Our northern US friends here - nor'easter

[Winchester]

How are you fairing with the nor'easter? 

We have about 5 inches so far at home with about 4 inches or so here at work. The Weather Service has extended our advisory now until later on this afternoon, with additional, possibly heavy accumulations. 4 to 8 inches for most areas with 8-12 in the mountains. Rick brought me into work this morning and the roads were covered, but not too terribly bad. Rick said going home could be tricky. And he's bowling tonight.

Everybody OK?

 

[pinkdagger]

I'm up in Ontario but I haven't been outside yet. It doesn't look terrible - I mean, I've definitely seen worse, and we had warning for this, but I haven't seen any plows on the highways or my main street, nor anyone to clear the sidewalks. Apparently plows have been out since 4am, but I'm sure they're addressing the downtown core and schools first. I'll get to see and tromp through it first hand in about an hour but it says it's only -6 degrees Celsius, so at least it's not super freezing and blowing chunks of ice.

A friend about half an hour north of us got a foot of snow so far. I think last I read, we're anticipating around 7 inches here, but that was a report from early this morning. Snow is still coming down strong, so we'll see what we end up with. All of my teachers have posted on Facebook that it's a bad drive.

My parents both leave for work very early in the morning, and the plows down there usually don't start until around 7am. My dad often takes the day off if the weather is bad, but my mom works everyday so I'll have to call and check in on them tonight. Two of our three cars are equipped with snow tires, thankfully. It makes a big difference. A friend down in the area said her drive to work - very close to where my mom works - was atrocious and every few feet, she was ready to break down, cry, and turn around to go home.

I need to go to the post office tonight to collect some parcels so I'm hoping I can make the 25 minute walk with boxes in tow safely.

 

[di and bob]

Hey, any of you can sure send some of that Nebraska way! We haven't had ANYTHING here in SW Ne since this summer, it's getting really dry. We were supposed to get some this weekend (that big one on the West coast) but now it looks to be tracking further south. I'm still praying it will give us something!

 

[larussa]

We got nothing here but flurries and the only thing it covered was the grassy areas.  We had lots of rain and winds on Tuesday but yesterday it was just very cold.  Today it's cold again but right now nothing is coming down, rain or snow. 

 

[sivyaleah]

I work in NYC, live in NJ.  It could have been worse in both places, although a ton of rain fell.  Some snow, but nothing bothersome.  I was concerned about getting to work, NJ Transit being notoriously lousy in bad weather but everything went ok for a change.

 

[fhicat]

Nothing here either. The only clue that it's freezing outside are the padded jackets and headscarves that everyone's wearing.

 

[cocheezie]

Got about 10 inches of snow. Finally stopped around 3pm. Ploughs did main roads only but no salting and very little sanding. Roads were slippery when I was out. You could tell who had snow tires and who didn't. Intersections were tricky. Drove out of my way to avoid big hills. Had to do some evasive driving when someone in front of me slid. I came very close to hitting a transport unloading coffins on the side of the road in front of a funeral parlour. That would have been such an embarrassing way to die.

All shovelled out now. Just waiting for the city snow and sidewalk ploughs to shovel me back in. Some days I swear I'd easily run out into the street and give the plough drivers $20 not to plough my driveway in.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

I went out to check the mail around noon today.  My backyard weather station said it was 40; the wind felt more like 20!  A short time later it started snowing.  It wasn't supposed to do that today!  It didn't really stick though.  Some trees and the kid's swing set looked sugar dusted.  I didn't leave the house again; so I have no idea how the roads were/are.  Once it started snowing the temp dropped to 33 or so; but it's 35 now. DH is still at work.  I think he was in an area that got more.  It just caught my by surprise that we got anything at all.  My kids were glued to the window.  The cats were also because the bird feeder was busy! 

 

[stewball]

It's winter here. I went shopping in short sleeves and sandals.

 

[pinkdagger]

^

Sounds like a rough winter over there!

All shovelled out now. Just waiting for the city snow and sidewalk ploughs to shovel me back in. Some days I swear I'd easily run out into the street and give the plough drivers $20 not to plough my driveway in.

My parents live in a little cul de sac so they always reserved our street for last when plowing. So frustrating to finish shoveling for the night and to hear a truck go by just knowing the entire driveway you spent ALL DAY clearing has just been blocked in with one fell swoop. I feel bad when it snows because I wish I could be home to help my parents get all that snow out of the way since it's a 3 car driveway. Apparently it was still falling well into the evening and my dad took the day off and shoveled all day. When I lived with them, that was me outside all day while they were out and sometimes neighbours would come by and help too if they saw me out there on my own. I hope neither of my parents overexerts themselves this winter!

Our highways are looking clear now, but that walk home from the post office was more like 35 minutes with no sidewalk. It was like running for my life on a broken elliptical with a box in my arms and parcels in my backpack! This city was not prepared for the snow. Today was almost infuriating.

 

[Winchester]

All shovelled out now. Just waiting for the city snow and sidewalk ploughs to shovel me back in. Some days I swear I'd easily run out into the street and give the plough drivers $20 not to plough my driveway in.

One year, we had a bad February storm and Rick wasn't home. I think we got almost 20 inches of snow and there I was. I went out a couple of times during the storm and shoveled out the driveway and our sidewalk and around my car. The next morning, there was simply no way I was getting into work. My road was fairly cleared, but the driveway was completely snow-covered and the wind was whipping the snow all over the place. I was driving my PT Cruiser and it sits so low to the ground that I'd just end up plowing snow, trying to get down the driveway. Called off work and started in. I'd shovel a bit, then go in the house. Shovel a bit more and so on. I finally got down to the end of the driveway and got it all shoveled out and then shoveled out around the mailbox. I'd no sooner gotten down than PennDOT came by and completely closed the end of the driveway back in. I was....peeved! Called them every name in the book and then I made some names up as I went. And then I shoveled myself back out. I think they get their jollies doing that to people. The next year, we had the infamous Presidents' Day snowstorm and there I was again...Rick was in Oregon and I was alone. No way could I shovel all that; it was over two feet of snow! I ended up calling an old friend to come in and plow me out.

The following year, Rick arranged for a snow plow weenie to come in and plow the driveway out should we get a lot of snow while he was gone. Our driveway isn't overly long, but it's all uphill and it's a job, especially for one person to do. I consider it $40 well spent if I don't have to shovel that entire driveway.

We ended up with about 7-8 inches of snow from this storm. Didn't even bother with the driveway....temps are supposed to get into the mid-to-upper 40s this weekend, so that should melt most of it anyway. And we're already tired of shoveling that driveway.

 

[Draco]

Lots of rain on Weds, and flurries yesterday which gave us a light dusting. that's it. not bad at all.

 

[sivyaleah]

I wish we could find someone to plow us out.  There just isn't any type of service like that for home owners around where I live.  Or at least, not close enough.  I've called around and nobody wants to come out to our town. I broke down and got a decent snow blower this year.  We've been in this house for like 5 years now and poor Tom is the one who always does the bulk of the snow removal. With him being in school full time now, this could really be a problem for us.  He just doesn't have the time to devote to shoveling, hence the snow blower.

Winchester reminded me of a bad storm some years back when I was with my ex.  Not snow, but a very quick spring thaw when there was about 1 foot or more of snow on the ground. My ex was traveling on business and our basement flooded, water was flowing from the fireplace (finished basement).  Not terribly deep but more than enough to ruin stuff.  I was alone, and nobody was there to help. Every nearby town was as flooded as ours.  He kept saying I should have my brother come help but he was dealing with his own misery. I spent hours trying to mop up.  Every towel in the house was on the floor.  I was crying and so angry that he wasn't home to help.  I finally said the hell with it.  Left all the soaking towels on the floor, went upstairs, made coffee and threw up my hands about it.  Didn't venture down there until the next morning.  Thankfully the water had receeded by then. Picking up 20 wet, heavy towels was a task in itself.  Ugh.

 

[di and bob]

I, too, hate those snow plows. We have curbside sidewalks and I think they really enjoy burying them under three foot of ice chunks!

We have an acre in town so that is a lot of sidewalks! There is a grassy canyon on the other side of the street and we have never figure out why they can't push the snow over there instead of on our side. 

We have a double wide driveway that is a circular drive behind our house, so it looks like a runway for planes. It was a perfect excuse for my husband to get a small tractor to scoop with, and honestly I don't know what we'd do without it. But this last couple of years we have really not had enough snow to worry about it. Our lows this last couple of weeks are our usual highs for this time of the year. It's been gorgeous! I'm hoping for some moisture this weekend, there is a storm coming!

 

[stewball]

We're expecting rain this weekend and cooler temperatures.
It omay snows in Jerusalem and the very north of the country.
last year Jerusalem was closed for days with people locked in and out. The worst snow storm ever.

 

[cocheezie]

I learned my lesson years ago. You can't park on streets overnight during snow season, but if I'm shovelling in the morning, I immediately move my car onto the street even if I'm not going out right away. I think the ploughs have some sort of radar. They KNOW when you are five minutes away from leaving the house.

I also only take enough snow off the car to get in and see out the window. I clean the rest of the car off once it's out of the driveway. Cleaning off your car in the driveway is really moving the snow twice.

 

[peaches123]

I lived in Massachusetts for 51 years until (long, sad story,,,) and have been living in north Carolina for the past 2 with my sister's family.  I have a lot of health problems but before that I was an avid exerciser.  The thing I miss the most is skiing.  I took it up at 34 because I said to myself I'll be darned living in the North East all this time without learning how to ski.  Well it took about 2 years and lots of lessons but once I got the hang of it I loved it.  I love the state of Maine and my favorite mountain is Sunday River, just outside of Bethel.  We would stay at this little BB that had the most delicious blueberry pancakes in the world!  Me and my ex hubby used to drive up on a Friday night and hit the slopes by 8:30 and I would ski until I dropped, loving every minute of it...the smell of the pine trees, wood burning stoves, the fresh corduroy, the carving of the skis and the swoosh noise of my skis.  I skied much of the mountains in New Hampshire and Vermont. Okemo was another favorite in Vermont and Bretton Woods in New Hampshire.  It felt like flying!  Well, NC is cold this winter but Mass is getting slammed with Nor'Easters.  At least I have the memories and Peaches was only 1 years old and my parents used to "baby sit" her and Zoe who is still with me and Daisy who has been gone for almost 5 years.  Well, that's a little bit about me.

 

[margecat]

 
One year, we had a bad February storm and Rick wasn't home. I think we got almost 20 inches of snow and there I was. I went out a couple of times during the storm and shoveled out the driveway and our sidewalk and around my car. The next morning, there was simply no way I was getting into work. My road was fairly cleared, but the driveway was completely snow-covered and the wind was whipping the snow all over the place. I was driving my PT Cruiser and it sits so low to the ground that I'd just end up plowing snow, trying to get down the driveway. Called off work and started in. I'd shovel a bit, then go in the house. Shovel a bit more and so on. I finally got down to the end of the driveway and got it all shoveled out and then shoveled out around the mailbox. I'd no sooner gotten down than PennDOT came by and completely closed the end of the driveway back in. I was....peeved! Called them every name in the book and then I made some names up as I went. And then I shoveled myself back out. I think they get their jollies doing that to people. The next year, we had the infamous Presidents' Day snowstorm and there I was again...Rick was in Oregon and I was alone. No way could I shovel all that; it was over two feet of snow! I ended up calling an old friend to come in and plow me out.

The following year, Rick arranged for a snow plow weenie to come in and plow the driveway out should we get a lot of snow while he was gone. Our driveway isn't overly long, but it's all uphill and it's a job, especially for one person to do. I consider it $40 well spent if I don't have to shovel that entire driveway.

We ended up with about 7-8 inches of snow from this storm. Didn't even bother with the driveway....temps are supposed to get into the mid-to-upper 40s this weekend, so that should melt most of it anyway. And we're already tired of shoveling that driveway.

Oh, I remember those storms! DH also was away for one of them, and I had to shovel (I have sciatica ; if I make a shoveling motion, be it show or dirt, within 5 minutes, the twinges start).  We had at least 24" of snow that day. After shoveling, I backed my car out=--only to get it stuck. Luckily, two male neighbors took pity on me, and got the end of the driveway cleared better.

I usually get stuck doing the shoveling, as DH usually is at work.  On my street, mostly the wives shovel the driveways. When I have to take a bad back break, I feel like such a wimp!

 

[peaches123]

Does anyone remember the blizzard of 78?  I was 16 and my Mother was about to have open heart surgery the next day.  I begged my Dad to stay with her at the Brigham's Hospital for just a little while longer because I didn't want to say goodbye to my Mom. By the time we were driving home from

Boston there we were driving in WHITE OUT CONDITIONS.  We skidded into our driveway.  By the next morning about 3 feet had fallen with another foot on the way.  They postponed my Mother's surgery another day.  People got stranded in their cars on 128, literally some of the drifts were 8 feet tall.  Governor Dukakis announced a state of emergency which meant no driving.  Well like hell my Dad and I were hell bound to get to the hospital for my Mom's operation and a neighborhood friend who was a nurse drove us in.  It was the longest day in my life.  My Mom had Rheumatic fever as a child so she needed a Mitral valve replacement. .After she went into to ICU, the machines, IV's, etc. freaked me out.  However she pulled through and guess what... my Mom's surgeon gave us a ride home! 

 

[cocheezie]

I do. I was in university and we didn't have a shovel so we sent my roommate's big dog up and down the walkway a gazillon times until a path was made. Glad your mum came through the surgery and nice of the staff to give you rides.