Snow and Ice in the South

[LaFireEducator]

Sleet, freezing and rain and now here creating the usual mess and havoc.

MVCs , falls and other such fun filling our day with ...ummmmm .... job security.

Will probably get worse tonight when the temps drop to the low 20's freezing the slush into ice.

[LaFireEducator]

If it ever hit -anything here the world would come to an end.

Schools were shutdown for today and tomorrow on Sunday even before a flake hit the ground. Businesses are closed. It's like Wintermaggedon when anyone even mentions this stuff.

As a Yankee, I just sit back and watch. It's pretty damn funny.

[tbzep]

We got as low as -4F the other night. I came off shift last Sunday morning and it took me several minutes to get my truck door open. It took another 30 to get the ice off the windshield by running the heat wide open until I could get under it and lift the sheet of ice off. We ended up with a couple inches of solid ice as the freezing rain and sleet packed together with a heavy dusting of snow. I dealt with ice dams on my roof Saturday morning thanks to all the cold rain. Got some water damage in the house. Parents are starting to love teachers instead of loving to hate them since they've had to deal with their own kids for a week.

[BoxAlarm187]

As one of the few people in Virginia who actually loves snow, ice, and cold conditions, I've enjoyed our visit from mother nature. People thought I was crazy when I was in Minnesota for three days last January and the temps never got above 0˚ and the windchill was something like -20, and I couldn't get enough of it.

So often, my area is hit with far more ice than snow. This of course contributes to more falling trees, downed power lines, traffic crashes, and like. We've been very lucky that this year has only provided us snow with a little layer of ice on top.

[LaFireEducator]

As one of the few people in Virginia who actually loves snow, ice, and cold conditions, I've enjoyed our visit from mother nature. People thought I was crazy when I was in Minnesota for three days last January and the temps never got above 0˚ and the windchill was something like -20, and I couldn't get enough of it.

So often, my area is hit with far more ice than snow. This of course contributes to more falling trees, downed power lines, traffic crashes, and like. We've been very lucky that this year has only provided us snow with a little layer of ice on top.

This is our first "storm" (or at least what they define a s a storm) in several years. We have had sleet and a little bit of snow during the day (maybe 1/2") and likely some freezing rain tonight with some tomorrow as well. Folks were buying everything in the stores last night and cleaning out firewood wherever they could find it.

Been running wrecks and falls all day long. No trees yet though that may come tonight with the freezing rain.

To me it's pretty much a non-event but coming from the northeast it's interesting to watch.

[FyredUp]

We have had several days over the past 10 days in the double digits below zero. 20's here would be global warming!!

[islandfire03]

We northerners took up a collection:: and decided to send you folks in grits & gravy land a wee bit of what we have been dealing with lately.
Right now we are just a tad under 8 feet of snowfall this month and yesterday was the first time in 28 days it's gotten to the freezing mark. hit 32 f at 2pm and was dropping down below zero by 6 pm. high temp today was at midnight. heading for 12-15 below tonight.

[WVFD705]

We have gone from rain to freezing rain, to sleet, to snow. The roads the highway department hasn't tried to plow are rough enough to get some traction. The main roads are about 2" thick in ice, and there is no traction after the highway department ran the plows.

Fortunately, we have a lot of people slide off the roads, but very few wrecks that actually need the FD to respond. The only thing that had me concerned was the lightning. There was a good bit of it yesterday, and more today. The weather service said we had "thunder sleet" and "thunder snow". I didn't want to go on a storage tank fire today.

[AKCaptain]

We finally warmed up in the great state of Alaska to above freezing yesterday and then the rain came. Now the roads are covered in ice. Cant complain much as we have had a mild winter so far.

[tree68]

Hasn't been bad in our area - a fair amount of snow, but not much ice. We got all we needed of that back in 1998.

Despite the amount of snow we get every year, it's still pretty easy to figure out where it's snowing - just listen to where the cops are doing vehicle in the ditch calls. Some folks (even the locals) just don't want to slow down. Lake effect snows don't help, either. One minute you're in the sunshine. A few minutes later you can't see the end of your hood...

Unfortunately, dispatch protocol has us going to any "unknown injury" vehicle incidents, which is most of them called in by passers-by. Oftimes the actual vehicle occupant will call 9-1-1 at some point and we'll get turned back.

On the other hand, had a first-hand experience of why some folks do end up off the road. Was headed south on the Interstate Sunday when I saw flares in the road ahead. Slowed down, got over, and passed a trooper who was out with someone who had kissed the guardrail pretty hard. After clearing that I sped back up (roads were wet, but...) and clicked on the cruise control again, only to feel the rear end get "soft" and have the cruise kick off. Oops - black ice. Now I knew why the car found the guard rail.

On the way back north I got caught in a line behind a plow (35 MPH). Folks just kept wizzing by in the left lane, even though they'd be slowed momentarily themselves. And how that Honda got on top of a four foot snowbank on the median shoulder I'll never know...

[RFDACM02]

I'd like to say at least we're somewhat prepared up here in the Northeast, but this is getting to be a little much. -20 F on the truck thermometer on my way to work this morning (coldest I've seen in 45 years)! Thankfully no wind! But on the bright side, it's warming up to the teens so it can snow...again. Snow on the sides of my driveway are exceeding 6 ft. and shoveling hydrants flat out stinks, with no where to put the snow. Throwing it up and over has about been maxed out in most areas. No doubt more car/pedestrian accidents as the streets are clearer than the sidewalks and good luck nosing out of intersections, forget about backing out of a driveway with snowbanks obscuring the road nearly everywhere. Alas, I guess we'll appreciate August more, which looks to be when the snow might leave.

[FyredUp]

OH LORDY LORD!! It's snowing again.

YAWN! Same as it ever was!

[LaFireEducator]

Some of the ice from yesterday is melting today and the world is slowly returning to normal.

Looks like we're going to get 3"-5" of snow tonight and tomorrow which will once again throw the world into an uncontrolled spin.

[tbzep]

The weather service said we had "thunder sleet" and "thunder snow".

Hmmm.... good name for a band.

[conrad427]

Yep, its fifty with a west wind blowing. Grass is dry, standing, heavy fuels are dry too.

Thats fine, I start calving today. I hate winter.