UK blanketed under record snowfall – but don’t just take our word for it

by Scott Carmichael on

The UK has been hit by one of the worst winter storms in decades. But don’t just take our word for it – check out this photo from The Nasa Terra satellite. Similar winter storms hit all over Europe, but this photo of an entirely white country looks unbelievable. For an even more impressive shot – click here to view a version of the photo taken from 250 miles.

Parts of the country will be getting another 10 inches of the white stuff, and grocery stores are starting to run out of essential products. The national energy operator has even warned of brief periods of natural gas shortages.

Of course, the storms have also been wreaking havoc on the various airports. Gatwick airport canceled over 400 flights on Thursday, and travelers stranded there described the place as the “airport from hell”.

Are you stuck in the UK? Flown through one of its airports? Let us know how you did in the comments below, or tweet including @Gadling.

Snowy roads in the Netherlands may be smelling sweet this winter

by Katie Hammel on

There seems to be a major salt shortage in the Netherlands this winter. According to Radio Netherlands Worldwide, the country normally uses about 70,000 tons of salt to de-ice the roads each winter. So far this year, over 100,000 tons have already been spread on icy roads around the country. If the temps don’t warm up fast, the Netherlands could run out of road salt.

To combat the shortage, some cities are using sand, which doesn’t work as well and is not good for the roads. But at least one town has gotten a little more creative. The town of Etten-Leur has spread 18 tons of scented bath salts on its roads in an effort to keep them ice-free.

So, if you find yourself driving in the Netherlands, you may notice the roads smelling a little sweeter than normal. According to the news report, the “coloured bath salts smell of lavender, green tea and mango.”%Gallery-79319%

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Hell train hits Chicago 19 hours late

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy


The passengers who got stuck in the Channel Tunnel recently had an awful situation, but was it worse than what the passengers who just pulled into Chicago endured? Those who endured the Eurostar incident were stuck for 15 hours without food, water or information. The passengers on Amtrak‘s California Zephyr reached Chicago 19 hours late. One called it “the train from hell,” with local news outlet WMAQ saying the passengers hit town “tired, hungry and stinky.” Severe weather was among the problems that caused the delay, with a pass between two hills in Nebraska suffering from snow drifts more than two stories high. Also, the train hit a pickup truck that got in the way in Iowa.

Food were in short supply on the train, and some of the passengers were pissed that the information from Amtrak flowed about as readily as the water on the train (there wasn’t much). And, it seems goodwill still remains scarce. Though Amtrak is offering hotel rooms to passengers who need them, refunds will only be paid on a case-by-case basis.

Photo of the Day (12.31.09)

by Kent Wien on

More snow is expected for today in the Boston area. I’ve been trying to capture snow with as much impact as possible, but I haven’t been happy with the results.

This picture from PDPhotography taken in Toronto really gave me a chill. Now I’m off to try to re-create the look. If I could just find a bus around here.

Here’s hoping you have a wonderful new year. Why not make it a New Year’s resolution to make an appearance on one of our Photo of the Day posts? Submit your picture to Gadling’s Flickr group right now! We just might use it for a Photo of the Day for 2010.

Winter festivals in the Midwest

by Katie Hammel on

What is it about snow that just makes us want to play in it? A fresh, fluffy layer of snow means snow angels and snowmen, building forts and having snowball fights. And for some people, it also means making really, really big snow sculptures like these found on WebUrbanist.com.

To see some smaller, but no less impressive, snow sculptures in the Midwest, check out one of the area’s many winter festivals.

In Ohio, the Toledo Zoo Frozentoesen offers a whole month of special winter events at the zoo, including ice carving, free admission days, and animal interactions.

The Madison Winter Festival, which takes place from February 19 to 21 in Wisconsin, goes beyond just spectator sports. In addition to ice and snow sculpting, the event features some pretty hardcore winter sports like cross country skiing, speed skating, 5k races, snowshoeing, and bike racing over snow.

In Michigan, head to Bavarian-themed Frankenmuth for Snowfest. Held January 27 to February 1, the fest features snow and ice sculpting and a huge warming tent with traditional German food, music and drinks. And as someone who has been there I can say that not only is the event a very fun time, but you’d be surprised how quickly a few pints of beer and some really badass snow sculptures can make you forget the bitter cold.