2010 YES!!! The "I'm so happy" thread.

[Lesley Cox]

On the 21st of January my life will turn upside down!

Anthony, I do assure you that after a while you get used to walking on your hands and with your legs in the air, so that it seems quite natural. Some adjustments to your clothing will be required and especially to that of your women-folk if they wear dresses much.

[TheOnionMan]

By the way I've never experienced an ice storm, just what happens?

Ice storms can be incredibly destructive, beautiful, but destructive.  A few shots from the infamous ice storm of December 8th 2008.  We were without power for a week. After a few days of "toughing it out" in a frigid house we stayed in a motel for about 4 more days.  In the morning after the ice storm, I stood outside on my deck, and watched in horror and disbelief as the woods "imploded" on themselves, every 10-15 seconds trees snapping into bits and crashing down in thunderous explosions.  Thankfully our house is free and clear of any major size trees directly overhead.  My daughters were out of school for two weeks, as the schools were used as shelters for people that didn't get power for much longer than a week, up to three weeks in some parts.

[Kristl Walek]

As part of a small series on natural disastrous phenomena, we saw a TV doco a while back about an ice storm in Canada, a few years ago. Truly terryfying. Then there was an episode about an Australian fire storm, starting out as a series of bush fires in western NSW and eventually threatening the whole of Sydney. The Victorian fires of last year were small in comparison.

Leslie,
I was in the thick of that famous ice storm of 2008---which changed my life in significant ways, in fact---as well as the direction of my business forever.

We were without power in North Gower (or heat obviously) for an entire MONTH in the dead of winter. Eventually we had to move into emergency shelter provided by the armed forces. There was even a special CBC tv documentary entitled "North Gower: the Ontario town that Hydro forgot" chronicling our town in particular and how it came to pass that we were without juice for so long.

My property was devastated ---and of course insurance wasn't paying out because of the "act of god" exclusion. Over $20,000 had to be spent just on the bare bones of clean up. And of course I lost most of my high season seed sales.
 
Eventually the Goverment of Canada provided grants to folks who had suffered particularly severe damage (which had to be partially matched by the homeowner)----and this is how I managed to get the property restored (somewhat) and still ended up deeply in debt.

It took 5 years to deal with the destroyed gardens, and I never actually recovered financially.

[David Nicholson]

By the way I've never experienced an ice storm, just what happens?

Ice storms can be incredibly destructive, beautiful, but destructive.  A few shots from the infamous ice storm of December 8th 2008.  We were without power for a week. After a few days of "toughing it out" in a frigid house we stayed in a motel for about 4 more days.  In the morning after the ice storm, I stood outside on my deck, and watched in horror and disbelief as the woods "imploded" on themselves, every 10-15 seconds trees snapping into bits and crashing down in thunderous explosions.  Thankfully our house is free and clear of any major size trees directly overhead.  My daughters were out of school for two weeks, as the schools were used as shelters for people that didn't get power for much longer than a week, up to three weeks in some parts.

Thanks for that McMark but I still don't understand what happens. Is it the wind or is it frozen rain delivered at a rate of knots? Sorry to be so climatically challenged

[angie]

My American friend sent me some pictures of the same ice storm. I had never seen anything like it in my life. Even the power was down, the metal work had just snapped.
It must be so scary.
I think I better start walking to America as I can't see me getting my flight out of Aberdeen. Bit down in the dumps today. Eat a huge box of chocolates to try and cheer me up.

Angle  

[Lesley Cox]

Yes Kristl, that was the one. The doco centred on Montreal I think. It's always so much worse when taken down to the individual or personal level isn't it, with people one knows suffering such cataclysm. I'm glad you bounced back even if you had to change and adapt. Hopefully NS will be a less severe home in years to come, though I don't like the thought of Atlantic gales much. I'm spoiled here I'm afraid. Part of the reason Anthony is moving to the SH of course. Our weather is never truly extreme, as you northerners know it. Not until you go south to Antarctica anyway.

Incidentally, our TV weatherman reported a few days ago that the temperature in Aberdeen Scotland, was -17C while at Scott Base in Antarctica it was only -1C! But it's high summer there.

[TheOnionMan]

Thanks for that McMark but I still don't understand what happens. Is it the wind or is it frozen rain delivered at a rate of knots? Sorry to be so climatically challenged

It usually goes like this.  It'll be well below freezing for days, the ground and everything act as a cold sink, then a moist and warmer weather front moves sliding over the colder ground air, and starts raining.  The night of that ice storm I got home from work, and it was pouring rain yet the air temperature was about 24-25 F (-4 C), so the rain just starts freezing on contact with the colder objects.  Ice storms are quite common, but usually the out-of-synchronization air temperature is just a degree or two, and the ice encasement is not too thick, and it can look like a glimmering wonderland the next day.

With this storm, the roads were not passable on my street until the second day, but even then, it was a nightmare trying to get anywhere as so many roads were closed due to fallen trees and snapped power lines.  I still have more tree damage to cut up from that storm, I just do a little bit at a time.

[alpines]

These are some shots from the ice storm in Berea in 2009. We had no power for 5 days. lost 3 trees and a chimney stack.

[Lesley Cox]

I really like the maps some members, both old and new, are including in their profiles. Perhaps we all should. I certainly shall, when I get an up-to-date Google Maps loaded and work out how to do it.

[David Nicholson]

Thanks Alan and McMark. I think I'll give 'em a miss

[TheOnionMan]

I really like the maps some members, both old and new, are including in their profiles. Perhaps we all should. I certainly shall, when I get an up-to-date Google Maps loaded and work out how to do it.

Lesley, have you seen this thread:
http://www.srgc.org.uk/smf/index.php?topic=6264.0

I recently changed my location, it seems that I now live atop Mt. Washington, New Hampshire, in the Visitor Center

[TheOnionMan]

These are some shots from the ice storm in Berea in 2009. We had no power for 5 days. lost 3 trees and a chimney stack.

Alan, I do believe that ice storms are more prevalent in more southerly US States where temps might hover around the freezing point.  In New England we can generally count on it being cold enough that it snows, but as you can see, it is not always the case.

[alpines]

David, they really are quite spectacular and aesthetically attractive BUT......having to drive to work on roads that have a 1 inch covering of ice is no joke. Neither is having no heating in the house in those temperatures. However, we soon forget about the ice storms when summer hits and we complain about the 90 degree temperatures with 98% humidity.
And I thought the weather in Manchester was bad 

[Martinr]

Lesley, how can you say your weather is never extreme....I spent a wonderful few days on the West coast of South Island wondering how it was possible for there to be more water on land than there was in the sea!

[alpines]

For anyone contemplating a Christmas visit to Kentucky, today we had rain, snow, ice, fog, more rain and more ice.....and I've still got to drive 25 miles this evening to get home.....but I still love the place and wouldn't change it for the world...no, not even the Yorkshire Dales