ECN Forum
Posted By: Trumpy OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/15/06 01:31 AM
Well,
Monday morning came as a shock here waking up to nearly a foot and a half of snow on the ground. [Linked Image]
The local electricity system took a real hiding with power being lost to all of Ashburton for most of the day.
Some parts of Mid-Canterbury are still without power and some parts of South Canterbury have no water, power or phones.
I didn't like reading on the Net this morning that more snow is heading this way, this weekend.
I just hope it rains instead. [Linked Image]
Kiwi,
How much snow did you guys in Christchurch get?.
You can't get a word in edgeways on the local Power Board operations radio channel at the moment, there's line clearances and isolation messages flying backwards and forwards like there's no tomorrow!.
Posted By: WESTUPLACE Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/15/06 03:54 AM
I have been talking to a Ham in Australia while driving around doing service. He gripes about the bitter cold, while I have the AC in the truck running full blast in our 97 degree (36c) heat. Also have talked with a chap in New Zeland as well, he also says its cold. Send some our way! Robert
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/15/06 04:36 AM
Some pics of the snow from around my place:

This was taken while the snow was still falling on Monday at about 12:30pm, it looks back onto my place from the driveway, my VHF aerial will need some straightening out, but still gives a good picture:
[Linked Image]

Next up we have a view of two roofs over, the UHF aerial on the Fire Station, is broken, this before the snow was a Horizontally-Polarised Aerial, pointing further east-ward, the Reflector on the VHF aerial also needs some attention, not that it really matters around here:

[Linked Image]

Finally,
A look out my driveway, sort of a reverse shot of the first pic, isn't snow fun to shift with a shovel?!. [Linked Image] [Linked Image] :

[Linked Image]
Posted By: kiwi Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/15/06 10:02 AM
G'day Trumpy. The snow wasn't that bad in Ch Ch on Monday. It didnt settle on the roads. The power however was the worst I've ever seen it. There were brown outs and glitches galore for most of the morning. I even unplugged my electronic appliances before I went to work. ( installing surge protection at home has always been something "I must get around to")

I would like to read a report on all the damage control measures and switchings etc. the transmission & supply industries carried out on "Gloomy Monday" morning.

Did Ashburton have power cuts ? I understand Timaru did.

It would seems that our Government and Transpower are both getting together and backing each other up in denying the blame for the Auckland power cuts. Good strategy.

More snow on the way apparently Trumpy! The weather maps are definitely looking like it.
Posted By: pauluk Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/15/06 12:36 PM
Dare I mention that it hit 80 degrees here in the east of England a couple of days ago? [Linked Image]
Posted By: SvenNYC Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/15/06 03:08 PM
Sun's been shining here too.... [Linked Image]

We should all send bags of halite to Trumpy.
Posted By: kiwi Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/16/06 09:04 AM
Pauluk. 80 degrees is still quite cold. You can't really boast that 80 is a hot day ! Nobodys getting sunburnt there !

SvenNYC. What is Halite ?
Posted By: SvenNYC Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/16/06 02:29 PM
Kiwi:

Halite is rock-salt. Sodium Chloride.

Though I guess calcium-chloride is better at melting snow.... That's actually the stuff I was reaching for. [Linked Image]
Posted By: GeneSF Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/16/06 10:23 PM
Hi Trumpy

Reminds me of my childhood in Pennsylvania. We had a metal barrel in the backyard where we would burn trash, and on snowbound days, I would shovel a path from the back porch to the burner.

If I didn't know my geography as well as I do, I would imagine NZ being a tropical paradise like all Pacific Islands. [Linked Image]

I live in California now, 37 N and snow does not really show up here in the winter west of the Sierra Nevada.

89.6 F/32 C outside.

A quick perusal of my globe would put you as far from the equator as Portland, Oregon or Portland, Maine.

[This message has been edited by GeneSF (edited 06-16-2006).]

[This message has been edited by GeneSF (edited 06-16-2006).]
Posted By: RODALCO Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/16/06 10:57 PM
Nice pics Mike,

Most power restored now down South.

GeneSF
Quote
I live in California now, 37 N and snow does not really show up here in the winter west of the Sierra Nevada.

Auckland is in the North Island and also on 37°, but South, 174.8 E, no snow, perhaps one night frost like -1 °C (29F). ( RODALCO, my hometown )
Christchurch is 43.6°Sth, 172.7° E.(Kiwi's hometown).
Ashburton is 43.9°Sth, 171.8° E. (Trumpy's hometown).

I had to look on the New Zealand map for the coordinates [Linked Image]
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/17/06 06:39 AM
I've been manning the radio gear at the local Civil Defence Comms room for the last two days and from reports given from the response teams working around the district (checking on the elderly and rural folks) the damage sustained from this storm is a lot worse than first thought.
Now that the snow is starting to melt, there have been a couple of bridges washed out, poles and lines draped over roads and the biggest problem we have with the loss of supply to the rural areas is the fact that the majority of people use electricity to power submersible well pumps, so if you have no power, you also have no supply of water either. [Linked Image]
Electricity Ashburton has Line Crews in from as far away as Wellington working here to get our HV network up and running again, with local crews and Faults staff performing the isolation and tagging of damaged lines.
It's a very slow process, but we'll get there in the end.
I just hope that the next dump of snow that they are predicting for tomorrow/Monday, never eventuates.
Everyone down here that I've seen lately looks really worn out, another dump of snow would not be good at all.
I'll keep you posted. [Linked Image]
Posted By: pauluk Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/17/06 10:47 AM
The U.K. is quite a way north. Even the most southerly point in England is only at approx. 50 degrees N, roughly on a level with Winnepeg, Manitoba. The Shetlands Islands, the farthest northern extent of Scotland are beyond 60 degrees, level with the Yukon Territory and the southern tip of Greenland.

It's only the Gulf Stream which keeps the country as mild as it is. Without that, we'd be much colder in winter.


[This message has been edited by pauluk (edited 06-17-2006).]
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/17/06 11:02 AM
Paul,
I've always wondered about that.
As in how far you guys in England, Ireland and Scotland are from the North Pole.
I always thought that you guys were closer to it, than say we were to the South Pole?.
I've never really sort of looked into it. [Linked Image]

[This message has been edited by Trumpy (edited 06-17-2006).]
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/17/06 11:40 AM
This just in:
A home-owner up-country from here has had his Service Line cut after it was found that his Generator was found to be back-feeding the LV lines outside of his property.
A Faultsman doing tests on the lines to effect a disconnection found that 1 phase was still live, even though the ABS's (Air Break Switches) had been opened at each end of the block circuit.
The Faultsman then cut the Service Line away from the pole at the take off point.
Charges are pending.
This is the last hour of work for the Lines Crews here.
It will cost a lot to get the power re-instated.
My heart bleeds. [Linked Image]
Posted By: GeneSF Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/17/06 05:30 PM
Backfeeding? Was there a reason for this? [Linked Image]

Sorry, but I can only think of not wanting to pay for an authorized install. A diy mess-up.

Gene


[This message has been edited by GeneSF (edited 06-17-2006).]
Posted By: Alan Belson Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/18/06 02:39 PM
Hi Mike!
By Gad, it's 90F today, but with a nice breeze coming across the bocage.
We're growing melons, yum! yum!

You wrap up warm now!

Alan
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/19/06 05:42 AM
Gene,
Back-feeding is one of the most un-desirable situations that can happen in a power distribution network.
Considering that the guy used a "Suicide cord" to power his house, without bothering to shut the Main Switch off before starting the Generator, I hope that this guy gets all that is coming to him.
If I had have been the faultsman attending to this, the guy would have got a bloody good dressing down thrown in for free!.
It's bad enough enough that we should have to work out in freezing and wet conditions, being electrocuted by some numb-skull, isn't part of our working conditions.
I'd also back the faultsman up on cutting the Service Line away from the pole, I'd do the same thing.
This guy, if he doesn't go to prison, will be at the BOTTOM of the re-connection list, where he belongs.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/19/06 05:52 AM
Alan,
I wonder why we can put a man on the moon, but we can't make a melon without seeds?.
Melon sales would hit the roof, if there were no seeds in them.
I know I'd be buying, I love watermelon, the seeds I hate.
Posted By: pauluk Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/20/06 10:16 AM
Quote
I've always wondered about that.
As in how far you guys in England, Ireland and Scotland are from the North Pole.
I always thought that you guys were closer to it, than say we were to the South Pole?

We are. By my reckoning, even Stewart Island barely makes 47 degrees S. If you transpose that to 47 deg. N., you end up just south of the Loire Valley in France, or about level with Quebec City, Canada for our North American readership.

Auckland at around 37 deg. S. would equate to southern Spain or Richmond, Va. in the northern hemisphere.
Posted By: Lostazhell Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/22/06 12:00 AM
I think I might have you all beat [Linked Image]
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/93312?from=36hr_fcst10DayLink_undeclared
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/22/06 01:03 AM
Hi Randy,
Look, there's just no need to boast!. [Linked Image]
Would you mind sending some of that over here?.
Swap ya!. [Linked Image]
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/22/06 06:31 AM
Kiwi,
Did you see the item on Campbell Live last night as to the plight of people in the South?.
People in the North whinge about losing power for a day, there are people here that have had no power, no water and no phones for over 2 weeks.
An Earth wire falls, a million whinge.
Only Auckland Faultsmen know how it feels.
Thing that annoys me is when they have some idiot on TV saying that we should blame the Government for this.(TV One News)
Yeah right, the Government controls the weather.
Sure sweet-heart, go home and take your make-up off.
Posted By: pauluk Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/22/06 08:49 AM
Quote
I think I might have you all beat

Yikes! I bet you're looking forward to next week when it cools off to a mere 95 degrees! [Linked Image]
Posted By: Gloria Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/22/06 10:55 AM
http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Budapest

Dear All,
I'm feeling good I must say, I just need a shower, and a better location for my flat, with less noize at night.
smirk
Posted By: kiwi Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/23/06 09:10 AM
Trumpy, the south islanders without power are prepared for it. They have been living with power cuts for generations. They have wet-backs, pot-bellys and generators. The Aucklanders living in chicken-coop housing however, are totally reliant on electricity.

The earth wire was to blame for the "Gloomy Monday" black-outs in Auckland, but it was the humble D-Shackle that made front page news. Allegedly....The D-shackle holding the earth wire broke. Woops ! The picture of the D-Shackle on the front page of The Herald made me laugh out loud.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 06/30/06 11:01 AM
From the Coal-face:

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

This was scanned from last Saturday's paper.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/08/06 03:58 AM
Out of all of the shambles that was the snow-fall here, I'm surprised that a story from Fairlie never made it to the news.
I was listening to the progression of it early Monday morning of the snow-fall on the police/FService repeater.
A police seargent(sp?) escorted 2 expectant mothers to Timaru hospital, a distance of 80km in his 4WD truck, I did hear that he had to deliver one of the babies 3/4's of the way, not long after that he was met by a doctor who, took over from him and they carried on to the Maternity ward at Timaru hospital.
This trip would have been fraught with real danger.
I take my hat off to this guy, he really did a good job, IMHO a very understated one too.
Don't we always hear about the cops doing bad things?.
Posted By: Alan Belson Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/08/06 07:13 AM
Mike, Eureka! I saw some seedless Spanish watermelons in the supermarché today!
I'd send you some seeds, but er.... [Linked Image]

Alan
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/08/06 07:21 AM
Well then Alan,
As an Army Colonel would say "carry on Belson".
With a sigh. [Linked Image]
Posted By: Alan Belson Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/10/06 12:01 AM
[This message has been edited by Alan Belson (edited 07-26-2006).]
Posted By: Gloria Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/11/06 03:11 PM
Funny, I also see Spanish watermellons, tho we also have watermellon. We must do something wrong.

In fact here it is above 30C since some weeks.
Better than las year when all summer it was 15C.

I love this weather. :~)
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/15/06 10:02 AM
Alan,
That post of yours is "border-line".
If it wasn't you posting it, it would have disappeared some time ago.
Please bear in mind, we have a PG rating to maintain here.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/15/06 10:20 AM
Oddly enough there Kiwi, I learned what an 11kV explosion sounded like when I was 2 years old.
In the storm of 1972, Mum had just put me to bed and hadn't closed the curtains.
Snow fell on the cable pot on the pole over the road, there was a rather loud bang and some sparks and I saw all 3 of the Drop-out fuses drop.
Little did I know that in years to come, I'd be operating them with a telescopic Hot-stick.
Same bang and sparks, you are just a bit closer. [Linked Image]
Posted By: Gloria Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/24/06 03:03 PM
How's the snow situation there, Mate? Still bad?

We had some 36 C's these days, I was just lying like a dead in the bed, couldn't get up.
Posted By: Trumpy Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/26/06 11:39 AM
Nah,
Snow has long gone.
One thing I do know, the last time it snowed here like that, we had the longest, hottest summer in memory.
I hope it isn't, for us Fire-fighters sake.
It might still be Winter coming into Spring here, but there is a LONG way to go until the middle of summer.
Also, there has been a prediction from NIWA (National Institute of Weather and Atmospherics) that the Ozone hole over NZ and Australia will be worse than ever this Summer.
So if you are here, get some really serious sun-block, higher than last years silly little SPF 15.
You might be young now, but think of your skin in 10 or 20 years and of course Melanoma.
Take care out there. [Linked Image]
Posted By: Gloria Re: OT: Snow, Snow Everywhere! - 07/27/06 02:26 PM
Hi, Mike.
http://napsugarzas.hu/
Here you can click on UV-terkep, you can see the country's values.
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