During the brutal winter of 1978-9, the Wittering airfield was snowbound for several days despite our best efforts (the A1 was blocked in both directions too, and we had many drivers, two MPs and the entire cast of the Desert Song on base overnight). The ramp up from the OCU hangar to the flight line was clear because of the underfloor heating put in for Blue Steel, but the flight line was an ice rink (complete with Mini tyre pattern ridges). OC OPs instructed us (I was Duty Eng that night) to clear and dry the flight line outside the offices with the MRD - against the judgement of the MTO who said it risked burning the concrete. I remember standing on the MRD next to the operator and being impressed by the sheets of ice the size of carpets flying into the night, and beeing amazed by, the tar sealing the expansion joints melting and flowing over the ice. We duly did the job, only to find a few days later that large areas of concrete had gone brown and crumbly, needing considerable effort to remove and replace the slabs.
I also remember that DoE had put insulation in nearly all the MQ lofts, but had not insulated the water pipes, so when the thaw came, dozens of quarters had water cascading into the bedrooms.