pits, the great piles of coal froze solid and could not be moved. The winding gears ceased to function...Power stations closed. . . factories across the Midlands had to stop and within a week two million people were idle. Atlee suspended television. Electric fires were banned for three hours in the morning and two in the afternoon.

Everywhere people shivered, wrapped in blankets in front of barely smoking coal fires. Around London commuters were unable to reach the capital. The whole of Scotland was cut off from the rest of the country. Then things deteriorated further. It was the coldest february for 300 years . . . green vegtables ran out in the shops. . ."

Roads are fine, pavements clear. Although we are being told to 'stock up' supplies ahead of an absolute blinder of a blizzard due in tomorrow. Having just moved into a spartan new flat with dodgy heating at best, the next few days are gonna be interesting.

Pour yourselves a stiff one,watch Fargo,The Shining,or any other snowy film and wait for Spring.

....get to work??

Anyway....

"Lately I was thinking of driving this snowplough, straight into the sun"

Fred don't look like he's dressed for the snow, though?