Getting Home Advice
I'm working in Portsmouth and want to get back to my family on Friay for the weekend in Durham. Usually head A34/M40/A43/M1. Takes 4.5 hours night time. 310miles.
weather forcasters have got in wrong in places and the snow appears patchy. Advice sought from all back room boys (and girls) - do I stick with usual route and risk getting stuck, take a different route - if so which or take a train or plane?
On Sunday night last weekend powered down through several inches of snow in places, but it was quiet.
Edited by PoloGirl on 05/02/2009 at 23:34
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Forecast just on the telly was lots of overnight snow from about Oxford downwards, continuing during the day. Don't remember seeing much north of Oxford. I'd probably use the same route as you as it's the most direct, but have local radio on, take warm clothes, food etc and be prepared for a long journey. (Berkshire was one of the areas with no salt too, just major routes to be done -I thought they only ever did major roads!!)
Edited by PoloGirl on 05/02/2009 at 23:35
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Barney... lots of snow forecast for north Hampshire/Berkshire (ie the bottom bit of the A34) in the early hours of Friday morning.
Not sure if I'd risk it.
Edited by PoloGirl on 05/02/2009 at 23:35
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If I get stuck who do I stay with? 200 cars stuck now in Devon!
any offers?
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Barney, I did Reading to Grantham yesterday, by train(s) and it was OK but there had been horrendous problems with the overhead power lines. When I got home a neighbour who had driven up the A1 from Peterborough said that there was a 25 mile queue behind a jacknifed ruck,so any train or road jouney is going t be a bit of a gamble. I know my bit of the A1 isn't on your route but a truck can pile up anwhere and the train power lines can come down anywhere! I'd be tempted to not travel and if you have to I wouldn't have a view on which to choose. May the power lines stay up and/or your roads be gritted!
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Barney,
No snow in Durham City, so your last few miles shouldn't be a problem.
Couldn't speak for the other 300-odd, though. :)
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I am 4m E of the A34 on the Oxon/Berks border, and overnight we had 1" of snow - it's now throwing frozen drizzle, in pretty small quantities. There is more on the radar that looks like it might arrive in the afternoon.
My gut feel is that the A34 will have been busy enough overnight and this morning to clear any precipitation - the risk however is a jack-knifed artic on one of the slopes N of M4 and S of Oxford, with virtually no way around it.
Could you go A3, M25, M1?
Edited by oldnotbold on 06/02/2009 at 08:38
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I'm about 2 miles from M1 J 15A. Light snow overnight but it's come on very heavy since 08:00 and is falling in lumps as I type. Went out to the station at 07:45 but came striaght back as did not fancy alll day on the train. Not been on the motorway but the A4500 towards J16 was covering fast in spite of grit and traffic. Local roads awful, and the standard of driving truly shocking.
Stay put.
Edited by Bromptonaut on 06/02/2009 at 09:24
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Stay put. Roads in Oxfordshire, including the M40 and A34, have been close to impassable all morning - HA is advising to avoid unless essential. The snow is now falling thick here in Warwickshire. I abandoned my plans to travel today and I'm glad I did.
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Did you make it? If so, how long?
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Dear all
thanks for the advice. Most punters suggested staying put - but I miss my family! So I left at 16:00. And I had one the fastest journey's home ever - 4hours 40mins - nothing on the roads and snow was almost non-existent (IM North Pennines Opinion). There were a few broken down and crumpled vehicles by the road side - usual route A34/M40/A43/M1/M18/A1 - only real snow round Oxford and Northampton aea, about 1-2 inches. I do realise that TV and radio have to find some things to report on, but once again it felt hyped out of all proportion (see Lake District Mountan Marathon as non-car theme, and I do blame press for some of the economic downturn too).
I set off from home Monday at 7:00 and it took 6.5 hours with freezing fog, lots of rain and a number of minor accidents M1 once and A34 - in x 3 places. That road really does get shut lots why?
Hope you all had good weekend too
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Well done Barney. Media do tend to hype, but clearly predicting snowfall is something no-one can do reliably. But you may find that less than 0.5 mile off the roads you were on was deep snow. A buddy lives just off the A34 and tried to get to it from his house on Sat am and his village had over a foot of snow on the main road. Snowfall can be very localised.
Anyway, glad you got to see the family...
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Thank you Smokie. I agree predicting the snow fall is very difficult. However road reports I was hearing on TV suggested that the whole road network was at gridlock due to snow, when in fact it was rather restricted to minor roads. The gritting teams in my opinion, came under unjustified attack - everyone knows that gritting roads covered in 3 inches of snow doesn't help, and grit on roads that got covered in snow later fails too. So I suspect that putting grit down 24/7 was waste of time (and grit) if snow-ploughs weren't available. In the high Pennines grit goes down on freezing roads, but they shift to plough mode when the snow gets thicker, then grit after clearing it. But it takes cars to drive the grit into the road surface/snow to break it up. hence minor roads will block quickly as there isn't enough traffic.
Enough rant - journey was fine up, and disappointing back down. Back again Friday!
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I think this is down to the excellent job the Highways Agency did on the major roads. Local roads could be (and were) bad but not motorways and A roads.
I drove back from Swindon to Manchester on Thursday - quickest I have managed it too. And never did more than a speed limit and often much under. But I know local roads in Swindon last week were very bad including the day I left to go home.
Glad you got to Durham safely. I would not have risked it if not actually driving home.
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Well done intrepid BB! Good luck on Friday - it looks like being waaaaaay better!
Edited by Armitage Shanks {p} on 10/02/2009 at 09:30
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