きのうの札幌の最高気温は10度くらいまで上昇していました。つい先日には30cmほどの大雪で、道路上には固い岩盤雪が堆雪しているし、屋根には重く雪が乗っかっている。そういう状況下での気温上昇。
ということで、朝の散歩からこの異常高温による変異が襲ってきていた。気温上昇すれば当然雪融けが進むけれど、それは当然表面側から融けていく。路面は上の方で雪融けする。そうなったところで夜になり、朝方に向かって零下まで気温低下するとその融雪水表面が今度は「ツルツル」氷面に変化する。
もちろん冬場ですので靴底は「滑りにくい」素材タイプなのですが、さすがにスパイク底の靴まではあまり履くことがない。そういった装備で散歩に出掛けたin恐怖のツルツル氷道。ちょっとした体重移動すら足下不安定。圧雪雪道にそこそこ凸凹があるけれど、その各所ごとに危険箇所が潜んでいるという状況。
それでもやや上り坂とか平坦な道は、普段よりすこしペンギン歩きをすればなんとか歩けるけれど、下り坂に差し掛かるといつなんどきツルッとくるかわからない。恐怖の下りエレベーター状態。やむなく雪上の踏み固まったけもの道の一番端っこ、やわらかめの雪との境界線を慎重にゆっくり進むしかない。
みんなが踏み固めた細いけもの道でこういった状況なので、一本道は各所で渋滞も引き起こしている。高齢のご夫婦仲良くしっかり手を携えながら歩まれているなど、微笑ましいのだけれど、後続者としてはなんともどうしようもない状況。長靴であれば雪に突入して追い越せるけれど、普段の冬用運動靴では足に進入してくる雪の融雪で足が大濡れしてしまうのですね。
そういう上にところどころ、高所からの落雪も散見されていた。写真は円山球場の塀を見上げたところですが、この周辺各所で落雪の散乱と危険囲いコーンが置かれていた。「雪庇」と呼ぶのですが、この重たい雪に直撃されれば十分ケガも考えられる。
ということで歩くにも危険度急上昇で、実際身近な人間も雪道転倒してしまっていた。かれはまだ若いので笑い顔で話してくれましたが、高齢者の場合にはシャレにならない。
さらにもっとコワいのがクルマ。大雪の後なので道路幅が２車線道路も1.35車線くらいの幅に減少している。そこでスレ違おうとすれば手前の雪山周辺で「譲り合い」で交叉して行かなければならない。この0.35くらいのエッジ部分が「ツルツル」傾斜面になっているのです。
ちょっとした加減でここでクルマが滑ると簡単に衝突事故が発生してしまう。
そういった状況に、きのうは少なくとも２回遭遇。一応運転経験歴が長いわたしのような人間が道を譲る場合は、この車間ゆとりに十分配慮できるのだけれど、運転に慣れていない方が譲ろうとするのは、そのお気持ちはうれしいのだけれど、車間のゆとり幅をほとんど取られていない場合もある。
結果、譲られて困るということにも遭遇するのですね。やむなく「もうちょっと道幅を取ってください」とジェスチャーで伝えるしかない。相手にすれば「せっかく譲っているのに」というキモチも持たれるだろうなぁと思いつつ、安全側の判断に立たざるを得ないのですね。
さて例年であれば、２月中にこういう事態は余り経験がないのですが、一筋縄でいかないことしの異常気象ぶり。みなさん安全最優先で行動したいですね。

English version⬇

Even though it’s February… Sapporo’s high temperatures and snow are very unusual.
The road that turned into “ice” surface is dangerous even for walking. Penguin walking on the slippery road. The snow-covered road edge is too steep and slippery even for crossing cars. …

The high temperature in Sapporo yesterday had risen to about 10 degrees Celsius. Just the other day, there was a heavy snowfall of about 30 cm, with hard bedrock snow composting on the roads and heavy snow on the roofs. The temperature rose under those circumstances.
So the mutation caused by this abnormally high temperature had hit me from my morning walk. When the temperature rises, naturally the snow melts, but naturally it melts from the surface side. The snow melts at the top of the road surface. Then, as night falls and the temperature drops below zero toward morning, the surface of the melted snow turns into a “slippery” icy surface.
Of course, since it is wintertime, the soles of my shoes are of the “non-slip” type, but I do not often wear shoes with spiked soles. I went out for a walk with such equipment on the slippery ice surface. Even a slight weight shift was unstable under my feet. There were some bumps and dips on the snow-covered path, but each bump had its own hazardous spots.
Even so, I could manage to walk on the slightly uphill and flat paths with a little more penguin steps than usual, but when it came to downhill, I never knew when it would slip. It is a state of fearful downhill elevator. We had no choice but to proceed slowly and carefully along the boundary line between the soft snow and the hardened snow at the very edge of the hardened snow.
The narrow path was so narrow that everyone had to tread on it, causing traffic jams in many places. An elderly couple was walking hand in hand, which made me smile, but as a person following them, I felt helpless to do anything about the situation. If I had boots, I could plunge into the snow and overtake them, but with my normal winter sports shoes, my feet would get very wet from the melting snow that was entering my feet.
On top of that kind of thing, there were also scattered snowfalls from high places in places. The photo is looking up at the fence of the Maruyama Baseball Stadium, and in various places around this area, there was a scattering of falling snow and dangerous fencing cones. The photo shows a view looking up at the fence of the Maruyama Baseball Stadium, where there was a scattering of falling snow and danger cones had been placed around the area.
So, the danger level of walking on the snowy road increased rapidly, and in fact, a person close to me had fallen down on the snowy road. He was still young enough to laugh and talk about it, but it would have been a disaster for an elderly person.
What is even more frightening is the cars. After the heavy snowfall, the width of the road was reduced from two lanes to about 1.35 lanes. If you try to cross the road, you will have to “yield” to each other around the snowy mountain in front of you. The edge of this 0.35 or so is a “slippery” slope.
If a car slips here with the slightest slight, a collision can easily occur.
I encountered such a situation at least twice yesterday. When someone like me, who has been driving for a long time, gives way, I can give enough consideration to the space between the cars, but when someone who is not used to driving tries to give way, I am glad to hear his/her intention, but there are times when the space between the cars is almost empty.
As a result, we sometimes encounter the problem of being forced to yield. You have no choice but to gesture and say, “Please give me a little more room. The other person may have a feeling of “I’m giving way to you,” but I have no choice but to stand on the safe side of the road.
Usually, we don’t experience this kind of situation in February, but this year’s abnormal weather is not a simple matter. Everyone should act with safety as their top priority.

Posted on 2月 15th, 2024 by 三木 奎吾
Filed under: 未分類