Early-morning traffic picks its way around La Croix Guerin. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0897363)
SNOW and icy roads disrupted travel early this morning.
During the night 2mm of snow fell, leading to some bus cancellations and minor delays to outbound flights.
There were reports of cars being stuck on hills in the higher parishes and Ruettes Brayes was reported to be virtually impassable because of stranded vehicles.
Police said that most routes were passable although they had received calls about problems, in particular two cars that had become stuck on Le Val des Terres.
There were also unconfirmed reports of a motorcycle accident this morning.
There were no problems with incoming flights but airport director Colin Le Ray said there would be delays with Manchester flights because that airport was closed.
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Article posted on 5th January, 2010 - 11.00am
68 Article Comments
2mm of snow. I’m suprised we can cope with that!!! Oh wait a minute…..were not
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2mm of snow and everything comes to a near standstill. What kind of mickey-mouse island do we live on?
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2mm?
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Here we go again,a few snow flurries falling on
the British Isles,and everything comes to a virtual stop !our long visit to Norway,is a real eye openner to how a country just gets on with it.
At this time of writing, here there is in places up to
a metre depth of snow and average temperatures that bite you, down to minus 11dgrC !
and without any big fuss life just goes on as normal,children as young as six just ski or walk
to school,closing schools here would be a joke,busses and trains run as normal,and people going to work by car as normal and the economy
not grinding to a halt with loss of man hours,and airports open for business,and the real winters
here barely mentioned on the media….
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Charlie Gabriel – that’s great for them, but then they spend most of winter snowbound and so they are set up for dealing with it. The odd occurence here is not enough to justify having lots of snowploughs sitting idle for a few years until the next cold winter, or having schools built especially to cope with those temperatures, or everyone fitting snow tyres for 4 months of the year.
And the island has not exactly stopped has it? Traffic was bad this morning but that would be a combination of the snow with the fact that the schools started again today and so people who had got used to leaving late for work and meeting no traffic were all suddenly on the road at the same time as the school run. I didn’t actually encounter any difficulties caused directly by the snow.
I would expect that even in Norway people would have trouble driving up or down a road like the Val des Terres when there is fresh slushy snow on the road.
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@TL
Totally agree, it really annoys me when people make silly comments like “What kind of mickey-mouse island do we live on?”
Perhaps they are willing to pay the extra to have snow ploughs, gritters etc sitting there year after year for the occasional bit of snow?
Anyway, the Island didn’t come to a stand still, there were issues due to a combination of scenarios, as TL has already pointed out.
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Yes,on the Continent snow is just another hazard,and its well catered for.Exceptional falls of snow though can cause havoc even here,but in the main as soon as the first snow falls the salt wagens or ploughs are out keeping the highways clear,we have just returned from Berlin after the New Year by coach,snowed all the way back,but coach arrived on time.The biggest danger in Guernsey is when the snow arrives,and the cars are out on their summer tyres,then the danger,especially for kids on their way to school,is considerable.Best advice is,snow or ice on the roads,summer tyres on the car or vehicle,then leave it standing till conditions improve.Winter tyres are not law here,but if you take your car on the road you “need to have tyres to fit the road conditions”!Looks like you may be in for a bit of winter even in Guernsey,so take care!
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Question: “What kind of mickey-mouse island do we live on?”
Answer: an island full of people who are not used to snow, as it is a relatively rare occurrence.
I’m the first to gripe about the inadequacies of this island however on this occasion I will leap to it’s defence. We do not get enough snowfall regularly to justify investment in the infrastructure. I’m also led to believe that salting the roads would affect the water supplies due to the catchment of water.
In addition, the island’s population (in general) are not used to these conditions on a regular basis. They therefore don’t have the driving experience to handle the conditions well….and no, driving a 4×4 doesn’t automatically make you safe in the snow – you need to know how to handle one in those conditions.
That doesn’t make the island (or its population) mickey mouse.
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TL – agree. We cope OK considering how infrequently we get snow. We do have lots of steepish hills that would cause problems for anyone, however experienced. One of the problems is people driving too slow. Granted we have to take care and I would no way condone “clever” drivers who know it all, but drivers should read the conditions and drive accordingly – and safely.
Also being told (I expect this will be said soon – it has in the past) to stay in unless your journey is essential is as if we are on the Yorkshire Dales. There are drivers who are quite capable of getting around this island in snow – safely – so don’t treat us like children.
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One contributors comment ,about a “mickey-mouse Island” ref;the snow,was a bit harsh..With respect to TL,part of my family are from Norway,so
hand on heart I can say I have plenty of experience to how Norway and life there goes on.
Of course they are used to it,by law,winter tyres are fitted from Nov to March,snow or no snow.Schools in Norway are constructed as normal,and heated as normal,by law water pipes are laid below the frost level,so no water cuts at schools,they remain open there simply because
like most other countries Norway does not suffer
from that over exagerated thing called “Health and Safety” which has sadly ravaged Britain,so parents there do not think twice about there kids walking or to ski to school,or worried about there little darlings falling over…I can 100% assure
you,that Scandinavians would just laugh at our
Val de Terres in winter…I agree that a combination of scenarios probably did add to the
slight problems on the Island.If anyone is still
not sure about my comments on scandinavia in winter,proof in the pudding ? visit the place. my 7 hour DVD, filmed from the front cab of a train,going from Bergen to Oslo in winter makes for “jaw dropping”,viewing..Shame on Eurostar!.
Thankyou to local media for keeping us informed on
local conditions, keep up the good work..
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I do find it a bit chucklesome that 2mm of snow is newsworthy!
I’ve just come home from north london where there was 12 inches of snow fall in two days. The roads were dicey then!!
This morning the worst problem was the nervous drivers braking at ever corner and for every car that passed them!
If you aren’t comfortable on the “snow” then don’t drive!
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Today was my first day back at work after the Christmas break, and I had made some sausage rolls, and a cake, for my colleagues in the office. Plus, tonight I do voluntary work between 6pm and 8pm, therefore finishing after my last bus home. Because of these two factors, both my choice admitedly, I drove into work this morning in my trusty, (although deeply unpopular in Guernsey), elderly, 4×4. I left St. Peters the same time I do every working day, 7.45am. My usual journey time is 20 minutes. Today it took me two and three quarter hours to get to my office in town. But I can’t say it was “the snow” that seemed to be the problem. 4×4 or not, I HATE driving in the snow and/or ice for the simple reason after 25 years of living in Guernsey I am not used to it and I don’t feel confident, so I chose to stick to the “main road” route through St. Martins as opposed to the lanes of St Andrews or Castel. There was one, twenty feet or so dodgy patch, in St.Martins, just by what I call the “Sticky-out” house. So I am more than curious as to why the traffic came to a standstill, not even a crawl, a total standstill, on the main road. I don’t think you can blame the 2mm dusting of snow, it was probably a variety of issues, but I AM curious. Last time this happened I believe was February 2009, so once a year I can cope with, even if last year it did stop me getting off the island to see “Strictly Come Dancing.” Tomorrow however I will definitely be on the number 4 bus. As I say, I been away from the island for a few weeks, where is Arnald? I almost miss him.
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Good posting TL but I would like to Know how they measure the depth of snow can any one inform me as I had more than 2mm on my car at Vazon. As Paul says mopst people don’t know how to drive in snow there lies the problem. Have aalso seen people using Cell Phones whilst driving in these conditions those are the Mickey Mouses.
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Good idea. Let’s drive up val de terres guernsey’s biggest hill after snow! Not treated either! MUPPETS!!!!
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woke up saw the snow , saw how little it was an thought yes school can still go,, it may of been icy yes,, slushy yes but hey ho not as if it ever lasts long here, so grow up to who that wines about it,, ive drivin in it , yes i went slow an spun a few times but so what. just try a 4 sec gap between an ur be fine
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i have to agree with Valdubon,to put on the radio that you should nt go out unless you have to just smacks of complete idiocy.It also perpetuates the “I am helpless when it comes to snow” mentality.i agree Guernsey does nt see a lot of snow,but it should not be a Island wide national emergency if 2mm fall or even 2 inches fall.In most countries,if 2 inches fall,(depending on which way the weather is going)the schools still remain open.Not Guernsey,everything must come to a grinding halt,because at the end of the day,its the biggest news story of the week !!!
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Hepzibah
Arnald is stuck in traffic
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Run for cover another mm on its way!
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Some of us had no choice due to no busses than to ride a motorcycle in this blizzard! This I managed without a single wheel slipping once.
If car drivers stopped thinking they were perfectly safe in their little metal boxes then a feeling of self preservation might make them drive in a way safer for them and the rest of us!
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I have to say that the school’s should have been open today. Its 2 mm of snow which has melted and the occasional bit of ice here and there. If we get a large ammount like last Febuary then I can see an issue, Of course. But this is a bit OTT.
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@Motorcycle Man
You sir, are a hero.
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An island this size isn’t going to spend money on snow management assets sitting around on the off chance that we might get some ice once every ten years or so. And neither should it.
In short – wot Paul Le Page says.
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It very rarely snows here so we are less likely to be prepared for the snow, it only lasts for a couple of days any how. Its just one of those things…there is nothing you can do about it only just to take care on the roads and plan ahead. If it really is that bad, then dont go out unless its a Must.
Its suppose to get warmer by the weekend so things should be back to normal.
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There is no point spending money on equipment that would be sitting idle for years…
Salting the roads like Jersey and elsewhere is not a consideration due to our roads run off affecting the water table.
I happen to like it here when there’s a bit of proper winter weather. Just enjoy it if you can, it looks nice !
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Don’t you think it is total overkill to close the schools just because the buses weren’t running. Most of us can walk, even if for an hour, I thought it was supposed to be good for us!
Will this mean that half term will be cancelled so that working parents can make up for lost time?
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Could not believe a caller to radio Guernsey said it was disgusting her husband who works in the finance industry had to go to work or take a day off his holidays if he did not go in. For goodness sake nowhere is that far in Guernsey whats the problem with walking, we have been warned long enough that this weather was on its way, he could have got himself prepared if he is that bothered about his holidays. I will probably have to close my business tommorrow as the weather is due to get worse I dont want to walk so I will lose a days takings, ouch! I will get over it!
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total madness!! no snow or ice at l’islet this evening – but Marks and Spencer decided to close early due to bad weather!!
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The panicking does seem to be contagious. Yesterday did require a lot of care, but today the conditions are very straightforward and yet people are rushing to cancel everything.
After all, the “It’s Snowing so Guernsey must Shut” bandwagon seems to be moving along with any problems!
I suppose we’ll have to put up with fog-lights for the next fortnight now.
E. The other one.
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Eric,
Around the airport there was the heaviest snowfall yet last night, which partially thawed overnight and then froze again this morning. The fron page of today’s press said there was 2mm of snow at the airport overnight. That’s complete rubbish, it was more like 20mm
The roads were pretty much pure ice this morning, by far the worst conditions so far. Yet in Town there was no evidence that it had snowed at all.
Just because it’s ok in one area doesn’t mean it is ok everywhere. Businesses have to look after their staff who live in the upper parishes, even if the area the business is in is unaffected.
valeite’s coment is a model of hypocrisy…can’t believe people moan about walking in, yet he/she can’t be bothered to walk in. Classic!
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Eric (the other one) – one advantage is that I was able to find a parking space in town no problem!!
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Eric – the conditions in St Peter Port and north of the island were very mild today yes but the Forest area and beyond were much worse than yesterday with more snow and dangerous ice covering all the pavements and roads, and still are now.
Needless to say I still trekked 2 hours into town from Le Gouffre this morning to work, but people should realise just because there’s no snow trouble outside their house doesn’t mean other people aren’t having great difficulty getting to work.
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RE: Mrs B
If there wasn’t any snow or ice by L’Islet, you could have done your shopping earlier. I used to work there and I would not like to have to walk the 6 miles home if it were to pack down with snow and freeze the surface water to ice. The M&S uniform isn’t exactly the warmest, so please forgive them if they decide that the chance of having 15 or so staff stuck there not wanting to drive their cars on ice.
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Mrs B
Hope you weren’t panic buying !
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The Bourg was particularly lovely this morning, and Talbot Valley was a delight. I love the snow, and the clear air. The views are lovely and the peace and tranquility from the snow absorbing all the sounds is just great.
Its a pity that all the good feelings amd real enjoyment are dampened by the complete lack of any common sense.
Come on people – you don’t need the radio to tell you whether to go to work. If you can’t drive then wear a pair of decent boots and enjoy the walk, for it won’t be more than an hour, but don’t bolt the doors and start hoarding tins of beans.
It’ll be Spring soon and we’ll moan about the rain, and then only a short respite before the “Scorcher” headlines.
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I love Guernsey
It’s the center of the world
it’s a must see for everybody
Having not been on Guernsey once in your lifetime, you have missed the best place on earth
forget about culture, continent, Dubai and other exotic places. everything you want is on Guernsey in many varieties and all very efficiently in one store located…..imagine living elsewhere!!
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I think this is a case of ‘over the top’ as usual when this happens in Guernsey. What would happen if it snowed here like it has in the UK? More snow is forecast tonight and tomorrow, so it may happen yet. Nothing else can be closed if it does snow heavy. I think closing the schools today is over the top, I appreciate that teachers can live in the higher parishes, but never the less, it is a bit dramatic. As for businesses and staff, you’ve had enough warning about this weather, cover could have been sorted in case it does come.
We’re very lucky to have escaped (so far) the worst of the weather, so count yourselves lucky. Stop moaning about the icy patches, there are people far worse off than us.
Who bets that the schools will be closed tomorrow as well???
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shut the schools it could rain tommorow!
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valiete nowheres far to walk in guernsey thats your opinion.Well there was no way i was going to walk the 4 miles to work and risk slipping and then have to be off work for weeks.
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On Wednesday morning, about 7.25, I came off my scooter, on the icy road, just near the fire station corner heading towards Doyle Road from BSJ.
I seriously damaged my knee and could not put weight on it.
Whilst lying in the road and struggling to stand and move my scooter off the road I would like to say a BIG THANK YOU to the FOUR car drivers who overtook me and left me to wait for the ambulance.
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L – that’s fine that’s your choice, but many of us don’t have the desire to take a day off work out of our valuable annual leave, and then waste it locked up in our houses.
It’s a great pity that you weren’t able to enjoy the weather, there have been some lovely ‘picture postcard’ views.
E. the other one.
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I walked 3 miles to work on Wednesday morning, I fell on my bum twice, my feet just disappeared from beneath me and I got up and carried on walking. I could have stayed home and taken a day’s leave for doing so but I don’t want to waste my precious annual leave for the sake of an hour’s walk. Yesterday I skidded a couple of times but didn’t actually fall as it was much better. I can understand why some people with mobility problems won’t want to walk but for others it’s mostly about laziness.
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Shocking story Steven – what is wrong with these people?
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Eric (the other one),
Good for you but then please don’t then complain if you go a** over … and have to take time off to recouperate. Trust me, having to take 6 weeks off for a broken ankle last year was no fun at all.
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This whole island has gone soft. A little flurry of dust and the majority are panic striken. We are the laughing stock. Completely over-reacting. God knows what we’d be like if some real snow hit. There’d be mass looting in the streets.
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You have to admire the bus drivers. They called it right, when things first turned nasty around 07:45 on Tuesday morning.
And they were the first back on the roads as each route unfroze during the day. And each day since.
The bus company has come out of this with flying colours.
Which is more than you can say for States Works.
Vote for “Bus Driver Made My Day” at http://www.bug.gg
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We get a lot of snow here. We do have snowploughs and salters covering the major roads but I don’t think Guernsey should waste money on them.
Here every householder and business is responsible for clearing their footpath following a snowfall. I was out a couple of mornings ago at 6am to clear my path before work. Having clear paths greatly assists those who walk to work so as not to take a day off. If everyone in the Grange, Rohais, Queens Road etc were to clear their paths it would make for fewer accidents and certainly help some with the commute.
We keep an eye on the weather report and if snow is in the forecast, I set the alarm for a little earlier so I can clear the path and do the longer commute to work.
In my experience, the key to driving on snow and ice is to take things slowly. No fast turns or sharp braking. Give everything more time and room than your normally would.
@hepzibah, it shouldn’t have taken as long as it did for you to get to work but leaving at normal time was a bit optimistic.
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To all those saying we’re all over reacting, I’d really like to see you all slip on black ice, it doesn’t half hurt!
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I cannot, cannot, cannot believe the fuss so many seem to be making about this pathetic bit of snow we’ve had recently.
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Guernseyman
The only people over reacting are people like you my friend, with your silly comments. Most people are not panicking and are just getting on with things.
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Perhaps when people comment they could also state the parish they live in and the parish they work in? The difference between certain areas has been drastic on some days. Many of the traffic problems have arisen because there are too many cars (on Guernsey) and several roads shut.
I agree with bcb, the overreaction has come from the people such as Guernseyman and Truth man about the perceived ‘overreaction’ of others.
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Yes, as Guernseyman says, you are a laughing stock. I’m a Guern myself, but have lived in France for 40 years. Down here in the plains of the south-west, we seldom get snow,so there are no snowploughs, just like in Guernsey, though it doesn’t take long to find grit to put onat least the main roads.I don’t know if long_way_away lives in France, but here, where there are pavements, the people whose doors or drives open on to them consider it perfectly normal to clear them to make them safe every morning. OK, I know many country places in Guernsey don’t have pavements, so this wouldn’t be a panacea, but it would at least make most of the main roads safe to walk on. Where is your sense of civic duty, Guerns? As to walking to work or staying home and losing a day’s holiday,on snowy mornings my father used to walk from the Hubits to la Ramée. He did slip and break some ribs one year, but that didn’t prevent him doing the same again following years. For him it wasn’t a question of losing pay or a day’s holiday, it was a question of responsibilty: he had a job that held responsibilty, so he lived up to the confidence his employers had placed in him. Hey, Guerns, is it too old-fashioned to see things that way, rather than in terms of money or leisure? Think about it!
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Wendy G – before you criticise from afar, it might be worth actually finding out what it is really like here, rather than believing some of the comments above. The only people that I know who have not gone to work throughout this are teachers – because the schools were shut. My office has been fully staffed throughout.
There has been no panic, no breakdown of society, just an adjustment to the conditions and getting on with life.
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Good point from Dean…I live in town and drove around St Andrews and Forest – the difference was considerable even later on in the week.
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@ Wendy G
you are o so right, and shame on the people who are immediately defensive (or a better word: offensive)
you are still interested in Guernsey, otherwise you would not be reading this article, you had a reallife comment about your father,you will talk very very positive about Guernsey and yes there you people start slagging you off… shame on PL saying business continued as normal?!? well your business needs your airport and that did not work as normal!!! . I cant wait to leave the island, that decision we have now made, and we will be making sure we have more contingency for our business and move work off Guernsey to Europe where they live in 2010!!!!
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Wendy G
you say
my father used to walk from the Hubits to la Ramée. He did slip and break some ribs one year, but that didn’t prevent him doing the same again following years.
Do you call that being responsible?
Thats a very good reason to not let the children walk to school in places where it is to dangerous?
by the way who exactly is laughung at us? maybe apart from you.
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Dean:
I agree the effect has differed from parish to parish, but to suggest I have overreacted is ridiculous! I merely make the point that I cannot believe the fuss so many people were making over the snow. It is a valid, and accurate observation, and is based on my personal opinion. If your cocoon didn’t allow you to observe the overreaction by many then that is your issue, not mine.
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Surely a few guys on the back of flatbed trucks can shovel grit onto the pathways and hilliest parts or a salt substitute. They do in Scotland. As for the val de Terres… surely any salt run off would go down to the coast road and into the sea would it not?
I don’t see grit bins in the clos. In Scotland we had grit bins so householders could grit the paths outside their houses.
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OK, sorry Truth Man, I admit I included you in that comment to get a rise out of you, and although I succeeded, I do now regret it.
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“you are right Wendy” – are you Wendy G in disguise?? You seem to have taken great offense on her behalf but if you read my post you will see that I was neither defensive nor offensive, I was merely pointing out that reading some of the hysteria posted on here might not be the best way to gauge what is happening ‘back home’.
The simple fact is that life has continued with a few adjustments.
I did not say that the airport closure is not important (it is certainly regretable). I did say that my office has remained fully staffed, which is true. My business has been more affected by people in the UK not being in their offices than by events in Guernsey.
Good luck in Europe. You’ll need it.
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Isn’t it remarkable how the States can accept polluting our beaches with sewage but that the risk of contaminating our streams, despite having the ability to divert all stream waters straight out to sea, is deemed unacceptable ?
So – we can contaminate our salty seawater with sewage, but not with salt-contaminated freshwater.
You really couldn’t make it up !
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Hey folks: those who reckon it’s too dangerous to walk on snow and ice have obviously not got any old pairs of woollen socks. If they did, they’d be wearing them over their normal footwear, thus protecting themselves from the risk of falling. Try it, it really works! Or would your sense of the ridiculous prevent you? Seems a lot of people have got their priorities wrong these days, but it’s great to see there are some after my own heart left!
oh, and bcb: I suppose you wouldn’t let your kids go skiing either, just in case they got injured? True, you can’t ski in old socks!
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Dean:
Very amusing! I can always be relied upon to take the bait!!
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Wendy G
That’s not entirely true
I have just come back from skiing in Aux D’Socs.
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Wendy G
So you think walking around in deep snow is the same as walking on frozen ice do you?
Isn`t going skiing a matter of choice unlike making people walk on slippery ice with traffic only feet away.
I actually find your comparison rather ridiculous.
TL
thats exactly what i was thinking re wengy g in disguise.
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Sorry TL and bcb, no it wasn’t me in disguise! Please would that person set things straight. However, if you are proper dyed-in-the-wool Guerns like me, you’ll have noticed that the person you think is me in disguise can’t really be a native Guern, since he/she talks about moving work “off Guernsey”. Now what local would say that? presumably to go “off” you have to live “on” Guernsey. Sorry mates, but I was born and brought up IN Guernsey! Cor, blimey, eh!I’m from St Peter’s, me!
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She’s a ‘true Guernsey-woman’! Argument over!
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As being not born on Guernsey, but living in Guernsey, although raised with 3 languages I do make mistakes against English, but still happy to speak the other two as well :) you asked me to set things straight, well sure I will I am not Wendy G, hence Wndy G is right, it was very interesting and entertaining to read this dialogue. Well I still hope Guernsey will do well, good luck for Europe we do need, as we are still in Sterling booking profit and the pound is loosing it……so yes we can blame the Uk luckily again. Still I would hope that we can prepare a bit for the future , I do believe the costs of having measures in place for a bit of frost must be cheaper than airport closures and other discomfort.
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Try living in England over the last fortnight..
You need us….Oh you do! When willyou realise that?
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