South East and East Anglia Regional Discussion 12th March 2013

[Coast]

You won't see any evidence as in heavy snow it won't do anything!!!

No, what I didn't see was any gritters or feel any evidence of any grit on the road!!! There was one just coming out of the depot at Polegate at 7.50pm last night, it looked like the rest of them were neatly parked up.

Edited March 12, 2013 by Coast

[tcc]

Amazingly still snowing here' I can normally hear the a23 traffic but it's fairly quiet! Must be about 7 inches where it's out of wind. About a foot drifts around the car! Do I try and drive to work or walk the 4 miles hmmmm decisions decisions!

[Polar Bear]

No, what I didn't see was any gritters or feel any evidence of any grit on the road!!! There was one just coming out of the depot at Polegate at 7.50pm last night, it looked like the rest of them were neatly parked up.

Yep prob cos there was no point putting any down as it wouldn't do anything and is a waste. Plus they may struggle to get the grittier through too. Once it stops they will be out clearing and gritting using all the supplies they couldn't use last night and more.. But seriously the grit won't do anything so they won't put any down. It is the snows fault people got stuck not the gritters!! Common sense really. Pleased you got home though safely and I do hope you have a fabulous snow day .... Take loads of photos.

[Kiwi]

Don't drive and wear sensible shoes!!

It's bonkers.

Make winter tyres mandatory as in most of Europe and problem is largely solved. That a slight/moderate snowfall can bring things to a grinding halt is ludicrous!!

[Polar Bear]

Amazingly still snowing here' I can normally hear the a23 traffic but it's fairly quiet! Must be about 7 inches where it's out of wind. About a foot drifts around the car! Do I try and drive to work or walk the 4 miles hmmmm decisions decisions!

Walk... Safer and healthier and you could take lots of photos for us all!

[Rupert Blair]

Still snowing, howling, blowing

[snowking]

Good to see much of the region getting some notable falls

I seem to have been caught in the dry zone all night, snow about 10 miles north and south of here!

SK

[Coast]

Amazingly still snowing here

Maybe more to come for a while too:

[barmybint]

Snowing hard in rochester

[loopydreamer]

I've just woken up and and . . .Yeah!!! It's snowing!!!!

[Rupert Blair]

A look out the front door...

[SLEETY]

Amazing scenes this morning!!!

[Gowon]

Morning folks. I can't believe that streamer is still in the same spot, we've had snow overnight but not much and it's all been blown about into small drifts, the snow is so dry...Boy is it cold out there

[loopydreamer]

It's really snowing hard. wonder how long this will go on for?

[sarah7meme]

Snow ploughs working so hard but can't beat the wind and look

http://www.bbc.co.uk/travelnews/kent/trafficcameras/highwaysagency/17016

[Coast]

Looking very heavy out to sea and a few flurries are just kicking off again here in Eastbourne

[legrandefromage]

was putting up fencing in Chatteris yesterday - frozen sand & gravel mix, mini blizzards and frozen hair...

Lovely day.

[Tilly]

Morning peeps, total bust here

Good to see people getting loads though. Stay safe and enjoy x

[SHM040519]

Well a massive let down here in Canterbury. Went to sleep with a covering woke up to hardly anything. One thing that is amazing is seeing the wind blowing the snow around like you see in the arctic!

[warrenb]

Driving snow here in Tonbridge, wasn't snowing at 3 this morning, so this is just in the last hour or so.

[leemondo]

still snowing heavy here, hardly any movement on the roads, snow day it is then!

[Nikkib74]

Yes! I've won my bet with my brother! I now have him to do the first garden tidy up of the year. The bet was made on Saturday, I said he would have a snow day on Tuesday (he's a teacher) and of course, he does!

I am amazed to see that it's still snowing heavily outside. We've already had an absolute pasting and still it comes. By far the best event of the 'winter' so far imby.

Of course I wish everyone on the region had the same, but I'm really glad to see the coastal towns have some action. Must be infuriating when you often have coastal rain vs inland snow.

Stay safe and enjoy it people! x

[NO LONGER POSTING]

Temp tomorrow 3-4 degrees tomorrow still not the summer but will commence a thaw

[redscouse]

very heavy here in brighton....drifting snow...preston park fiveways area...trains are on though albeit delayed......damn

[Coast]

Sussex snow and ice causes disruption

Hundreds of drivers have been left stranded after snow brought some roads in Sussex to a standstill.

Tailbacks of up to 15 miles were reported on the A23 between Crawley and Brighton, with some motorists stuck for up to eight hours. Police said snow and ice had caused hazardous conditions and officers were trying to help gritting lorries through to treat roads. Other roads were also affected including the A26, A27 and A29.

Inspector James Biggs, from Sussex Police, said: "The worst areas at the moment are parts of the A23 and M23 particularly around Handcross Hill. "Many drivers have been rescued but I know many more have endured long hours stuck in their vehicles. Please bear with us - we are working to full capacity, along with our partners in the Highways Agency to help you."

Police said Red Cross volunteers were also checking on the welfare of stranded motorists. Tom Schoon, who was heading home to Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire, from Eastbourne, became stuck on the A23 northbound near Handcross Hill at 19:45 GMT on Monday.

'State of acceptance'

Speaking to the BBC at 04:45 on Tuesday, he said: "The carriageway has become a car park. There's a family in the car behind me all curled up asleep. I've walked up to the services twice now to go to the toilet, grab food and water and stretch my legs. Around midnight it was quite busy but it's quieter now. "Most people are asleep judging by the cars and the feet up on the dashboard. Everyone has reached a stage of acceptance. "I think people reversed back and went into the services as it looks like a lot of people are sleeping in there. "As I'm a lanky chap, it's a bit difficult for me to get comfortable in a small car."

Jonathan Lara was stuck on the M23 after taking eight hours to travel fewer than eight miles after leaving work at Gatwick airport on Monday evening. Speaking to the BBC at about 01:30 GMT on Tuesday, he said: "It looks like the gritters have been totally caught out by this. "I've been stuck in the same place for about three-and-half hours now and it looks like I'm going to be here for hours yet." He estimated thousands of motorists were stuck on the road.

'People are tired'

Mr Lara, who works for an air charter company, had set off from his office at about 17:30 GMT but hit problems when he reached the M23 as he headed home to Brighton. He became stuck near the junction with the A23 at Pease Pottage. "It usually takes me about 30 minutes to get home. Snow is coming down but there's only a couple of inches on the road. "There are three lanes of traffic heading south and we're at a standstill. People have been getting out of their cars and walking about. The atmosphere was good at first but now people are tired and just want to get home. "The roads haven't been gritted and I don't know why. There had been warnings about snow."

Former Bucks Fizz singer Cheryl Baker was one of those stuck near Pease Pottage. She had been heading from Kent to Brighton to help her daughters after they were involved in a minor road accident on an icy road. Cheryl Baker: "We were travelling from Kent, it's only about an hour and it took us ten hours to get there" Ms Baker said: "In three hours we've moved about a mile. We're sitting in a queue to get petrol from Pease Pottage services. "What makes me really angry is where are the gritters? I'm furious."

However, a spokesman for the Highways Agency said roads had been treated. Meanwhile there were also problem on roads in Kent with the M20 closed coastbound from junction 13. And Brighton and Hove Bus Company halted services at 19:30 GMT on Monday, saying several buses were stuck across the city and its teams were busy dealing with them. The Met Office has warned that up to 10cm (4in) of snow could have accumulated in southern parts of Sussex and Kent by Tuesday morning, and has issued an amber "be prepared" warning.

There are yellow "be aware" snow warnings in place for the south-east corner of England and north-eastern Scotland, as well as yellow warnings of ice covering Wales and most of England and Scotland. BBC weather forecaster Steve Cleaton said the bitterly cold, north-easterly wind would persist in much of England and Wales into Tuesday, but ease across Scotland and Northern Ireland.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-21751026