Winter is on its way.

[exile]

Winter is on its way when you find that as drive down the road, suddenly the verges have been planted with snow poles. They weren't there when I drove down to the valley this morning, but they were there on the way back at lunchtime.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Veem]

Winter is on its way when you find that as drive down the road, suddenly the verges have been planted with snow poles. They weren't there when I drove down to the valley this morning, but they were there on the way back at lunchtime.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr.

Winter isn't coming here then as we've not seen a single snow pole since we first arrived.

[Char]

Forgive my ignorance but what's a snow pole?

[rsm]

Poles set along the road to mark out where the edge of the road is,the edges disappear when it snows

[Doug]

Forgive my ignorance but what's a snow pole?

Now I could take the mickey or wax lyriclally about poles ( not people of the country of same name)
They are on mountain roads to mark the verge when snow is up over your thighs to save you driving over the edge.
Even seen them on river plains for when it floods but then me thinks they'd be called flood poles.

[DaveW]

Very useful for the snow plows.

[MAD87]

I wish you hadn't started this topic, exile. I hate autumn and winter and after a lousy "summer", it's even more painful.

[niemeyjt]

Not out here this morning - but there is time yet

[exile]

Forgive my ignorance but what's a snow pole?

As described Char but I will see if I can get some pictures. They mark the edges of the road and more importantly hard raised areas so that when the snow ploughs come through they don't hit the side of a concrete revetment*.
Strangely the ones installed today are at lower altitudes - say 600m. The road to our village is still snow pole free at 900m - but not for long methinks.

* Edit to add: or plunge into a deep ditch - or worse. A few points round here could see you plunging 30m or more where the road has a narrow verge but no hard protection before the drop.

[exile]

I wish you hadn't started this topic, exile. I hate autumn and winter and after a lousy "summer", it's even more painful.

My sympathies Mad and a sentiment I partly share given the lack of a proper summer this year - although I do enjoy having 4 seasons rather than 6 months of grey in the UK.

I don't recollect seeing them out this early except for 3 years ago when we had an early and heavy snowfall. Maybe the authorities know something we don't.