Winter Thread

[mamselle]

I like to hand shovel down to the bare sidewalk when I do shovel.

Snow blowers tamp the snow down and make that harder, not easier.

Sometimes our neighbor also thinks they're being kind by "doing" our sidewalk, but I wish they wouldn't.

I'm usually up very early because, when going out to teach or to attend meetings, I have to get going first thing and my porch won't get shoveled out if I don't do it....so I can often beat them to it.

Today, I don't care.

Stay safe and warm, all.

M.

[apl68]

i miss the colder temperature of some places I have lived. Ten degrees difference means the snow is lighter weight, has less water in it. And instead of ice and slush everywhere, you have pretty snow. Until March.

That's part of why southern states often have more trouble dealing with snow fall, even though they get less of it.  I remember an Atlantic article about the phenomenon that, as is Atlantic's wont, insinuated that the greater difficulty in dealing with snow was all down to foolish policy and cultural failings.  Comments on the article pointed out that snow in southern states tends to be very wet and heavy, and invariably turns into sheets of ice overnight.  You can't plow a thin film of slick ice.

On the exceedingly rare occasions that we get snow here, it's always a borderline situation.  I've made the decision to close down the library on a snowy morning, only to have the mess on the roads melt away completely by noon, making me look like something of an idiot.  Then again, some of our staff live well out of town, and the rural roads may not clear up so quickly. 

It's been a moot point for the last several snowless "winters."  We'll see what happens this winter.

[ab_grp]

I hope you all stay safe and warm! My eldest daughter, who grew up in eastern PA, went to college in central PA, and now lives in western PA apparently does not own a shovel.  ? Could have been useful today.  There were power outages in my mom's area, but it seems as though they got resolved pretty quickly, thankfully.

[hmaria1609]

This morning I woke up a bit early to shovel our driveway and sidewalks. (I had to go to work) More snow fell overnight but it was a light amount. My front windshield cover was a stiff thing when I peeled it off the car! The snow is out of the metro DC region.
Quite a few drivers had accidents on the roads around the region. There's a Hypothermia Alert on for tonight.

[Puget]

Lots of shoveling because the plows kept plowing the sidewalk back in (I know the snow has to go someplace, the the sidewalk and in giant mounds blocking all the corners is not a great choice), plus it kept snowing most of the day.

I don't really mind much though, and I got to go for a short snowshoe on the river path this afternoon-- good exercise through deep snow! Think I'll take the cross country skis out tomorrow.

[kaysixteen]

I hate snow.   I went to grad school in Buffalo, but that ended 20 years ago, and, well, I hate the cold now, and having to live in a city environment with only on-street parking ain't pleasant.   I whine.   I hate snow.

[apl68]

The extended forecast calls for rain and unseasonably warm weather (well into the 60s) in the next few days.  Then Christmas is supposed to be, if not white, at least chilly.

[wareagle]

I hate snow.   I went to grad school in Buffalo, but that ended 20 years ago, and, well, I hate the cold now, and having to live in a city environment with only on-street parking ain't pleasant.   I whine.   I hate snow.

I'm with you, kay.  I'll take twenty below over snow any day.  I can always put on more layers.  But dealing with snow just plain sucks.

[sonoamused]

Its not that I am entirely unused to 40 inches of snow: we have lived in snowy areas our whole lives.  But when its more then double the amount that was expected, it completely sucks.

[hmaria1609]

*Bump*
We're getting some snow on Sunday here in the metro Baltimore/DC area:
https://wtop.com/weather-news/2021/01/blustery-friday-to-start-the-weekend-before-dc-region-braces-for-snow/
Crews were out treating the major roads earlier today; overhead electronic message boards alerted commuters pretreatment was in progress on the interstate routes.
It's been a cold and windy week as it is!

[AvidReader]

I miss winter SO MUCH.

But I picked an orange off the tree in my backyard and ate it for breakfast today, which was nice.

I would rather be shoveling snow.

AR.

[Parasaurolophus]

Some cherry trees had started blooming before the snow came a few days ago (most of it has now melted). We don't get much of a winter here, but still, nothing should blooming right now.

[Thursday's_Child]

Some cherry trees had started blooming before the snow came a few days ago (most of it has now melted). We don't get much of a winter here, but still, nothing should blooming right now.

The non-native flowering cherries usually start on New Years Day here - unless it's been really cold.  Twenty years ago they didn't, but of course, I didn't take paper notes...

[Parasaurolophus]

Some cherry trees had started blooming before the snow came a few days ago (most of it has now melted). We don't get much of a winter here, but still, nothing should blooming right now.

The non-native flowering cherries usually start on New Years Day here - unless it's been really cold.  Twenty years ago they didn't, but of course, I didn't take paper notes...

Wow!

[Puget]

Some cherry trees had started blooming before the snow came a few days ago (most of it has now melted). We don't get much of a winter here, but still, nothing should blooming right now.

Feb is spring in the PNW, it just takes summer a looong time arrive after that (where I grew up, summer = dry season and couldn't be counted on starting until after the 4th of July).
PWN joke: How do you know when it's spring? The rain gets warmer.

Where I live now it is still most definitely winter. I didn't go out for a walk yesterday because below zero windchill is the limit of my "no such thing as bad weather just inappropriate clothing" motto. But now it is 19 and sunny with little wind so I'm off for my 10k.
Nor'easter arriving tomorrow afternoon, just in time for the first week of classes.