blizzard

[Demona]

It's horrible out there, we're getting blasted with snow, and just about every school in the area is closed. I had to work tonight, and can't afford to not go, so I headed out, and couldn't see!

Thank goodness I had the number to the office because I needed to call when I went off the road because I was about to hit a truck I hadn't seen on the exit until too late. I had not been driving fast either. I'm the one who lives farthest out, and on a good night it's only 25 minutes away, but tonight it took me an hour.

On the way back I had a hard time staying away from the edges, but didn't get stuck. They shut one road down too. Lots of cars hadn't been so lucky and were in ditches along the way not too far from eachother.

Funny how things change so fast, just yesterday it was raining and much warmer out and snow was melting. Then the snow came hard at night.

At work I had to stack nearly all the newspapers because drivers called in not able to do routes, and the ones who did pick up just went home with them to wait until things die down.

At least the power didn't go out, which only seems to happen in ice storms.

[Beangirl]

Where do you live ?? What part of the country? Sounds awful.

[Phil]

Its pretty awful in Northern Pennsylvania too.

My shift starts at 11pm and the high winds began around 2am. Just as the winds reached a scary mass a few places had the power glitch, and snow started. My shift is suppose to end at 7am but since our crew had to remove a tree that fell upon railroad tracks that process took about 2 hours to get there, bring it off the tracks and clear it so trains could navigate. Then carve it up and what have you I didn't get home til about 9am and I just woke up literally 10 minutes ago.

[Demona]

Beangirl, I live in MI. We've been having an on and off winter...lots of snow followed by rainy days...then more snow.

[Classicblast]

I haven't seen a good blizzard in a long time. My brother Thunderbird, our other brother and some friends of ours went sledding when we were kids. And it was only a walk in the woods to a clearing where great slopes for sledding are.

While we were sledding it got more and more snowy and the winds picked up. We literally got lost within a short distance from our house. The white out conditions were so bad we couldn't see far enough ahead of us to figure out which way was home. Thunderbird was the oldest he was about 13 at that time. That made me about 8 and our other brother about 11 and I don't remember how old our friends were. They were closer to Thunderbirds age.

We were worried about freezing to death and possibly frost bite.

Thunderbird had each of us stand our sleds up and sit on the back of the sled so as to have it deflect the snow from hitting us directly. WHen the winds changed directions we moved our position.

After about an hour that seemed like half a day the snow lessoned and we could see enough to get ourselves home.

It's not that we didn't' know our way home but we couldn't see far enough ahead to know where we were.

[Phil]

I've been where it was that bad. Getting soaked to my flesh when it's snowing and blowing is the worst. We have heavy carhartt coveralls on but that still only holds it back so much.

[Beangirl]

Now that's cold! Here in Los Angeles we are having alot of rain which we need. My best friend lives in Ontario, Canada and they are having the same kind of weather. Snow followed by rain followed by more snow. Burrrrrrrr

[Phil]

Beangirl, that was gread snowmobiling weather. I don't ride anymore since 3 kids have kind of become my main hobby now. But that's the best riding is to have it freexe 1st to have a foundation of ice and snow over the top for quality riding.

Otherwise if it snows all of a sudden after a warmspell it's just muchy because the ground is not cold enough to support riding and it ends up being a muddy trail.

[Blastgirl]

I know its different when you have to work in weather but snow can be so pretty. A snow storm can be so fascinating to watch too.


;D Got your work cut out for you.

[Beangirl]

My friend sent me a video she took of a blizzard they had back in 2005. Awesome.. It was so silent and all you could see was the orange glow of the street lights.

[Jersey]

We're getting rained on really heavily right now out here in Jersey. We have seen no snow at all this winter. At least my area of Jersey.

[Phil]

Freezing rain in Bradford today. That really sucks. It sucks a fat 1 and that's all there is to it.

I see the Blasts again find an image of a truck like mine with a plow. Beangirl I have seen blizzard conditions like that too. The light of other workers hardhats is all you see and they figure if the tracks are not corrupted the train can pass anyway and you hear a whistle and see the bright lights coming. Scary and somehow thrilling all at once.

[tractakid]

No snow this year yet- had 1 good snow day last year and a light sprinkling late at night, but there have been some serious snow up north, around Yorkshire.

[Kimm]

Phil that must be a thrill to plow snow. That concept is just so cool to me. ;D

[Mahnarch]

I was in a convey Tuesday night, Demona, when the biggest hit came.

It was all rain and nothing more until about 7pm when I was on Apple Ave., just east of Muskegon when the snow kicked up.

From 7-9 wasn't so bad, it was after that, when I was southbound on US-31 (in the convey) that you couldn't see a dang thing.

[Imagine 20+ trucks at a dead stop on a major highway, all straddling the centerline like a serpentine snake.]

I had a Herman Miller truck in front of me who almost led me into a ditch (I was following his tail lights from less than 10ft away and he almost ran in there himself.

When I got to Quincy St. in Holland and went east, I was by myself, cruising at about 5mph when I came upon a tow truck pulling someone out.
I almost ran right into them, the white was so bad.

The road that Demona is talking about that got shut down was Port Sheldon.
Ottawa County Sheriffs shut it down because upwards of 12(!) tractor/trailers went in the ditch that night.

And, to think, I almost took that road. (Quincy is the second road south of Port Sheldon)

Snow sucks, but WOOD Radio 1300AM seems to come in better in bad weather.
Odd.

[Demona]

I take I-96 to Holland, and tonight there were some white out conditions as well, but nothing like that and less slippery.

[thunderbird]

I don't like too much blizzard conditions because its an impediment to getting things done.

If certain parts of things aren't done before the winter begins the plans are scrapped until spring.

I remember the storm Classic is referring to.

[Jersey]

It was 70 degrees in my area of New Jersey today.

Some winter.