Record Snowfall Delights Locals - 4" Since 4AM!

[Ivan Seeking]

Because we don't usually get too much, we look forward to a good snowfall. For us, having an inch or two on the ground is a once or twice a year treat. This year we haven't had any significant snow at our place and the forecasters were promising that we would get some, but holy cow! We have gotten about 4 inches since 4AM, and it is expected to continue coming down steadily through tomorrow. This could end up being a record for us!

Damn! Forgot to get catfood! But it sure is beautiful out there.

 

[larkspur]

Because we don't usually get too much, we look forward to a good snowfall. For us, having an inch or two on the ground is a once or twice a year treat. This year we haven't had any significant snow at our place and the forecasters were promising that we would get some, but holy cow! We have gotten about 4 inches since 4AM, and it is expected to continue coming down steadily through tomorrow. This could end up being a record for us!

Damn! Forgot to get catfood! But it sure is beautiful out there.

Congratulations! Send some my way!

 

[Huckleberry]

Ok, now I'm jealous. Here in Portland we just got rain. I was hoping for a snow day at work tonight. Doesn't look like it's going to happen.

 

[scorpa]

It's snowing here to pretty good, I was going to go out and pick up a few things but someone just got into a fender bender right outside my apartment so I think I will just stay in and away from the idiot drivers out there.

 

[lisab]

Yesterdays forecast called for snow here in the Seattle area, so of course we have sunny blue skies. Cold, though.

Poor kitty! Are you going to be a good cat-dad and trudge through the snow for cat food?

 

[Moonbear]

We've been getting the most bizarre weather here. Every time we get some nice, pretty snow, it is followed by rain that turns it to slush or completely melts it away. Though, right now, we have a very pretty dusting on everything...just the right amount that the mountains are snow-covered and pretty, but the roads are clear and safe to drive on. We do have sort of an ice/snow effect thing going on at the farm where a hose bib has burst over the weekend...it's just misting and freezing as it mists now...sort of like a snow machine. As long as it's misting, at least that means the rest of the line isn't frozen yet, so it'll wait until tomorrow to get fixed. But, nothing out there seems to be working. We have little space heaters under every sink because the heat in the building isn't working and none of the pipes to the sinks are insulated, and of course they were all placed on poorly insulated outside walls. We're heating part of the building with a freezer (no, I'm not kidding...the freezer is pumping out heat and they tell us they won't fix it until they have 3 days of no snow, so I'm guessing that means they'll get around to it in April...we had 3 days of rain and I told the building manager to call them and tell them to get their butts out there since there was no snow, but apparently that doesn't make them happy either ), and since we don't have a freezer, I've been using the loading dock and my grad student's pick-up truck as a freezer during the experiments we've been running where we need to keep things on ice. *shakes head* I'm glad that at least it's cold enough outside to keep things frozen without a proper freezer.

 

[drankin]

Yep, we haven't gotten snow this bad since 1993. Damn Global Warming!

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Ok, now I'm jealous. Here in Portland we just got rain. I was hoping for a snow day at work tonight. Doesn't look like it's going to happen.

Hey Huckleberry, I didn't realize that you live in Portland. Yeah, well, I can't tell you how many times Matt Zaffino has promised snow, and you got lots but we got none.

We are looking to be socked in until tomorrow night. And we are breaking 32 degrees just long enought to provide for a nice layer of ice when it refreezes in a few hours.

As for the kitty Einstein, it looks he will have to gum the dry food. We actually have plenty of dry, but at 17, poor little buddy hardly has any teeth and needs to eat Fancy Feast.

 

[Moonbear]

Hey Huckleberry, I didn't realize that you live in Portland. Yeah, well, I can't tell you how many times Matt Zaffino has promised snow, and you got lots but we gone none.

We are looking to be socked in until tomorrow night. And we are breaking 32 degrees just long enought to provide for a nice layer of ice when it refreezes in a few hours.

I hope Tsu doesn't need to drive to work in that! I know those in healthcare don't often get much of a choice (and those of us teaching those going into healthcare don't either, since we're breaking them into the idea that they have to get to work/school no matter how horrid the weather).

As for the kitty Einstein, it looks he will have to gum the dry food. We actually have plenty of dry, but at 17, poor little buddy hardly has any teeth and needs to eat Fancy Feast.

Make a slurry by soaking it in water. Not too appetizing looking, but edible. Or, if it's just for a day or two, if you have any ground beef in the house, you can boil that with some rice for him. Not entirely perfect nutrition, but good enough to keep him fed until you can get on the roads again.

 

[Huckleberry]

Hey Huckleberry, I didn't realize that you live in Portland. Yeah, well, I can't tell you how many times Matt Zaffino has promised snow, and you got lots but we gone none.

Yeah, been here about two years now since I moved from Mass. I was gone [edit-from this site]for about a year and when I came back to the site I learned that Franzbear was killed by Yomamma. Can you imagine my disappointment? Lots of snow on the east coast this year. My dad tells me about it every time I call.

We are looking to be socked in until tomorrow night. And we are breaking 32 degrees just long enought to provide for a nice layer of ice when it refreezes in a few hours.

Hey, ice will work for me. That should still get me a night off from work to enjoy a long weekend. I just hope it isn't like last year with all the accidents.

As for the kitty Einstein, it looks he will have to gum the dry food. We actually have plenty of dry, but at 17, poor little buddy hardly has any teeth and needs to eat Fancy Feast.

Wow, that's quite a respectable age for a cat. He's almost as old as my brother. My brother still has most of his teeth though, but he did have his wisdom teeth removed recently.

 

[Math Is Hard]

We have been having heavy rainstorms for the last few weeks in Los Angeles. Glad I bought some galoshes.

The winds frequently knock out the power here and I am thinking about getting a kerosene lamp. I have to do lots of reading at night, and using the flashlight doesn't cut it.

 

[Moonbear]

Glad I bought some galoshes.

As our old farm manager used to say, "Always wear your rubbers!"

 

[Math Is Hard]

As our old farm manager used to say, "Always wear your rubbers!"

Good advice!

 

[Math Is Hard]

As for the kitty Einstein, it looks he will have to gum the dry food. We actually have plenty of dry, but at 17, poor little buddy hardly has any teeth and needs to eat Fancy Feast.

It's about the same with Jelly. I get her those little Temptations cat treats that are crunchy on the outside and soft inside and she manages OK with those, but she avoids regular dry food now.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

if you have any ground beef in the house, you can boil that with some rice for him. Not entirely perfect nutrition, but good enough to keep him fed until you can get on the roads again.

Too much fat is the biggest concern with human food?

 

[Moonbear]

Too much fat is the biggest concern with human food?

Probably. Cats are primarily carnivorous, and cooking the meat destroys some vitamins, so it could just be the cooking that is the issue for them. Don't you have any mice lying around you could feed him?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Don't you have any mice lying around you could feed him?

Heh, even Bun hasn't managed to find any today.

As you may know, normally I get my daily offering. I thank her and then throw it outside when she isn't looking; and then tell her that I ate it. Unfortunately, she often finds it and brings it back anyway.

 

[Moonbear]

Heh, even Bun hasn't managed to find any today.

As you may know, normally I get my daily offering. I thank her and then throw it outside when she isn't looking; and then tell her that I ate it. Unfortunately, she often finds it and brings it back anyway.

This is the advantage of having an indoor-only cat. I only get gifts of twist ties (that's what Ember "hunts"). I did see the farm cat running around with a rather large rat not long ago though, and have seen a hawk on the farm standing over a pile of pigeon feathers a few times (usually I'll pass the hawk with a pigeon on the way in, and by the time I leave, there's nothing left but feathers).

 

[turbo]

In HS, I had a girlfriend whose cat would meet her on the back step after school every day and show here what he had killed that day. She'd tell him what a good hunter he was and rub his ears, and he would take his prize off somewhere and eat it.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

I have often wondered if this is not the same instinct that we see in hunters and fishermen.

Even bees dance in front of their friends when they find a good stash.

 

[turbo]

This is the advantage of having an indoor-only cat. I only get gifts of twist ties (that's what Ember "hunts"). I did see the farm cat running around with a rather large rat not long ago though, and have seen a hawk on the farm standing over a pile of pigeon feathers a few times (usually I'll pass the hawk with a pigeon on the way in, and by the time I leave, there's nothing left but feathers).

In the summer, broad-winged hawks nest on my property, and maybe once a week or so, I'll find a pile of mourning dove feathers on the front patio or on the front lawn near the bird feeder.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

A little bit ago Tsu called me in the office to tell me that there is a set of human footprints coming down our driveway - one way only!

I had walked up to check the road and see if we might get out, but came back down by a different path. From the house she could only see the one set of tracks.

 

[turbo]

Ivan, we have gotten over 5' of snow since the first of December. Thanks to mother nature, sunlight and some above-freezing weather have hardened that a bit and cut down the volume. Even so, Bun could not hunt here without posting up at holes at the ends of tunnels in the snow crafted by squirrels, voles, etc. We don't have a lot of hawks, weasels, etc, but these rodents seem to be able to exploit the snow-pack and gain an advantage. I'll have to really tighten my cellar if all these critter manage to breed.

 

[scorpa]

It is still windy and snowing. I really dread the walk to school tomorrow...it will be chilly. My parents said it may hit -49 (with windchill) down there...I hope it doesn't get like that here, if it does I will be a human icicle by the time i make it to school.

 

[GeorginaS]

It's been miserable blowing snow all day here, today. Right now it's -16F, feels like -44F with winds blowing at 25 miles per hour with snow. Lovely. This is supposed to hold on until about Tuesday.

I'm not thrilled about having overground, uncovered parking at work. I'm currently running through my excuses for why I can't make it into the office.

 

[scorpa]

Ick, -46 degrees. I could cry right now, the walk to school this morning is going to be awful.

 

[Moonbear]

Ick, -46 degrees. I could cry right now, the walk to school this morning is going to be awful.

Is that fahrenheit or celcius? *shivers either way*

 

[Jimmy Snyder]

Is that fahrenheit or celcius?

It hardly matters. -40C = -40F.

 

[Danger]

Ick, -46 degrees.

Same here. On Saturday I was strolling around with a light spring jacket on, and now this crap.

 

[Evo]

We're supposed to get more snow and ice tomorrow. :-( It's supposed to snow all day.

 

[Moonbear]

WWe do have sort of an ice/snow effect thing going on at the farm where a hose bib has burst over the weekend...it's just misting and freezing as it mists now...sort of like a snow machine.

Just as a follow-up, the effect today was absolutely beautiful! Wish I had my camera with me. The weeds around it are now beautiful crystal plants, and the lawn is a field of ice stalagmites. It's not fixed, but someone did remove the hose bib and shut off the water to it.

 

[scorpa]

Is that fahrenheit or celcius? *shivers either way*

Celsius. Holy crap it was awful. My glasses were competely frosted over by the time I was outside 2 minutes so I couldn't see and by the time I made it to school I couldn't feel my legs. Makes me feel even worse for people like my dad who have to work outside in this.

 

[hypatia]

All the while, Michigan is thawing. tomorrows high 46F with rain. Its pretty normal for us to have late Jan. thaw. We all get our hopes up, then BAM, winter smacks us in the face like so many frozen flounder.

 

[GeorginaS]

scorpa, sounds like you are close to where I am. It was -51F with the wind chill first thing this morning. (Which is only -46C. Seems they meet at -40 and then F takes off plummeting more quickly after that.) Yesterday was a festival of high winds and blowing snow. The roads are all snow covered because the trucks couldn't sand in high winds, and the wind and snow polished everything to a shine. Everywhere today is goshawful cold and dangerous as anything.

 

[scorpa]

It is supposed to last for at least the rest of the week to, I don't mind it being cold but -46 is pretty much my personal breaking point. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the wind :( Good old Alberta, next week it will probably be +2 or something ridiculous like that just to screw with us.

 

[Moonbear]

Good old Alberta, next week it will probably be +2 or something ridiculous like that just to screw with us.

Only a Canadian would look forward to +2. *pulls blanket closer*

 

[DaveC426913]

Ick, -46 degrees. I could cry right now, the walk to school this morning is going to be awful.

Jesoozi Christoozi man! Where do you live?

 

[scorpa]

Edmonton

It was -51 where my parents live today so I guess I shouldn't complain. I'm busting out my fuzzy pink socks for tomorrow...they look ridiculous but I don't care, they are so warm.

 

[GeorginaS]

Ah! A fellow Edmonchuckian! Actually, scorpa -46C is -51F. And that's what it was this morning.

And yes, +2 C is lovely weather, by comparison. I'd break out party hats for that at this point. But this really awful stuff is only supposed to hold until about Thursday and then we'll get to about -20C or so, again. So they're predicting.

And! Looking ridiculous in the super freezing cold is what being Canadian is all about.

 

[scorpa]

Ah! A fellow Edmonchuckian! Actually, scorpa -46C is -51F. And that's what it was this morning.

And yes, +2 C is lovely weather, by comparison. I'd break out party hats for that at this point. But this really awful stuff is only supposed to hold until about Thursday and then we'll get to about -20C or so, again. So they're predicting.

And! Looking ridiculous in the super freezing cold is what being Canadian is all about.

Haha I don't understand the farenheight scale at all, it was -51C at my parents house though. And yeah I would kill for +2, but i'll take -20 over what it is now. I'm glad this weather is only staying around until thursday, if was any longer I would probably have broken down and bought a extension cord so I could drive to school instead of walk and plug my car in there. It better not be like this over reading week because I am going skiing at Marmot Basin...if it is this cold I will be staying home. Summer seems so far away...

 

[GeorginaS]

Haha I don't understand the farenheight scale at all

Me neither. They meet at -40 and then F takes off more quickly than C. Dunno.

it was -51C at my parents house though.

They must be just out of town in the country somewhere, then. Yikes! Although, do you think we'd really notice the difference between -46 and -51? Once it gets past -30, it seems pretty much the same to me. Just damn cold.

I am going skiing at Marmot Basin

Lucky you! I'll hope for better weather for you, then.

Summer seems so far away...

Isn't that just the truth. We've been pretty fortunate, so far, this year with winter weather. Last year was unbelievable.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

We ended up getting perhaps eight inches of snow. I barely got up the drive this evening using chains!

 

[Huckleberry]

We ended up getting perhaps eight inches of snow. I barely got up the drive this evening using chains!

No snow sticking where I am, but the flakes that are falling right now are enormous. It's a mix of rain and snow with high wind, and some of the flakes are about an inch around. I was just driving home from work trying to dodge the largest of them.

 

[Evo]

It is supposed to last for at least the rest of the week to, I don't mind it being cold but -46 is pretty much my personal breaking point. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the wind :( Good old Alberta, next week it will probably be +2 or something ridiculous like that just to screw with us.

They close schools here when it gets into single digits (fahrenheit) because they consider it dangerous for kids to even wait outside for a bus in those temperatures. I hope you use good thermal underwear. Scorpa if I lived near you, I'd drive you to school, except my car probably wouldn't start in weather that cold.

 

[turbo]

They close schools here when it gets into single digits (fahrenheit) because they consider it dangerous for kids to even wait outside for a bus in those temperatures. I hope you use good thermal underwear. Scorpa if I lived near you, I'd drive you to school, except my car probably wouldn't start in weather that cold.

Holy Cow! If they closed schools here when the temps hit single digits, kids would have to go to school most of the summer just to make up the lost days.

 

[Evo]

Holy Cow! If they closed schools here when the temps hit single digits, kids would have to go to school most of the summer just to make up the lost days.

We're not prepared for weather that cold. A school superintendant was severly reprimanded last year for keeping school open on a 5 degree day. The buses never made it to get the kids because the type of diesel fuel the buses used gelled up. His district was the only one not to close and it was all over the news. Kids freezing at bus stops.

 

[Moonbear]

They close schools here when it gets into single digits (fahrenheit) because they consider it dangerous for kids to even wait outside for a bus in those temperatures. I hope you use good thermal underwear. Scorpa if I lived near you, I'd drive you to school, except my car probably wouldn't start in weather that cold.

I don't get it...they do that here too. We never had such luxury when I was a kid, you just learned to bundle up! Every year here, they have problems with the buses not starting too, same thing...because the fuel gels. Have they never heard of engine heaters? I could understand if you lived in a place where it gets that cold only one or two days a year, but when it happens for a couple weeks at a time every year, I don't get it. Today, a bunch of schools had delayed openings. I have no idea why. It was warm and rainy...no ice, no snow, no cold, not even windy. I'm starting to think the superintendants just don't like going to school in January, so call off a bunch of snow days or delayed openings so they can sleep in too.

 

[DaveC426913]

Haha I don't understand the farenheight scale at all,

Conversion is easy:
If you're given a fahrenheit temp, just subtract 30 and halve the result. It's right within a few degrees:
. F . . . C
100 ~ .35
. 80 ~ .25
. 40 ~ . 5
. .0 ~ -15
-20 ~ -25
-40 ~ -35

 

[turbo]

Heat Wave! The outside temp just got up to 35 deg F. I might have to put on a pair of shorts and go for a walk.

 

[Evo]

We're currently experiencing blizzard conditions, I can barely see across the street and the snow is blowing sideways at 40mph. Just lovely.