"A fresh amber warning for snow has come into force in the South West, with yellow snow and ice warnings also in place for other parts of the UK into Thursday."
I spotted this sentence on the BBC News website this very evening. Good heavens! Yellow snow! You know what that means don't you? Why can't people simply wait to use a lavatory? (French: pissoir).
The snow that fell upon Sheffield last weekend is still around. Although temperatures have occasionally threatened to bump up above zero, there has not been enough warmth to herald a proper thaw.
Consequently, on the back roads, our pavements (American: sidewalks) are now treacherous. It is not too bad when you are walking on a flat section but on a hill like our street, it is all too easy to slip and potentially fall.
As I said to an old friend I encountered yesterday outside the neighbourhood pharmacy, one fall on an icy pavement can change someone's life forever. Broken hip, cracked ribs, skull fracture - it is all too easily done.
Clint, my faithful Hyundai, has remained parked up on our little driveway since Saturday night. I have had no reason to get him out. Yesterday afternoon, I watched two vehicles skidding like crazy on the bottom section of our road - unable to gain traction on the ice.
I remember one morning thirty years ago, when I drove gingerly down that same section of road on my way to work. In the blink of an eye, the car did a 180° pirouette and I found myself facing up the hill instead of down it. Miraculously, I didn't hit any other vehicles triggering all the insurance rigmarole that that would have caused.
This morning, I woke to a lovely sunrise breaking hopefully and rosily over Brincliffe Edge, silhouetting the stand of trees that run along the ridge. I would like to be out there walking with my camera but at present it is prudent to cower indoors waiting for a thaw to come and unfreeze these dangerous paths. Roll on springtime!
The days are lengthening, minute by minute.
ReplyDeleteYour feet can go from under you before you know it. My wife went flat on her back and hurt her collar bone bad enough to need an X-ray. All was OK although it still hurts after 6 weeks. Lecture from the nurse. Why were you out? Did you need to be out? Do you realise you could have broken it and never been able to write again?
Oh dear! You need her to be injury-free to assist you. I hope she has learnt a valuable lesson.
DeleteThere is a slight chance of snow this weekend in Camden and I am here for it. We haven't had a decent snow day since 2014!!!
ReplyDeleteBetter get your sled out Bob (English: sledge)!
DeleteI don't care about cold, I don't care about snow, but ice is truly frightening for all the reasons you mention.
ReplyDeleteIt helps a lot if people wear boots or shoes with proper grip - but even then you might end up on your arse (American: ass).
DeleteSo what did the BBC mean with their yellow snow alert? Like you, I thought yellow snow only had one meaning. I'm guessing something to do with the "amber" alert?
ReplyDeleteWe're under a winter storm warning with ice as the most likely precipitation. Ugh.
There are three winter warning levels: yellow, amber and red but I guess that nobody had considered the common meaning of "yellow snow". Isn't it what they call a faux-pas?
DeleteOne has to be patient when it comes to weather and safety. There is more good time to walk in the hills.
ReplyDeleteEverything is melting here, but below freezing at night, so lots of ice. I wear my ice cleats but I don't like ice.
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to teach Jack not to eat snow, because of dog pee and poop. He's one of those kids who has to learn everything the hard way.
They are asking for people to donate warm clothing to homeless charities in Cork city. Are there soup kitchens and homeless charities in Sheffield YP?
ReplyDeleteThere are a couple of highways in my state that are prone to ice over, known as black ice, but generally we remain ice free, which wasn't always the case. Nothing to do with global warming, of course. Take care. You don't want to do yer 'ip.
ReplyDeleteYes, please stay safe until the snow and ice melt away. We'd like to still be reading your posts many years from now.
ReplyDeleteBecause yellow is my favourite colour, the headline of this post captured my interest particularly - until I started to read and realised what the "yellow" meant in this case. Urgh!!
ReplyDeleteIcy pavements are dangerous indeed. People tend to be unreasonable and go out with inadequate footwear. Ask our blogging friend Monica for advice - she has strap-on grippers for her boots, I believe, and uses her walking poles for extra stability when she has to be out in such conditions.
Does Sheffield not make sure that roads are salted when it's icy, and are people not obliged to keep the pavement in front of their home swept and salted or sprinkled with grit? Here, if someone falls on a part of pavement that is your responsibility, you can expect hefty fines.
We have snow on our hills but down here just lethal patches of black ice. I haven't been outside for a few days but may need to venture out soon. Hopefully I shall remain upright.
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