COMMENTARY: Lost snow-how

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By Riitta Vainio
     
      On Sunday of last week, we had what was described as an "unprecedented" blizzard, with snow and strong winds, and on Monday there was more snow, the temperature dropped a few degrees below freezing, and the roads froze.
      We slithered and fishtailed our way to work on Monday morning with a general air of understanding for the difficult conditions.
      On the first snowy day, we even stomached the fact that the trains were late - it's always like that when it snows. Or when it rains, come to that.
     
Even on the next day some more snow came down, and the white powder began to drift and pile up awkwardly on the sides of the roads, in front of pedestrian crossings, and at bus stops.
      Wouldn't it be an idea now to start ploughing and clearing this stuff away?
      On the fourth day it no longer snowed, but the train was late, the streets were like glass, and the piles of snow were still there.
     
Then a thaw set in, and the snow turned inevitably into slush, and it was everywhere. Wet slush, with the standard property of wet slush, namely the destruction of one's shoes.
      Even on the sixth day after the unprecedented blizzard, those streets from which the snow had not melted of its own volition were still slushy and slippery.
     
Has climate change wrested from us our understanding of snow? When it snows, don't we know to do anything about it any more?
      The way things are, the Finns have not a snowball's chance in hell of selling snow-how to the world.
      When snow falls, it should be ploughed and cleared away and the streets should be gritted. That's what we always used to do.
      Or have all the snowploughs been given away, or what?
     
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 1.12.2008


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Winter brings both annoyance and delight to Helsinki (25.11.2008)

RIITTA VAINIO / Helsingin Sanomat
riitta.vainio@hs.fi