Nor'easter is heading our way!

It looks like tonight's the night! For the nor'easter that is. Up to 3 feet of snow in central CT... guess where I live??? High winds, blizzard conditions, power failures... all sorts of excitement is expected. We're all ready for the storm but I sure hope it's the last New England storm of the winter season!

I know that blizzards are a huge inconvenience and actually dangerous for a lot of folks (especially poor and elderly), but...

I wish we could get a blizzard like that. We only get a really good snow every 5 or 6 years, and then it's not more than 6". I love being trapped in the house, roadways silent, the world stops. As long as you have plenty of kerosine (or firewood), milk, bread, and eggs, just stretch out and enjoy the peace and quiet!

We're already getting it in Western PA-- it started snowing about noon and I'll bet we already have four to five inches of snow and it's 3 p.m. We are in the 12" plus" range. Guess I'll have the kids home with me tomorrow! :-)

Rosie, ya'll take care up there! Are you prepared? What do ya'll have to do to get ready for this kind of storm? I heard on the news that folks were fighting over shovels! Lisa

All you DG'ers up north are in our thoughts and prayers tonight....hope everyone stays safe, warm and dry!

And Dave, I hear what you're saying, but the serene halt you're describing rarely happens, even in areas that routinely measure their snowfall in feet, not inches! At least that's my recollections of growing up in Nebraska and Colorado. We had lots of snow, very few snow days. Here in middle Tennessee, our school district has 13 snow days built into the schedule. THIRTEEN!!! I honestly don't recall ever having that many snow days in all my years of school.....we'd just dig out and keep going. Ugh!!!!

Keep us posted if you can (power?). You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Got friends supposed to fly into Newark and then on to Newberg,NY. I'll bet they'll have delays.

I know what Dave's saying tho. We hardly ever get a snowstorm that shuts down everything...It would be nice every once in awhile. The thing is,you in the North don't realise but it only takes the threat of snow or ice to make normally sensible people go berserk down here.

I've seen little old ladies with 2 and 3 shopping carts of food at the supermarket when an inch or two is called for.
We're never snowed in for more than a day or so and I've never seen it when me and DH won't get out.

What you all on the eastern corridor are getting,we can't even imagine down here.I have an idea because we travel so much and I've had the PA Turnpike closed on me several times over the years.
Be careful and stay warm!

Oh, Melody you are so right! I've seen people rush to the stores to stock up on groceries when there's a tornado watch for our vicinity! Now, when was the last time you heard of anyone stranded without food after a tornado? The real risk is that you won't have a house left, not that you'll be stuck inside without food!

I too would love to have one of those snows that just silences everything, and Dave's right we don't get them very often. Maybe that's what makes them so special and memorable?

I shot a whole roll of film the first time our daughter was old enough to really "play" in the snow - we got about 10", and she was absolutely entranced....definitely a memory worth capturing. But that was three years ago, and we haven't had a decent snow since, just a few ice storms and "dustings".

They're still calling for possible snow here tonight, although it's supposed to move on through. Dave, maybe you guys in eastern TN will get a decent snowfall after all....I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Thanks everyone for all the good thoughts. You should have seen the grocery store parking lot yester - jam packed full. I didn't need to go in there, thankfully!

Dave, I love getting snowed in too - every once in a while. This will be one of those storms. We've really only had one other like this one this winter.

We're well prepared for it. We have a generator and lots of fuel in case we lose power. We're in a very wooded area and there often seems to be trees or branches falling on wires someplace. We have underground utilities but everyone before us on the street has above ground so we still lose power. I still have candles, just because we enjoy candles. Lots of firewood in case we decide on a warm sit by the fireplace during the storm. If it's too windy we won't be lighting the fireplace though. I generally have plenty of food in the house so I really don't worry about that. I did pick up milk when I heard we were having a storm. The milk's dated April 6, so it can sit in my fridge just as well as in the store. I have two Burton butane burners, you know the type they have in restaurants when they cook at stations? They're great and I don't have to fire up the stove and strain the generator. The generator keeps the refrigerators, freezers, furnace and a few lights going. I made a pot of stew today too. So, we set and waiting.....

I check back tomorrow and tell you more about our storm...

Unfortunately I work for a large supermarket chain,Giant Food in Maryland.The weathermen started out calling for 10-20" on Friday for Monday.On Saturday we had in over $150,000 by 11:00 a.m. on Saturday morning,ended up doing 285,000 in one day.Now on Sunday they are saying we may get a total of 4" by Tuesday morning.Tell me the weatherguys are in cahoots with supermarkets!

Fortunately, here in NH we have the equipment to handle the big storms and rarely get snowed in for more than a few hours. Although, as go_vols says, they sure do have a lot of snow days for the schools in this area.

About the only thing I have to do to prepare for the storm is to make sure I have gas for the snowblower so I can do my driveway. I have a four wheel drive pickup so we can go out in most storms without any problems. Still, I am SICK OF IT, all this snow. Come on spring!

Big_Red, that's why I don't live anywhere North of the Mason-Dixon line anymore! I do love the occasional snowfall, but I love warm weather more!!!! I'll take our sweltering heat and humidity of summer anyday over a six-month winter of snow, snow and more snow. Hope you guys are safe and warm up there!!!!

Hey Rosie and Sherrie..hang in there :)....we went from rain..to snow..to sleet..supposed to be rain later..then snow 12+ inches. The worse part is the freezing sleet happening now and the streets are all ice. My hubby had to work the rescue squad today in this mush and he may have to work tomorrow at the storm's height in it. When it gets bad, the ambulance can't get down the streets and patients have to get carried on the stretcher to the top of the street. This weather makes the firefighter/paramedic job XXX times worse in a big city. I feel for anyone who has to work outside under such bad conditions. Let's just say a prayer that it passes quickly out to sea with little damage and no lives lost.
Trish

I always worry about how the ambulances will get around. They showed a woman on the news that's one week over due and very worried. I would be too!

Tractor trailers have been banned from our highways and all schools are closed tomorrow per the Gov. The Gov has asked lots of places not to open. I hear the snowplow going by... they're sanding already. There is a plethora of snow equipment around here because of all the snow we get and the small and winding roads so it gets cleared up fairly quickly but when it snows for 2-3 days and there's no place to put the snow, that's a problem.

Latest in my area, 40" with 60 to 80 mph winds.

Big Red, Winter ain't over until May 30th.

Very similar weather to 78.


Byron

Dave, I'd settle for just an accumulation on the ground!Down my way, we never get any to speak of and I just love snow. I don't think I'd be thrilled about a blizzard but some "white stuff" every now and then would be nice. :)

I hope it's not too bad for all of you folks up North. Frank, if you're reading this, I hope you've got plenty of firewood chopped. Take care!

P2

Latest in my area

40" of snow with 60 to 80mph winds.

If I live thru this one I'll be lucky

Byron;

Hang in there neighbor! Just have to go through those seed catalogs one more time!

hang in there byron and rosie and big red and everyone. i hope you will be safe. you all have my admiration for being able to live in a place that could get so much snow. i once taled to a friend from minnesota and after he mentioned electric sock i realized i could never live there. you are braves souls, it brings me chills just to read your posts.
how do you get through those days? how do you get through the snow? what do you do to go outside. i have a northface down mountaineers jacket that gets use before snow even hits!! and how exactly does electric socks work?

quynh

Good grief, Byron!!! 60-80 mph winds??? That's hurricane force winds. Yikes!!!

P2

Not much of a problem here... not to sound mean or anything, but 20 or 30" of snow doesn't really bother us too much anymore. Too many lake effect snow events! Although I must say, 60-80 MPH winds would scare the beans outta me. Can't stand wind. We have about 8" at my little corner of the world, Kennedy. Supposed to get more tonight... wish it would go away!

Ya'll hang in on the coast!

It just started snowing here. They're predicting 1-2 feet for southern Maine. Just hafta grin & bare it ~ There's not much else we can do! I suppose I'd rather get it now than in April!

We're in about the same league as Nepthys - just a little further west. When the blow back from the east coast storm gets done with us, we're supposed to get into a "Lake event." Nothing closed here, we just keep grinding on through. A few years ago, a friend who lives on Long Island called and said they'd had 6" and everything was closed. We'd had 2' and everything was open. It's all in your perspective. Ony twice in 23 years on this farm that we've been completely cut off, and on one occasion, Stan was able to get his snowblower (4 footer on the pto of the 4wd tractor) out and open the road so a milk truck could get in. That was in April as I remember, on his birthday. He decided after that year that birthdays weren't necessarily all they are cracked up to be!

Kathleen

Thanks for the good wishes... :-D

It's been icing all morning here and it's now mixing with snow. More ice than was predicted, and honestly, I'd rather have the snow. The storm seems to be a bit slower moving than initially thought. I hope when the center gets here it picks up speed and heads out to the water.

I've always lived in New England and you really do get used to storms like this, in fact, sometimes look forward to the quiet of them. I see the trees swaying out there and the winds are starting to swirl the snow. Not nearly as bad, so far, as I thought it would be.

I remember going to visit our daughter at Ithaca College and I thought I would never live thru it. It was so damp, incredibly damp, I couldn't warm up until I left. I was so surprised to feel the difference in the dampness. You'd think damp is damp. I guess it's all what you get used to. If it weren't so icey I'd be out there x-contry skiing.

This message was edited Monday, Mar 5th 2:33 PM

Hang on you guys!
Winter should be winding up shortly. The only thing is...those last few punches!

By the way,my friend changed his flight to Orlando!
If the airports weren't all closed I'd have to call him chicken!

Not too bad here in central NH so far. Tonight on ABC news Peter Jennings called it the "Storm that isn't". We've only got about 3 inches so far but with more predicted for tonight and tomorrow. Maybe we'll be lucky and not get it as bad as predicted. How about you Bryon, much over your way yet?

Hey - I thought this storm was supposed to say south of us!! Now we're supposed to get the full blast. I hope the power doesn't go out ;))

I'm 10 minutes east of Philly -- we had a WHOPPING one inch!!!! And that included the half inch we got in 3 hours of snow yesterday!!! Hubby stayed home today..........schools let out early..........neighbor stayed home today...........what a loser storm! At least for us! My son had all kinds of plans for this one! Well, at least some work got done around here today with DH home!(No rest for the wicked, my mama used to say!) :-)

And Jake - I said EXACTLY the same thing - -I do think the weather people are in cahoots w/ the grocery/hardware stores. I mean, how many snowshovels can be bought in one season? Seems EVERYTIME we get an inch of snow here, the whole area is "sold out" of snowshovels, bread, milk......just what do they do with all this stuff??