It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Community
General discussionEurope is freezing (the polar vortex thread)(159 posts)(159 posts)
(159 posts)
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This is my favourite topic
Posted January 07, 2017
Welp, just looked outside and there's a thin layer of snow on the ground. It's like this thin thin layer but yep, snowing in the Netherlands, a rarity these days. First time this year at least. I'll be glad when it's summer again >.<
Post edited January 07, 2017 by Pheace
Posted January 07, 2017
Someone needs to steal from Sharknado and make an over the top cheesy/campy disaster film called "Polar Beartex" where a swarm of Polar Bears flies down from the sky amongst the falling snowflakes to menace Sweden.

Edit - oh, or Canada, that that would be OT for this thread. The protagonists could be a plucky hockey mom and the disgruntled manager of a Tim Horton's.

It's really a story about the human condition and the social malaise of our times.
Post edited January 07, 2017 by bler144
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
WinterSnowfall: It won't melt (noticeably) until about 4 C, so you're good for now :).
avatar
timppu: What?!? Sure it will. I don't know if the snow is different in Romania, but here if the temperatures get even a tiny bit over 0 C, the snow becomes icky watery snow and icy slush. I like the light powdery snow (at -10 C or even lower), not that heavy snow (and slush). It is actually even worse because they always throw tons of salt on the roads here on winters, so the roads become "slushy" and dirty already at a bit under 0 C, like -4 C or so.
Woke up this morning, -1 and 'heavy' snow last night. I guess it will be that kinda weekend, if the sun shows itself even little here today.
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Prolence: Woke up this morning, -1 and 'heavy' snow last night. I guess it will be that kinda weekend, if the sun shows itself even little here today.
We were supposed to go to eat in a restaurant nearby today. I was first thinking we walk there in a lovely winter scene, but now as it is getting warmer, I am a bit worried we will get our feet wet and should go with a car instead.

It is still -5 C here so it should be ok for now (but apparently getting warmer), but already now all the roads etc. look dirtier than yesterday when it was around -10 => -22 C. Colder weather just seems to make everything brighter and cleaner, the dirt from the cars etc. doesn't attach itself to the snow the same way etc.
Post edited January 07, 2017 by timppu
Posted January 07, 2017
Here in a small town we have now -17 C.
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Pheace: Welp, just looked outside and there's a thin layer of snow on the ground. It's like this thin thin layer but yep, snowing in the Netherlands, a rarity these days. First time this year at least. I'll be glad when it's summer again >.<
Opened the last page of the thread to post my experiences, but Pheace beat me to it. Except that I do LIKE the snow and I hate summer with the possibility of heatwaves. I'll take cold any time, at least you can dress yourself for it. And snow is beautiful!
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
DubConqueror: And snow is beautiful!
Snow, up to being knee-deep is a beautiful thing, I have to agree. When it gets waist-deep, you'll start cursing it :). When it gets to a couple of meters deep you'll even curse its ancestors.
Posted January 07, 2017
It snowed a bit during the night where I live in Denmark. Then it rained a bit this morning. Then it froze.

Long story short, there appears to be a skating rink outside my front door :-/
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Wishbone: Long story short, there appears to be a skating rink outside my front door :-/
Nice, now you can train to do it like a pro, like this guy :P.
Post edited January 07, 2017 by WinterSnowfall
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Wishbone: It snowed a bit during the night where I live in Denmark. Then it rained a bit this morning. Then it froze.

Long story short, there appears to be a skating rink outside my front door :-/
Reminds me of some heavy freezing rain some 14, 15 years ago. Everything was covered with a centimeter or two of ice. It took the public services almost the whole day to make the streets somewhat safe again. You couldn't go or drive anywhere. A friend of me wanted to take out the trash and had to give the garbage container a heavy beating with a Bo staff first :D
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Jinxtah: -3°C right now in Denmark which is not too bad, but the nights recently have been some of the coldest I can remember for many years. No snow yet, though the forecasts says it'll come starting tomorrow. We've had plenty of storms and even flooding recently.
Oh yesterday's Jinxtah how little did you know.
Last night the snow came, and it was the coldest I've experienced I think... ever? I'm not sure. At least it felt like it. My apartment is super cold. Fuck having old windows where the cold just seeps right through.
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Jinxtah: Fuck having old windows where the cold just seeps right through.
With classic single-pane windows, you'd freeze to death over winter in these parts. Even older buildings usually have, by design, back from the 1940-50s, two or three separate frames of regular single-pane glass (and yes, you have to open all three of them in sequence if you want to air a room). They're usually built with wooden frames, so there never is a perfect fit to ensure an air-tight seal, but still, if you have three sets the seepage is not that bad.

Dual or triple pane windows are used now when renovating (or in new buildings), but indoor heat can still escape pretty fast if the building materials themselves are not very insulating.

"Winter in Europe - when thermodynamics matters" :).
Post edited January 07, 2017 by WinterSnowfall
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
Jinxtah: Fuck having old windows where the cold just seeps right through.
avatar
WinterSnowfall: With classic single-pane windows, you'd freeze to death over winter in these parts.
This building is from like the eh.. I'm guessing 60s or there abouts. I'm not sure how many panes of glass the windows have, but it's old, and I can feel the cold just seeping right through, which is always a problem when it's cold. Thank god for radiators though, but still, my apartment takes ages to heat up, and it costs way more because it doesn't retain the heat, and a lot just escapes those same windows, since they're RIGHT under them, you know?
Post edited January 07, 2017 by Jinxtah
Posted January 07, 2017
avatar
WinterSnowfall: With classic single-pane windows, you'd freeze to death over winter in these parts.
avatar
Jinxtah: This building is from like the eh.. I'm guessing 60s or there abouts. I'm not sure how many panes of glass the windows have, but it's old, and I can feel the cold just seeping right through, which is always a problem when it's cold. Thank god for radiators though, but still, my apartment takes ages to heat up, and it costs way more because it doesn't retain the heat, and a lot just escapes those same windows, since they're RIGHT under them, you know?
It may seem odd, but placing the heat source under windows is by design in general construction for a few reasons. As the heat rises, it mixes with cooler/colder air creating a more uniform temperature in the living area. It also helps to create a "heat curtain" to keep cooler air out while operating. If you think about it....and the heat source were located on an opposite interior wall from the window; as the heat came on, and started to rise, it would actually pull in more cold air, as it followed the the flow down, and along the floor to replace the rising air at the radiator. This would also help to create drafts, and very uneven/worse temperature gradients in the living area.

I was made aware of this by by one of the plumbing/heating contractors many years ago on one of my jobs. That said, one of the best upgrades to a living space suffering energy loses is a window and door upgrade, which unfortunately probably won't apply in your case? Heavy curtains, or plastic taped over the opening is probably about the only other temporary solution for now :/
Post edited January 07, 2017 by Zoltan999
Posted January 07, 2017
-4 here in Berlin. Could be worse.
Pages:
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionEurope is freezing (the polar vortex thread)(159 posts)(159 posts)
(159 posts)