too much snow

[Handeman]

Final total here was 20.5 inches. Tomorrow I'll go out and shovel. Hope I don't get frostbite, the temp is supposed to be about 10ºF.

 

[rokitflite]

Well... I started shoveling at about 8PM. A little after 10:30PM I threw in the towel. After the first 15 minutes I was not cold at all. The plows came as I was finishing and the guy made one final pass for me that freed the Jeep. I am sore. I will not be able to lift an Estes Streak tomorrow. Good night.

 

[MarkII]

When will the snow end?

Around here, sometime in the latter half of April. :snowflake:

I'm frozen in! All the snow has frozen my front doorshut.:eyepop:

What, you don't keep a shovel and a bag of rock salt inside, right next to the door?

Don't forget to rake your roof, too.

MarkII

 

[MarkII]

Final total here was 20.5 inches. Tomorrow I'll go out and shovel. Hope I don't get frostbite, the temp is supposed to be about 10ºF.

Wear gloves...and a hat. (Covering your head makes a world of difference.) Periodically do "windmills" with your arms (just like Pete Townshend). The centrifugal force brings the blood back to your fingertips which gets the nip out of them. Don't be a hero - go back inside at regular intervals and warm up. Don't worry, the snow will still be there waiting for you to come back out. Also, keep yourself hydrated; not something that you think about in the cold, but the cold air will dry you out, especially if you are exerting yourself.

-10° F/-23° C here right now. (+250° K )

MarkII

 

[rosko_racer]

MarkII hit is right!!! I walked outside at 5:45pm and gave up at 8:50pm. Took several breaks to walk inside to drink water and cool down a little since I was sweating buckets! Head gear and gloves are a most. Still have ways to go but digged out my car and the entrance to my house. Also cleared around my AC compressor and the back stairs. I am going to wait until they clear the roads around my house before I venture to finish the job. While I wait I can work on a few rocket projects...

 

[TWRackers]

I try to fly with NARHAMS. Every once and a while NOVAAR. I live half way
between both fields.

Just heard that the official count for BOWIE MD is 26 inches, and still falling.:eyepop:

Halfway, or equal distances? If NARHAMS' site is in Mt. Airy, Bowie's not halfway between Mt. Airy and Great Meadow.

I still need to check out a NARHAMS meeting, since moving to Maryland I've only made it to MDRA meetings.

 

[als57]

Around here, sometime in the latter half of April. :snowflake:

What, you don't keep a shovel and a bag of rock salt inside, right next to the door?

MarkII

Always! Of course they haven't got a lot of use this year. And I live about 35 miles south of Buffalo. My plow guy came by the other day to plow the inch of snow in my driveway. I think he's getting frustrated.:roll:

Al

 

[Mike Howie]

Halfway, or equal distances? If NARHAMS' site is in Mt. Airy, Bowie's not halfway between Mt. Airy and Great Meadow.

I still need to check out a NARHAMS meeting, since moving to Maryland I've only made it to MDRA meetings.

I'm one of those weird people who measure distance in time. It takes five more
minutes to get to Great Meadows than Mt. Airy. The NARHAMS meetings are
closer. I've never been to MDRA.

 

[MarkH]

STORM SUMMARY MESSAGE

STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 07 FOR MID-ATLANTIC WINTER STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
1000 PM EST SAT FEB 06 2010

...HISTORIC SNOWSTORM HAS ENDED ACROSS THE MID-ATLANTIC STATES...

ALL BLIZZARD WARNINGS...WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES HAVE EXPIRED ACROSS THE AFFECTED REGION.

FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

AT 900 PM EST...A 978 MB SURFACE LOW WAS LOCATED ABOUT 400 MILES
EAST OF THE DELMARVA PENINSULA AND WAS CONTINUING TO MOVE QUICKLY
TO THE EAST-NORTHEAST. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS AND
SURFACE OBSERVATIONS INDICATED THAT THE SNOW HAS MOVED ENTIRELY
OFFSHORE INTO THE WESTERN ATLANTIC AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO PULL
AWAY FROM THE EAST COAST. ALTHOUGH HIGH WINDS REMAIN ALONG
PORTIONS OF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST...THESE WINDS SHOULD DECREASE
BY SUNDAY MORNING AS THE SURFACE LOW AND TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT
MOVE AWAY FROM THE COAST.

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 AM EST THU FEB
04 THROUGH 900 PM EST SAT FEB 06...

...WASHINGTON DC...
AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 27.5
ANACOSTIA 1 S 21.0
WASHINGTON 1 NNE 20.0
WASHINGTON 18.2

...DELAWARE...
WILMINGTON 26.5
BEAR 25.8
CLAYMONT 25.2
BRIDGEVILLE 25.0
NEWARK 24.3
MILTON 22.0
DOVER 21.5

...MARYLAND...
COLESVILLE 40.0
ELKRIDGE 2 W 38.3
FROSTBURG 36.0
FRIENDSVILLE 35.5
CROFTON 2 NNE 34.0
COLUMBIA 2 N 33.8
LAUREL 3 E 32.9
CLARKSBURG 2 NE 32.0
ECKHART MINES 32.0
HAMPTON 1 W 31.0
HANCOCK 3 ENE 30.5
MONTGOMERY VILLAGE 30.0
GERMANTOWN 2 ESE 29.5
OELLA 1 E 29.5
FREDERICK 1 ESE 29.0
DAMASCUS 2 WSW 28.0
LONACONING 28.0
PIMLICO 28.0
GWYNN OAK 1 S 26.0
COLLEGE PARK 1 NNE 25.0
BALTIMORE-WASHINGTON AIRPORT 24.8
WESTERNPORT 24.0
ROCKVILLE 1 SSW 23.5
ROYAL OAK 23.5
ANNAPOLIS 1 NW 21.5
ELKTON 21.0
WWB CAMP SPRINGS 19.5

...NEW JERSEY...
NATIONAL PARK 28.5
CHERRY HILL 27.3
SEWELL 26.4
ELDORA 26.0
ESTELL MANOR 24.0
MOUNT LAUREL 21.5
QUINTON 21.5
MANTUA 20.5
SICKLERVILLE 20.0
MOUNT HOLLY NWS 19.4
BEACHWOOD 19.0
NORTH CAPE MAY 16.8
HAMILTON 15.0

...OHIO...
SALEM 1.0 NNE 17.5
WINONA 17.0
EAST LIVERPOOL 15.0
ALCONY 14.0
CLAIBOURNE 14.0
COVINTON 13.0
GREENVILLE 13.0
PHILLIPSBURG 13.0
STREETSBORO 2.1 SSW 13.0
SALEM 12.5
PICKERINGTON 2.7 NNE 12.0
RAVENNA 1.4 ESE 12.0
SPRINGFIELD 11.0
AKRON 3.1 E 8.0
CLEVELAND 6.0

...PENNSYLVANIA...
UPPER STRASBURG 31.0
SOMERSET 30.0
PHILADELPHIA 28.5
JOHNSTOWN 28.0
GLEN ROCK 27.0
PHILADELPHIA INTL AIRPORT 26.7
WESTMONT 26.5
ORRTANNA 26.0
MILLERSVILLE 24.5
LEECHBURG 23.5
RAINSBURG 9.0 S 22.6
EAST MCKEESPORT 22.0
FARMINGTON 21.7
YORK SPRINGS 21.4
HOOKSTOWN 21.0
LANCASTER 21.0
MARIETTA 21.0

...VIRGINIA...
HOWELLSVILLE 1 ENE 37.0
LEESBURG 34.5
BLUEMONT 3 SSW 34.0
DULLES INTERNATIONAL 32.4
ARMEL 3 WSW 31.5
WILDE ACRES 1 N 31.0
BERRYVILLE 30.5
BALLSTON 1 SW 28.0
CHANTILLY 2 NE 28.0
GAINESVILL 27.0
STEPHENS CITY 3 NW 26.0
WHITACRE 1 ESE 25.0
MARSHALL 24.0
WINCHESTER 2 S 24.0
ALEXANDRIA 1 SSW 23.2
OPAL 23.0
ASHBURN 1 NE 22.1
LOCUST GROVE 2 WSW 20.0
REAGAN NATIONAL AIRPORT 17.8
FREDERICKSBURG 14.0

...WEST VIRGINIA...
LEHEW 2 WNW 34.0
BAYARD 33.0
ROMNEY 3 E 33.0
SMITH CROSSBOADS 1 W 33.0
MIDDLEWAY 31.0
VANVILLE 1 SSW 30.0
KEYSER 2 SW 29.2
RIDGELEY 1 WSW 28.3
MARTINSBURG 2 E 27.9
BUNKER HILL 1 WNW 25.0
MOUNT STORM 18.0
HIGH VIEW 17.0
MCCOOLE 3 ESE 16.5
ROWLESBURG 14.0
WHITE SULPHUR 14.0
HEADSVILLE 13.5

A LARGE AREA OF SNOWFALL TOTALS IN EXCESS OF 25 INCHES HAS BEEN
REPORTED FROM NORTHERN VIRGINA AND MARYLAND INTO EASTERN
PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS REPORTING THIS
EVENT TO BE WITHIN THE TOP FIVE ALL TIME SNOWFALLS.

 

[sunward]

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 700 AM EST THU FEB
04 THROUGH 900 PM EST SAT FEB 06...

...MARYLAND...
COLESVILLE 40.0
.....
WITH SEVERAL LOCATIONS REPORTING THIS
EVENT TO BE WITHIN THE TOP FIVE ALL TIME SNOWFALLS.

:eyepop:

 

[rokitflite]

Yay! I got 32.9... And theres word of a snowstorm on Tuesday too

 

[harsas]

Man, I am still so jealous.....

If I ever get to retire, I am going to move back up north.

 

[DAllen]

Now you folks know what it's like to live in Michigan and deal with lake-effect. We get snows like that at least once or twice a winter.

Take it easy when it snows like that. It's real easy to over-do it with the shoveling. Keep hydrated, (hot chocolate and coffee do not count) take your time and stay as dry as you possibly can. Damp clothes will make you uncomfortable and maybe sick. Wool socks, Underarmor type clothes go a long way to this end while cotton just soaks up water.

-Dave

 

[MarkII]

Always! Of course they haven't got a lot of use this year. And I live about 35 miles south of Buffalo. My plow guy came by the other day to plow the inch of snow in my driveway. I think he's getting frustrated.:roll:

Al

I seem to recall that OP-Hamburg-No. Collins would get hit regularly with lake effect, often pretty hard, too. Not so this year?

We seem to be getting something approaching our regular quota. A warm spell at the end of January melted a lot of it, so the base isn't as deep as it usually is at this time of year. My driveway has been getting plowed around twice a week. I'm about 150 miles north of Albany. It looks like those folks in Maryland got a good old Hamburg- or Watertown-style blanketing. I feel their pain and wish them well.

MarkII

 

[als57]

I seem to recall that OP-Hamburg-No. Collins would get hit regularly with lake effect, often pretty hard, too. Not so this year?

MarkII

As you know lake effect is pretty selective. This year its mostly been north of me.

We did have one 2 day event where about 24-30" fell and I was knocking 200lb+ chunks of snow off the car.

Nothing like last years 250"+ total going on this year.


Al

 

[Mike Howie]

ARRRRRGGGH!!!! They're calling for another 25 inches! (worse case):jaw::jaw::jaw::jaw:

 

[TWRackers]

I'm one of those weird people who measure distance in time. It takes five more
minutes to get to Great Meadows than Mt. Airy. The NARHAMS meetings are
closer. I've never been to MDRA.

That's not so weird. How far are you in light-seconds?

(I suppose you could use 1 light-microsecond = 0.186 miles.)

 

[MarkII]

As you know lake effect is pretty selective. This year its mostly been north of me.

We did have one 2 day event where about 24-30" fell and I was knocking 200lb+ chunks of snow off the car.

Nothing like last years 250"+ total going on this year.


Al

Yeah, when I lived in Williamsville it would be snowing so heavily that I swear you could hear the flakes hitting the ground, but you'd call up your friend who lived 4 miles away, and he'd say, "Snow? You're getting snow over by you?" I can remember times when it would be snowing at one end of my block but not at the other end. :roll:

MarkII

 

[Scott Evil]

My honest sypathies.

I live in the balmy tropics about an hour or so west of Green Bay. Having moved here from San Jose 10 years ago I have yet to see more than 12~14" fall during any single snow event.

I couldn't imagine trying to deal with 20~30+ inches after the storm is over.

I guess the best thing to do is just clear the snow as it comes down.

SkyCopp: I bet your neighbors are getting really friendly after seeing that BobCat parked in your yard.:roll:

 

[Peartree]

School's canceled today and it hasn't even started snowing yet. We're supposed to get another 8-12 inches today.

 

[MarkH]

My favorite is thunder snow. Just like a summertime thunderstorm only it's snowing big big wet snowflakes. We had some of that the other day.

Another 12- 20" more is on tap here for tonight/tomorrow. All this moisture being sucked up from the Gulf, combined with subfreezing temps is not a good combination.

 

[als57]

I can remember times when it would be snowing at one end of my block but not at the other end. :roll:

MarkII

The bands can be neat. I have a nice view down the valley. When its doing the lake effect thing and the winds are shifting ; I can look out my front window and see the white wall approaching. A while later the wall disapears into the woods 800' behind the house after leaving 1 to 3" of snow in 45 minutes or so.


Al

 

[rokitflite]

Yay! It's snowing again...

 

[ben_ullman]

Yay! It's snowing again...

hey scott? theres some snow on your car roof. Just letting you know

Ben

 

[MarkII]

My honest sypathies.

I live in the balmy tropics about an hour or so west of Green Bay. Having moved here from San Jose 10 years ago I have yet to see more than 12~14" fall during any single snow event.

I couldn't imagine trying to deal with 20~30+ inches after the storm is over.

Inland from the western side of the lake, you don't get lake effect snow since weather moves from your direction eastward. In addition to living for a time in the Buffalo area, I also lived in Grand Rapids, MI and I grew up in Detroit. The Motor City is on the western end of the Erie-Ontario system, and during my years there I only saw one snowfall that went over 6" total. My first winter after my family moved to Western Michigan was a real education in big snow. Over one or two snowfalls I saw more total accumulation than I had ever seen over the course of all the 13 winters that I had spent in Detroit. I also saw how quickly and efficiently a city could clear out the snow and open the roads when they were very experienced with such drops and had made the investments in people and equipment to deal with it. Unfortunately, I never missed a single day of school because of snow when I lived there!

I received an "advanced degree" in LE when we subsequently moved to the Buffalo area a few years later. It was in Buffalo that I first experienced the phenomenon of "thundersnow." :jaw: I have also encountered thundersnow a few times since moving to the Adirondacks. I have nothing but concern and sympathy for the folks in the Middle Atlantic who were affected by the storm last weekend, so please don't interpret this the wrong way when I say that such accumulations were routine when I lived in Williamsville; we would get two or three per month. And just as in Michigan, closing school because of snow was something that rarely happened.

But if you want to see really extreme lake effect snow, take a trip to Watertown, NY and the Tug Hill Plateau in Northern NY during the winter. Both are conveniently located at the eastern end of the entire Great Lakes system. It is ground zero for the Lake Effect Bomb. In most places LE rarely falls more than 30-40 miles inland from the shore because the clouds are just too heavy and laden with snow. But where I am now on the western side of the Adirondack High Peaks region, more than 100 miles inland from Lake Ontario, we are at the eastern edge of this enormous lake effect zone.

I guess the best thing to do is just clear the snow as it comes down.

That works for the road crews with their big equipment, but trying to do that at home with a shovel is just too labor-intensive; you'll be out there for hours and you'll never be able to keep up with it. Plus you are outside in the storm while it is still raging, which is dangerous. It is better and safer to wait until the storm has cleared out of the area, and then go at the accumulation with a decent 2-stage snow blower.

If all you have is a shovel, you can save your back and prevent a heart attack by removing the snow in layers. Concentrate on the area that is within one arm's length right in front of you. I usually use my shovel to "chop" out the square or rectangular area that I am going to work on. Then with your shovel, skim off the top 2 to 4 inches of snow from that block. Skim off the entire block, then do the same with the next 2-4 inches. Keep going until you have cleared out that block, and then mark out the next one and repeat the process. The job actually goes much quicker when you do it that way and it is much less arduous.

MarkII

 

[sandman]

I'm on the eastern side of Michigan and we are getting hit.

Now the neatest thing about a big snow storm and being close to a Great Lake (Huron), is the fact that the lake also gets 25" of snow. This turns to slush and is washed to the shore. Usually there is a cold snap when the storm ends (high pressure moves in, clockwise rotation, cold north air) the shore line slush freezes but...the waves keep moving it and shaping it as it freezes!

Ice cave, ice volcano shapes, tunnels, really cool ice patterns. As kids (since it was probably a snow day anyway) we would go exploring and bring candles to light these crystal cave.

It doesn't always happen but when it does it's a real treat!

No real risk since this ice forms along the shore and at best the water below, if there is water, is only a few inches deep.

 

[als57]

I received an "advanced degree" in LE when we subsequently moved to the Buffalo area a few years later.

But if you want to see really extreme lake effect snow, take a trip to Watertown, NY and the Tug Hill Plateau in Northern NY during the winter. Both are conveniently located at the eastern end of the entire Great Lakes system. It is ground zero for the Lake Effect Bomb.

MarkII

A friend of mine lives near Pulaski in the LE zone. Many times I've talked to him when he's had 3 feet of snow in one day. Lake Ontario is deep enough that it never seems to freeze over unlike Lake Erie.

Al

 

[jsdemar]

A friend of mine lives near Pulaski in the LE zone. Many times I've talked to him when he's had 3 feet of snow in one day. Lake Ontario is deep enough that it never seems to freeze over unlike Lake Erie.

I grew up not far from there, in Fulton, NY. It ranks 4th in the country for average snowfall for cities >10,000 population. ~200" per season. I went to high school in Oswego which ranks 3rd. A 3-4ft snowfall is pretty common. 2ft isn't enough to close schools. I can remember looking out the window of my parents' house and barely being able to see the top of a semi trailer going by because the snowbanks were so high!

I now live in the desert of southern NM. A couple of light dustings of snow per year, and it's melted by 10am. Lots of wide-open spaces for rockets, too.

-John

 

[Micromeister]

Better 2/3rds and I haven't moved since last Saturday! We had a plow come almost onto our street on Wed afternoon but got stuck, backed out and we haven't seen another since
We had the Car & Van dug out on Sunday afternoon but can't really move as the City plows put a 4foot wall of snow at both end of the our street without plowing ours at all
Getting just a little peeveed at the situation now... Sure hope to see some work before this coming Saturday???

 

[Bazookadale]

Possibility of more snow in this area next Monday - YEAH:neener::snowflake: