Ric, Lake Erie is very deep and very big. The first time I saw it I thought I was looking at the ocean. It does take some time to freeze, but I don't think it completely freezes over. They were just warning people to stay off the ice dunes as you could easily misstep into a hidden crevice. Misery Bay has ice fishermen and their huts on it, but I think that has been only in the last 2 weeks, the ice has to be so thick to support them.
When Paul worked the RR, he would see Ice breaker ships out on the lake.
Sometimes we have the wind coming out of the North, Northwest and that picks up moisture off Lake Michigan or Lake Huron then you add Lake Erie and you get even more snow, then that gets blown into Buffalo NY and they get even more then us.
Well, the sun is out today so I think me are getting our break till the next go-round.
Hate to be the bearer of bad news....
PollyK and GE from the NE Forum live up there along Lake Ontario. They have tons of snow all of the time. Polly tells me that she has so much snow insulation that she can grow zone 7 plants up there.
They are father north, probably stays colder so they don't get the snow melt off as much as I do. Snow is a great insulator. The more snow that stays around the odds of plant fatality lessens. It's the freezing and thawing that kills the most, also the bitter wind chill, thats why I wrap my evergreen topiary.
How about the storm coming this weekend????
http://www.accuweather.com/regional-news-story.asp?region=eastusnews
Don't ya just love the "potentially paralyzing"?
Our local news was showing a film clip from (Richmond?) Va. It was a courthouse or some other government building. Big sheets of ice came off the roof and smashed down at the entrance of the building. It was something to see luckily no one got hurt or killed. They said that it had happened once before so maybe they had that area blocked off. Did any of you see it?
We've been watching the forecast - this winter has been unbelievable for us! Rick follows the radar closely and he thinks Roanoke IS going to get it but then it will travel east of the Blue Ridge Mtns before it can hit us hard. Even though we'll probably see snow it won't be as bad as anyone south or east of us. The only good thing I can say about all the snow we've received is the plants have a wonderful blanket of insulation :) Last year when the temperatures dropped below zero the ground was bare - not so this year, -8 degrees and two feet of snow! Let's hope the plants show us how much they appreciate it come spring :)
Those south of us really are getting hit hard this winter. It is much harder on them as they just don't have the equipment to deal with the snow and many of the drivers don't have winter driving experience either.
My daughter Julie is heading to Ft. Lauderdale for a weekend getaway in another week or so. It will be her first time down there sure hope the temps come up before then. Holly
I love it!!
I love mornings like this one, with the trees and everything wearing layers of fluffy snow. Being snowed in on weekends especially is just fine with me... but let's hope the snow holds off at least until Friday evening, so Jim has a chance to get home from the airport! :-)
Yes, I love the snow, too. But then I don't "have" to shovel it.
GRRR!!!
I always enjoyed shoveling it. But then, the year of my fall down the steps, I had to hire someone and they've come back ever since.
LOL Ronnie!!
☺
Ronnie, Won't the doggies venture out in the snow??
I just shoveled the 4"-5' that fell yesterday-- this morning.
I also shoveled for 2 hours to get my car dug out and my driveway cleared so i could go to work with the last "biggie".....
We got about 22" here with that one. Luckily--it was the driest, fluffy snow. I could have blown it off my car....Not really..
NOT looking forward to this weekend at all! I am scheduled to work this Sunday--9-6. Don't know what the status of the snow will be--but I am the "die hard" that will always make it to work no matter what! But getting all bundled up and shoveling mountains of snow (that the snow plows leave after they have done out street) does not appeal to me at7AM!
Lucky you that have hubbies or SO's to do it! I would prefer to just stay home--all snowed in!
Today was actually quite nice. Much of the snow melted......I re-filled all my bird-feeders trying to look ahead.
Unfortunately--I did not take any photos of the last big snow. It seemed so much de-ja-vous of years before.....
Will get my camera out for this weekend........
You all stay safe and sound! Gita
This is from 2006--January...remember? My car---one side dug out....
Hours later--I am FREE!
Oh Stormy the dogs LUV the snow!!! I watch by the door!! LOL
Everyone - stay safe, stay warm and above all - stay home if you can! Gita, be extra, extra careful going to work!!!! Poor Bandit during the last round was buried to his neck in snow trying to go potty, Samson just jumped around in glee...if the snow removal dude pulls what he pulled last time, plowing halfway through the storm and leaving mountains of snow behind the cars, I will get a truck, load it up with snow and dump it ALL in his driveway/yard! ^_^
It would be a fitting thing to do for those plough guys. What's up with them always piling snow in front of everybody's driveway? Ronnie, the Dane is looking good!
Love the snow. Esp when it's deep enough no one has to go out.
This was this morning before it all melted away by 2
Great photo, Jen!
Thanks, that's taken out my sliders on my deck looking out to left back corner of my property.
This one cracks me up, looks like the azalea has a snow hat
GREAT shot flowerjen! You can almost see the individual crystals in that last photo. I took some this morning too, (still on camera) but was amazed by how quickly it all came falling back down. Very wet. Glad we only got about 4".
LOL, Yeah, it looks like one of those creations Liz Taylor would have worn.
Funny story, I have a dear friend who I met because she wandered into my garden the first year I moved here. She is a very attractive tall majestic African American woman. Last week she stopped by after cleaning out her closet. She brought me this absolutely fabulous hugh wide brimmed wool fashion hat. It has the Neiman Marcus label in it. She said that she just felt that it overwhelmed her, but would be perfect for me. I graciously accepted it and put it away.
When feverishly packing for my trip on Friday, I realized that I didn't take a hat. Knowing that they were expecting snow in MD and that I would be walking outside a lot, I sent DSO back into the house to get me a hat. Guess which one he brought out? LOL Well I ended up wearing that hat most of the weekend and believe me, people do not forget you when wearing a hat like that. The brim is upturned and it has large wool flowers on it. It is striped shades of brown and camel. It even managed to stay on my head in high winds. DSO teased me mercilessly about it all weekend, but people kept stopping to talk to me, often about the hat!
It was very pretty out this morning.
TV just said 'tracking the massive storm' Ugh. I will have to consider staying with my mom, chancing being stuck with her to shovel out, or staying here and worrying to death over her, ? In December, my sister had just arrived for Christmas and it really helped me out that she was at Mom's.
Well, I will buy some more salt tomorrow, or Mag salt, ; I'm getting lazier wiser and using salt more to help me out.
Sally--
There is a salt sold at HD called "Blizzard Wizzard".....You may want to look into that--seems better than just Rock salt....Works in very low temps.--is environmentally friendly and safe for pets as well.
Comes in 50lb. bags (??? price) or those gallon shake-bottles. ($6.97). I would buy the 50lbs. Lasts for years--the few serious Winters we get......
G.
Gosh, Gita, I go through about 3 of those 50lb bags every year. That stuff is so much nicer than salt. It doesn't eat your concrete, kill your plants or ruin your shoes and boots or damage your car paint.
Yeah we should get some of that, the stuff hubby used a few years ago ruined our front stoop.
I also prefer it on my deck as the salt ruins the finish.
Yupper, I researched salt and the mixes last year. Magnesium salt actually releases heat as it reacts. Todays snow should have melted right off for her as there was salt left from the last light snow when DS and I cleared. I also NEED more safflower for the birds.--can't let them go hungry in a storm.
My birds are eating like little piggies. There are about 20 Slate Colored Junkos spending the winter under my deck.
I just read we may get 20" this weekend. As long as the power stays on...
AAAAAIIIIEEEEEEHHHHHH
Jen, neat pic of the "snow hat"! WHAT??? Stormy, no pictures of THE hat??? LOL
Pam, where is "Central" VA? I'm with you, "as long as the power stays on"... :) Looks like we're going to be right on the "edge" here and will receive a mix of snow/ice. Roanoke is south of us and they're predicting 4"-8" yet only 1"-3" here, what's up with that? Sounds like the poor trees/shrubs are in for another beating, not sure how much more of this they can take! It was warm enough yesterday to "free" them of the 6" of snow we got on Tuesday but ice isn't going to be friendly :(
A few of the weather videos I just watched said the Philly area might get slammed - look out Stormy!
I got my snow cleaned up early yesterday and with the beautiful sun's help everything was dry by the afternoon. I was surprised that Penn Dot did not do a push back, since the day was warm I guess they didn't think they needed it. A few years ago they didn't do it, and we got a big storm and low temps. As is expected this weekend . Back then some secondary roads were 1 lane in places due to ice along the sides preventing the plows from working to the edge of the road. Since both of us were DOD, we were expected to be there (at work). We've had AWD's for years for that reason. I guess the commander didn't understand (since he lives on base) that roads were impassable.Now we are fortunate enough to "hunker" down and wait it out. Since we heat with wood and coal even a power outage is only an inconvenience, we can cook on the stove and have heat. Ric
I hope you all can stay safe and warm!
Hi All,
Just heard on the NOA weather alert radio for Central Virginia to expect 16-24" snow with 20-25 MPH winds Friday through Saturday. It says plan for substantial interruptions, comparable to December 19 storm. I sure wish we had our faithful old wood stove. Stay safe. Don't go out on the roads if possible.
Oh yay!!! Another 18-24 inches! Can't wait for that!!!
Think I'm going into hibernation....
You Virginians and Marylanders look like you're going to be buried. Delaware and parts of inland south Jersey too. It should be a great year for plants down your way. My ground has refrozen again. I hope we don't get all of that heaving again like last year. There are major benefits to reliable snow cover.
stormy--
You are SOOO right! The only year my "Winter Pansies" survived was the year (1994 or what???) when we had 3' of snow covering everything. They all re-bloomed beautifully.
Snow IS the greatest "insulator" there is duirng the Winter.....
G.
I've heard "unofficial" reports from reliable sources that we may get up to 4 feet of snow, plus 40+ mph wind gusts. Jim is most likely stuck in Frankfurt for a few days. :-(