How to Survive Winter

Recent years in the British Isles have seen much colder winters, and there’s plenty of speculation about as to whether this trend will continue. It seems foolhardy to assume that there won’t be such cold again, though, so I’ll provide as much useful advice as I can for the cold snaps.

The rest of the winter is cold wind, cold rain, the occasional sharp frost, and often a sneaky, all-pervasive dampness.

Most ways to deal with the weather ordinary winter weather fall under clothing, but do think about acquiring a good umbrella – not too huge, because the really big ones are awkward, and catch the wind, but not the tiny fold-up ones either, because they tend to fall apart after a few weeks. And make sure that your bag, or whatever you carry books, music players and other gear in, is at least somewhat waterproof. Even if you’re not out in the rain much, you’ll be very glad of it if you drop it in a puddle.

For the cold snaps, you should check if your water supply is likely to freeze, and make preparations. You should also find out what preparations you need to make to get to work, school, or college, and establish how to know if there’s a snow day. Schools and colleges will often post this on their websites, but some may send out text messages, or rely on local radio broadcasts to spread the word. If all else fails, it can be worth a phone call – it’s disheartening to struggle in through poor weather only to find the place closed.

Some public transport has to close in bad weather as well. Buses, like any other vehicles, have trouble on ice, particularly on hills. Trains do fine in cold weather, apart from occasional frozen points, but they can be halted by heavy, deep snow. Underground and subway services are generally unaffected, but are likely to be crowded, as people who would normally drive or take buses pile on.

In terms of the actual weather to expect, it’s extemely rare for temperatures in the British Isles to go below -20°C – although it’s not impossible. Prolonged snow is also unusual. Broadly speaking, temperatures are usually a bit above freezing during daytime, with sub-zero temperatures and frost at night in the coldest parts of the winter – traditionally late December and January. Of late, of course, we’ve seen long cold snaps in November and early December, and snow lying for as long as three weeks. Snow that compacts to ice has also been problematic, and if you have any area of driveway, pavement, or outside steps that you have to walk over, it’s well worth sweeping or shovelling snow off as soon as it stops falling. And of course, it’s not particularly safe to spend long periods of time outside in the very cold temperatures, unless you’re doing something quite active. So be careful!