Why do I love snow?No- why am I fanatical about snow?
It all started at the age of 10 (1945) when I helped take observations for a primary school weather station.A yaer later I started making my own observations.The first winter I covered was 1956 which had a very cold February.My folks had some freinds who lived in a caravan in a farm a couple of miles out of my home town of Buton -on -Trent.Fearing the friends might be snowed in we walked through the fields amongst deep snow drifts to take some provisions.
That trip gave me the thrill and excitement of an unusual event which brought normal life grinding to a halt. I was also struck by the sheer beauty of snow- both snow falling and snow lying on the landscape and trees -snow piling int drifts and withsunshine and blue sky the blue tinge opalescence of the shadows on snow.After that first event, in winter, I became an avid watcher of the BBC weather forecast and the Sunday one week Forecast for Farmers,(the forerunner of Country File)
But what really turned me into a lifelong snowy was the great winter of 62/63.I still have my records.But the memories are more vivd- school cross country running in deep snow,blowing snow and blizzard conditions,TV footage of food drops on Dartmoor and nearly three months of continual cold.Although it was spoken of as 1 in 200 year event I thought I would see lots of winters like that!
So snow has been a constant winter preoccupation.And as it rarely turned up -if the mountain won't come to Mohammed then find snow.Henc elots of skiing holidays,lots of roaring up and down the country when blocked roads were mentined.
Also going withe snow is alove of low temeratures and record cold.To satisfy this I went to Greenland in early March a couple of years ago and experienced -40c,which is identical to fahrenheit figure 0f -40F.
Now the danger is that if you soend too much time poring over model chrts you can miss snow events.Last year in January the south didn't do brilliantly forsnow so got a train up to the Pennines got out at Garsdale and walked back on amooralnd track to Dent.Briliant!
So at the age of 68 my love for snow is undiminished.If anything does happen and deep white stuff occurs I shall eoff on a snow hunt!
Originally Posted by: roger63