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Keith Dancey · February 3rd 04, 10:02 AM posted to uk.sci.weather

In article , "Jack Harrison" writes:

....

... But what was inexcusable is that given the seven day warning
of the snow - a superb forecast - and the immediate run-up to the blizzard,
the road authorities failed us yet again.

I am surprised at this claim. I don't think any road authority failed us.
The forecast was acted upon and my experience is that roads were salted
and gritted *ad nauseum* pior to the blizzard. No amount of salt or grit
could possibly have prevented the poor driving conditions which resulted
during and immediately after the blizzard. The worst situations occurred
because of the sheer weight of traffic (Scandinavia doesn't have to deal
with one tenth of our peak traffic flows.)

Many of our roads run at absolute full capacity during the rush hour, and
any small incident causes congestion. When the entire road network has
two inches of snow dumped on it within an hour, high winds bringing down trees
- blocking roads - and bringing down power cables - blacking out streets and
sets of traffic lights - the weight of very slow moving traffic compressing
snow into ice, and this occurs around the rush hour(s), then we know all hell
is going to be let loose.

I spent 6 hours on what is normally a one hour journey. And there was less
than 5 cms of snow.

I spent three and a quarter hours on what is normally a thirty five minute
journey. One important route was blocked by a fallen tree and no one could
get a vehicle through to it because the roads were locked solid by stationary
traffic. I came across three other trees (or parts of trees) partially
blocking roads. Also three motor cyclists forced to push their vehicles
in the wheel tracks of cars because of drifting snow. One broken down bus
completely blocking one side of a very busy arterial road, and a county town
with it traffic lights knocked out by a power failure.

And then there were the accidents...

Just what could the road authorities have done which they hadn't already?

I just took the Thursday off as leave, and enjoyed the brilliant blue sky,
winter sunshine and a WHITE countryside:-) Magic!

Cheers,

keith

---
Iraq: 5 thousand million pounds, 50 lives, and counting...
The Politicians will now seek to blame the Spooks.