I'm Gonna Scream

[Selkie]

MORE SNOW predicted, starting tomorrow pm....... Another "significant" storm. Arlington County sent out a message, advising residents to be prepared to stay home 3-5 days.

Yesterday morning we woke to about 4 inches of wet snow. Pretty. The roads were fine since it was 32ish degrees and the crews had been plowed/treated most of the roads by the time I left the house at 5:15am (I went in to work early since the pool was closed for early bird swim due to the snow). They canceled school, dunno why.

Had to vent---my apologies.

OOOPS, I just saw NYBiker's thread on the same subject! Sorry...

[ny biker]

I feel your pain.

[hammertime]

from a midwesterner to an east coast girl...

"to hope for anything beyond snow, ice, sleet, hail, wind, cold prior to March 31st... is just silly";):p:eek:

soon we will posting how the century we did in 90 degree heat was... wonderful!:D

hang in there... Spring is near!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:p

[Zen]

I don't think we've had all that much snow.

[ny biker]

I don't think we've had all that much snow.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020201902.html

Normal seasonal snowfall for the DC metro area is 15.2 inches. This chart shows 24 inches as of Feb 1, and that doesn't count the snow we got overnight Feb 2-3. We are almost double the normal amount already, and could triple it with the next storm.

It's also unusual to get more than 1 double-digit storm in a season:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2010/02/as_we_edge_closer_to.html

[Selkie]

Exactly, NY. I wonder if this means no spring and a very hot/humid summer. BTW, the county has snow blowers that residents can borrow if they clear out communal areas..... I'm tempted to go get one and snow blow our hill (street) clear because we probably won't see a plow until Sunday at the earliest.

[bmccasland]

All your buckets of snow, is coming in the form of RAIN down here on the gulf coast. I'm going to need swim fins and snorkle to get home today. There are days I really miss having a 4x4, and this is one of them.

[Biciclista]

snow? what's that?

[ny biker]

Exactly, NY. I wonder if this means no spring and a very hot/humid summer. BTW, the county has snow blowers that residents can borrow if they clear out communal areas..... I'm tempted to go get one and snow blow our hill (street) clear because we probably won't see a plow until Sunday at the earliest.

BTW in case you couldn't tell, I'm a bit of a weather nerd.

[Cataboo]

Well, that chart confirms my suspicions and memories that there was much more snow in my childhood growing up around here than there is now. We've had below average snowfalls for the last 6 winters. One winter above average isn't something to whine a ton over.

The last 6 winters have not had much snow, the last 3 winters have averaged less than 10 inches a year.

Actually, if you look at data over the last 59 years, the average snowfall is 16.6 inches for Dc national and 22 inches for washington dulles over the last 40 years.
http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/snowfall.html

This website reports average as 18 for NationaL, and average in dc ranging from 17-22 inches:
http://kiat.net/dc/images/weather/dc-avg-snow.gif

http://www.erh.noaa.gov/lwx/winter/storm-pr.htm

Okay, so there's no reason for me to have looked that up, I was just struck in looking at that map how snowfall before about 1990 seemed much higher, and it's been much less since then, with maybe a big blizzard every 6 years. And I remember playing in the snow reasonably often as a child.

[TrekTheKaty]

Kids have been out of school for 2 days because we got 4" of snow (but we're wusses). Good luck!

[WindingRoad]

You can add me to the list of feeling the pain. It is gearing up for round 2 here, the wind has picked up considerably over the last hour or so. I STILL wanna get a workout in so I think I'll creep the car on down to the gym in a few and do the dreadmill thing, blech! Charging my iPod now for maximum blasticity. Yes, that's a word. :D

[Bike Chick]

Kids have been out of school for 2 days because we got 4" of snow (but we're wusses). Good luck!

Trek, you make me laugh! You are so right!

Hang in there guys. I really feel for all of you. Spring is just a few weeks away!

[Tri Girl]

WOW! Please stay warm and safe. I have lots of family there, and they are super thrilled about it. :rolleyes:
I hoe it's not as bad as they're predicting. *crossing fingers*

[Laterider21958]

Until I saw what was happening in the northern hemisphere I used to think that we have it bad with our heat-waves, but I now think everything being buried in deep snow would be harder to deal with. At least we in Australia don't have to shovel the stuff off the roads and pathways. Our cars are never buried in snow, but we do have to have very efficient air-conditioning and coolant in our radiators to avoid boiling the engine.

We're in the middle of another "hot spell" and it's a very humid 39 C here at the moment. I sincerely hope the sun shines your way instead of ours for a while. :)

[Ritamarie]

No kidding. We had 27 inches on Saturday and now have 14-16 inches on top of that already and we've just hit the heavy part of the storm. Crazy. The horses are bewildered, the cats don't know where to pee and the people are exhausted. Only the dog thinks this is an exciting development.

[GLC1968]

I feel for you easterners!

Here we are marvelling at how the dafodils are about to bloom, how the rose bushes have leaves already and how bud-filled our plum and cherry trees are - spring in February? WTF??

[SadieKate]

Kids have been out of school for 2 days because we got 4" of snow (but we're wusses). :p

Bend won't plow main streets until 2" have fallen and residential streets aren't plowed until 6" have fallen, but then everyone here owns a [insert AWD car of choice here] and most (the smart ones) put on traction tires in winter.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Wow, I'm just glad I don't live in a place that gets life-threatening droughts, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, monsoons, hurricanes and tornadoes. Snowstorms are just a normal part of winter around here. :)
(it's snowing heavily outside right now...)

[mtbdarby]

from a midwesterner to an east coast girl...

"to hope for anything beyond snow, ice, sleet, hail, wind, cold prior to March 31st... is just silly";):p:eek:

soon we will posting how the century we did in 90 degree heat was... wonderful!:D

hang in there... Spring is near!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:p

Hehehehe. That's what I was thinking. I say get out and enjoy the time off making snowmen and snow angels. Or just a good ole fashioned snowball fight!

Say...did I hear there was an earthquake west of Chicago today??!

[tulip]

It's not normal around here, and we do not have the equipment to deal with it. It's a real problem, and a dangerous situation. Many drivers, myself included, have never learned to drive in the snow. Not because we're idiots, but because it's not needed except very occasionally. And we don't have the opportunity to practice very often. I don't drive in the snow, but many people do anyways and do a very poor (and dangerous) job of it.

During the first snow storm of this snow season here on January 30th, the city got blasted because they did a very poor job of plowing. It came to light that three years ago, the city sold one-third of it's plowing equipment, and much of the remaining plows did not function properly. By the time the next snowstorm came around last week, they had enlisted out of town plows and private citizens with plows, and they did a great job. Today's storm, which is still slamming DC, Baltimore and north, left us with only a few inches, but there were white out conditions and many, many traffic accidents this morning. There were two big plows on my street by the time the snow stopped.

If the city were to spend umpteen dollars on extra plowing equipment that would get used perhaps once every 10 years, they would be rightly criticized.

I hope all you DC-Balto-Delaware-Philly folks are safe and warm and at home.

[ny biker]

If the city were to spend umpteen dollars on extra plowing equipment that would get used perhaps once every 10 years, they would be rightly criticized.

Steven Pearlstein had an interesting column on that today:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/09/AR2010020903503_pf.html

BTW, I never owned a car or drove in snow until I moved to DC. I read this advice from AAA which I have found very useful: You basically do 3 things when you drive -- accelerate, brake and steer. In slippery conditions, only do one of those things at a time.

Also some stuff I learned in 8th grade physics have been useful. You get better traction when you go slowly than when you go fast, so if you are stuck in snow, apply gentle pressure to the gas pedal. If you spin your wheels fast, you'll never get anywhere. And of course momentum is mass x velocity, so you have less momentum (and therefore can stop easier) if you're going more slowly.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Also some stuff I learned in 8th grade physics have been useful. You get better traction when you go slowly than when you go fast, so if you are stuck in snow, apply gentle pressure to the gas pedal. If you spin your wheels fast, you'll never get anywhere. And of course momentum is mass x velocity, so you have less momentum (and therefore can stop easier) if you're going more slowly.

When I lived in Puerto Rico for 13 years, I learned how you have to drive through water that is above the bottom of your car door and above your tailpipe exhaust. :D :eek: You can't stop, because then the tailpipe gets blocked under water and suffocates the engine somehow and you stall. Basically, you slowly plow through the water while creating a wake in back of you, like a boat! The wake keeps the water below the tailpipe in back...unles you stop. Only stop when you reach your destination and do not stop for red lights in intersections. LOL!! Many is the time I had to do this to pick my kids up from school. :D

[Selkie]

It's not normal around here, and we do not have the equipment to deal with it. It's a real problem, and a dangerous situation. Many drivers, myself included, have never learned to drive in the snow. Not because we're idiots, but because it's not needed except very occasionally. And we don't have the opportunity to practice very often. I don't drive in the snow, but many people do anyways and do a very poor (and dangerous) job of it.

During the first snow storm of this snow season here on January 30th, the city got blasted because they did a very poor job of plowing. It came to light that three years ago, the city sold one-third of it's plowing equipment, and much of the remaining plows did not function properly. By the time the next snowstorm came around last week, they had enlisted out of town plows and private citizens with plows, and they did a great job. Today's storm, which is still slamming DC, Baltimore and north, left us with only a few inches, but there were white out conditions and many, many traffic accidents this morning. There were two big plows on my street by the time the snow stopped.

If the city were to spend umpteen dollars on extra plowing equipment that would get used perhaps once every 10 years, they would be rightly criticized.

I hope all you DC-Balto-Delaware-Philly folks are safe and warm and at home.

Thanks Tulip.

I think most people are trying to make the best of it. That said, this is a dangerous situation here--roofs are collapsing and people have been without power since last Friday.

[TrekTheKaty]

The horses are bewildered, the cats don't know where to pee and the people are exhausted. Only the dog thinks this is an exciting development.

Our indoor cat was begging to be let out onto the front porch to snack on some grass (It's my husbands fault. He taught her this bad habit). SO, I finally opened the door and she leapt out, and when she landed she didn't know what to do! Go forward, go back, WHERE'S THE GRASS? Even after I went out to get her, she stood at the door and gave me a dirty look--"What did you do?!"

Seriously, I hope all the girls on the east coast make it through safely........

[Becky]

It's not normal around here, and we do not have the equipment to deal with it. It's a real problem, and a dangerous situation.

What tulip said. We're not winter morons around here, but let's face it, one 2-foot storm per year is unusual for us, let alone 3 :eek: Combine this with the fact that the State is only responsible for snow removal on primary and secondary highways, and our county only appears to do snow removal on its own property....

I did learn to drive in snow, having grown up in what was a rural part of PA at the time...but I'm still staying home today and probably tomorrow!

Be safe and warm, ladies!

[Ritamarie]

It's not normal around here

No, the last time we even came close was 1996 and I don't think that was quite as bad as this. We had 27 inches on Saturday and at least 20 today. Here is a picture of my horse's paddock... that's 4-1/2 foot 4 board fence! I hope it stops soon, otherwise he's going to be very confused when his fence disappears!


10776

[Crankin]

The storm totally fizzled out south of us. It never got below thirty degrees. I am so sad. I want snow! It's been lightly spitting all day, but nothing on the roads. The whole state shut down. State employees were told not to go to work and all schools were either closed or had early release. My university shut down at noon.
It was nice to have a day with nothing, but I had planned on x country skiing Friday. Maybe we should drive to PA this weekend.
Yea, I learned to drive in the snow at age 37. It was scary. After two years, I got a car with AWD and now it's tolerable. Like Sadie Kate said, just about everyone here has an AWD car and i also have winter tires. But, they plow just about immediately. It's down to the blacktop, even on neighborhood streets. However, there's often a lot of freezing/melting/refreezing, so ice becomes an issue in the mornings. Thankfully, the roads are treated well.

[lunacycles]

May I just say the "I'm Gonna Scream" thread title is, imo, the best of all time?

Next: be careful out there. Stay in if you can, and, if I may recommend, watch Bo--the Obama's dog--playing in the snow at

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/10/bo-in-winter-photo_n_456755.html

We have had nearly 4 weeks of about 3 snowstorms per week, for maybe two feet of snow total in town and maybe a total of two days of sun, which is wildly unusual for Santa Fe. But it is nothing compared to what you folks out east are going through. But the weather is truly weird.

This planet is hurting and changing, and expressing herself completely right now.

[Bike Chick]

Say...did I hear there was an earthquake west of Chicago today??!

Yes, there was an earthquake west of Chicago at 4 am today. Bizarre, huh? I understand it was felt in Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa. Earthquakes are usually down our way but you never hear of them upstate.

You folks out East hang in there. The days are getting longer and spring is just around the corner.

[Blueberry]

This planet is hurting and changing, and expressing herself completely right now.

Very well said.

CA

[Zen]

This should give you an idea of what today was like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1wiLXwjf9Q

And this is why two helicopters were flying so low over my house
http://www.fredericknewspost.com/sections/news/displayBreaking.htm?storyID=101221