It never ceases to amaze me how we react in the UK to the slightest hint of snowfall. For some reason, each time it snows it seems to take everyone completely by surprise  even though in most cases the weather forecasters have been predicting it for at least a few days in advance.

Now, I know that weather forecasting is not a precise science at the best of times, with the 'butterfly' effect and all meaning that the slightest change in wind speed or direction or any number of other factors can have a huge impact on the eventual outcome for any particular day, but do we distrust our weather service so much that we completely ignore forecasts of poor weather conditions?  More likely it's a case of the 'it won't happen to me' syndrome and everyone thinking that they won't be the one to get stuck or caught out when it comes and then, guess what, they do!

Even then, we are in a season called 'winter' and whilst we may have become accustomed to milder winters than in the past, it really shouldn't come as a great surprise to us , given that other countries have much worse winters than we do and seem to manage to keep everything moving.

Surely we should approach a winter day on the assumption of bad weather unless proven otherwise rather than assuming it will be mild enough for us not to have to take precautions. I used to think my Dad was mad for carrying around a heavy jacket, hessian sack and shovel in the car all winter, but now I have a car of my own, I wish more people out there would have the same sense of preparedness, it would save a lot of lives each year if they did.

Personally, I'm just glad I work from home, so I can sit by the radiator and write about it.  My cat on the other hand, seems to be as bad as most of us and swears that it's the first time he's ever seen a snowflake in his life,  that one got a way but he's going to catch the next one, etc ...  How to tell him that there are two sheets of glass between him and them?