London in the Snow

With so much going on in London, no two weeks are ever the same. This week in London was truly unique. The “Beast from the East” swirled through, dumping a fair bit of snow on the capital over the past three days. It has been crazy, but I am so glad we got to experience London in the snow!

 

At first, I was NOT feeling this snowfall one bit. This is the kind of thing I left behind in Boston, or so I thought. But as the days have passed and the snow has accumulated (and they finally salted the pavements and roads), I’ve come around. London is absolutely beautiful in the snow.

There is something magical about snow falling in this already beautiful city. The quietness and natural beauty of the snow juxtaposed with the hustle and bustle and buildings of London was a treat to explore. The weather slowed down city life, especially the trains. It is rare for it to be so cold here, let alone for the snow to stick. It has been a nice break from London as usual.

Another thing I appreciated about the snowfall was the new visual on UK weather. When the precipitation in London is drizzly rain, it’s easy to forget about it. Seeing the snow fall was a very visual way to see how often the rain or snow here stops and starts throughout the day. The very small amount of accumulation gave me perspective on how little cumulative rainfall there is here, despite frequent showers. It was really neat to see!

London in the Snow

London in the snow is just beautiful.

Trudging through the snow in London is a little less beautiful, as the snow quickly becomes black on any major roadway.

 

Due to the weather, I didn’t stray too far from my usual haunts.

I did make it out to meet a new expat arrival, so got to capture this lovely little alleyway in Mayfair.

Soho was super quiet after work come day three of the storm. I think Londoners are holing up at home during this comparatively crappy weather.

We had a pub dinner on Wednesday night. It was perfectly cozy.

London Snow vs. Boston Snow

It’s hard not to compare London’s snow with that of Boston. We survived the winter of 2014 in Boston, which basically makes us snow experts. After living in Boston forever, it is really interesting to experience a snowstorm in a place that very rarely gets them.

We really did not get that much snow in London, but from the news, the transit system and the general public, you would think this storm was massive! Words like “blizzard” and “white out” were being used on the BBC. Public transit could barely function. It was pretty crazy! I will note that outside of London, conditions were much worse and more dangerous.

While it seemed silly and totally unnecessary, I do understand. London just isn’t built for snow. There is very little in the way of snowplows, many people aren’t used to driving in the snow, no one knew how to dress for the snow and it would seem no one but our fellow Americans in our neighborhood own a shovel to dig out. Yesterday I did see crews out spreading salt, which has made the streets and pavements of London much safer.

The snow has been a new and interesting experience, but I, for one, am ready for some spring weather. Here’s hoping it won’t be too long!