# Snowed in.



## shesulsa (Jan 17, 2007)

Now, you folks in Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Canada are all gonna laugh ...

We had around 6 inches of snow fall, partially melt, freeze and fall again for a net of three-four inches on the ground final measurement.  I know this sounds ridiculous, but ... _I'm not going anywhere_.

The PNW cities are poorly prepared for good road de-icing except for the highways and a few major roads.  We have some knolls here where we live and kids have been sledding down only to bash their little un-helmeted noggins on the many trees, teenagers turning donuts in the  middle of the street (where my kids are playing - grrrr).  We've seen three rollovers at the nearest major intersection, a bus sliding down a hill sideways (no chains, go figure), a police car go sliding into two cars who had already slid off the road....

And the kicker is the storm hit us without "warning."  This is the thing that sucks about living right on the jet stream.  When it looks like a small storm will hit and we get a little snow, the east winds will win out sometimes and give us that cold air, low-pressure system with the ocean air above it that turns to gobs of snow falling - but they never know when it will happen here. 

And the kids have been out of school since Saturday and I'm losing my mind ....

*sigh*


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## exile (Jan 17, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> Now, you folks in Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Canada are all gonna laugh ...
> 
> We had around 6 inches of snow fall, partially melt, freeze and fall again for a net of three-four inches on the ground final measurement.  I know this sounds ridiculous, but ... _I'm not going anywhere_.
> 
> ...



The scariest winter I ever lived through was not in Idaho, where I lived for a while, or in New York, whose winters Simon & Garfunkel captured perfectly in the line from `The Boxer' where they sing about `going home/Where the New York City winters aren't bleeding me...', but in mild, temperate Victoria, just a long stone's skip from Seattle. We got hit with a few inches of snow along just the lines you describe, and it became impossible to _walk_ up a slight slope without crampons, let alone drive. Ambling along on an empty street at less than 10mph, I hit glare ice and did close to 360 before I stopped; after that  I didn't drive until the snow was gone, which took well over a week. You just don't have any idea how much vertical there is in a place like that till you get that kind of ice and snow. Good luck, and I hope you get some relief (and can keep a few shard of sanity...). Most of the time the Pacific NW is a pretty soft place to live, but every few years it _nails_ you...


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## Blindside (Jan 17, 2007)

My wife is working in Seattle now, and she said that the Starbucks corporate headquarters essentially shut down.  She stayed home and worked remotely, which was good since the daycare also didn't open.  I remember that as a driver there, it wasn't the snow that was the problem, it was the other drivers that didn't know how to drive in it.  Oh, and the morons who abandon their vehicle on I-5 or I-90 and decide to walk home.  Gee thanks for the obstacles.

Over here in Wyoming it warmed up to 0 degrees yesterday, and when I left for kenpo last night (which is 40 miles away) it was -13.  I made it in 35 minutes.

Lamont


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 17, 2007)

Shesulsa I feel for you particularly about those kid's being around since Saturday.  Hang in there and try to have a little fun with the snow.
Try making a snow angel!:angel:


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## shesulsa (Jan 17, 2007)

Yeah, there was some major incident on the 84 - the main east-west highway and people behind it were turning around and going UP the ONramp to get off the freeway!  And yeah, with the ice base and packed snow, it doesn't take much speed nor much of an incline to go slip-sliding away.  And I haven't seen a single car go by today with chains or studs.  

*I* don't have chains or studs so *I* am not going anywhere.  I have food, water, toilet paper, batteries, candles, matches, firewood ....

*shakes head at stupid people driving at 30mph on the slick *****


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## Lisa (Jan 17, 2007)

whimps...


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## ArmorOfGod (Jan 17, 2007)

Ha.
Here in my area, if there is the forecast of snow or ice, the city shuts down.  I just got a phone call from my kids' school saying that school will start three hours late becuase there are calls for sleet (I am not kidding).
Still, there aren't any snowplows or snowtires for a thousand miles, so we are unprepared for everything.
Side note:  2 days ago, it was 87 degrees, now it is right at freezing.

AoG


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## Kacey (Jan 17, 2007)

When I was a kid I lived in Nashville one year - it snowed 3 inches, and shut the city down for 3 days (yes, I said _days_).  I had just moved there from Massachussetts and still had a decent coat and boots, and I was working in a hospital about a mile away (school vacation project), so I walked in - to the total and complete shock of the staff, who couldn't believe I had walked _that far_ through _that much snow_.  It was about 25 years ago, and it's still funny to me.

A couple of years later I lived in Dallas, and there was an ice storm.  I was driving slowly (about 20) and people kept driving past me and laughing... and then sliding sideways through intersections because the idiots thought 4-wheel drive meant they could stop as easily as they could take off... ah well...


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## thepanjr (Jan 17, 2007)

wow, 6 inches that's more snow than in canada in my area. no snow for december, it just came yesterday.


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## terryl965 (Jan 17, 2007)

Well we got two inches and everything here shuts down because of the weather, stay home and relaxe with a great book and some hot chocolate


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## Ceicei (Jan 17, 2007)

Well, we got two inches recently (and in some places, just a dusting), and over the past weekend, we had four inches.  School still goes on, and work continues as usual.   The only difference is not the snow per se, but the *COLD* temperatures.  We haven't had such freezing temperatures for quite a long while, so in many places there are breaking pipes, causing floods of ice water in buildings.  Other than that, we're generally doing alright, just dressing a bit warmer.  Forecast says we will expect very cold weather for at least another week.  Today it's sunny, but cold....

- Ceicei


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## MA-Caver (Jan 17, 2007)

terryl965 said:


> Well we got two inches and everything here shuts down because of the weather, stay home and relaxe with a great book and some hot chocolate



Aww man, that'd be a great time to practice and do KATAS!


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## tellner (Jan 17, 2007)

We're snowed in here in Portland, too. My wife went to work Tuesday (public schools) and got sent home. Schools were closed again today.

According to today's newspaper the computers nailed it, but the human meteorologists just didn't believe it was going to happen, so nobody was prepared. Add to that that cities around here economized by reducing plows and sanding trucks (thanks Bill Sizemore :cuss and you've got a Charlie Foxtrot. Thank goodness the new furnace and stove were already installed.


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## bluemtn (Jan 17, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> Now, you folks in Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Canada are all gonna laugh ...
> 
> We had around 6 inches of snow fall, partially melt, freeze and fall again for a net of three-four inches on the ground final measurement. I know this sounds ridiculous, but ... _I'm not going anywhere_.
> 
> ...


 
I feel for you.  I've lived in some states that would cancel snow at the sight of flurries.  I live on sort of a back road, which means it's one of the last to get plowed.  Even then, there's still ice up to a week later, depending on how much it snowed.


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## terryl965 (Jan 17, 2007)

MA-Caver said:


> Aww man, that'd be a great time to practice and do KATAS!


 

we do that anyway everyday today was a play day with the sons and the snow.


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## bluemtn (Jan 17, 2007)

It's supposed to snow again on Monday, but I'm not sure if it'll be snow showers or more.  It was flurrying on my way to work this morning.​


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## exile (Jan 17, 2007)

Lisa said:


> whimps...



You can heap abuse on the likes of me all you like, Lisa, I'm used to it... all the years I lived on the BC coast, people from the Peace River and the Okanagan used to mock us, let along Calgarians and Edmontonians (and the odd person from Winnepeg, including my aunt!) and tell us what... mmmm, _whimps_ we were, I think was the word... so I don't expect anything different... :wink1:


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## Rich Parsons (Jan 17, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> Now, you folks in Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Canada are all gonna laugh ...
> 
> We had around 6 inches of snow fall, partially melt, freeze and fall again for a net of three-four inches on the ground final measurement. I know this sounds ridiculous, but ... _I'm not going anywhere_.
> 
> ...



Back in 96 or 97 I was on a work trip. We drove Firebirds from Michigan down to Tennesee. We drove into the parkign lot of the hotel we were staying at. The first vehicle our chase van (* normal panel van *) then all the low riding sports cars just followed through the snow plow drift. When we walked into the lobby to check in, people were all surprised as well as the hotel staff. They asked were did we come from and how did we get in, as all the express ways were closed as well as the airport. We just smiled and pointed at the sports cars and said we drove in. Everyone was totally surprised. I admit that the roads had black ice on them and there was about three inches of total snow on the road. The drift was about three feet tall before the van hit it. 

We just smiled got up in the morning and drove our cars out to go testing on the hills. With us going in and out we were able to create a path for all the locals to leave. 

If people are not used to the weather then it can be a problem.


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## shesulsa (Jan 17, 2007)

exile said:


> You can heap abuse on the likes of me all you like, Lisa, I'm used to it... all the years I lived on the BC coast, people from the Peace River and the Okanagan used to mock us, let along Calgarians and Edmontonians (and the odd person from Winnepeg, including my aunt!) and tell us what... mmmm, _whimps_ we were, I think was the word... so I don't expect anything different... :wink1:



It's all her fault anyway ....


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## bluemtn (Jan 17, 2007)

She's probably the one that made the jetstream move.


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## bydand (Jan 17, 2007)

:lfao:  Man this is a funny thread!  Sorry, I do know how much it stinks when you are not prepared for ice and snow.  But it is just so darn funny what a difference there is in the different areas of the country.  We were happy today because it got to +3F today and we only got 2 or 3 inches of the white stuff.  It was supposed to stay below 0 and be wicked windy, but we had +3 and semi-windy so the wind chill was only -23F and that makes the ice on the roads semi-sticky so it was good driving. (you who live in the cold know what I mean, the rest have to take my word on this - ice gets sticky to drive on when it gets COLD.)  

I do feel bad for those who are not used to the colder temps, it is miserable to be cold.  No matter if it is 40 above when you feel cold or -40 before you feel cold, it plain sucks out load.  I remember living in the Dallas area and seeing snow in the air and almost the same instant hearing on the radio all the schools were closed.  IN THE AIR!  not even sticking to the ground.  I almost passed out being from Michigan's sunset coast (Ludington area, right on Lake Michigan.)


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## bluemtn (Jan 18, 2007)

bydand said:


> :lfao:
> I do feel bad for those who are not used to the colder temps, it is miserable to be cold. No matter if it is 40 above when you feel cold or -40 before you feel cold, it plain sucks out load. I remember living in the Dallas area and seeing snow in the air and almost the same instant hearing on the radio all the schools were closed. IN THE AIR! not even sticking to the ground. I almost passed out being from Michigan's sunset coast (Ludington area, right on Lake Michigan.)


 
I lived about 20 miles from a beach in South Carolina from the ages of 6- 10 years old.  It rarely got colder than 40 in the dead of winter!  One day, I hear that they closed the school early because of snow.  I was born in another part of West Virginia, so I wasn't a complete stranger to snow.  Imagine my surprise when I headed out the doors to go to my bus and all I saw was flurries.  I was probably about 9 at the time, and the first thing I said was, "they're closing for flurries?"  Of course, if the schools aren't prepared for such weather, it's better to be safe than sorry.


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## Lisa (Jan 18, 2007)

exile said:


> You can heap abuse on the likes of me all you like, Lisa, I'm used to it... all the years I lived on the BC coast, people from the Peace River and the Okanagan used to mock us, let along Calgarians and Edmontonians (and the odd person from Winnepeg, including my aunt!) and tell us what... mmmm, _whimps_ we were, I think was the word... so I don't expect anything different... :wink1:







shesulsa said:


> It's all her fault anyway ....



Absolutely!  I am all powerful!  The wind, the rain, the snow, they are at my beckon call and do as I wish. :whip1:



tkdgirl said:


> She's probably the one that made the jetstream move.



See above.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 18, 2007)

bydand said:


> :lfao: Man this is a funny thread! Sorry, I do know how much it stinks when you are not prepared for ice and snow. But it is just so darn funny what a difference there is in the different areas of the country. We were happy today because it got to +3F today and we only got 2 or 3 inches of the white stuff. It was supposed to stay below 0 and be wicked windy, but we had +3 and semi-windy so the wind chill was only -23F and that makes the ice on the roads semi-sticky so it was good driving. (you who live in the cold know what I mean, the rest have to take my word on this - ice gets sticky to drive on when it gets COLD.)
> 
> I do feel bad for those who are not used to the colder temps, it is miserable to be cold. No matter if it is 40 above when you feel cold or -40 before you feel cold, it plain sucks out load. I remember living in the Dallas area and seeing snow in the air and almost the same instant hearing on the radio all the schools were closed. IN THE AIR! not even sticking to the ground. I almost passed out being from Michigan's sunset coast (Ludington area, right on Lake Michigan.)


 
Also sorry but :lfao: I have to agree, pretty darn funny thread so far...

Try upstate NY in the Adirondacks... NOW you&#8217;re talking snow and I came from Massachusetts to here.

We have got almost none this year, which to be honest is just a little bit scary, and it has been WAY to warm so far but the last couple of days it has at least been cold like it is suppose to be. 

I will never forget my first winter here the end of January was a snow storm that dropped about 2 feet (we already had a foot) and the first of February was an ice storm that left about an inch of ice on top of about 2 to 2.5 feet of snow and then the temp hovered around 0 for a month. I went snow showing in the Middle of the Adirondacks that year fell over and had to cut a 6 foot limb just to touch ground to stand up, now that's some snow, Montana, the Dakotas, Wisconsin and Canada ain't got nothing on this place in a normal winter. And there is a type of ice here that forms on your Windows I have NEVER seen anyplace else. You can't get rid of it, scrap, move the car, refreeze, scrap, move the car, refreeze. You can't move until your windshields warm so it will not refreeze, to much moisture in the air I guess. 

But it is all relative, I just finished talking to a friend of mine who asked me if all winters here were as warm as the last few days (between 0 and 28 degrees) He is from WAY North China and he said the average winter temperature there is -20 degree Celsius = -4 degree Fahrenheit


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## bluemtn (Jan 18, 2007)

It's snowed (in the past) by now at least 4 inches.  I have a bad feeling that this might mean a blizzard in March!  It's happened before.


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## Bigshadow (Jan 18, 2007)

All we ever have to worry about is sunscreen and an occasional hurricane!


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## kempo-vjj (Jan 18, 2007)

yeah it's a little funny to watch those who normally do not get those kinda storms and the hell that breaks loose on the roads. Here in Oklahoma City we got 4-5 inches of sleet. To the east it rained then froze. Tree limbs with say as big as your pinky finger has a silver dollar size diameter of frozen water around it. Sleet packs down quicker and easier than snow. I have not seen the black of my street in a week it all white and slick. A girl on the news was ice skating on the grass in her front yard. It's the combination of north artic front mixed with sounthern gulf moisture. And now 5-10 inches odf snow this weekend. If I'm getting 5 inches go ahead for the full 10.


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## Lisa (Jan 18, 2007)

It is hard for us who are used to it to fathom that a little snow could slow you down let alone stop you in your tracks but we have the equipment (snow plows, etc) at the ready to open up our roads.  Its all in what you are used to.

Bigshadow....I think I would take cold over a hurricane, those things scare the bejesus out of me.


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## Carol (Jan 18, 2007)

What got me was the freezing part.

We just had an ice storm hit here and driving in it was freaking scary.  I'll take a foot of snow over a half-inch of ice any day.


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## Bigshadow (Jan 18, 2007)

Lisa said:


> Bigshadow....I think I would take cold over a hurricane, those things scare the bejesus out of me.



Well it may be where I am at in Florida, but they always seem to miss us in this area, they always go around us.  Relative to the size of Florida there it really is a small amount of people affected.  

To me they aren't really scary, but then again I don't live in South Florida   They came close a few times, but wind speed never got over about 50mph.


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## Ping898 (Jan 18, 2007)

This is just so wrong....I am in northern VA....barely cold enough for a jacket....and in San Antonio....my company has closed our site there for the last two days cause of ice....wrong...this is all just wrong.....


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## Brian R. VanCise (Jan 18, 2007)

I am hoping for* more* snow! 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





  We wild men of the north
want more cold and white stuff to take our classes out
rolling in it next week! :viking1:


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## shesulsa (Jan 18, 2007)

Well we've had a lot melt in the last eight hours - I actually got to the store!!  Getting out was NICE!! Main roads are decent, neighborhood roads are slush.  Supposed to freeze again, but that won't be too bad unless we get more precipitation.


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## Carol (Jan 18, 2007)

Be careful Geo.  Up here in the North Country where I work, the daily moisture in the air is frequently all glazed over by Midnight.  Even on days when the road should be dry, there are nasty patches of black ice.

Drive safely and remember in a skid, to always point your wheels in the direction that you are skidding in.  As counterintuitive as it is, it works.


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## bluemtn (Jan 18, 2007)

Ping898 said:


> This is just so wrong....I am in northern VA....barely cold enough for a jacket....and in San Antonio....my company has closed our site there for the last two days cause of ice....wrong...this is all just wrong.....


 

Well, I don't know exactly where in Va. you are, but it was about 35 where I live.  Still not that "winter" temperature, yet.


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## Lisa (Jan 18, 2007)

Brian R. VanCise said:


> I am hoping for* more* snow!
> 
> 
> 
> ...



You are a sad and sick man Brian...truly...you need hospitalization.


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## Xue Sheng (Jan 19, 2007)

Lisa said:


> You are a sad and sick man Brian...truly...you need hospitalization.


 
Then I'm right there with Brian.

It is FINALY snowing in my neck of the woods and all is right with the world.


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## shesulsa (Jan 20, 2007)

A few of the bigger problems in my area because people aren't used to the snow...


> The 4 inches of snow that fell Tuesday had scarcely begun to settle when a 9-year-old girl, being towed on an inflatable raft by her father's pickup, crashed into a brick bench outside Thomas Jefferson Middle School.
> 
> Madison Gecho suffered head and chest injuries and died at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland. Her father, Peter Gecho, faces possible criminal charges as he grieves for his daughter.





> Earlier that day, 14-year-old Ryan Greenen of Vancouver suffered serious head injuries when he sledded into the path of a minivan on Southeast Evergreen Highway. Also Tuesday, 11-year-old Trevor Still of Battle Ground suffered a punctured spleen when he crashed into a parked Ford Excursion while being pulled on a sled by an all-terrain vehicle driven by his older brother.


FULL ARTICLE

I love the snow ... I just don't like what happens in it when people don't think things through.


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## Kacey (Jan 20, 2007)

shesulsa said:


> I love the snow ... I just don't like what happens in it when people don't think things through.



People around here _are_ used to the snow... but just as stupid; happily, the ones I saw were luckier - I was out shoveling my sidewalk and driveway last weekend when this guy came by driving an SUV and stopped on my corner, so that his kids (who looked to be perhaps 10 and 14) could switch places on the innertube he was towing behind his car.


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## bydand (Jan 20, 2007)

The stupidity of people never ceases to amaze (and frighten) me.


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