We may not have received our “White Christmas” but the entire island is getting a blanket of snow for 2010, and we’re not even through the first seven days of the year!
- The serious cold, then ice, then a dusting of snow started on December 31st; no end is in sight yet as more snow and/or freezing temperatures (down to 14F) is still in the forecast into next week (one report says 10 more days)
- Despite a delivery of road salt on last Monday, Kildare County Council say that they are due to run out by tomorrow; many counties are facing the same dilemma
- Ireland is competing with the UK (which is worse hit by snow) for salt stock; grocery stores in Ireland are reporting a 90% increase in sales of table salt
- Some schools around the country are staying closed during this time for safety concerns
- Our church’s pipes froze, rendering the boiler heating system useless and making for the first cold Sunday service in a long time; you could see your breath
- Potatoes grown in Ireland may be in short supply soon as €15 million ($21.5 million) worth of potatoes are frozen into the ground
- Car accidents have been aplenty, and visits to emergency rooms for breaks and sprains due to walking/falling on ice are on the increase; one of our friends is currently in the hospital with an ankle fractured in four places
- Local city councils may face lawsuits due to insufficient salting on roads and public walkways
- People have been warned to stay off of high-peak mountains in case of avalanche
- December 2009 was the coldest in 28 years; it still remains to be seen how this January will compare, but many feel it is the coldest and most snowy in years
Marleen
8 months ago
Question…Were the church’s pipes warped? I would think you are going to have some high fuel bills. You are always in my Prayers.
Love Mum
Alisha
8 months ago
We have some guys looking into the pipes and getting better insulation, and we’ll definitely have higher heating bills this month!