Last of the Snow...?

This is the path which runs alongside the Bann from the town to the Cutts at Castleroe. The photo was taken on Friday afternoon.

To-day the thaw has begun. The temperature is just above freezing, sleet is falling...

Frozen

The River Bann has frozen over. A rare occurance, but to be expected after over a week with temperatures continuously well below zero.

Happy Christmas!!

The Diamond

How part of The Diamond, Coleraine looked last Saturday. And it's still much the same to-day.

Picturesque?

A view of Christie Park and the River Bann.

Yes, it is picturesque. When everything is covered by snow it's very beautiful. But we rarely get heavy snow in Northern Ireland - or in the rest of Ireland, or the UK, for that matter.
So when snow arrives we find it difficult to cope, especially when it is accompanied by record low temperatures.
The daytime temperature has been around minus 10 Centigrade, to-night it's forecast to be as low as minus 20 in places.
As a result, even the main roads remain snow-covered. The salted grit spread on them doesn't seem to be very effective at such low temperatures.
For many schools the Christmas break has come several days early. It's difficult to get to work. Christmas shopping has become a struggle for everyone. - which will give the shops an even greater struggle to survive.
People needing to travel to spend the holiday with their families are finding airports closed, flights cancelled.

Yes, snow is beautiful. But when it doesn't melt within a few hours of falling, life just falls apart.

Killowen Parish Church

Properly known as St John the Evangelist, this is the Church of Ireland church at Killowen - just across the river from Coleraine town centre.

Christmas Tree

It's unusual for Coleraine's Christmas Tree to be weighed down with snow.

But, for the second time in two weeks, we've had an exceptionally heavy fall - apparently the worst for twenty-five years .
The first snow was gone in a few days. This time, with daytime temperatures well below freezing, there's a good chance it will still be here at Christmas.