Snow in London, really? Egads.

Old Dec 10th, 2009, 05:49 PM
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Snow in London, really? Egads.

No real question here, just wanted generally to kvetch about my poor trip planning. I am prepared for a cold drizzly, storm and even miserable London but snow I didn't count on! I worried about the prospect of snow before I booked the trip but everything I read said that London's climate is so temperate, blah blah....now I look at the 10 day forecast and they're calling for snow, right on the day I arrive. Great. And when you look up "London," "snow" on the internet all you see are near-cataclysmic descriptions of relatively mild (well, comparatively) snowfall that brought the city to a halt in snowfalls of yore. So I'm certainly looking forward to the most expensive week of card playing and tv watching I've ever paid for! Hope it doesn't turn out that way, but I guess I should be prepared for about anything!
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Old Dec 10th, 2009, 06:55 PM
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i would choose to look at it this way.....london is fantastic at the holiday season, so a little bit of snow here and there will make it even more fantastic...
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Old Dec 10th, 2009, 07:44 PM
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This is my hope! Just enough snow to be fabulous, not enough to disrupt the tube schedule I actually love snow at home, but I am from Atlanta where any fleck on the ground means that you'll be at home with pancakes no questions asked
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Old Dec 10th, 2009, 07:49 PM
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Before we moved to London in March 1982, we made a house hunting trip in January. When we arrived it had been snowing for at least a couple of days. There was a lot of snow on the ground in the outlying areas where we were looking for housing. Some of the piles were several feet high! Coming from Houston, we thought it was kind of cool!
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Old Dec 10th, 2009, 08:01 PM
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Bettyk, did you find that your househunting was seriously disrupted? Rambling around in the snow sounds fun to me actually, my only concerns are the trains running and places being open for tourists. At the very least, if we're snowed in it'll be a very Dickensian experience!
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Old Dec 10th, 2009, 08:55 PM
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Anyone who places any credence at all in a weather forecast more than a day in advance simply doesn't understand Britain.

But where does this "the 10 day forecast and they're calling for snow" come from anyway?

The Met Office says "Some showers likely to fall as sleet or snow" in the north and east of Britain. Which is a million light years away from saying snow will fall and stick in London.

On the basis of the evidence available right now, your chances of finding snow on the ground in London in 10 days' time are virtually zero. And the only thing you can say for certain about changes between now and then is that the forecast will be different in 10 dsays' time
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 12:42 AM
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It always snows in north east Scotland in Winter...it rarely does in London, if it does it's unlikely before Christmas, if it does, it hardly ever sticks, and if it does snow AND stick, it's fun!
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 01:46 AM
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It is true that if the snow falls overnight it can get chaotic. Mainly because the people who drive the trains and buses can’t get to work. Plus our transport systems aren’t designed for snow as it’s so rare.

If it does snow there will be a disrupted day and then things will go back to normal. Actually, London in the snow is horrid. It soon turns to a sort of grey slushy on the streets and soaks everything. It doesn’t normally stick about for long though. And the parks are absolutely magical. Looking at the flamingos in St James Park is quite a sight (and god knows what the flamingos think).
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:09 AM
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and god knows what the flamingos think


'my toes are cold'...probably......
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:18 AM
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I would like to see flamingos in the snow!
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:20 AM
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PS It had better not snow at Christmas - I have to drive across East Angular on Christmas Eve 8-(
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:43 AM
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The flamingos do look rather wonderful in the snow – as do the parrots in Oxleas Woods.

East Angular? Is that a country?
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:48 AM
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Aha! - this must be St James's park, then.....

http://www.bencredible.com/wp-conten...wflamingo1.jpg

http://www.bencredible.com/wp-conten...wflamingo4.jpg
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:48 AM
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PS 'East Angular' is Goodyesque for East Anglia......
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 02:55 AM
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As is asking if it's a country.
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 03:03 AM
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Well, it is the end of the week......
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 03:14 AM
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I lived in London for 10 years and it snowed about twice, so I wouldn't get too excited.
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 07:31 AM
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This past February, on a flight from San Francisco, we were informed by the pilot that Heathrow was closed due to snow. We flew on to Amsterdam. Later I got a KLM flight to Edinburgh and began my rail trip. It was bitter cold the whole trip,but I didn't stay in my room rather seeing what I came to see and did what I wanted. This included lots of pub time. Don't fret about it. Go with whatever happens.
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 08:21 AM
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Here are my snow day pics from Februarybr />
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v1...9/WINTER%2009/
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Old Dec 11th, 2009, 09:57 AM
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the day after i arrove in London a few years back there was a few inch snowfall and yes chaos on the Tube, trains, roads, etc. But by noon everything was moving again and by the next day the snow was gone.

I cherished being able to see London under snow - the parks like said above are magnificent. Schoolkids were throwing snowballs everywhere - a party atmosphere it appeared.

You should be so lucky as to have snow - it will never tie up the city for long so not a real worry i think.
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