Coldest Winter in 30 years

I came at a time when the UK is having a record-breaking cold winter. Coming from Buffalo, I have wondered if it followed me here.
Temperatures here have dipped into the upper teens (F) and haven't been above freezing in the past two weeks. There's another week of the same temperatures coming up. I have seen enough snow in Chelmsford to slide around in my driveway. Life doesn't really come to a standstill here in these conditions, but pretty close. There are trucks out throwing down "grit" onto the highways. Salt is also being applied to the roads. There are no snowplows. I was discussing how Buffalo "plows the roads" and one Essex native asked me what that meant. Because they are not accustomed to snow and ice, people don't know how to drive in it. There are some foolhardy drivers that won't slow down until they have slid off the carriageway into a tree. For these reasons, schools are closed and police are asking people not to drive if they don't have to. That includes work. All client contacts were canceled last week. If workers live more than a few miles from their office, they can stay home or work from an office closer to home. There are stories of car accidents mixed into the office conversation. The weather is the top story of all news programs.
I have been driving around without difficulty. The grocery stores are extremely busy. Bread and milk are flying off the shelves. People are stocking up on essentials. So far, there is still no need to buy a shovel. But the radio announcers are encouraging people to prepare their cars for all possibilities, with food water, blankets, warm clothing and a shovel kept in reserve.
The one thing I have been doing is paying extra attention to the birds that come to my backyard. I have blue tits, robins, sparrows, great tits, doves and starlings in great numbers feeding from my feeders. The cold weather has kept the cats indoors more, making it safer for the birds to feed.
It has been cold in my house. I am heating right now with one space heater, which actually does a pretty good job. I was delighted to find a shop in Braintree called Edinburgh Woollen Mills, where there was a sale on 100% lambswool sweaters. I bought one for 12 GBP and wish I'd bought several. It's great to layer with a heavier sweater. I will not be cold again. I also found wool gloves for a few pence and heavy wool blend socks. I am very toasty now.
I hear from my daughter in Buffalo that things are very cold there these days. I don't miss that level of cold! Nor do I miss the blowing, drifting snow and the need to shovel or plow driveways and sidewalks.
My fellow US recruits from California are really suffering. They have no driving skills in this weather and have little tolerance for the cold.
I am hoping, at least, that spring here will be early.