What safety precautions should residents take during snowmelt season?

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I hope all the nor-easter folks keep their power, and stay safe and warm.
 
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It was a strange strange day. There was a transformer box that went up in flames, which in turn actually was from the electric wires underground catching fire. Then the fire department felt that they weren't going to put out the fire until the electric company came over...and then there was this explosion. And finally we lost power. Oh, did I mention that this was after we got 10.5 inches of snow, and that I had to shovel it all? (this was after I had to go to school, which was canceled for everyone else, of course)
I took pictures of this pipe that was on fire but didn't get pictures of the large flames coming out of the manhole cover. might post it.
 
~christina~ said:
It was a strange strange day. There was a transformer box that went up in flames, which in turn actually was from the electric wires underground catching fire. Then the fire department felt that they weren't going to put out the fire until the electric company came over...and then there was this explosion. And finally we lost power. Oh, did I mention that this was after we got 10.5 inches of snow, and that I had to shovel it all? (this was after I had to go to school, which was canceled for everyone else, of course)
I took pictures of this pipe that was on fire but didn't get pictures of the large flames coming out of the manhole cover. might post it.
Yuck! WE got less than the foot of snow that was expected because the storm raced to the SE of us in it's path to whack the maritimes. The tell-tale was when the heaviest snows came on rather neutral or westerly winds. Normally, blizzards feature heavy easterly winds as the low parks over the gulf of Maine and sweeps warm, wet air up and over the interior.
 
~christina~ said:
It was a strange strange day. There was a transformer box that went up in flames, which in turn actually was from the electric wires underground catching fire. Then the fire department felt that they weren't going to put out the fire until the electric company came over...and then there was this explosion. And finally we lost power. Oh, did I mention that this was after we got 10.5 inches of snow, and that I had to shovel it all? (this was after I had to go to school, which was canceled for everyone else, of course)
I took pictures of this pipe that was on fire but didn't get pictures of the large flames coming out of the manhole cover. might post it.
Gives Cristina a {{{{HUG}}}}.

I hope things are better by now.
 
I hope things have straightened out ~christina~. If I lost power before having to clean up snow, I would have to start my generator, and use the generator to electrically start my snow-blower. The blower has a big motor, and when it is cold out and the oil is thick, I can't seem to pull it over by hand fast enough to get it started.

Note: after the storm, a windy cold air mass moved in, and my mixed flock of goldfinches, siskins, and redpolls has dwindled to just a few individuals. I read recently that songbirds can travel several hundred miles in a day, and I've got to think that those little rascals have headed for the coast where it's warmer and will only wander back to my "bird buffet" when the temperatures moderate.
 
turbo-1 said:
Note: after the storm, a windy cold air mass moved in, and my mixed flock of goldfinches, siskins, and redpolls has dwindled to just a few individuals.

turbo, have you noticed any woodpeckers? I hope they are okay.
 
Redbelly98 said:
turbo, have you noticed any woodpeckers? I hope they are okay.
Woodpeckers over-winter every year. They love my suet-feeder. Hairy, downy, three-toed... pretty tough birds.
 
Redbelly98 said:
Thanks! Glad to hear it. Yes, damn tough birds we--er, they are!
We have the big pileated woodpeckers, too, but they don't visit the suet feeder. I can hear them hooting like maniacs in the woods, though.
 
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7665/snowinmarcho.jpg


A bit unusual in the Seattle area to still be getting snow in March, but this was the view out of my family room this morning. C'mon Spring...hurry up!
 
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At least it is a pretty snow!
The tulip trees are blooming here and several redbuds bloomed before our last freeze so I fear this will not be a pretty Spring around here.
 
lisab said:
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/7665/snowinmarcho.jpg


A bit unusual in the Seattle area to still be getting snow in March, but this was the view out of my family room this morning. C'mon Spring...hurry up!

Is that a hammock frame in the corner?

Sorry. My eyes are now trained to spot boat keel shaped objects...

It's a neurological disease I'm sure.

ps. Love your garden.
 
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Yes, it is a hammock stand!

Since the weather has improved dramatically since this morning (ah, the great Pacific Northwest weather...like living in 4 different climates, all in one day...Om, you know exactly what I'm talking about!), I just went out and took a pic of what the world looks like from the hammock spot.

http://img26.imageshack.us/img26/2537/viewfromhammock.jpg

It's a nice spot to watch birds, or clouds, or just nothing at all.
 
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We got a little snow this morning, then it turned to sleet, and now it's raining steadily. The people who monitor our snow-pack for flood danger say that the snow has additional capacity to hold water, so we should not get flooding except in isolated spots here and there.
 
It was 18F this morning, right now it's 28F, the average for this time of year for us is 56F.
 
Lisbon 17h, 26 °C (79 °F) (Summer time?)
And I've caught a cold!
 
I must be an Eskimo, because I've got 27 choice words for what was coming down as I came into work this morning. I've never seen this kind before. Most flakes were an inch or more in diameter up to at least 2 inches. It's down to fluries now and just an inch accumulation. I know that wouldn't even be mentioned on the weather report in some places, but around here it's an excuse to drive ill. And this is South Jersey where the base level of driving is distressing to begin with.
 
We just had a hail storm. They're not that uncommon here, this is the second one in a few years that I know of. The hailstones were about the size of peas and the storm lasted about 15 minutes.
 
Saturday we had a very bad ice and snow storm. Luckily only minor tree damage.
 
Still warm and raining steadily here. I'm glad, because it's the fasted way to get rid of all this snow. According to the hydrologists, we should be safe from flooding in all but the most low-lying areas because the water content of the existing snow-pack is moderate. Residents of northern towns along rivers in Aroostook county need to be alert to the formation of ice-dams. When the ice starts to break up, big slabs of it accumulate in the narrows and shallows, forcing the water over the banks. Apart from that, our near-record snowfall of last winter seems destined to depart quietly.
 

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