We love living in Trondheim. Surprisingly, the weather is similar to Boise winters . . . just lasts a little longer and a little darker. During the darkest times, the sun would rise around 10:30am and set around 2:30pm. Many days were overcast, so when the sun finally would show itself, it would hit your body like a warm blanket, no matter how cold it was. You can actually feel the energy of the sun on your body when it has been sun-deprived. It is a true statement that if you don't like the weather in Trondheim, just wait 20 minutes. We can have snow, overcast, sun, windy sun, all in one hour.
One thing Norwegians know about is anything to do with the weather. They have all the streets AND main sidewalks plowed and brushed (see below) regularly. When they are plowing in the residential streets, the snow blower that buries front yard fences is turned off as it passes driveways so they are not plowed into drifts that block cars from escaping (like we had in Boise). Trondheim residents pride themselves on being a bike-friendly city. People of all ages ride bikes no matter what the weather (they use studded tires in the winter), and just dress with water-proof gear. We haven't seen a fully fenced yard, so there are always people walking dogs. When it is dark, not only do the people have reflectors on their clothes, but you will see dogs with reflector vests or sometimes flashing lights on their collars. Norwegians can adapt to any situation. They don't complain about the weather, they just work around it.
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It takes the slush and first layer away. |
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This machine brushes the snow off the city sidewalks
and they have larger versions for the streets. |