Dave Hulston is a naturally chilled kind of guy. Which is just as well, as he'd been in Skellefteå for just five weeks, working at Northvolt, when the recent blizzard dumped up to 80cms of snow on the town. It was a snowstorm so intense that it shocked even hard-nosed Skellefteå-born citizens.
But Dave took it in his stride.
– I kind of ignored all talk of it until it started, so I was not prepared for how bad it would get. However, I didn’t have any real issues other than having to clear the driveway after a long day at work every day, which wasn't much fun.
– It didn’t really affect me negatively, as I was able to get into work without any issues. I think the Skellefteå authorities are used to this kind of weather as they seemed to be well-prepared.
There were a couple of aspects of the storm that did bother Dave, however.
– The biggest surprise for me was the wind. I coped fine with the amount of snow but the wind while walking into work while it was snowing was just blinding. Actually, the biggest issue I encountered was when I was trying to park the car as there were small mountains of snow everywhere, deposited by snow plows.
Did you find it scary or fun?
– I found it fun. I liked how there was a real sense of community when people were struggling. For example, passers-by will help to push a car that gets stuck in the snow. I helped out a few times myself as well.
Dave seems to have settled in to Skellefteå life remarkably quickly. He's a very experienced automotive professional from Birmingham in the UK, who's spent time in Germany as well as Arizona and California.
What were your first thoughts of Skellefteå?
– My first thoughts were how cold it was! I arrived at the airport, and it was minus 8c, compared to plus 47c in Arizona where I'd just traveled from. It was quite a shock for me. But it seems to be a friendly place to live so far, and people are very helpful and patient with the high number of people coming in.
Despite the recent crazy weather, Dave already really likes living in Skellefteå.
– I love living here and cannot wait to see how the landscape changes in the summer.
Did the blizzard encourage you to learn how to ski?
– Yes! I have never really done it before, but I definitely want to have a go at skiing or snowboarding.
Given our extreme winter so far, Dave might very well need those skis to get to work...