I do however remember an extremely bad winter. That of 1963. It was bitterly cold, the coldest on record with temperatures down to -18ºC, and it snowed in a big way! Incidentally at -18ºC putting salt on ice won't melt it.

We had to dig our way across the farmyard to the cow byre to feed the cows and while we were doing that the postman arrived. He had made it as far as our lane but had then given up. He left the mail for the village of Carrshield at the Chapel below our house saying, 'If anyone gets here from there or goes there - ask them to take it'. Carrshield was a mere 2 miles from our house, further up the valley so to a 14-year-old boy that was a challenge. I got prepared. By then we had learnt to wear two pairs of jeans, one inside our wellingtons and one outside. Not only did that keep out the bitter wind but it also prevented snow from getting inside wellingtons. I put on a thick pullover, mits, Woolen hat and two jackets, one with a hood. Looking like the Michelin man I made my way down the lane to the chapel, struggled to put the post bag over my shoulder and marched off into the blizzard.

About another 20 yards and I got tangled up in something buried in the snow. Fence wires? Nope it was telephone wires still attached and normally 20 feet in the air. That's when I gave up! Carrshield's mail could wait.

It took gangs of men three weeks to dig their way to Carrshield. Even then there was one road which remained closed even longer where it went through a cutting which had been completely filled with a 44-foot-deep snow drift.

Incidentally, those snow blowers made keeping the roads open much easier. They did flatten a few greenhouses though until the council erected signs saying 'Snowblower - Blow left'. The guide wheel they used left a track which we all learnt to avoid - get your foot in that on a slope and it was like wearing ice skates.

Now if it should get as bad as this again here are a few tips about driving:
- DON'T - stay home unless it's absolutely essential.
- Remember, drive as though you have a glass of red wine on your dashboard and don't want to spill it.
- Don't think of going on a long journey without a full tank of fuel.
- Carry a snow shovel
- Carry some cat litter! It's a lot lighter than grit and works well in snow to give slipping wheels traction.
- Carry some flattened cardboard boxes. Place them under a slipping wheel.
- Shoes are good to drive in but carry boots to change into if you have to get out.
- If you are making a long journey - plan what you will do if you get stuck in a blizzard. Got warm clothes? A sleeping bag? Something to eat? Something to drink?
- Carry a torch and some tealight candles. Tealight candles give a surprising amount of heat out, make a snowbound car a lot more cheerful and help rescuers find you.
- If your car is buried, you MUST keep the exhaust pipe clear. Otherwise, when you run the engine to warm up the car you could end up killing yourself through carbon monoxide poisoning.
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4 comments:
DAMN!! biggest drift I've ever essn was maybe 6-8 foot.
Wowee ... that's serious snow! Thanks for all the driving tips ... now if we could just get the "other" people on the road to read them! LOL Unfortunately, I have a feeling that snow will miss us this year.
Typically it's not really the snow that gets me or my hubz --- it's the ICE! We had to drive into town today and the salt trucks hadn't been out yet, so the roads were extremely slick, and although we did manage to stay straight, we sure did scoot around quite a bit! We also passed an accident that looked very bad, and spent a few moment of silence during our trip to send some good vibes their way. It's been a strange winter here in Ohio!
Those snowdrifts are incredible to see. Great story.
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