Swiss Weather!

That was Covid times idea, lot’s of free time :wink:

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I’m pretty sure they’ve made multiple announcements, but as the majority of passengers, myself included, are with noise cancelling headphones, everyone is in his/hers own world completely oblivious until it’s too late :slight_smile:

The weather conditions produced a VERY slick snow, causing havoc on the roads. Switzerland is pretty amazing when dealing with clearing roads but the amount of snow in such a short time span was just too much.

I got even stuck in the snow with my car today, which has never happened before. My wheels spun and couldn’t find any traction. I blamed my winter tires but perhaps it was just the kind of snow we had today.

British Rail often suffers from wrong type of leaves on the rail. Well, TIS, we have the wrong type of snow.

I had exactly the same snow last New Year’s day in Villars. Even with almost new snow tyres and front wheel drive we couldn’t make it up a moderate hill. We weren’t the only ones.

Thinking of snow-socks for next time. Does anyone have any experience with them?

Icy and sunny this morning; expecting a high of +3. Time to get out the edelweiss-embroidered ponyskin/shearling-lined Olangs I bought as a splurge almost 20 years ago when we lived in Engelberg. They have flip-up cleats for ice. Best boots I’ve ever owned.
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Yesterday evening was an unmitigated disaster. What a mess.
Colleague left Zug area to get to Horgen - took them more than 3.5h. Hirzel closed at top, no info at Sihlbrugg so people that were looking to cross over were obliviously going up (very slowly) only to be returned.

Too many cars without winter tires - in the END OF NOVEMBER. What are people even thinking? Even if you’re caught out without an appointment or whatever, see the weather forecast, and leave the car home. I guess people saw sun in the morning and completely disregarded the 100% chance of snowfall in the afternoon…

In Birmensdorf a Tesla lost control on a downhill section (going down to the station), hit a car and went over the sidewalk…

People all over driving at 20 and 30kph, even on relatively cleared roads. The amount of clueless drivers is insane. Today at work a couple of people were saying “we were losing control” meaning the car slipped for 10cm and a light went on the dashboard.

I can’t really believe the level of driving is this bad here. Everybody is worried about not getting a ticket, but the utter absence of car control is scary…

And all of this with a good days 10 notice on weather forecasts that this week there is going to be a lot of snow. I don’t get it really…

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I dug out my car this morning and realized while driving off that I had left my Iphone somewhere in my flat. Upon my return, I turned the whole place upside down but I couldn’t find my mobile. I turned on my computer and got on “find my Iphone” from Apple.

The location was in or around my house so I walked through first inside, and then outside, listening intently for a beeping sound. I eventually found my phone… under a pile of snow next to the car. It was functioning and in one piece. I had lost it before I had left and was extremely lucky that I hadn’t driven over it.

St. Anthony was smiling when Apple created their “find my” apps and devices.

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Processing: IMG_2504.jpeg…

It’s a beautiful day here today but pretty cold.

The cats will only venture as far as the end of the cleared section before turning round and coming back in.

Ok, I officially give up. My image is 1.8 MB which should be fine but I keep getting a pop up saying it’s too big and the maximum is 6MB. I am confused.

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The roads were immensely slick last night. I haven’t experienced this kind of snow in years.

I went to pick up my wife from the train station. All 50kmh streets.I turned traction control off and it was super fun to drift at 20-30kmh. TBH, I wouldn’t have driven faster. I tested the brakes 2 times and the car slipped very easily. Of course, it’s not about crashing with a tree. I love the wheels on my car, I don’t want to hit a curb and spoil them.

Anyway, the train station is 3km away and it was late in the night. Commuting after work 16h00-19h00 should have been a nightmare.

Well, we got a warning 24 hours before, what else people wanted?

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It’s time to mandate WINTER (3PMSF symbol) tires/tyres from November to April.(or alternate dates recommended by meteosuisse). To be lightly enforced depending on actual conditions. When conditions are bad F1,000 fine.

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That calls for this

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Talking to some older Swiss, I was telling them that “handy” did not mean mobile in English. They replied,

“Of course. It’s a dish-washing soap.”

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HA! I got a pair like that. Not as fancy and girly like yours but plain black and grey. They got that feature too, I had forgotten all about them. Also bought them about 20 years ago, inspired by a work mate who found them. I wonder if they still make them? Mine are hardly used, look like new. Thanks for reminding me, these are gonna do well today.

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This pic is on 20min today :crazy_face:

So yeah. It caught a lot of people off guard, even the pros.

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The thing is that over the decades weather forecasts were about as accurate as reading your daily horoscope in the newspaper. A friend told me several times yesterday about the snow coming - at one point he (and many of you) reported snow while here it wasn’t even raining. So these warnings still don’t impress me much.

ah, yeah, people calling for law and fines again.
Be sure, insurances have long gotten their rules sorted; have an accident and you will put your winter tires on in time. All year, if you tend to drive expensive cars :rofl:

mobile phones were called natel here in the beginning, when they were bulky. They became handies when they became handy items. I remember my British friends simply not unserstand what I was talking about at the beginning yet admitting the name suited.

That insanity and cluelessness ought to include drivers going over the speed limit on barely cleared roads (which are much narrower because of the track the snow-plough makes).

If you are that much in a hurry, why not leave earlier or take the train.

That must make you clueless in DonMolina’s eyes.

I’m not suggesting that people actually be fined, but incentivising them to do what most residents do.

Now the warning is that “should you have an accident your insurance might not cover you”. Which raises fear in just about nobody.

With fines the warning becomes “should you drive in snow with summer tires you likely will be fined f1,000, and if you get stopped during the winter with inappropriate tyres you’ll first get a warning and the next time a big fine”.

I prefer the later.

If there is one thing Switzerland does not need, it is more fines. I am still on summer tires.

Nice today. Snow not melting yet. I love the “sound” of fresh snow. Temps around freezing. Looking forward to a walk later.