The weather suddenly turned cold a week ago. Ken and I weren’t too worried about a forecast. After all, it wasn’t supposed to rain or snow. We were puzzled by the panic. The lows were going to be colder, about 25F (-4C), but not drastically colder than normal.
We didn’t factor in the foggy dew
Since we arrived to Ireland, we’re awoken each morning to a heavy dew that covers everything. Water is running down the house and car windows and doors. The ground is wet and the grass is soaked. It’s really unlike anything I’ve experienced before. We bought a pack of towels to wipe down the car windows in the morning.
As the tempertures dropped, there were more sunny days and less rain. At home in Virginia, cold weather is often dry and crisp. Not here.
As the temperatures dipped to the lowest point in 12 years, the dews continued, accompanied by freezing fog. Last Friday we awoke to a thin sheet of ice on all the sidewalks and roads. Most roads were treated with salt and grit, but the sidewalks were treacherous. We tried to walk into town for a craft show but had to return home to drive. It was just too icy. We searched for salt and grit for our own driveway, but local stores were sold out. We’re fortunate that our house gets good sun in the mornings and the driveway has largely dried.
Our car was also a block of ice. We didn’t have a snow scraper, so Ken went looking for one only to find it’s one of those things they just don’t sell in Ireland. A store clerk told him that in normal weather, they’re not needed and the don’t sell. RTE (the Irish public news media) reminded listeners NOT to pour boiling water from electric kettles on car windows to defrost. Still, a few folks had to try:
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
Now that that cold spell is stretching into its second week, I’m thinking an entrepreneurial person could make a tidy sum selling inexpensive ice scrapers and ice cleats for shoes.
Then on Friday night we had our first snow, followed by more dew, fog, and cold air. Holiday events and some classes were cancelled. Ken and I still drove through a snow/sleet mix to get to a nearby town for flu and Covid jabs (we were not going to miss that appointment), and we found the mountains around Westport and Ballycroy National Park snow-covered.
The fall semester is winding down, and our kids are flying in this weekend for the holidays. I looked at the long-range forecast and panicked. The cold wave was predicted to last into the weekend.
Driving to Dublin would not be fun, but we knew we could make it. Dublin is a walking city. Our daughter is expecting, so falling is not an option. I ordered ice cleats to strap on our shoes for all, just in case.
We have frozen fog this morning, too, but it’s burning off quickly. What wonderful news that your family will be in Ireland with you AND that you’re going to be grandparents! Happy holidays to all!