Snow!

In London:

Coupla inches in Cambridge -- I had to help push some poor guy's Volvo out of an icy gutter on the way to work.

Peter

Yup, got some here (Hampshire) about 2am last night. The sun has completely melted anything that's not in the shade.

I came into work late this morning with 1" of snow on my car and it looked quite amusing parked in the sun amongst all the other snow-less cars!

Looks like more is on the way though!

edit: If you are going to tow people out of the snow do NOT use the towing eye!! (14mb)

Gareth

You would have thought that we were in for Alaskan conditions with the build up on the media, give it a couple of days and we'll be getting "the met office aren't good enough", in all the tabloids.
Even so, and we've had no more than a couple of inches, the two northern routes into Leeds were at a standstill, as was the northbound A1, as far as I could see, from Wetherby to where I turned off for the office.
But maybe I'm talking too soon, I'm driving to Aberdovey, via Wolverhampton in the morning.

"the met office aren't good enough"

Their website has been darn slow over the past week.

Gareth

None in my part of town

And it can't be considered snow until everything is covered

We managed even less in Surrey (this was at 4am this morning, there is even less now):

Spoke too soon, it's just started coming down hard in Leeds now!

Just as the first of my mob got to my desk, asking if they could finish up and go early, to avoid the snow, it stopped, just as suddenly as it had started!

Greetings!

For some reason (having just been hit with a pair of snowstorms), I am eagerly awaiting Doug or Mark signing on with a line - "That's not snow... (PHOTO) Now that's snow!".

You call that snow? That's not snow. THIS is snow.





pca

Thank you.

No snow in Roger's pic , but some of the others sort of qualify!

It's not snow unless you can hop onto your board on the roof and end up as a snow angel after a few 360s on the way across the carport!

Here's a photo out my office window of a LOW SNOW year (this morning):



Cheers

That's not snow. This is snow.

(This is from our Winter 03/04 Canadian collection, ably modeled by Hugo ).

And, yes, we had just boarded through those trees!!

No snow in Roger's pic

Almost all gone now:

That's more like it!

Cheers

PS: Roger: nice capture of the falling flakes on your first photo.. flash?

Andy, your recent photos posted to this BBS are beginning to outclass the rest of us!! Keep up the good shooting, mate!

Cheers

My favorite snow photography book.

Thanks Mark !

Today's picture of my car in the snow was actually an ISO 3200 image, with most of the noise removed with the magic of NeatImage http://www.neatimage.com/ , just think in a couple of years cameras will probably have the functionality of NeatImage built in, then 3200 will be just as usable as 400...

...kind of

PS: Roger: nice capture of the falling flakes on your first photo.. flash?

Nope. Just big fluffy snowflakes.

Fortunately it wasn't snowing this morning when I drove Jen to Heathrow -- it was a little bit icy on the back streets around here, though.

Bit of a blizzard in Cambridge at the moment. My car is stuck in the garage because the guy is too scared to drive it to the MOT centre (no traction control). Probably just as well.

View from empeg towers, 4pm:



Rob

My car is stuck in the garage because the guy is too scared to drive it to the MOT centre (no traction control). Probably just as well.

We had really bad ice at the office one year and my colleague had a Mk3 Supra at the time. I slid my Camaro into a parking space just missing a little Micra and went upstairs to the office. Part of the car park is on a REALLY steep hill and he drove around the corner to this steep bit and spun it 360 down to the bottom. Luckily nobody was parked on the hilly bit! He then drove back up and did a lovely ballet dance trying to park it (I thought he was showing off, but apparently not). Eventully he did, but it was sliding downhill sideways slowly so he decided to move it!

The maintenance man spread a lot of grit last night!

Gareth
PS. Colleague sold the Supra after five accidents, none of which were his fault. That car was definately cursed.

Wow, what did you guys do before they invented traction control? And how the hell did Richard Burns win the WRC championship if he had never driven in the stuff?

Austria, a few days ago. It's already dark outside, but I just had to go outside for some deepsnow driving
.

You win.

I've been out of the office for a few days. You see, as is typical here in NC, it snowed a little followed by a tremendous amount of sleet. Fortunately, it stayed cold enough during the precipitation this time that it didn't melt and collect on tree branches, power lines, etc. and bring them down.

But it got a little over freezing the next day and the sleet melted some. So basically, there's now some snow on the ground covered by a three inch sheet of ice. The main roads are clear, but the hundred yards from my parking space to one of those streets took about ten minutes of driving slow enough that when my car started to slide, it wouldn't get very far. Thank God I don't live on a hill.

On the way to work, there were some expanses of unmarred frozen precipitation that had also melted and refrozen. It looks like the landscape has been shrink wrapped in thick white plastic.

On another note, I think this is all why people can't drive on the snow in the South. Because it's not snow for very long. It too quickly melts and refreezes into ice. Up North, it must stay cold long enough to keep it from becoming a monolithic sheet of zero friction material. That and we have no studded tires or experience. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Hmm... NeatImage seems quite good. I've downloaded the trial and it does seem to remove quite a lot of the noise. Are your results as good as the example images they show?

They are, NeatImage is very, very good.

Here is an example, the snow picture I posted earlier. Here is the original 3200 ISO image:



and here it is after NeatImage:

Cool. Might be time to get the credit card out!

Had amusing snow all week - had a 4am drive from Livingston to Halifax on Monday through sleet, snow and ice. Was brilliant fun - saw no other traffic for hours except an M3 and a 911. Normally they would have been much faster than me, but I think my little Scoob had the traction
Tuesday saw some snow and ice near the house, as we are always a few degrees colder than most of central Scotland.

And today we had 3 inches in about 25 minutes - thought it was going to be great. Unfortunately then it stoppped, but am expecting much more tonight, which may make my 7 am flight to Belfast not run exactly on time.

Wish I was in Austria or Canada boarding on some proper snow!

Well, it just started pissing down with something that bears a vague resembalence to snow here. I got back from shopping on a rather windy night, and the instant I stepped out of the car there was a noise like vacuum cleaner, the wind doubled in speed, and I got sandblasted by little pieces of ice going past sideways at about 40 miles an hour. It's not even all that cold (0.1 deg. C), but it's certainly trying to get as much coverage as possible in a short time. By the time I'd unloaded the shopping, which took no more than about 3 minutes, there was already about 5mm of show on the ground.

pca

No contest! Here's what it's like in San Diego right now:


--Nathan

Wow, what did you guys do before they invented traction control

Probably didn't drive 3 litre automatics on icey roads.

Personally I love it, though!

Rob

Wow, thanks for the link to neatimage! That program rocks. Even the demo version does some sweet stuff.

Took this one this morning on the way to work... hope you boys are enjoying the snow! heheh.
(see attached)

Almost all gone now

...and a sudden flurry at about 5pm has put a fresh layer of snow down. There's some kids outside having a snowball fight, but I don't think I'll join them.

My wife texted me to ask if we had snow yet, I checked and texted back, saying "no, just sleet and thunder". Twenty minutes later I checked again and two inches of snow had suddenly materialised. Most unusual weather

That's IT. I need to go snowboarding again. NOW! IN AUSTRIA!

Hugo

NOW! IN AUSTRIA!

[censored]! My board's in Snow & Rock being repaired, otherwise I'd suggest we meet at the airport in the morning...

Took this one this morning on the way to work

That's cool, what did you take it with?

I'm guessing he took it with his crappy little Canon PowerShot that can't take good pictures and should really be traded in for a real camera.

Yup, I left work and thought "neat, I'll be home before the snow arrives".

About 10 mins later it was rainy, and then BOOMF! Snow everywhere and it was a 15mph drive the rest of the way following the cats eyes and lit by huge flashes of lightning. It was about an inch and half by the time I got home and I abandoned the car at the side of our driveway because it was sliding alarmingly (towards my other car) as I tried to turn into the gravel bit where I usually leave it.



(edit: Nikon CP990, 4s exposure, auto ISO)

Gareth

Personally I love it, though!

I discovered the joys of front wheel drive + emergency brake today in our empty corporate parking lot... I could've played for hours, too bad I actually had to go in and work

I'm guessing he took it with his crappy little Canon PowerShot that can't take good pictures and should really be traded in for a real camera

Yeah... S200 Powershot. Really wish i'd have had a digital SLR at the time. I've never seen a fog layer quite like that... and the pics don't do it justice.

For reference, I was being sarcastic. I think it's a fantastic photo, and shows that the camera is a great little camera as long as one isn't trying to take low-light indoor photos.

Looks like you tried to scrape the windshield.

Darn, I didn't see this thread until all the snow around here started melting. It started Sunday night in this area, just when I had to drive from the end of the peninsula in Norfolk back up to Williamsburg. It was not fun on the highway, since down in this area they have no idea how to deal with this stuff. So it was mile after mile of unplowed highway, with everyone approximating the lanes and going 25mph.

Since then, Monday was nice and white, with a good amount of snow on the ground. But it was just above freezing, so that night everything that was covered in snow now had a top layer of ice. Monday night there was an incredibly fine mist, and everything got coated in ice. But today it appears to be pretty warm, and I can hear a steady trickle of the water melting off the roof. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. I wish I had taken a picture now for this thread. All totalled we had about 5-6 inches, which is a large amount for this area

I discovered the joys of front wheel drive + emergency brake today in our empty corporate parking lot...

To be honest, sometimes I think I had more fun in my Focus during snowfalls than I do in my AWD Subaru because of the emergency brake turns!

Yeah... S200 Powershot.

How did you piece it together? Anything special?

I think I've seen real snow once. When I was in on vacation to go skiing. Never seen it at home though.

How did you piece it together? Anything special?

He probably used the PhotoStitch software that came with the Canon camera. We discussed it in another thread, it's quite good. In fact, it's the only good piece of software that comes with the Canon camera, the rest is crrrrrrap.

NeatImage seems to be similar to http://www.focusmagic.com/

Oh, and it's snowed here now too..

Tony's right again. Photostitch. Great program. Oh, and Tony, have you upgraded to the newest Canon software? They are actually improving it slowly. This last version is actually usable.

Oh, and Tony, have you upgraded to the newest Canon software? They are actually improving it slowly. This last version is actually usable.

Does the newest software have an upgrade of PhotoStitch? If so, where can I get it?

As someone who lived the first 2/3 of his life in N.C., with its sleet-filled-snowflakes-turning-into-icy-slushballs, and the most recent 1/3 in Colorado, with its high-quality-powder-turning-into-sun-drenched-beauty, I feel somewhat qualified when I say to you: YOU ARE CORRECT, SIR.

Good. My point being: It's not our fault!!!

It's hard to capture ice on ``film'', but I've tried:

Here in Boston we'd been bracing ourselves all weekend for a dump of 12-15" last night and today, only to end up with a measly 1-2". I'm not complaining - my arm is still twinging from shovelling the 10" of heavy snow we had in December. As a side benefit of today's snow, it actually warmed up for once to a toasty 28F.

Didn't seem worth getting the camera out.

FocusMagic seems to do a bit more than just noise reduction. There is another noise reduction tool called "Noise Ninja", great name eh? You can get it here:

http://www.picturecode.com/

Oh, we've got snow, lots of it. It's up to the height of the picket fence where I've been shovelling my driveway. And -10 deg F out right now (I believe that's -23 deg C). Here's what happens when it gets slippery (hit and run, I was the "hittee"):



All the salt really makes it look bad!

We had about a foot here last night. And for the third time I had an encounter with one of the "I have a 4x4, I shouldn't have slid/i should have been able to stop/I'm an idiot who shouldn't be allowed in public" douchebags. Who doesn't have enough insurance to cover the cost of my car, which is probably totalled (or at least I hope so). I want to kill. I am so pissed.

Not the Phaeton! Say it's not so...

-Zeke

Not the Phaeton! Say it's not so...

Don't remind me. It's a big black mess with 871 miles on it. eighthundredandseventyfuckingone miles. I loved that car. It massaged my back. And if no one else will give up one of the small handful of premiere editions left, the price of the replacement car will be like $14,00, give or take, higher.

Do you think "bitch needed killin'" is a valid legal defense? I think my lawyer can only get so many charges dropped in a month.

> Do you think "bitch needed killin'" is a valid legal defense?

Only in Texas.

So sorry to hear that!! And does that mean the other "situation" was resolved? I hope that's okay...

On that hour and a half drive I mentioned, the one with 4 to 5 inches of snow and ice and non-plowed highways, I and most traffic were doing a reasonable 35mph, whereas every single SUV on the road was doing at least 45. Hmmmm...let me think for a moment, but I wonder how much of a coincidence it was that every vehicle we saw that had run off the road was also an SUV. No, there must be another explanation...

Wow, that totally and utterly sucks. My sympathies.

Just to join in..
By my house nr London at 1 this afternoon.

I'm really sorry. That blows immensely. Try not to kill anyone (even though they deserve it).

-Zeke

Speaking of cars getting ruined as an indirect result of snow...

http://home.comcast.net/~mmohr357/tonycar.wmv

Oh, that was painful to watch. Especially when you could a) see the mound of show that the car was going to be pulled into, b) see that the strap was off center to start with and sliding with each attempt and c) know that the strap was not on the frame!!!

The stupidity of your average person never ceases to amaze.

The stupidity of your average person never ceases to amaze.

Remember: half the people in the world are of below median intelligence.

c) know that the strap was not on the frame!!!

But didn't they attach it to the tow hook? Isn't that attached to the frame?

Obviously not.

It amazes me that that was all because, apparently, they couldn't be bothered to find a shovel.

You could actually see it slide along the bumper with each attempt...

But didn't they attach it to the tow hook? Isn't that attached to the frame?

"Unibody"

They let the strap go slack and then yanked, and probably ripped the tow hook right off.

I have a 4x4

Ahh, that famous quote, only spoken by complete and utter fucking wankers who should have never been given licences. I have no problem with people who use their vehicles in the manner they were intended to be used. But when I see them lined up out the local primary school to usher the little yuppie larva the 1/2 mile home it really makes my blood boil, especially when they don't give way like they should. People that mention safety should also be shot. The only safety they care about is their own, not the poor bastard in the mini they've just driven over because they couldn't bloody see them!

Sorry about that, I hope you get the car sorted Heather it must've been really cool (the car that is, not the smash).

Two words: Geo Storm. 'Nuff said.

What about the huge bull bars that most of these cars have? Because it's SOOOO likely for you to have kangeroos run out in front of your car when you're doing the school run....

Because it's SOOOO likely for you to have kangeroos run out in front of your car when you're doing the school run....

Well, maybe not kangaroos, but kiddies, certainly. Maybe we oughtta start calling them kiddie-bars.

I own a 4x4, but I have taken it off road. Oh, and the first time I ever got behind the wheel of a car was in the winter, on a snow and ice covered road. Moron SUV drivers, you get what you deserve.

They can't have proper bull bars any more. I spent an entire day trying to remove the one's on our outside broadcast landrover, which I might add went up hills and through fields and had a winch that we actually used instead of picking it in the options brochure because it looked cool. The nuts and bolts holding it on were rusted solid. Thank heavens for the angle grinder, the engineers best friend

You really want proper bull bars made out of scaffolding poles. Now they're tuff.

Here's an excellent photo from yesterday's Daily Mail. You can now imagine what it was like pootling along the road and then WOOMF!



Gareth

I'm guessing he took it with his crappy little Canon PowerShot that can't take good pictures and should really be traded in for a real camera.

I've just bought an Ixus 300 off a work colleague for £100 with a case, an extra battery and a couple of biggish memory cards. I also got a copy of Photostitch which is really cool, here's a couple i've already done.

Home:


Galway in Ireland:


Really chuffed....

Yeah, the photo stitch application that comes with those Canon cameras is really good. The only good piece of software included.

Did you use a tripod, or were those hand-held? I've tried a number of hand-held panorama stiching things, but the results haven't been too pretty.

All hand held, in fact the one at home was shot in about a minute. One of the neighbours must've thought it was very odd.