How to Survive Winter

It’s been a colder winter than we’ve had for years (although it’s still not like when I were a lad), and there’s more to come. The cold snap that’s just getting going here in Ireland could drop temperatures as low as -6°C - thankfully, with very little wind, because Ireland’s damp climate exacerbates wind chill. UK temperatures are already low, and could drop as far as -9°C in places.

It’s worth noting that the heating needed in this kind of cold snap will put some pressure on the UK’s electricity grid, which has been operating with very little in the way of margins for the last year or two. Likewise, the electricity supply infrastructure (not to mention water, etc) is not designed to handle temperatures that low, and power cuts can occur. In these cases, it’s useful to have another source of heat, some candles, and some food that can be eaten cold. If your house has no other heating source, it might be worth enquiring with friends or relatives as to whether you could, in case of necessity, stay with them for a night or two. Power cuts still aren’t as likely in the UK and Ireland as they seem to be in the northern US, but there’s no harm in being prepared.

On a different note, wildlife may be having trouble finding food at this time of year, particularly when the ground is frozen, so consider the possibility of putting out some food for birds. We’ve erected a bird table outside our study window, and there’s a fairly constant movement of small birds out there now.

December has been off to a very cold start with frosty mornings across Ireland, and the UK, and snow in northern areas. Here are some images from Aberdeenshire for illustration - several centimentres of snow, and temperatures down to -8°C. The canals have frozen over for the first time this year in Ireland (outside Dublin, that is, although there are patches of ice in as far as Ashtown on the Royal Canal), and indeed, it’s the first time I’ve ever seen them in that state myself. There’s more to come in the UK as well.

In weather this cold, it’s possible for pipes to freeze up, so if you’ve encountered this before, leave a trickle of water running overnight. Temperatures usually rise enough during the hours of daylight that it’s not necessary during the day. Rather than keep the heating on all day, it’s more economic to have it on a timer, turning it on half an hour before you get up or get in from work or college; except in the worst of cold weather, you won’t need heat on while you’re asleep, and there’s no point in heating an empty house. Do remember to wrap up well, too - the guide to winter clothing has plenty of good advice. Public transport is often delayed in this weather, so bear in mind that you may be standing at bus stops or on rail platforms for longer than usual.

According to an article on the Guardian site, very cold weather, with potential blizzards in the UK as far south as the midlands, can be expected over the weekend. In Ireland, it looks set to just be cold, so we’ll likely see more frosts - assuming we’re up that early on weekend mornings!

The UK MET Office released the final autumn forecast yesterday; this essentially covers the period to the end of November. It’s pretty simple: temperatures average or below, rainfall average or below. So dry and cool, and compared to the last few years, a nice change. So much of our winter weather has become “dealing with water”, rather than “dealing with cold” that I’ll be quite happy to see this prediction come true.

London has had its first October snowfall in over 70 years, according to the Guardian, the last one having been in 1934. And I saw my first air-frost in Ireland in three or four years - it was freezing as we got home last night, and there was ice in puddles and frost on hedges when I left again this morning.

The cold snap won’t last much longer, but even after it, temperatures are going to stay relatively low, I think - most days not getting much over 10°C. It’s time to hunt out the layers, hats and gloves. Remember that getting your extremities under cover will keep you a lot warmer!

When did you get your first frost this year? For many parts of Ireland (although, I think, not Dublin city), it was last night. Temperatures had dropped to 3°C last night around 9pm, and even the dodgy greenhouse thermometer on our kitchen window was reading 4°C at some minutes to 7am this morning. There are predictions of colder weather through the week, and some parts of the UK may see sleet or even snow - indeed, there are currently reports coming in of snowfall in Shropshire and the West Midlands. We almost certainly won’t see any near the East Coast of Ireland, even though it’s coming in on Northerly winds; the Northern and Western areas of the country will absorb any that appears.

But it’s very nice to see actual frost!

There are some indications on the weather sites at the moment that next Wednesday or Thursday could see the first frosts in Ireland. These are over the three-day threshold that I’d usually think of as being reliable, but there’s a general indication of a northerly airflow and some clear skies in the latter half of the week. If it happens at all, it’s unlikely to be a sharp frost, but do consider covering sensitive plants. Present indications are that this won’t affect the UK much, if at all, but keep an eye on it.

It’s the end of August. People in the UK and Ireland are getting ready to stop complaining about the muggy heat and unseasonal rain, and start complaining about the cold, the dark, and the unseasonal rain. As usual, I’ve hibernated my way through what there was of the summer, and am looking forward to winter.

And to get us started, there’s an autumn/early winter weather prediction up on netweather.tv, and another from the UK MET Office. The summary for September through to December is only very slightly off average - a little cooler than normal through autumn, a little warmer than normal in December, and with rainfall mostly a little lower throughout. That varies a bit depending on which part of the map you’re looking at, but it looks like there’s nothing too remarkable ahead.

Of course, after the wet summer, the ground is still saturated in many places, which can lead to winter flooding - there’s no chance for the soil to absorb rainwater because it’s already at capacity, and the water runs off. The UK and Ireland are finally learning to deal with flooding, though, so hopefully we won’t see the flood management debacles of the last few years.

It’s also worth noting that the last two winters have not been average; they’ve been very mild! So it may be colder than we’ve been used to.
I’ll keep you posted on winter weather predictions, and provide some up-to-date information on dealing with floods, colder weather, and rising energy costs over the coming weeks and months.

Wintry weather is sweeping across the northern parts of the UK today, with the “arctic pipeline” bringing down cold air, wintry showers, and most of all, cold wind.

The BBC have a headline of “Storms set to get worse across UK“, with blizzards forecast for Scotland.  The AA say “Where possible, motorists should postpone car journeys until the weather clears, but those who do need to be out on the roads may find they need to cope with weather related hazards.” The MET Office has issued warnings of “Blizzards, Drifting Snow & Heavy Snow”.
There are pictures up of yesterday’s storm conditions, some of which look rather nasty.

All ferry sailings on the Stena line between Belfast and Stranraer have been cancelled until further notice, and the P&O services are also called off.

Be careful out there!

Bob Vila has provided an excellent bi-annual checklist to be carried out on housing in autumn and spring. It deals more with detached housing than semi-detached or terraced housing, but it’s a good basis to develop your own checklist from. It’s also one that’s worth looking at even if you’re renting, as you may need to let your landlord know in advance of potential problems.