Discussion
Weather forecast reckons nighttime low of 6 C, with daytime temp of 11 C tomorrow. Can a learned PHer explain why it is necessary for the local council to grit the roads this evening? I can kind of understand if the forecast is marginal, say, 2 or 3 C. I thought I'd take the bike to work tomorrow, given the mild temperatures, but now having second thoughts, due to corrosion concerns........
Biker 1 said:
Weather forecast reckons nighttime low of 6 C, with daytime temp of 11 C tomorrow. Can a learned PHer explain why it is necessary for the local council to grit the roads this evening? I can kind of understand if the forecast is marginal, say, 2 or 3 C. I thought I'd take the bike to work tomorrow, given the mild temperatures, but now having second thoughts, due to corrosion concerns........
because they can !! sorry .... and they are paying drivers and have salt to use up,,IMHO so much of it is pointless and it makes the road slipery for days afterward as salt is hydroscopic so it stays damp until there is enough rain to wash it away ... ...
Willy Nilly said:
Once in a while the weather forecast is wrong and there is a blast of cold air coming from the arctic in the next couple of day. Would you rather a greasy road and a bit of cost for gritting that probably been accounted for, or a patch of ice and you bike in the scenery?
Well they weren't wrong, & tonnes of salt have been wasted!Even if they do get it wrong, I've never known it to be out by 6C - at least not in the last few years of super computer weather forecasts. I did ride in - the main roads were fine: dry & no salt. It was just a couple of back lanes that definitely were, including the one around the back of my house that Gary Gritter was seen =doing his worst last night. Weird.
And imagine the response on here when the forecast says 6C but they got it slightly wrong and it was cold enough for ice to form on some places (happens when air temperatures are higher than 0c). Someone then has an accident on an ungritted road!
I expect the councils have a policy that says forecast temperatures of below a certain level, then grit the roads. It's better/cheaper/safer to grit and not need it than to not grit and wish you had.
I expect the councils have a policy that says forecast temperatures of below a certain level, then grit the roads. It's better/cheaper/safer to grit and not need it than to not grit and wish you had.
This morning walking to my garage i thought to myself, it could be a nice ride to work this morning as the roads were dry and it was about 7 degrees, a few minutes later i pulled onto the heavily gritted main road and thought exactly the same as you, why???
Still, fingers crossed in about 14 weeks we'll be over all the grit and dirty roads!! May even seem a glimpse of sunshine
Still, fingers crossed in about 14 weeks we'll be over all the grit and dirty roads!! May even seem a glimpse of sunshine
Yipper said:
Because:
1. Government departments have almost no cost-controls.
2. The papers and public go mental if the roads aren't soaked in grit at the merest hint of a snowflake.
Have you ever worked in a government department?, Have you ever been responsible for a government department budget?1. Government departments have almost no cost-controls.
2. The papers and public go mental if the roads aren't soaked in grit at the merest hint of a snowflake.
black-k1 said:
Yipper said:
Because:
1. Government departments have almost no cost-controls.
2. The papers and public go mental if the roads aren't soaked in grit at the merest hint of a snowflake.
Have you ever worked in a government department?, Have you ever been responsible for a government department budget?1. Government departments have almost no cost-controls.
2. The papers and public go mental if the roads aren't soaked in grit at the merest hint of a snowflake.
ks from him. Gavia said:
black-k1 said:
Yipper said:
Because:
1. Government departments have almost no cost-controls.
2. The papers and public go mental if the roads aren't soaked in grit at the merest hint of a snowflake.
Have you ever worked in a government department?, Have you ever been responsible for a government department budget?1. Government departments have almost no cost-controls.
2. The papers and public go mental if the roads aren't soaked in grit at the merest hint of a snowflake.
ks from him. but thanks for the details after that. I don't often venture much beyond BB in PH for exactly these reasons.Gavia said:
Oh look here comes the Arctic weather (well for you lot anyway, the worst I’ve got is a bit of rain today). This is why they gritted. They can’t grit every road instantly, so they have to do it over a few days.
I realise this, but what would be the point of gritting before a rainstorm - surely it would all get washed away???Biker 1 said:
Gavia said:
Oh look here comes the Arctic weather (well for you lot anyway, the worst I’ve got is a bit of rain today). This is why they gritted. They can’t grit every road instantly, so they have to do it over a few days.
I realise this, but what would be the point of gritting before a rainstorm - surely it would all get washed away???I’ll repeat what I’ve said a few times. The council have a limited number of gritters. They can’t magically grit all of their roads at the drop of a hat and so need a few days to get as much coverage as they can. This is why they’ve gritted some roads a few days ahead of a very cold arctic blast that’s coming tomorrow.
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