I am hoping that all you posters in the path of today’s and tomorrow’s blizzard can get some good snow pictures.
Expect that some ROW cuts at right angles to the wind (forecast up to 45 MPH) may fill up. Could be interesting for the snow plows, flangers, and for any rotary plows available and if equipment not available a bunch of front end loader contractors.
For those readers not used to this weather please gas up car, take sleeping bag, extra dry clothes, shovel, food, water, cell phone,SAT phone if you have one, GPS, etc in case the blizzard strands you.
All traffic interruptions noted need to be posted. Lets have fun with this event! Look forward to reports and wish my schedule had allowed me to be there.
Wish you were here, too - so you could dig out our driveway and find the entrance where the city has plowed us in, so we could go train watching. Got lots of traffic interruptus for you too! Haven’t found the fun yet!
Sorry, but my minivan is not equipped to brave the forecasted conditions that they’re calling for around here tomorrow. If Uncle Rocky tells everyone to stay home (a VERY RARE occasion), my wife and I will definitely be following that advice- heck, I may stay home anyway and log in remotely.
Currently snowing like crazy outside, but the wind hasn’t kicked into high gear yet. Barometer down to 29.32 and still dropping like a rock.
We have several inches of snow and the wind is already 25-30 mph and wants to gust higher than that. The ‘worst’ part ain’t even here yet…
Being relatively young (at 30) sometimes I get the urge to go out anyway…but I’ve had enough experience to know that sometimes you’re better off staying outta the way. I have seen worse storms than this one…but each deserves respect in its own right. In the past I have shot a few decent pics during snowstorms…but usually I end up cold, wet, and in the middle of BFE waiting for something to happen.
My current vehicle is the best equipped one I have owned to date. However, I think I’ll go home to my wife and son and watch Ma Nature play from the warmth of my house. Kudos to those that have to work through this kind of weather. I have done that to a degree (helping with wrecker and EMS duty) and it sure can get old working in the elements real fast. As I write this I can hear a CN passing near…Lord help the crew should they drop a knuckle or have some other kind of problem.
See, see, you guys should all move to Texas…it was almost 70 F today, and will be sunny and mid 60s tomorrow…we wear tee shirts and shorts most Christmas days!
Just found out AMTRAK cancelled SW Chief, CAL Z, and Empire builder in and out of Chicago today. Don’t know what points at western stations for each route was cancelled.
For years I thought you pronounced your last name as BL[eye]-SARD as in hard. Your post was a welcome unwitting clarification … Thanks.
While you may be having it great temperature-wise in Texas, we had snow in Southern California. I’m at 3500 feet, and Summit in Cajon Pass (only twenty minutes away) is around 3800 feet. So it must have gotten snow too. At this moment it is freezing here, literally. For the last hour my car instrument panel said it was 32 degrees out. So, enjoy your nice warm Texas!
Stuff freezes, and a good snowdrift (which 45 mph winds virtually guarantee) can derail a train.
Meanwhile, it’s started to snow with a vengence here in the wilds of northern New York. Up for an EMS call. Light snow as I went out the door, coming down pretty good as I head back for bed.
Paul - he wears boots for the gators, makes house pets out of the snakes (true story) and figures hurricanes are just a little rain storm. This is just Ed. He is incredibly laid back and easy going and brings a nice calm to tense situations. Comes from living with 3 ladies and one bathroom. Patience of Job.
Wheeewwwww, we dodged another of Mother Nature’s wintertime bullets here in Chicago again this time! The storm was initially predicted to hit us head-on but the western suburbs where I live (and south of here) only received about 2 to 3 inches. The northern 'burbs got somewhat more and our neighbors north of the “cheddar curtain” in Wisconsin are getting clobbered with a foot or more. The company I work for is headquartered in Hartford, WI (about 40 miles NNW or Milwaukee) and they announced the offices and plant would be closed today by 3:00 YESTERDAY! Everybody please keep warm and safe and don’t do anything silly that you will regret later!
We recieved about 7" of delightful,white, wind driven cement! The electric start on my snowblower went out, and I had to use the maunual pull-cord. Lucky for me, the howling wind covered the fact that I used a whole month’s worth of naughty words on the first 20 or so pulls. [|(] Gators sound pretty good right about now.