Winter Nightmare

Well, it has been great fun watching and reading about how the UK and Europe has been suffering from a major cold snap that has seen freezing temperatures, and lots of snow. And Europe has ground to a halt.

Flights have been heavily affected, with airports suffering massive delays, and/or closure. Roads are covered with snow and ice making driving treacherous. Cars are struggling to get anywhere, with entrances to the motorway proving too much for many cars to just get up the hill. Also, the snow has forced many people to abandon their cars and walk home.

The biggest and most public failure has to be the Eurostar. The trains are built with snow barriers to prevent snow from getting into the electronics. But the weather has been so bad that there has been such a build up of snow on the train that as soon as it goes into the tunnel, the snow melts, and gets into the electronics. Causing many to break down. And only now, after about 4 or 5 days, are Eurostar able to begin to start returning to service.

The debate rumbles on.

Snow is a problem. Why is Britain (and Europe) so badly prepared for it? Well, the argument crops up that these events are very rare in Britain, thus it makes no sense to spend lots of money to be ready for an event that crops up so rarely. However, this seems to be cropping up rather more frequently now!

I can only speak from my experience here in Kashiwazaki in Japan.

I have had 4 winters here in Kashiwazaki. 1 we had no snow to speak of. Another we had a couple of days. 1 winter we had a decent amount of snow, and then there is this year. This year it started early with Niigata and northern Japan getting blanketed.

The big difference being however, Kashiwazaki did not grind to a halt. The UK has had a lot of snow, whilst Kashiwazaki has had over a metre's worth. Which sounds like a lot. Except that round Kashiwazaki, in the mountains, it is at least double!

So, how does Kashiwazaki survive?

Simple. Many different techniques.

For 1. During October, many engineers run around checking little things in the road.

The actually turn out to be part of a sprinkler system. Given Japan suffers from very heavy rainfall during the rainy season, the roads are all lined with deep gutters to cope with the sudden flood of water.

So, why not make use of it? As soon as snow begins to fall in any intensity, the sprinkler system is turned on. This means a steady flow of water prevents the snow from sticking and building up. And for cars, it is not a major issue.

Next. Councils employ teams of drivers who are qualified on multiple vehicles, so, once the snow begins, gritting trucks are unleashed. Also, snow ploughs are also let loose. Many councils also have combination trucks for the highway. Snow plough come gritter.

Not only that, but many businesses will also have snow clearing equipment of their own. Big companies will have a digger or something stashed away which can be unleashed when they need it. Or, several companies that share common land will club together. It is not uncommon as I make my way round Kashiwazaki, to see yellow or blue diggers parked up in car parks. Indeed, last night I was woken at 2 in the morning when the major repairs garage next door sent their truck around to move snow.

Smaller companies do not have the financial clout to get a digger of their own. They may get something like a Bobcat, or something like the picture above. A special blade which can be attached to the front of your businesses K Truck.

But what about pedestrians? Well, the council also sends its engineers round with small snow blowers like above, and cut paths in the snow for people to walk down!

And the future? Well, there is a firm in Japan developing a robotic plough that does not need a driver. At the moment, it is only able to do pavements (sidewalks). But this is a good thing. Problem is, the priority is to keep the roads clear. Unfortunately, that means the pavements tend to get ignored, and sorted out later. And then, because it has to be done on foot, the clearing process takes far longer.

It would be very cool however, if the local council has a small army of these, and as soon as the snow begins, they automatically roll out and start doing their thing!

Finally. And possibly the most simple. When you buy a car, you buy a second set of snow tires to go on your car at the same time. Once you hit mid-November, people begin to head to garages to have the tires switched over. A simple exercise that prevents a lot of accidents, prevents skidding, and allows for cars to keep on going.

I can attest to that. Even though I drive a Nissan X-Trail 4x4, getting out of the garage is tricky when icy because even though the back has grip, the front does not, and you have to gun it to get up a small incline. Then break hard or smash into a house on the other side! Makes for fun...

Though I must admit, coming from England does give me an advantage. Japan gets blanketed with a lot of snow, and it can turn into ice. However, it is usually white. In England, you tend to get black ice. Far more deadly because you cant see it. My girlfriend has major worries on black ice, but I do have a bit more confidence. And the snow tires with the extra grip do help!

The only draw back is you do pick up a lot of rumble off dry roads when speed gets over 100kph. Makes driving with a vibrating steering wheel fun!