Winter Arrives!

[JDoors]

Boy, we got socked in the MidWest. Shoveled twice already and it's as if I hadn't done a thing.

[TheTerrorist_75]

Please keep it there. I have two more weeks worth of work outdoors to complete. The hot tub arrives Monday for me to install on the raised patio I just finished laying pavers on yesterday. I still need to cut the edge pieces, sand and tamp. I also need to finish the fourteen feet wide stairs leading up to the raised wooden deck six feet above the patio.

It's bad enough that the severe thunderstorm line is approaching from Ohio with it's high winds causing damage in western NY already. We have had so much rain this year that the large trees cannot support themselves in the saturated soft ground.

Once the thunderstorm has passed through they're calling for lake effect snows to hit us with sustained high winds.

I did have to chuckle when the local weather reporter said to be ready for power outages. No freaking crap, bud, but we already know this will occur.

Edited December 1, 2006 by TheTerrorist_75

[garmanma]

Please keep it there. I have two more weeks worth of work outdoors to complete. The hot tub arrives Monday for me to install on the raised patio I just finished laying pavers on yesterday. I still need to cut the edge pieces, sand and tamp. I also need to finish the fourteen feet wide stairs leading up to the raised wooden deck six feet above the patio.

It's bad enough that the severe thunderstorm line is approaching from Ohio with it's high winds causing damage in western NY already. We have had so much rain this year that the large trees cannot support themselves in the saturated soft ground.

Once the thunderstorm has passed through they're calling for lake effect snows to hit us with sustained high winds.

I did have to chuckle when the local weather reporter said to be ready for power outages. No freaking crap, bud, but we already know this will occur.

I'm in Ohio, it's been blowing pretty hard all day. My wife just informed me we lost 12 sections of fence and her garden shed

Mark

[TheTerrorist_75]

We lucked out. The most powerful part of the storm skated just to the south and along the lake shore north of me. Now it's time to sit back and wait for the predicted lake effect snows with 60 m.p.h. winds later tonight. I went to the store before the storm arrived and stocked up on some goodies, gas and cigarettes.

[martymas]

here in new zealand

we are having very unseasonal weather

very cold and wind

not hard but very cold

those dam ice bergs

i blame

ive had my heater going all night

and i havent done that since

the winter in may

so the world world must experiencing this weather pattern

december is one of the hottest months here

in normal times

is it climate change

if it is can we do something about it

marty

[Naming is hard]

Once again, I'd take that snow off your hands if i could >_<.

[bearskin]

oh we had it pretty rough here in se oklahoma.

we got 5 inches of rain which we desperately needed.

got a light sleet and 482 snowflakes.

26 degrees last night, sunshine today and 90% gone.

(oh, don't forget about global warming)

Edited December 2, 2006 by bearskin

[Sir_Siddy]

We were supposed to get a foot of snow here near Chicago but most of it hit north of us. We dont even have an inch though the creek across the street is about to overflow. Not something you see often in December.

[blim]

And once again, Naming, I don't know about you....

Yeah, Siddy, the weatherguessers were predicting the worst weather was going to be South of us (which is very unusual). Nope.

We got about a foot of "blue snow". Now, for the Southerners, the snow is bluish, wet and heavy! Took 3 hours to shovel out the driveway.

Bearskin, the 5 inches of rain wasn't one raindrop on every 5 inches of ground, was it? I understand that's how they measure rain down there

And JDoors, what a good comic! Day before yesterday it was close to 60 degrees, dropped to 30's in about 12 hours Then all this whitecrapola.....

Liz

[Sir_Siddy]

Our streets are filled with alot of slushy stuff though. Its nice to know its going to dip into the single digits especially since our neighborhood doesn't have a snow cleaning service.

Where do you live liz?

[blim]

Probably about 5 hours straight NW of you, Siddy. Put up your hand to pretend it's Michigan and I'm right below where your pinky starts on the far left side. Love being able to just put up the hand and point!

Liz

Edited December 2, 2006 by blim

[robroy]

Was 69 f here today, then the winds came. Temps didn't really drop much but its only gonna be 46 f tomorrow

You all can keep all of that pretty white stuff west or north of me, I don't want none

Keep warm guys and gals

[bozodog]

Bearskin, the 5 inches of rain wasn't one raindrop on every 5 inches of ground, was it? I understand that's how they measure rain down there

Hahahaha, never heard that one... (snowfall too?)

Well, Liz. Our weatherguesser missed by a mile, again. It was sleeting and very slippery in the AM, but by 11 the roads were just wet. So I chugged along through 6 towns, 4 counties, 171 miles and 60 stops. Only saw one car in the ditch, but almost took out a big buck on US 131. SB just swept the front steps, no real snow to worry about.

I'm still dreaming of a white Christmas.

[bearskin]

actually our average rainfall here is 4-5 inches per month

for this time of year the average high is 55f...average low is 31f

average people that have hit a deer is 90%

average people that have hit a armadillo is 100%

average people that have hit a skunk is 100%

average people that have hit a squirrel is 100%

average IQ is 70...hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[robroy]

Other than the average high temp and the armadillos that would also describe this area

[JDoors]

Well, I didn't get to shovel a third time so the drifts came back. Then ... the temps dropped into the 20's and teens. Great, what's left on the drive and walks is now rock hard and cannot be removed. Eh, I got the 4x4, I don't REALLY need to shovel the drive anyway!

------

Speakin' of 4x4's, I forgot to mention my drive home from work during the worst of it. I did something bold, something that ticks off everyone who's never had a 4x4, but darn it, I'm sick of waiting for all the slippery little cars see-sawing their way out of the snow.

There's several hills 'round here, but one in particular seems to "catch" cars whenever it snows a lot. You come over the crest of one, dip into a valley then have to climb out of the valley on a fairly steep hill (I wrote about the police closing that same hill last year and having to find another route to work). So I crest the first hill and can see the other hill scattered with cars -- some have already given up and have their blinkers on (waiting for Spring, maybe?). The road's blocked. I ain't waitin'. Again.

I power onto the median (which has about a foot of snow on it), the car wiggles a bit as the wheels grapple for something to bite, then power past everyone.

I'm SURE they're all watching me saying, "That guy's gonna wind up in a ditch, what a jerk!"

Well, I was super-duper careful not to wind up in a ditch, just to spite them! Ha! The rest of the drive home was completely uneventful as the rest of the traffic was apparently stuck on that hill. Cursing me out, I'm sure.

------

And speakin' of hills, I also recently mentioned witnessing an accident at an intersection where a hill makes cross-traffic nearly invisible until you're in the intersection itself. Last night a car's in front of me, the light turns green, he can't move. Ice. It's a short light and it turns red. Green again: He can't move. We back up and try again, another green, he can't make it. I had to get out and push his car, and of course the light's red by the time I get back in my car, so I wound up missing around four lights (and since I'm apparently one of those 4x4 jerks, I must gloat and say when it was my turn I just drove through the intersection like the road was dry).

------

Are Honda's particularly bad in snow? There sure were a lot of 'em stuck the last two days (including the guy at the intersection). Maybe it's just that there are so many of them in the first place ...

[Bubba Bob]

Who knows? I thouhgt FWDs were pretty decent in the snow. I guess thats only GOOD FWD cars though

Oh well. We got some rain, and enough wind to blow one of my lighted christmas trees over killing two deer in the process. Ha!

Maybe by.... 2010.... we'll see some snow.

Edited December 2, 2006 by Bubba Bob

[TheTerrorist_75]

Let it snow. Between the saturated ground from all of the rain this year and the strong winds it is dissipating as fast as it falls.

[hitest]

I took this shot of my backyard this morning. You can see a bit of snow on the mountain. It is over cast and rainy now, the snow is melting. We had a week or two of freezing weather, some people had pipes that became frozen.

[blim]

That's beautiful, Hitest! Wish I had your backyard as I'm getting ready to get treebranches from a treefarm to make Christmas Wreaths. What kind of pines are those? They look like fir or spruce from here.

Liz

[isteve]

Last night when I read this thread I was thinking gee it's close to 70, what a great start to the winter.

Today it's 42 and it's so windy that I saw a Prius driving up hill.

[hitest]

That's beautiful, Hitest! Wish I had your backyard as I'm getting ready to get treebranches from a treefarm to make Christmas Wreaths. What kind of pines are those? They look like fir or spruce from here.

Liz

Thanks, Liz:-) Yes, we have a nice view. I think they're mostly spruce and cedar.

[shanenin]

hitest,

Do you guys have grizzlys there?

[hitest]

hitest,

Do you guys have grizzlys there?

Inland we do:-) In our forest we have black bear and wolves. I once saw a porcupine in my backyard, a very interesting creature.

[bearskin]

this is from last year. I hate snow.