I just thought it was the Brits who were no good at snow, vastly outperformed by the Germans and French (and almost everyone else) in the what to do with the thick white stuff stakes.

Having once lived in New Jersey I have always believed that the Americans had a pretty good system for handling snow. On a visit to Canada a few years ago I was really impressed with the matter of fact way that the USA's northern neighbour dealt with it. Toronto has built what accounts to a second city underground. In Montreal and Ottowa they regularly clear away millions of tons of the stuff into specially prepared areas and even take the opportunity to build functioning hotels out of ice. In Quebec they positively delight in the stuff and organise a special winter festival. For anyone who has never been there, whether in winter or not, Quebec is certainly worth the visit. Must be all those Francophilic Canadians I expect. No wonder Wolfe and Montcalm fought over the place and how appropriate that they are buried together behind the major hotel.

But I was wrong, at least as far as New York is concerned, and apparently Washington. Snow it seems has reduced them to a shadow of their former selves. Airports closed, roads impassible and trains stuck.

The moral is quite clear. At the first onset of snow all normal activity should cease forthwith and the de Gaulle plan for snow survival put into effect immediately. This would consist largely of getting home and staying there, waiting until it stops snowing and then finding the nearest toboggan (or tin tray) and enjoying oneself immensely until it thaws. If tobogganing doesn't do it for you, then stay inside and use your imagination. Vive La France!