(edit title) Sweden & Britain and winter weather Differences in behaviour Options

[Puffin]

I have been finding Aftonbladets travel chat/blog that has been running since yesterday very interesting - it has exposed the different cultures compared to what happened in the UK in January

Britain
- exceptional bad weather and advice not to travel
- most people declared a 'snow day' after the first cm of snow and stayed home without a thought of struggling in to work
- most schools etc shut
- people settled down in front of TV or perhaps a trip to the sledging hill for the week

Sweden
- exceptional and unfortunate combination of unusual weathers
- advice - don't travel
- Swedes cannot believe that travel might actually be difficult and head to the station or jump in the car
- judging by Aftonbladet's travel blogg mant people optimistic that they will still get to work and that the journey will take no longer than usual
- shock, dismay and anger that when advised not to travel that conditions are actually bad

[byke]

The UK doesnt have a culture of snow, and snow related products
The UK usually get allot more adverse weather conditions in a much shorter period of time.
The Workweek in the UK is generally allot longer (thus an excuse to try and bunk off)

[Rick Methven]

The Brits would NEVER do what is happening here.

My neighbour planned to replace his 50 year old sewage and water pipes this year with a target of completion before midsummer. To be able to meet the completion date, the contractor said he needed to start this week. Notwithstanding around a meter of snow and temperature of -20C, yesterday they brought in a digger to clear a path up the side and access to the garden. Today they have started digging up the ground



I bet that in the UK they would have waited until midsummer to start never mind finish

[Freja]

Definition of exceptional weather:

Britian

An annually recurring event, for example: a bit, a couple of centimeters, of snow or the spring flood as a result of the normal levels of rain

Sweden

A record amount of snow in a very short period of time and exceptionally low temperatures, a combination not seen in about 25 years

[Jasoncarter]

- most people declared a 'snow day' after the first cm of snow and stayed home without a thought of struggling in to work

That's also the only cm of snow that it normally takes for people to cry 'snow day' and sack off... I can appreciate the transport problems in Stockholm with 60cm snow/wind drifting it/-24 degrees celsius. But our office is as full as usualy today.

Another thing: There's not many pubs in the UK that shut because of snow, and they're rarely shy of customers on 'snow days'...

[captainbirdseye]

Definition of exceptional weather:. Britian. An annually recurring event, for example: a bit, a couple of centimeters, of snow or the spring flood as a result of the normal levels of rain

Obviously weren't in Britain over the festive period

Britain

Coldest winter since 1963

[Jasoncarter]

I was - Southwest Trains cancelled everything on their Waterloo-Portsmouth route, because of 'extreme weather'. It was -1.

[captainbirdseye]

It was -10 where I stay and the trains were running fine. I guess it's just what the area is used to. My friend is working down in England and was suprised that nobody turned up for work because there was 1 cm of snow.

[Plowbridge]

Summer weather:
Brits work throughout.
Sweden shuts down for 3 months.

Swings and roundabouts. In this case it is a very big roundabout that Sweden rides on in summer.

[byke]

I still think it is wrong to judge weather in the UK versus weather in Sweden just by numbers.

The UK has much more unpredictable weather patterns due to the Atlantic Current.
And this is why you can have such extreme weather and flooding. The same way that you can have a day of unpredictability in the UK of sunshine and multiple light showers throughout the day in the summer.

Yes, snow is snow ... but what about time frame, winds, humidity, black ice, core temperatures (colder isnt necessarily worse as it keeps the snow frozen)

I would find it allot easier to do things in the Swedish climate at present than compared to some of the snow seen in the UK.

I wonder if Russia/Moscow looks down on Sweden ? in the same way Sweden looks down on the UK when it comes to snow management?

But either way, this weather is Sh*t and I would prefer not to deal with it in any country.

[kaze]

Britain is far colder than Sweden when its the same temperature.
0c in the UK is equal to about -10c in Sweden. No clue why, something to do with moisture in the air or the complete lack of wind in Sweden or somesuch I guess.

And when I was trapped in Stockholm on Sunday one of the friends I was with was a Russian girl and she says they get the same crap over there as a yearly event and they take it for granted that travelling is a coin toss at this time of year.

[summo]

Definition of exceptional weather:. Britian. An annually recurring event, for example: a bit, a couple of centimeters, of snow or the spring flood as a result of the normal levels of rain

Some parts of Britains get a lot of snow, the problems in the UK are similar to Sweden, it's just the scale that differs. Both suffer from a lack of funding. In economic times like these something has to give and it is funding for extreme weather scenarios that they decide to run at risk.

In Britain because there are little or no unions, people on salaries will work late (without extra pay) or from home on weekends to catch up. They won't have choice, it is just expected if you want to keep your job or progress in the company.

Most swedes monthly overtime total won't even match a Britains weekly effort. Whose the fool is up for debate though!

In general there is always talk of lost revenue to the state coffers, but most work in all countries is caught up on eventually, sales orders are met etc., just later than expected.

[summo]

Britain is far colder than Sweden when its the same temperature.0c in the UK is equal to about -10c in Sweden. No clue why, something to do with moisture in the air or the com ... (show full quote)

Britain is far colder than Sweden when its the same temperature.
0c in the UK is equal to about -10c in Sweden. No clue why, something to do with moisture in the air or the complete lack of wind in Sweden or somesuch I guess. ... (hide full quote)

It's all urban myth, temperature is temperature. Colder air is denser, regardless of which country it is in, which means it can hold less water molecules. Moisture content or humidity is slightly connected to how much heat can be drawn or wicked from an object, but not enough for a person to feel. If Britain had a high pressure centred over it and temps in the -10 to -20 range everyday it would feel just like Sweden. It only feels colder in the UK because practically no one ever dress up properly!

By your theory when a westerly wind blows toward Sweden someone must change the air in the North Sea over from British to Scando air?

[Beef]

Love the summer shut down analogy!! So so true.. Can Sweden continue this and stay competitive? Only time will tell..

So, the odd snow day here or there in the UK. Big deal! May not get snow in the south for a further 5 years!!

[kaze]

It's all urban myth, temperature is temperature. Colder air is denser, regardless of which country it is in, which means it can hold less water molecules. Moisture content ... (show full quote)

It's all urban myth, temperature is temperature. Colder air is denser, regardless of which country it is in, which means it can hold less water molecules. Moisture content or humidity is slightly connected to how much heat can be drawn or wicked from an object, but not enough for a person to feel. If Britain had a high pressure centred over it and temps in the -10 to -20 range everyday it would feel just like Sweden. It only feels colder in the UK because practically no one ever dress up properly!

By your theory when a westerly wind blows toward Sweden someone must change the air in the North Sea over from British to Scando air? ... (hide full quote)

I definitely feel the difference.
I can walk around in 0 no problems here, its a warm day, but back home I'm freezing to death- and this is wearing exactly the same clothes.