Grit and bear it

Maybe the weather forecasters aren't over-reacting - I've just seen a gritter complete with snow plough go past The Lichfield Blog Towers.
And the plough might well be needed if we get a fair amount of the white stuff overnight, because according to an online news article, Staffordshire County Council are running out of grit.

It seems the regular routes will be salted, but no others. And more worryingly, their supplies are only likely to last until the weekend. Add to this supply problems to councils across the country and there's a worrying cocktail emerging.

Let's be fair to Staffordshire County Council though. It's not like winter happens every year so it must have come as quite a shock...

Where did that come from?

Awoke this morning expecting another journey through the sludge, only to be greeted by more than a dusting of snow.

Maybe I missed that one being forecast, but it was certainly unexpected - although sadly not enough to earn me a day off work!

Oh well, I'm sure there'll be much deliberation as I type as to whether or not the binmen will go out today for the first time this week. I'm beginning to think they must have glass for bones.

Petrol pains

Despite the fact Lichfield's roads seem to be back to normal this morning, anyone looking to fill up for a potentially long commute was in for disappointment at the Tesco filling station.

Cones prevented drivers from getting onto the forecourt at the start of the day. Not sure if it was weather related, but by putting the blockade across the forecourt entrance rather than the site entrance caused more problems than you'd expect.

Given that there's only the petrol station and pharmacy on site now (the latter not being open at 7am this morning), you'd have thought they'd have put a statement of their closure on the actual junction.

Instead, drivers were forced to go round the filling station and brave the ice and a piece of road that hadn't been used and was therefore iced over.

Every little (bit of information) helps...

Driving me mad

Ordinarily, drivers doing 5mph when a light dusting of snow falls would drive me mad. But when you get snow fall like we did last night, a bit of common sense prevails.

Sadly, those driving between the A38 and Trent Valley island didn't seem to notice the driving conditions had worsened and they continued to race in both directions.

There are plans afoot to install a new (and much-needed) pedestrian crossing on that stretch of road, but given that drivers entering and exiting the A38 don't slow down when there's heavy snowfall, is there really any chance of them reducing their speeds for a pedestrian crossing?