Daria Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 Dh and I went to the grocery store last night for a cultural experience. We checked out the bread (empty) and milk (still there) aisles and waited in a relatively long line (for 10 PM on a Thursday) to buy our ice cream (because you should get ice cream if you go to a grocery store, even for a cultural experience). There were no plastic grocery bags left in the store but there were lots of Peanuts movie bags that people were using to carry their stuff out. :) I hope I win the contest for the largest number of parentheses used in one short post. The bolded is the wisest thing I have ever read on this board. I walked to the grocery store after the snow started* and bought chocolate covered caramel ice cream bars. I figured that if the power goes out we can bury them in the drifts on the balcony. I read this thread while standing in line. It made me laugh because the store was well stocked with everything, until you turned to the banana display, which was completely empty. It looked the like the shelves I remember from studying abroad in the Soviet Union.** *You can accuse me of many things, but not of over preparing too far in advance. **I realize I now look very very old. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 (edited) Uh... let's not go overboard in an "us vs them" deal. Top universities might be in cities or more rural areas. Technology and new "anything" can also be invented anywhere - esp when with those universities. There are hard workers and slackers in both urban and rural areas. Without some of the hard workers in more rural areas, city dwellers would have nothing to eat... To me, that too helps make the world better... I'll admit that many of us in rural areas tend to be more prepared for storms or similar - mainly because we're used to being on our own for a while if something happens. There's no crime in stating that. It's also not necessarily a universal truth applying to all. There's also no crime in pointing out the many things done overwhelming in population centers (despite your vague assertions otherwise) which are game changing, life saving and vital to everyone. I don't think it's an us vs. them but a reflection of the fact that we are all reliant on each other. I appreciate farmers, ranchers and park rangers who help feed me and protect our environmental assets. I'm tired of hearing all the time that small town people are the salt of the earth or blanket negative generalizations against people who live in cities. All of the top research universities I am aware of are not in the middle of rural areas. Nor are the hospitals. Nor are Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon and many tech companies who you have benefited from but never heard of headquartered in rural areas. Appreciation goes both ways Creekland. When a child travels hundreds of miles for a heart transplant, they are coming to and benefiting from the community resource that people in cities make possible. Notice I have said only positive things to dispute a negative over generalization rather than add negative generalizations about rural areas. Edited January 22, 2016 by LucyStoner 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 I hope everyone is doing well if their area has gotten hit. We have relatives who have been hit by very heavy sleetish stuff --worst they have seen in 20 years and more supposed to be on way--that is breaking trees and causing lights to flicker though so far they have not lost electric. I guess if you are out of power and coping, you are probably not on the forums to get these good wishes from me, but they are heading your way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 22, 2016 Share Posted January 22, 2016 There's also no crime in pointing out the many things done overwhelming in population centers (despite your vague assertions otherwise) which are game changing, life saving and vital to everyone. I don't think it's an us vs. them but a reflection of the fact that we are all reliant on each other. I appreciate farmers, ranchers and park rangers who help feed me and protect our environmental assets. I'm tired of hearing all the time that small town people are the salt of the earth or blanket negative generalizations against people who live in cities. All of the top research universities I am aware of are not in the middle of rural areas. Nor are the hospitals. Nor are Microsoft, Google, Apple, Amazon and many tech companies who you have benefited from but never heard of headquartered in rural areas. Appreciation goes both ways Creekland. When a child travels hundreds of miles for a heart transplant, they are coming to and benefiting from the community resource that people in cities make possible. Notice I have said only positive things to dispute a negative over generalization rather than add negative generalizations about rural areas. I don't disagree with you about good things (and bad) coming from everywhere. I could name some negatives about (many) rural dwellers. ;) However, for a couple of quick examples of top research places in rural areas consider Cornell, Penn St, Va Tech... ;) There actually are quite a few more, but that goes a long way from snow issues! We just started getting our snow. Hubby's home. All is well here. May everyone be careful out there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Uh... let's not go overboard in an "us vs them" deal. Top universities might be in cities or more rural areas. Technology and new "anything" can also be invented anywhere - esp when with those universities. There are hard workers and slackers in both urban and rural areas. Without some of the hard workers in more rural areas, city dwellers would have nothing to eat... To me, that too helps make the world better... I'll admit that many of us in rural areas tend to be more prepared for storms or similar - mainly because we're used to being on our own for a while if something happens. There's no crime in stating that. It's also not necessarily a universal truth applying to all. Wasn't she just talking about emergency planning? Living in a city is very different from living in a rural place. I imagine people living in cities prepare for snow differently than people in rural areas, maybe even suburban areas. I know that when I lived in a place with more snow and ice, on a windy, hilly road, I prepared differently than I prepare now, with a grocery store (a lousy one I prefer not to shop at, but still) within less than 1/2 a mile of easy walking. People who might expect their power to be out for days or weeks will plan differently than people who can reasonably expect the power to stay on, or be restored quickly. I don't think this is about great universities. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I'm curious about something... Snow brushes/scrapers for vehicles. :) I live in Central Canada - snow (and ice/freezing rain, too, sometimes) is just winter so everyone has a snow brush/scraper in every vehicle. The ones we buy don't often break, though (and that's with lots and lots of use), so I'm curious as to what kind other folks buy. This is what we have: http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mallory-economy-snow-brush-0304424p.html#.VqJ3gVJpGN8 It's dirt cheap. :D But it doesn't seem to break. The wooden handle isn't affected by cold so doesn't get brittle and the plastic scraper end must be made of some type of plastic that also isn't affect by cold - it never seems to get brittle or break, either. I'm just curious what other folks have - that's all. :) I'm also procrastinating from starting to mark all the intro psych assignments I collected today from my Friday class. Wondering about snow brushes and/or scrapers seems like a good procrastination subject. :D I find those simple ones rarely break. Since I've had a van, I've tried some fancier ones, because I'm not tall enough to get the snow off the top without some sort of extention. So far, none has lasted through the winter. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
regentrude Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I don't consider them *wrong. The science is limited. "This is what it should do under these conditions" doesn't mean it will. Or that the conditions don't change. I find it very interesting... in theory. In practice, I go nuts when I think one thing, and another happens! I would not last very long, lol. It is not a question of the science being limited - weather is a highly nonlinear system that, as so many nonlinear systems, exhibits the behavior of deterministic chaos. The more science knows about chaotic systems, the better we understand that we cannot predict weather accurately. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 It is not a question of the science being limited - weather is a highly nonlinear system that, as so many nonlinear systems, exhibits the behavior of deterministic chaos. The more science knows about chaotic systems, the better we understand that we cannot predict weather accurately. Okay, you said it more accurately than I did. At least I understand that meteorologists can't guarantee anything, lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 The whole being wrong, but still keeping their job was tongue in cheek humor. ;) Most things in life are fairly unpredictable, but we still want to know what our odds are and be prepared for some potential doozies. This one they seemed to call rather correctly from a long distance out TBH. We'll know more when we see how much snow we actually got, but it's white outside now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 The whole being wrong, but still keeping their job was tongue in cheek humor. ;) Most things in life are fairly unpredictable, but we still want to know what our odds are and be prepared for some potential doozies. This one they seemed to call rather correctly from a long distance out TBH. We'll know more when we see how much snow we actually got, but it's white outside now. I was thinking more about crazy FB people who go on and on about how nobody knows anything, lol. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ILiveInFlipFlops Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) It made me laugh because the store was well stocked with everything, until you turned to the banana display, which was completely empty. I was just at BJ's (we needed more milk for our cereal stockpile :tongue_smilie:), and there was plenty of bread, plenty of milk, the eggs were a little low...and the avocados and tomatoes were almost completely wiped out :confused1: I have to think this is a shipping thing, not a snow prep thing, unless there are going to be a heckuva lot of nachos consumed in my town this weekend :lol: I did not buy a snow shovel, but I did buy DD10 a flat toboggan-type thing for sledding when she goes to her enrichment class on Monday! Edited January 23, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmmetler Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I was just at BJ's (we needed more milk for our cereal stockpile :tongue_smilie:), and there was plenty of bread, plenty of milk, the eggs were a little low...and the avocados and tomatoes were almost completely wiped out :confused1: I have to think this is a shipping thing, not a snow prep thing, unless there are going to be a heckuva lot of nachos consumed in my town this weekend :lol: I did not buy a snow shovel, but I did buy DD10 a flat toboggan-type thing for sledding when she goes to her enrichment class on Monday! Well, my local Kroger was completely sold out of Pancho's Queso dip ;) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
itsheresomewhere Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) I was just at BJ's (we needed more milk for our cereal stockpile :tongue_smilie:), and there was plenty of bread, plenty of milk, the eggs were a little low...and the avocados and tomatoes were almost completely wiped out :confused1: I have to think this is a shipping thing, not a snow prep thing, unless there are going to be a heckuva lot of nachos consumed in my town this weekend :lol: I did not buy a snow shovel, but I did buy DD10 a flat toboggan-type thing for sledding when she goes to her enrichment class on Monday! Our local radio was having people call in and tell them what they pick up besides bread, milk and eggs for a snow storm. Avocados, tomatoes and alcohol were the top things. Edited January 23, 2016 by itsheresomewhere 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slackermom Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I have to think this is a shipping thing, not a snow prep thing, unless there are going to be a heckuva lot of nachos consumed in my town this weekend :lol: It's a really big weekend for football. I hope to be eating nachos myself. Go Pats! :cheers2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 My night just changed quite a bit. My boy is a volunteer firefighter (where we live all the firehouses are volunteer). He got called asking if he can do 'storm standby' and stay at the station overnight. My husband just dropped him off. I had envisioned watching lots of Castle episodes tonight, but... nope. My daughter has to go to bed early to be up for to leave for work at 6:45 tomorrow morning. She and I are arguing - if the weather is bad, I want her to text her manager to be sure someone is at the cafe to open the doors. (She has no key, can't open the register, etc.) She says no, she'll just show up and hope someone's there. Um, I think she doesn't understand the meaning of the term "blizzard conditions." I suspect it will be a rough night for sleep for me! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luckymama Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Well, at least the snow is pretty right now :) Dh stopped at Costco on the way home for a roasted chicken (my idea) and the Costco version of Bailey's. In the Costco size. Heh. Sledding party at my house on Sunday :party: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 ... She and I are arguing - if the weather is bad, I want her to text her manager to be sure someone is at the cafe to open the doors. ... Totally! The manager might just assume that everyone would be staying home and not think to call/text, and would not want anyone to risk life to get to something that might be closed for the day. If it is a place still open now, maybe a call could be made and ask under what conditions they expect to be open vs. closed tomorrow morning. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 She and I are arguing - if the weather is bad, I want her to text her manager to be sure someone is at the cafe to open the doors. (She has no key, can't open the register, etc.) She says no, she'll just show up and hope someone's there. Um, I think she doesn't understand the meaning of the term "blizzard conditions." In a "not used to it" state I'd be having her check for sure. In more "used to winter" states the cafe would be open. Where my youngest worked they closed during lesser snowstorms than this. He had to call the first time to find out. We had chips and salsa for dinner tonight... I blame this thread. I wasn't actually hungry, but they tasted good! It's still snowing outside. Our mainly outdoor cat insisted on going out - then came back in just a couple of minutes later. I believe he's decided it's worth it to stay in tonight! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
musicianmom Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) * Edited May 22, 2022 by musicianmom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 My night just changed quite a bit. My boy is a volunteer firefighter (where we live all the firehouses are volunteer). He got called asking if he can do 'storm standby' and stay at the station overnight. My husband just dropped him off. I had envisioned watching lots of Castle episodes tonight, but... nope. My daughter has to go to bed early to be up for to leave for work at 6:45 tomorrow morning. She and I are arguing - if the weather is bad, I want her to text her manager to be sure someone is at the cafe to open the doors. (She has no key, can't open the register, etc.) She says no, she'll just show up and hope someone's there. Um, I think she doesn't understand the meaning of the term "blizzard conditions." I suspect it will be a rough night for sleep for me! :-) Checking on your DD. is she home or at work? As long as she's someplace and not stranded outside a locked and closed cafe. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Woke up this morning and it's white outside - a nice blowing white. I haven't been out yet to see how many inches, but I'm going to guess 6 - 8 so far, maybe more. It covers a decorative wall youngest built around a recently planted tree, but that might be from the blowing wind. The cats asked to go out (normal), then were happy to come back in (not normal)! Then the big question... can ponies and chickens be content fasting for a day... ;) (The ponies have free feeding hay, so they won't starve. The chickens... I'll have to go feed... sooner or later.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Went out to shovel. Finished my sidewalk, turned around, had to re-shovel the path back to the door! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Checking on your DD. is she home or at work? As long as she's someplace and not stranded outside a locked and closed cafe. Aww, thanks! Owner of the shop sent a text to the employees at 11 pm last night - we're not opening, stay home. Yea! I was awake at the time we* would have been leaving. It was snowing hard and so windy! *I hadn't mentioned before - we live only 1/2 mile away, so she walks, but when she walks in the very early morning hours when it is still dark, I go with her. I am just not ready for my girl to be walking on the streets alone in what feels like the middle of the night. I don't walk her to the door, of course, as she doesn't want her coworkers to see mommy dropping her off. But I was going to be slogging through the storm with her. I might have driven, but it would take longer to dig the car out than just to walk! 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Owner of the shop sent a text to the employees at 11 pm last night - we're not opening, stay home. Yea! ... *I hadn't mentioned before - we live only 1/2 mile away, so she walks, but when she walks in the very early morning hours when it is still dark, I go with her. I am just not ready for my girl to be walking on the streets alone in what feels like the middle of the night. I don't walk her to the door, of course, as she doesn't want her coworkers to see mommy dropping her off. But I was going to be slogging through the storm with her. I might have driven, but it would take longer to dig the car out than just to walk! :hurray: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I suspected we'd get more than most of the reports suggested, but I was surprised to wake up to 8" on my front deck this morning. And we're right on the top line of the red band that might bump things up over the current estimates. Sigh. I'm very worried about the Jersey Shore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marbel Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) Right now there are 22 active traffic incidents in my county (involving police, tow truck, or EMS). On a typical day/night, there are maybe 5 or so. Today they are all labeled "disabled vehicle." On FB I saw a plea from one of the public safety agencies begging people to stay off the roads as they are delaying first responders from getting to real emergencies. I know some people have to get out to work but I bet those are also people who know how to drive in poor conditions and could get places safely if others would stay out of the way. ETA: It's not even people who don't drive well in snow/ice/wind. No one can really predict what will happen on the roads in a storm. Edited January 23, 2016 by marbel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Right now there are 22 active traffic incidents in my county (involving police, tow truck, or EMS). On a typical day/night, there are maybe 5 or so. Today they are all labeled "disabled vehicle." On FB I saw a plea from one of the public safety agencies begging people to stay off the roads as they are delaying first responders from getting to real emergencies. I know some people have to get out to work but I bet those are also people who know how to drive in poor conditions and could get places safely if others would stay out of the wP Part of the PA Tpk is closed with tons of people stranded. Now who wants to talk about overreactions and how nothing should be closed where snowstorms are normal? (I'd add a snarky emoticon, but that feels disrespectful with people in actual jeopardy.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) Our state highway patrol has stated that there have been 2,000 car accidents, which included 6 fatalities since the storm began. This is why people should stay home! On a lighter note, I discovered yesterday that I accidentally picked up "multi-grain" chips, not my regular kind. They don't go with the salsa quite as well, but I'm making do :thumbup: . Edited January 23, 2016 by TechWife 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zinnia Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 People where I live like to really complain about people freaking out about snow. It snows rarely, but when it does, it's usually a big event. It's not so much the snow, though, but the ice. There is always a layer of ice below or on top of the snow--we really don't get the same type of snow that my inlaws in the midwest get. I don't like to drive on the ice, because I was in a wreck in 1993 in one of our rare snowstorms. Two years ago, dh's normal 30 minute commute took 14 hours plus a totaled car. It has made us even more antsy about snow. We stay home, and I make no excuses about it. I really hate defending it all the time to the people I know that are move-ins to the region. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) First of all, warm wishes to those of you dealing with not an overreaction. I hope you have everything you need to stay safe and warm. I live just outside Atlanta. So yeah. We still get major overreaction here lol. I lived in Atlanta from 1979-82, and was there for the big '82 winter. It is apparently now known as Snow Jam, but at the time no one called it that that I remember, not even in the media. People were not in the habit of naming winter storms back then like they do know. I suspect the name came later. I do remember the traffic though. I was at the grocery store getting supplies (and yes, stuff was flying off the shelves) when the snow started. People began leaving work early and suddenly the roads were packed worse than rush hour. It was not fun! The city had to borrow equipment from Tennessee to get the snow off the roads. This was during the few years when I quit teaching and was trying to find myself. It started snowing in the afternoon, but I was a bartender and the owner decided to keep the bar open that night. It was an interesting evening with quite a cast of characters, to say the least. I moved back home later that year. My return had nothing to do with the weather, but I was glad to get back to the boring heat and humidity of Central Florida. I do not miss snow. I do not like cold weather. I'll take the heat and humidity of our Aug.-Sept. over a cold climate state's Jan.-Feb. any day. I consider our weekend forecast unlikable. Next weekend is a little better but I prefer a few degrees warmer for my winter weather. http://www.weather.com/weather/weekend/l/32780:4:US Over reaction? Our governor declared a state of emergency more than 24 hours before the first snowflakes were expected to fall. What more could I say? As someone who lives in a hurricane prone state, I can tell you it's important for the governor to make that call before the storm strikes so that things move more quickly once your state actually needs help. I thought I was safe, but The National French Toast Alert System recommends I go shopping!I see they are endorsing strawberries at the fruit accompaniment. I knew I was safe, but put my zip code in on a lark. Of course I was right. However, our forecast high today is 51, with a low in the 30s. Tomorrow won't be much warmer. For us, this is known as "soup weather". We don't get much chance to enjoy soup or chili on cold days/nights because we don't have many cold days or nights. Yesterday I checked my pantry and freezer, then bought the remainder of soup ingredients needed for the next 2-3 days. Soup today, chili tomorrow, and probably leftover soup or chili Monday. Also, I don't get the French toast thing. I was born in NE New Jersey and spent the first 13 years of my life there. I experienced a few blizzards and many regular snowstorms. Is this a more recent thing (later than 1970)? Or do I just come from a part of the country where it isn't common? :) Edited January 23, 2016 by Lady Florida 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Woke up this morning and it's white outside - a nice blowing white. I haven't been out yet to see how many inches, but I'm going to guess 6 - 8 so far, maybe more. It covers a decorative wall youngest built around a recently planted tree, but that might be from the blowing wind. The cats asked to go out (normal), then were happy to come back in (not normal)! Then the big question... can ponies and chickens be content fasting for a day... ;) (The ponies have free feeding hay, so they won't starve. The chickens... I'll have to go feed... sooner or later.) Yes. My ds has forgotten to feed chickens and they have made it. but esp in cold conditions having food and wet water (not ice) would be better. Can you leave them with excess so that you don't need to go again tomorrow? We have one of those big feeders where about 20 pounds of feed can go in at a time and lasts quite a while. Our biggest problem when it gets very cold tends to be keeping them with some drinkable water every day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dicentra Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Yes. My ds has forgotten to feed chickens and they have made it. but esp in cold conditions having food and wet water (not ice) would be better. Can you leave them with excess so that you don't need to go again tomorrow? We have one of those big feeders where about 20 pounds of feed can go in at a time and lasts quite a while. Our biggest problem when it gets very cold tends to be keeping them with some drinkable water every day We have thermal water bowls for all our animals: http://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Thermal-Bowl-Blue-Oz-Watts/dp/B000Y8GQ56 They even have them for horses and larger livestock and all sizes in between: http://www.princessauto.com/en/b/all-seasons/seasonal/rural/animal-care/water-heating/N-1eperh7 Just thought it might help. :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Also, I don't get the French toast thing. I was born in NE New Jersey and spent the first 13 years of my life there. I experienced a few blizzards and many regular snowstorms. Is this a more recent thing (later than 1970)? Or do I just come from a part of the country where it isn't common? :) For some of us who depend on electric to cook, if the electric goes out, cold French toast is one of many things that can be a good food to eat--carbos and protein in an easy to grab form-- and it also does not dirty bowls and spoons etc. which may not be washable due to being on a well with electric pump. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 (edited) People where I live like to really complain about people freaking out about snow. It snows rarely, but when it does, it's usually a big event. It's not so much the snow, though, but the ice. There is always a layer of ice below or on top of the snow--we really don't get the same type of snow that my inlaws in the midwest get. I don't like to drive on the ice, because I was in a wreck in 1993 in one of our rare snowstorms. Two years ago, dh's normal 30 minute commute took 14 hours plus a totaled car. It has made us even more antsy about snow. We stay home, and I make no excuses about it. I really hate defending it all the time to the people I know that are move-ins to the region. This. I was caught driving in a bad storm which was not the subject of a snovereaction in advance--made me for ever after a snovereactor, no doubt. Though then too ice was the main problem. I had a friend insist that she would be okay driving in a storm more recently because she had snow tires and was an experienced snow driver. I tried to explain that snowtires don't help on ice. Well, needless to say, she too ended up with a totaled car. A thin coating of ice will do that--doesn't even take a blizzard. Which is maybe why some of us in Pac NW appear to freak out at even a few snowflakes and head home. A few snowflakes can sometimes mean the temperature is dropping down to where the rain on the road (or especially on bridges and other vulnerable spots) can turn from water into ice. Additionally, lots of people out because they ... I dunno, don't want to be seen as wimpy snovereactors ... makes things more difficult for people who really have to be out--emergency crews trying to restore power, medical personnel and others. Not to mention that people sliding off roads and into electric poles can cause other people to lose power thus possibly having no heat and dangers from that as well as requiring yet others to go deal with the accident and loss of power. It is much better, IMO, to cancel a school day before the roads become too icy for the busses to get the kids home safely than to have to turn the school into an overnight shelter for the kids who cannot get home, even if the latter is possible, and better than a Simon Birch scenario where the bus slides off the road and into the water also. And so on and so forth. Sometimes "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Edited January 23, 2016 by Pen 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 I am in south central PA. I think we are at the 2' mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doodle Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 There have been a lot of ambulance calls in my county (heart problem, difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal pain, falls...). Even with a snow blower, my husband is only clearing the driveway a little at a time. He has been out twice now and it is still a work in progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 There have been a lot of ambulance calls in my county (heart problem, difficulty breathing, chest pain, abdominal pain, falls...). Even with a snow blower, my husband is only clearing the driveway a little at a time. He has been out twice now and it is still a work in progress. I hope those people recover quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 The storm is missing us. We are currently forecasted for a "dusting" later this evening. And yet... the homeschool dance for tonight was cancelled. That is a huge snoverreaction. (I really love this word!! :D ) And I'm not sure why the stations are hyping this storm at all here. We had storms this big every.single.weekend. last winter, and the snow was up to your chest, and we're worried about 1-2 feet (that's going to fall a hundred miles to the south of us to boot)? I get why people further south are a bit freaked out, especially after the footage I saw the other day of DC after less than an inch of snow... never saw so much real-life bumper car action! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Yes. My ds has forgotten to feed chickens and they have made it. but esp in cold conditions having food and wet water (not ice) would be better. Can you leave them with excess so that you don't need to go again tomorrow? We have one of those big feeders where about 20 pounds of feed can go in at a time and lasts quite a while. Our biggest problem when it gets very cold tends to be keeping them with some drinkable water every day We don't actually mind going out as long as it's for small bits of time. ;) When we travel we leave the chickens with excess and they do just fine. In the cold they don't have heated water, so if it stays below freezing (like now) we have to make sure we change it. Our ponies always have free feeding hay and all but our stallion have an automatic waterer they can access in the barn. We have to carry buckets to our stallion, but that's good exercise TBH. When we travel we leave him with extra too. Interestingly enough, the ponies can go in or out as they please. (In is truly in - no snow - out of wind.) They've all chosen out. They don't mind the cold. Perhaps they enjoy it. If it were sunny and 80 degrees they'd all be in. It's heat they don't like! (Heat and flies.) Our cats prefer the creature comforts of being inside. Two nights ago our outdoor loving cat who NEVER comes upstairs except in winter came running up and took a flying leap onto our bed. Last night when I went upstairs he was already on the bed waiting for me (with our other cat who always sleeps on the bed). When we travel in winter they have a heated cat house outside that we plug in or they usually prefer the barn. I don't think staying home in this storm was over-reacting. I think it was sensible. It is, after all, already at #3 locally for worst storms ever and could close in on #2 or #1 before it's done. It's hardly "just" a simple annual snow. We're not shoveling until tomorrow. We do not find it easier to do it more times when the wind is blowing as it's not a lesser amount. The wind refills areas previously shoveled. When we look outside now we can't see any trace of having been out a few hours ago. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baseball mom Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Around here the mention of snow sends people to the store. We don't get much snow (some years none). So if we get much snow it might be awhile before the streets are cleared to go anywhere. I try to keep a stocked pantry (& and toilet paper). I call it the Girl Scout in me ;) (being prepared). It is just part of my nature. I don't mean hoarding, just an extra package or 2 of tp and some extra groceries. But I admit when I hear bad weather coming in I will double check to see what I have on hand and if I need to pick up something else. Most of the time I am ok. Like other posters, sometimes it just falls on my regular shopping day. Drives me nuts when people talk about what I am buying. I don't care if it is a storm coming or if I am just stocking up on something on sale. It isn't anyone's business. Like the time I was stocking up on ground beef. (no storm, it was just a great price and we were completely out of ground beef) No I didn't take it all. They were putting out several more racks of meat as I was getting mine. Anyway I had like 10 packs of ground beef. Walking though the store some man looked in my cart and said "good grief do you have enough". I wanted to say "none of your business" but instead I said "not sure I might get more" :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 For some of us who depend on electric to cook, if the electric goes out, cold French toast is one of many things that can be a good food to eat--carbos and protein in an easy to grab form-- and it also does not dirty bowls and spoons etc. which may not be washable due to being on a well with electric pump. Well that makes sense. We had gas in NJ and were in an urban area with city water (which of course can be affected, but not the same as a well). Maybe that's why we never did the French toast thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie12345 Posted January 23, 2016 Share Posted January 23, 2016 Well that makes sense. We had gas in NJ and were in an urban area with city water (which of course can be affected, but not the same as a well). Maybe that's why we never did the French toast thing. The only context in which I've heard the whole French toast thing was making fun of people who buy milk, bread, and eggs before a storm. I've never seen it as a genuine thing. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 So very much this.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogger Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 First I would like to say that all these descriptions of stores with empty shelves look like my local grocery store every Sunday evening. :). It is easy to see if a larger percentage of shoppers shop earlier than usual the shelves would empty out fast. The real danger is far less than last year when we had a major ice storm, though. Ice has no redeeming fun value. People just don their ice skates and skate down the street here. Literally, some do. My family prefers skiing so we are very glum when there is ice instead of snow which used to be once in awhile when things warmed up but the last three years our area has similar weather to southern states. :( It is very depressing. I'm tempted to move south to the mid west for that lake effect snow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 People just don their ice skates and skate down the street here. Literally, some do. My family prefers skiing so we are very glum when there is ice instead of snow which used to be once in awhile when things warmed up but the last three years our area has similar weather to southern states. :( It is very depressing. I'm tempted to move south to the mid west for that lake effect snow. Few people have skates here or can skate well enough to deal with rough ice on hilly, curvy roads with deep ditches on either side. When we had over 3" of ice and hundreds of thousands of people were without of power for days, it was not fun. Just dangerous and frustrating. My mom had a medical emergency during the ice storm and it took the crew over 4 hours to get to her house, get through the ice-frozen gate and get her to the ER. This would normally take about 30 minutes. Ice is just not fun. We have enjoyed our snow this year, though! Nothing like what the east coast got, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 So very much this.... https://youtu.be/i6zaVYWLTkU HAHAHAHAHAAA! I have never seen that one, but he is hysterical in the best way :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogger Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 (edited) Few people have skates here or can skate well enough to deal with rough ice on hilly, curvy roads with deep ditches on either side. When we had over 3" of ice and hundreds of thousands of people were without of power for days, it was not fun. Just dangerous and frustrating. My mom had a medical emergency during the ice storm and it took the crew over 4 hours to get to her house, get through the ice-frozen gate and get her to the ER. This would normally take about 30 minutes. Ice is just not fun. We have enjoyed our snow this year, though! Nothing like what the east coast got, of course. People are so serious on this forum. I was jokingly finding a redeeming value in the ice. There is no way I would expect everyone to ice skate to work even in a cold weather state much less a southern state. They are just going out to have fun. If you notice my first paragraph it was implying I don't think we should call people panicky just because they go pick up their groceries beforehand. I do get annoyed with ice all the time and agree that it is not the same as snow or as fun. We used to have ice when a warm southern wind blew through a couple times a year. Now it is all we seem to get. Edited January 25, 2016 by frogger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kristi26 Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 (edited) I'm apparently near your area as we got 2+ feet of snow on Saturday. ;) I shop weekly. Saturday is my normal day and my Fridays are already packed with co-op. So I went shopping on Thursday instead. There seemed to be plenty of bread and milk in my store though and we had bananas. Eta: I also have a steep driveway so going it right after the storm means big issues getting back in the driveway. Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk Edited January 25, 2016 by kristi26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 (edited) People are so serious on this forum. I was jokingly finding a redeeming value in the ice. There is no way I would expect everyone to ice skate to work even in a cold weather state much less a southern state. They are just going out to have fun. If you notice my first paragraph it was implying I don't think we should call people panicky just because they go pick up their groceries beforehand. I do get annoyed with ice all the time and agree that it is not the same as snow or as fun. We used to have ice when a warm southern wind blew through a couple times a year. Now it is all we seem to get. Sorry to have taken your post too seriously! My family had several major problems (with lasting ramifications) from last year's ice storm and I tend to be too emotional about it. Edited January 25, 2016 by ScoutTN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Ok. Thinking of moving to HI. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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