Buffalo, NY to Essex

I was in Rayleigh for a month in December/January. It was pretty mild, but yes very short days. It wasn't much different than WNY (well besides the lack of snow ). Makes me wonder how people from the sunbelt cope with moving to the UK. Being from Buffalo should be pretty good preparation for UK winters.

Being from Buffalo should be pretty good preparation for UK winters.

It actually isn't, and I'll tell you why: when we get snow in the NE US, we all go, "Damnit, snow again." and get on with our lives -- going to work, school, etc. The road crews are out preparing and they hire in everyone with a plow on the front of their truck to help clear it, everyone takes care, yeah it goes all sloppy for a day or two depending on the severity of it all, but generally, it's a non-event.

When we get snow in southern England? "Snow?! SNOW?! AAAUGH!!! SNOOOOOOW!!!" Fifteen years of mild winters have left local councils completely unprepared to handle even the smallest amount of snow. Things get cleared slooooooowly; you could be waiting weeks for pavements to reappear and basically you're better off not leaving the house until the 3" of snow that caused the chaos just melts.

Actually, I think sonofasailor meant the opposite... there is almost no snow at all in winter in the UK .

Thanks. I did know the point that sonofasailor was trying to make. I know significant snow is quite uncommon here. Maybe I wasn't clear in my response, but what I was trying to say I don't mind snow in winter as I am used to it, but I might mind the steady rain of the UK. For my husband, who is British, the snow of Buffalo was quite a shock at first. Then I bought him a snow blower and he was out clearing snow in his sandals like everyone else!

Well being from Florida my experience with snow is limited to the UK. Ice slick pavements are my only real gripe.

But no, I met a guy from Chicago in Curry's once and he just made a comment that winters here aren't quite of the same nature...

I expect warmer and wetter winters than what I am used to, but I don't actually mean warm!  Buffalo winters can be quite fierce. I think it will be frustrating if we do get a small amount of snow, that life will grind to a halt here. For me, a foot of snow and life goes on is usual. My kids will love the school closure for little snow, though! It takes a lot for weather related school closings in B-lo. 

Thanks. I did know the point that sonofasailor was trying to make. I know significant snow is quite uncommon here. Maybe I wasn't clear in my response, but what I was trying to say I don't mind snow in winter as I am used to it, but I might mind the steady rain of the UK. For my husband, who is British, the snow of Buffalo was quite a shock at first. Then I bought him a snow blower and he was out clearing snow in his sandals like everyone else!

Oh, okay - sorry... I read it as that you didn't mind snow, therefore you were prepared for the snow in the UK. And my first reaction was 'what snow?'  .

Then I got a bit carried away with weather stats... because I'm a weather forecaster and I can't seem to steer clear of a conversation about the weather .

Well K24....if you can explain what "the wrong kind of snow" means in reference to road/rail closures....

It seems whatever kind they prepare for they get the other kind or something....

It's all frozen water isn't it?

Well K24....if you can explain what "the wrong kind of snow" means in reference to road/rail closures....

It seems whatever kind they prepare for they get the other kind or something....

It's all frozen water isn't it?

You know, I've never really understood what they mean by that either.

There are two types of snow - wet snow and dry snow... wet snow is the slushy stuff, while dry snow is the powdery stuff. Which type of snow falls depends on the atmospheric situation.

I don't know the details of the rail/road closures in regards to the 'wrong' type, but I did hear a story of how, a few years ago, one UK city (can't remember which one now), tried to prepare for winter by buying some really expensive, hi-tech snow ploughs from another country... but the problem was that the ploughs were only good for clearing dry, powder snow - so when the city got a ton of wet, slushy snow, they found that the ploughs were useless, didn't work when they tried to clear the snow, and were a total waste of money .