A White Christmas ?

[Bizarra]

From our news on line today. Of course,it may only apply to Ireland, & Donegal, in particular

"Ireland heading for white Christmas, says postman

13/12/2009 - 11:07:33

A postman renowned for predicting the weather using ancient methods today insisted Ireland is heading for a white Christmas.

Michael Gallagher, who learned his age-old technique from the last generations living high in Donegal’s Blue Stack mountains, uses nature and the behaviour of animals to make his forecast.

The 61-year-old, who lives in the remote Glenfin Valley, said all the signs pointed to snow on its way.

“We are definitely on our way to a white Christmas,” he said.

More scientific meteorological forecasters would only say snow was possible during an expected cold spell coming in this week – but they cannot tell how long it will last.

Mr Gallagher, who says his methods were relied on for hundreds of years before television weather forecasters, will raise the hopes of those dreaming of a white Christmas.

“Predicting one day precisely is very hard to pull off, but I’m almost definite – about 90%,” he said.

“When the sun shines on to the (Blue Stack) mountains, and down to the lowlands it’s turning a reddish-brown colour, that’s a sign of snow.

“The sheep and the cattle are going mad too, shaking themselves, coming in off the mountains and coming to the gate.

“And I noticed the other day, the fox is getting very busy, looking for hens and howling at two in the morning.

“There’s a hunger in everything, they want to be fed because they know what is coming. These are ’moving signs’ that things are going to happen.”

A postman for 42 years, Mr Gallagher shot into the public spotlight two years ago when he lifted the nation’s sodden spirits with his unorthodox prediction of an end to incessant summer rain.

Massive interest in his old techniques and a trip to China – with his daughter, who won a silver medal in the Special Olympics – where he noted many old traditions survive, prompted him to complete a book this year, Traditional Weather Signs.

Using those methods, he said, everything was signalling a “tight and hard” wintry snap in the coming weeks, with the best chance for years of widespread snow on December 25.

“There’s so many signs I can tell you: the late growth of grass in October, the haws are laden with berries – that’s another sign,” he said.

Rob Hutchinson, forecaster with Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association, said there was a seasonal cold snap on its way, but added it was too early to tell by more scientific methods if there would be a white Christmas.

“There is some snow possible towards next weekend – I wouldn’t be confident of it, but there’s potential for it,” he said.

“But to accurately predict Christmas Day, it’s a bit too far away at the moment.”

[Devil-ish]

Fingers crossed.........................

[Sagitar]

Nice story. I like it. Thanks for posting.

[GIDDLEPIN]

Here's the usual link for a white Christmas forecast CLICKY, It's ok though, they don't have a clue as they are all 30%

[Phoenix999]

I hope that the snow stays your side of the water.... I don't want it down here

[balli hi]

I hope that the snow stays your side of the water.... I don't want it down here

Same here , makes driving treacherous , and there's so many people who have no idea how to drive in icy conditions , women in 4X4s ect one hand on the steering wheel with the other holding a mobile phone to their ear , seriously though theres every chance of snow , the met office has advised that there is a cold snap on the way starting this weekend .....on my way to stamford bridge on saturday it was actually sleeting a little , i just hope we don't get a white out like the one we experienced last year

[Bizarra]

The only place for snow is..................................................on a Christmas Card

I think that the obsession with "White Christmas" stems from the 1700/1800s when we had a mini Ice Age. The Thames froze over to such an extent that people could skate & held parties on it

[Parts-King]

We get a cold one every now and again, I remember the river Dee froze over in 1963 and somebody drove a Mini across it there was another cold one in the 80's, I did a lot of recovery work in those days and was always pulling cars out of ditches and fields where people had tried to turn around and got stuck, good for business though

Kingo

[Karma Supra]

Snow is fine as long as I don't have to drive anywhere...

My car is utterly, woefully useless in snow and sheet ice... and no roads get gritted within about 5 miles of my house...

[balli hi]

Oh well , looks like we are going to get it wether we want it or not , the weather reports iv'e been hearing today are saying that snow is forecast to arrive before christmas , nooooooooooooo

[Karma Supra]

The weather forecast also said it'd be dry all week and weekend so I washed three cars yesterday...

I was just drying mine when it started raining......

[balli hi]

Just thought i'd issue a weather check ...... Its 11.07am and its.......SNOWING i hope it does'nt settle

[Karma Supra]

Tell me about it.... I had the day off today, The other half burst in shortly after she had "left" saying her handbrake has frozen on on her MR2 AGAIN, so she has had to take my car...

Not impressed, especially as it's going to be parked on oublic roads in icy conditions all day :(

[Phoenix999]

Whilst at work today I got a weather warning stating that from midnight Thursday through to midnight Friday the South East (Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Surrey, E and W Sussex and the London area) could be subjected to up to 5cm of snow, it might even exceed this!

From past experience we know how such a small amount of snow can have a large effect on our ability to travel around. Drive safely

[PaulT]

Tell me about it.... I had the day off today, The other half burst in shortly after she had "left" saying her handbrake has frozen on on her MR2 AGAIN, so she has had to take my car...

Mate, you didn't fall for that old one did you? :D

Paul.

[Karma Supra]

Yup :(

[GIDDLEPIN]

Tell me about it.... I had the day off today, The other half burst in shortly after she had "left" saying her handbrake has frozen on on her MR2 AGAIN, so she has had to take my car...

Not impressed, especially as it's going to be parked on oublic roads in icy conditions all day :(

The weather forecast also said it'd be dry all week and weekend so I washed three cars yesterday...

I was just drying mine when it started raining......

Was the MR2 one of the cars you washed?

.......if so you only have your self to blame........shouldn't be so thorough with the power wash ;)

[Blue84]

Just thought i'd issue a weather check ...... Its 11.07am and its.......SNOWING i hope it does'nt settle

When my Parents said it was snowing yesterda I thought I was hearing things

I would like it to be a white christmas, but at the moment I'm glad that it is Winter and we have snow in December which is the right time of year for it after all!

[Devil-ish]

Few warning flurries of snow this morning.....more forecast this afternoon.....brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[balli hi]

Whilst at work today I got a weather warning stating that from midnight Thursday through to midnight Friday the South East (Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Surrey, E and W Sussex and the London area) could be subjected to up to 5cm of snow, it might even exceed this!

From past experience we know how such a small amount of snow can have a large effect on our ability to travel around. Drive safely

YEH , i saw exactly that , whilst i was watching the weather forecast yesterday after i posted my last post , the thought of all that snow fills me with dread , we all know what happened last year when it snowed heavily during the day , hardly any roads had been gritted and london and the suburbs turned into a !Removed! great ice rink , there were bumps galore most of them minor of course where people applied the brakes whilst driving slowly but unfortunately kept going , the heavy snow is due to hit tonight through to tomorrow , so i have a decission to make wether to go in to london and work , if the roads are not sufficiently gritted theres every chance i'll get caught up in the chaos that ensued last year , the problem is i think i'm gonner have to take that chance , hopefully the snow won't come untill the small hours and i can make my way back home in good time , the pressures on now to cram as many days of work in before christmas because after that work drys up completely in the new year , right now though my immediate problem is that i have to go up the ladders and put the christmas lights up on the front of the house , they would normally be up by now but when it came to finding them , they had simply vanished i spent last week going through all the stuff in the loft but could'nt find them , i eventually found them after having a clear out in the garage yesterday , and as usuall in the last place i looked , so now i have to go out and !Removed! freeze my nuts off , the wifes been nagging constantly for the last 2 weeks to iether find them or buy a new lot , i told her it would'nt hurt not to have any up this year , and besides when the front doors shut and we are inside we can't see them anyway oh well anything for a peacefull life .... !Removed! women

[balli hi]

Whilst at work today I got a weather warning stating that from midnight Thursday through to midnight Friday the South East (Suffolk, Essex, Kent, Surrey, E and W Sussex and the London area) could be subjected to up to 5cm of snow, it might even exceed this!

From past experience we know how such a small amount of snow can have a large effect on our ability to travel around. Drive safely

YEH , i saw exactly that , whilst i was watching the weather forecast yesterday after i posted my last post , the thought of all that snow fills me with dread , we all know what happened last year when it snowed heavily during the day , hardly any roads had been gritted and london and the suburbs turned into a !Removed! great ice rink , there were bumps galore most of them minor of course where people applied the brakes whilst driving slowly but unfortunately kept going , the heavy snow is due to hit tonight through to tomorrow , so i have a decission to make wether to go in to london and work , if the roads are not sufficiently gritted theres every chance i'll get caught up in the chaos that ensued last year , the problem is i think i'm gonner have to take that chance , hopefully the snow won't come untill the small hours and i can make my way back home in good time , the pressures on now to cram as many days of work in before christmas because after that work drys up completely in the new year , right now though my immediate problem is that i have to go up the ladders and put the christmas lights up on the front of the house , they would normally be up by now but when it came to finding them , they had simply vanished i spent last week going through all the stuff in the loft but could'nt find them , i eventually found them after having a clear out in the garage yesterday , and as usuall in the last place i looked , so now i have to go out and !Removed! freeze my nuts off , the wifes been nagging constantly for the last 2 weeks to iether find them or buy a new lot , i told her it would'nt hurt not to have any up this year , and besides when the front doors shut and we are inside we can't see them anyway oh well anything for a peacefull life .... !Removed! women

[Karma Supra]

Was the MR2 one of the cars you washed?

.......if so you only have your self to blame........shouldn't be so thorough with the power wash ;)

The MR2 has not been washed since before JAE