Snow - pocolypse Now!

A large to-do here this morning as London saw the biggest snowfall since 1991. One morning newspaper I saw read "Going Snowwhere!" and predicted mass confusion during both the AM and PM rush hour commute.

I experienced such confusion. The streets were empty as I left for work this morning; roads and streets had yet to be plowed. I made my way to the Tube to find a worker barking out instructions as if there was a fire: "MAKE SURE YOU CHECK YOUR LINE FOR SERVICE DELAYS!," "GIVE YOURSELF PLENTY OF TIME!" "RUN AWAY!" I was the only one in the station, so I'm not sure why he was yelling at me. But I certainly appreciated his help.

Looking at the service board, sure enough, there several lines were delayed and the entire London Bus service was canceled. I was fortunate to have only a shortly delayed train, while others had to make several switches to get even close to their destination.

The streets of The City were worse. Cars spinning out, shops closed, and sidewalks covered in snow. The Capital had truly come to a standstill.

The amount dumped on London: 15cm (or 6 inches.)

Now, I recognize that six inches can be a lot of trouble, but it started snowing at 3 pm yesterday and came down very slowly. Her Royal Majesty even remarked that this "Snowstorm" was "Cute." Let's put this snowstorm in perspective. In the 16 hours between the start of the snowfall and when I went to work, snow accumulated at a pace less than 1/2 inch an hour - shockingly weak for a snowfall the weatherman has predicted for days.

Even still, what really baffles me is how the Tube, located miles underground near the seventh circle of hell, could be even remotely effected by snowfall. Clearly, it would take the conductors a little longer to get to work but, uhm, then you're underground all day. Should be fine. No need to cancel everything.

And yes, I'm cranky because my coffee place was shut down because of the weather. My only caffeine this morning has come from English Breakfast - which, analogous to my the reaction to the snow, I also find shockingly weak and disappointing.

Apparently this is Day 1 of Snowpocolypse Now, with two more to follow. Oh! The Horror! We'll keep you updated.