What can you do on a Snow Day besides hang out on PF?

[ZapperZ]

OK, so who else is having a Snow Day today?

Argonne is scheduled to open at Noon the earliest (I have doubts that they will). So I'm taking the day off. This means that I will be bored all day and will hang out even more on PF. This may or may not be good!



I'm just glad I'm not traveling anywhere today.

Zz.

 

[Gokul43201]

I'm expecting to go home in a couple days...as soon as things let up a little. I've come prepared to spend the next 2 days straight in the department.

 

[Gokul43201]

http://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg

 

[Moonbear]

I'm home, but the university isn't closed. We didn't get all that much snow, but there seemed to be a thin layer of ice under it from some rain we had last night before the snow started. I was up early and ready to head out when I looked out the window one more time and watched one car skid into a ditch and two others fishtail up the hill in front of where I live. Since the drive for our development enters the road right at the bottom of the hill, I know I can't get a running start at it, so decided to just stay home.

The snow has now turned to rain, and the plow and salt truck finally came through, so I could go to work now, but I've already called everyone and told them I'm working from home for the day, told the technician he can wait until tomorrow to do what I had asked him to do today if he didn't want to risk getting stuck in bad weather (once he starts, it's about a 6 hour process that can't be stopped), told the grad student I was supposed to meet with who has to drive the same road in that passes by my house to stay home and not risk his neck on that road, and had the vet who was at the farm anyway take care of all my post-operative sheep. So, I have no reason to go anywhere now (sometimes it's nice being the boss). I anticipated much worse weather than we got, so have all my paperwork for the next two days home with me (had I not lugged everything home with me, I'd probably be buried in snow up to my ears).

Oh well, time to go out and shovel the driveway before the next layer arrives (though, I'm looking out and watching the neighbor shoveling, and it looks like some nasty, heavy, wet snow, even though it's only a thin layer ). The weather report seems to suggest we've only gotten the tip of this storm so far.

 

[Dr Transport]

I'm home too, schools are closed etc...I suspect that I'll be in office tommorow.

I'll be more a pain in the **** to the posters also today.

 

[Evo]

The ice storm started around 6pm yesterday, then turned to snow in the middle of the night. There aren't very many people at work, my director just came by and thanked me for being here.

 

[Astronuc]

It hasn't happened here yet. This evening and tomorrow we have snow predicted - 12 +/- 6 inches, but they don't know yet which area will get the peak snow. Tomorrow will likely be a snow day.

At least it's not 10 feet of snow.

 

[ranger]

We're expecting it to start snowing by mid afternoon or something like that. Can't wait! Especially since today I have evening classes. I love the snow!

 

[Moonbear]

Yep, it was definitely a slushy snow with a crust of ice beneath. It's just a steady rain now. We're along the bottom edge of where that storm front is moving, so we could get anything or nothing. We could get hit with more snow, or it might stay rain, or we might get nothing. But, given the slush already on the roads, and the rain currently falling, once the temperatures start dropping toward evening again, it's sure to be ice overnight and into tomorrow morning. I'm glad I'm home, because if it starts freezing over near the end of the work day, getting home is even scarier than getting to work (uphill is tough getting to work, but coming home, it's downhill and can turn into an interesting adventure skiing in a car).

 

[Dr Transport]

At least it's not 10 feet of snow.

I want 10 feet of snow...

 

[hypatia]

I drew the late shift today, so I'll be driveing home around 10 tonight. We should have about 6 inches by then.

I never get a snow day.

 

[Evo]

Three feet in one storm is the most I've ever had. I lived next door to three Navy Seals that happened to be home. I woke up to the sound of them shoveling my sidewalk up to my doorway.

 

[hypatia]

I hope you invited them in for cocoa.

 

[Moonbear]

Three feet in one storm is the most I've ever had. I lived next door to three Navy Seals that happened to be home. I woke up to the sound of them shoveling my sidewalk up to my doorway.

No fair! The last time I remember getting a full 3 ft of snow in a single storm, I was home on break from college. I was the designated snow shoveler! We always had at least one storm of 18" to 2' each winter when I lived in MI (and people there always acted like they'd never seen that much snow in their life each year when it hit, which baffled me...I had expected much worse than that when I moved there), but I lived in apartments there, so someone else was in charge of shoveling sidewalks and parking lots...though, that wasn't necessarily ideal when they just plowed the snow into big piles behind all the cars. Instead of shoveling 2 ft of snow from a driveway, it was more like 3-4' of packed ice to chisel through to get the car out after those storms. My last house had retaining walls along both sides of the driveway, so that was a huge pain to shovel too. So, I'm glad I finally live someplace that doesn't get much snow anyway, and I can just push the snow easily without having to toss it over a 6' wall or carry it all the way to the end of the driveway. (Next house will NOT have a retaining wall along the driveway!)

 

[Astronuc]

During the biggest snow we had - that big blizzard that shutdown the eastcoast, I wasn't home - but my wife was.

They had about 24 inches on top of what was already on the ground.

I was stranded in Charlotte, NC for two and half days - eating breakfast, lunch and dinner at Cracker Barrell. We did go to the Waffle House across the street for something different - although it really wasn't so different.

What was sad was that we were 15 minutes from landing at LaGuardia airport when they closed it, and we had to turn around and fly back to Charlotte, which took about 1.5 hrs. They just couldn't land at a nearby airport 80 miles away which was open (and stayed open during that period).

 

[quantumdude]

Oh boy, oh boy, I hope we get a snow day tomorrow! I have homework due at 1:40 pm tomorrow, and I really could use the extra time.

 

[BobG]

We started the morning with a freezing drizzle that's been varying between a drizzle and a thin snow. We'll wind up with 1 to 3 inches. One of those dreary gray days where I'm tempted to close the blinds - just looking outside makes me cold.

Interesting visuals on the way to work through the freezing drizzle. A black trash bag had blown up against a barb wire fence. First look at it and I thought, "Wow, great, the grim reaper. That's a great sign!"

 

[hypatia]

There is a tree by the side of the E-way that collects bags, and then proudly waves them all winter as some kind of bizarre urban art form.

 

[Moonbear]

Oh boy, oh boy, I hope we get a snow day tomorrow! I have homework due at 1:40 pm tomorrow, and I really could use the extra time.

How quickly you've adjusted back to being a student again!

 

[Gokul43201]

They just announced that school is closed for the afternoon. Everyone's gone home...except, it seems, the Physics majors. Perhaps they didn't get the news?

This is only the third time in over 50 years that they've closed school due to weather.

 

[ZapperZ]

They just announced that school is closed for the afternoon. Everyone's gone home...except, it seems, the Physics majors. Perhaps they didn't get the news?

This is only the third time in over 50 years that they've closed school due to weather.

Tomorrow might still be a doozy also! The lab is scheduled to reopen tomorrow, but if the snow is still coming down like right now (which they're still predicting it would), it might still be closed. I might just take a 2nd snow day.

Speaking of which, I did a lot of "domestic" chores around the house, something that I need to do but didn't want to do on a weekend. I pruned my orchids, repotted a few, rearranged my kitchen cabinets, and made a banana bread (it's baking in the oven now).

Can't wait to have that with some nice hot african autumn tea (thanks Moonbie!) and sit by the window watching the blizzard outside.



Zz.

 

[dmoravec]

You guys are lucky... somehow the snow keeps missing us up here in minnesota...

 

[scorpa]

I would love a snow day...but I don't think the university cancels school for weather :( I have a midterm tomorrow a snow day would be little gift from heaven.

 

[Astronuc]

First time I've heard a forecast for 'Thundersnow' - it's supposed to snow so hard that we get lightning and thunder. We've had that before, but I don't remember a forecast.

Rates of up to 6 inches (15 cm) per hour are expected. We'll see.

They may upgrade the the storm warning to blizzard warning.

I'll probably be working home tomorrow.

 

[Integral]

Sun is shinning and it is 50F out.

 

[Moonbear]

It just turned to rain all day. Not sure what we'll get overnight, but whoever is getting the amount of precipitation we got in the form of snow better start warming up and stretching those snow-shoveling muscles, because you're going to get getting a workout!

 

[Astronuc]

It just turned to rain all day. Not sure what we'll get overnight, but whoever is getting the amount of precipitation we got in the form of snow better start warming up and stretching those snow-shoveling muscles, because you're going to get getting a workout!

Just be careful of the ice in the morning.

 

[Moonbear]

Just be careful of the ice in the morning.

That's what I'm most afraid of. The good thing is I can see the worst road clearly from my house, so can just watch out the window for how the other cars are faring before I decide to leave. I have to double check my schedule, but I'm pretty sure that I don't have anything on my schedule before noon tomorrow, so shouldn't have to leave early if the roads are bad.

 

[Dr Transport]

Where I live, the clowns on the road can't drive when it is dry out nevertheless when it is when and slippery. I am in trouble going into the office at o-dark-thirty tommorow.

 

[Moonbear]

I am in trouble going into the office at o-dark-thirty tommorow.

I hate having to get up that early. Since I've been helping/observing in the gross anatomy lab (learning it this year to help teach it in another year or two), I have to get up that early now (the lectures are usually at 8 AM, but I have to leave at 7:15, even though I usually only live 5 min from campus, because at 7:30, all the hospital and office staff hit the road and everything backs up at the traffic light before I get to the campus, plus I need to leave myself 10-15 min to get into the building from the parking lot...I finally counted, it's 124 steps to climb, not counting the hike across the parking lot...though, if I get there at 7:20, I can park in the front row. ).

Though, I'm getting to the point where I can be ready in about 15 min if I shower in the evenings, and set out my clothes the night before so I don't spend 5 min hunting for matching socks, and most of that time is spent waiting for the coffee to brew. And, now the alarm goes off around sunrise, so it's not so bad as when it was going off and it was still dark out. Why can't they give the histology lectures at 8 AM and save the gross anatomy stuff for 9 or 10...that's a more respectable starting time.

 

[Dr Transport]

I leave before 6 and am usually in the office before 6:35, not like when I was in the service and I got up at 4 and was at work before 4:30. I usually get a half an hour on the computer checking email and figuring out my appointments for the day before the usual crowd of clowns rolls in then everything hits the fan. I come in late, before my boss took a 6 month special assignment, he came in by 4:30 and didn't leave until 5 or 6 every night, I am not that dfedicated until I get more $$$.

Good thing about going in early, you get home early to spend time with the family, otherwise I'd miss a lot of basketball, swimming and scouts for both of them.

 

[Cyrus]

Where I live, the clowns on the road can't drive when it is dry out nevertheless when it is when and slippery. I am in trouble going into the office at o-dark-thirty tommorow.

Do you live in DC too!?

 

[hypatia]

I had a white knuckle drive home today. Moonbear is so right, Michigan drivers{downstate anyways} don't know how to drive in the snow! I can't wait to get back up north.

 

[turbo]

Depending on the storm track (always the critical factor in the case of a possible nor'easter) we might get 16" starting tomorrow morning, or well over 24". I'm ready either way, with lots of firewood (the house is currently around 75 deg F) fuel for the generator, and stockpiles of food and water. We'll be cozy, no matter what, though I may not have access to PF for a day or two if things get rough.

 

[Moonbear]

I had a white knuckle drive home today. Moonbear is so right, Michigan drivers{downstate anyways} don't know how to drive in the snow! I can't wait to get back up north.

I don't think I mentioned the drivers, but yeah, that too. I'm not sure they know how to drive when the pavement is dry either, but you can rant about that another, drier day. Mostly, they just drive to darn fast in snow, and then I'd pass them 15 min later in a ditch. I had a crappy old car when I lived in MI, and never had any problems, because the roads are nice and flat. Even the farm road that was never plowed and had a bit of a hill to it was no problem. No idea why it was so challenging to people who grew up there, or is it that there are too many transplants living in that part of the state who get scared of winter?

 

[Astronuc]

So far we've managed sleet mixed with freezing rain. There is a thick layer of ice granules on the ground. Not sure what's next - rain or snow depending on how the front moves.

 

[hypatia]

Its a Nor-easter! {I just love saying that}!

 

[hypatia]

snow gripe #2...my husband is going snow blow the world. I ran out and gave him coffee, he and the mug are now somewhere near 6 mile road.

 

[ZapperZ]

snow gripe #2...my husband is going snow blow the world. I ran out and gave him coffee, he and the mug are now somewhere near 6 mile road.

Any estimate on when he will make it to my garage?

:)

Zz.

 

[Astronuc]

So far is pouring ice - sleet. Maybe snow later today or this evening.

Temp is 8°F.

 

[Moonbear]

Any estimate on when he will make it to my garage?

:)

Zz.

Do you have a second snow day? I'm staying home again today. I might go in late if it clears up like it did yesterday in the afternoon, but right now, it's snow again. Currently, temperatures have stayed above freezing, but I've heard that to the west of us, they're already getting freezing rain and plummeting temperatures, so it really sounds like it's only going to get worse.

 

[mattmns]

In New Mexico we are on a 2 hour delay due to a couple inches of snow (); *chants*close, close, close*chants*

 

[hypatia]

Any estimate on when he will make it to my garage?

:)

Zz.

He should be there, by 4 pm.

 

[Moonbear]

He should be there, by 4 pm.

*note to self: If I ever move back to MI, plan to live close to hypatia.* Neighbors who love to show off their snowblowers are the best!

 

[russ_watters]

So now I officially have a snow day too. This morning I was more or less just being lazy (I did do a little work from my bed - [gawd, I love the internet]), but then after lunch I foolishly tried to leave my house. I live in a townhouse complex which was well salted, I shoveled my driveway, and drove out to a meeting. I got a hundred yards, trying to climb a shallow hill just outside my development and got stuck. I was hoping to just back up all the way to my development (it is pretty much all downhill), but there was a truck coming, so I backed-up into an unplowed driveway and got stuck there. With no curbs and a slight hill, I slowly slithered my car around until it would go no further (except, possibly off the road). Fortunately, I got stuck right in front of my local fire station and a fire chief was driving by in his jeep. That 250lb guy got more traction than my 1500lb car and was able to get me back onto the road and moving, and I got back to my development.

But jeez, could my car have any less traction in the snow? I should have known - coming home last night, I slid on the same road and jumped the curve after missing the turn into my development. Miraculously, there was no damage. Tomorrow, I'm getting new tires. And today, I guess it's movie day!

 

[scorpa]

Sigh no snow day for me guess I'm writing that micro midterm today. I hate walking to school in -30 it puts me in a bad frame of mind.

 

[Astronuc]

You're fortunate Russ. We've got lots of cars off the road around here - at least 20 accidents so far.

We have sleet. Several inches now on the ground. I won't even try to drive. I need new tires too.

Now it's turning to snow and there is a warning of white out and power outages.

Our local forecast -

This Afternoon...Sleet...Snow. Snow May be heavy at Times this afternoon. Additional snow and sleet accumulation of 5 to 10 inches. Blustery and cold with highs around 19. North winds 15 to 25 mph. Gusts up to 40 mph this afternoon. Chance of precipitation near 100 percent.

Tonight...Snow likely in the evening...Then a chance of snow after midnight. Snow May be heavy at Times in the evening. Total accumulation of 10 to 20 inches. Windy and cold with lows around 8 above. Northwest winds 20 to 30 mph. Gusts up to 45 mph in the evening. Chance of snow 60 percent.

North of us and over to main - they have blizzard warnings - so don't go out!

 

[BobG]

You poor folks.

Our here in Colorado, we got the kind of snow we usually get. Around an inch of incredibly light snow. Just enough to make for a beautiful, sunny winter day.

You don't even have to clean the snow off your car in the morning. The wipers will get enough of it to get you started and the rest blows off as soon as you get on the road.

 

[turbo]

The fluffy stuff is piling up here at a rate of well over an inch an hour. I waded out to the compost bin a couple of hours ago, and I can barely make out my tracks now. The state's Emergency Management Agency has us under a blizzard watch until early tomorrow morning and we're looking at total accumulations in the 2-foot range. Even more interesting, thunderstorms are predicted for this afternoon and this evening. I'm glad I've got a generator and a wood stove. Losing power in 0-10 deg F temps with 30-40 mph winds isn't fun if you're not prepared.

 

[Astronuc]

For some, dining by candle light was a cold necessity, not a romantic option. Power companies said 100,000 customers were left without electricity from Virginia to New Jersey, and outages were reported in Ohio.

Blizzard warnings were up for parts of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and New York -- including areas south of Lake Ontario already buried deep in snow. About 70 National Guard troops were activated in Oswego County, 250 miles (402.3 km) northwest of New York City, where about 10 feet (3.048 meters) of snow had already fallen.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070214/us_nm/usa_weather_dc

Be careful out there.