I'm Gonna Scream

[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...903503_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. 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.

[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.

[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 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!

[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/2010/0..._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.

[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/sec...storyID=101221