Snow 2011

[billybob476]

Yes snow is very rare where I live.. they say it happens every 5 years or so.. well get got some last January and now we are getting today.. coming down like crazy now.

We don't normally get anything like the snow we've had in the last two years either. Everyone moans about how it shut the country down but the truth is it doesn't normally fall like that an we're simply not set up to manage it.

Despite the fact the country's overdrawn, someone will need to buy a few more ploughs in the next few years if this is going to carry on.

Especially at Heathrow!

[Feathers]

True. Maybe they can sell a few full body scanners to fund the purchase.

[Rico]

Mike - should have handed all those stranded passengers a shovel and tell them to get out there and clean off the runways.  I'm actually not kidding.  Would have been cleaned off in no time.  Should do the same out east in the States when the snow hit.  ;)

[Feathers]

It would have cleared the runways but I can't see the security guys letting them do it.

I've worked airside at a few places and hoops must be jumped through in order to get the appropriate clearances. I also wonder how the passengers would react but I'd love to see someone have a go at getting them to do this.

[billybob476]

I learned to fly gliders at a Canadian Forces base in British Columbia. You couldn't get anywhere near the flight line without a valid ramp pass. I imagine a large airport would be just as strict.

[Feathers]

Oh yes! My experience (of civil airports) was before 9/11 too. It can only have got harder since then.

(I've been to military airfields since then, but they're a different kettle of fish)

[Rico]

Oh, yeah I realize all the security issues but these people need to start thinking a bit more logically.  I was on a very late flight back home one time and the little tube thing wasn't lining up with the cabin door right.  It was like one in the morning and we waited and waited for them to fix it.  People asked why we couldn't exit the plan via another door with stairs brought out to us and the crew said it was a safety issue.  So, after maybe an hour of trying to fix the tube, guess what - they let us all out via the rear door and stairs.  ;)

[Feathers]

Yes, but I bet you were 'supervised' all the way to the terminal door and not left to roam the tarmac as you saw fit.

[Rico]

Yes, but I bet you were 'supervised' all the way to the terminal door and not left to roam the tarmac as you saw fit.

I guess.  Again, I just find it silly that some snow shuts things down so easily sometimes.  This is the year 2011 and we have ways to deal with weather.  Heck, even one big snow plow could clear a runway in a short time.  Not take days and days.

[Feathers]

Yes, but I bet you were 'supervised' all the way to the terminal door and not left to roam the tarmac as you saw fit.

I guess.  Again, I just find it silly that some snow shuts things down so easily sometimes.  This is the year 2011 and we have ways to deal with weather.  Heck, even one big snow plow could clear a runway in a short time.  Not take days and days.

Yeah, that's what surprised me, not being able to keep even a single runway open. On the other hand, once you have a terminal full of people, how do you govern which flights will land and which will take off? With only one runway you're running a reduced service and at that point I suspect it simply became more economic to shut the place and keep everyone away rather than try and manage who comes and who goes.

[jedijeff]

A few years ago, up where I live, we really had an issue with snow removal. The City was contracting a lot of the services out, and were not paying as much as private business. So we would go for days after a major snow fall with snow clogged roads, but once you got to the Mall or a Walmart, the parking lots were all cleared. All the Snow Removal people would be doing the stores and businesses work first as it paid better. They have found a better balance now, and it seems after a major snow fall, every second guy with a truck, has a trailer with a Bobcat going somewhere to do a snow removal job. I live on a Bus route now, so within a day or two we get our roads cleared which is nice. I was impressed with Pyrovile Videos, for such a major snow fall, they got his roads cleared pretty quickly.

[spaltor]

Snowpocalypse 2010 hit the northeast US last week - 24 inches at my house.  Here are some photos from my phone.  The photos near my house are all last Monday morning.  The last one is the airport on Wednesday morning, when I was trying to fly out to Florida.  Ugh!

[moyer777]

wow, that is a lot of Snow Sue!

[spaltor]

Yes, yes it is.  :)  And it's snowing again right now! (Not that you can tell from this photo, but at least you get to see the view into Bryant Park from my office.)

[Bryancd]

Where do you live, Sue? We were at my families home in Greenwich, CT for the post Christmas blizzard. Nice shot of NYC, i used to work at 51st and Ave. of the Americas.