how are you guys coping with snow storm in midwest? I heard it was pretty bad according to the news.

We had a little bit of snow here, I think they said 20". Was kind of annoying, people decide that traffic laws don't exist and will drive down the street in between two lanes or pull out from a side street in front of you or run red lights or stop signs because they are afraid of stopping.
The bob evans we stopped at Sat morning had to print up a "blizzard menu" because they wer short staffed.

Unexpected adverse weather seems to inpsire a lot more "combat driving". I miss my 77 suburban. 3 tons of steel built like a box car with a 406 running glass packs and headers and all time 4wd, worth all of about $1,500. Not too many that willingly got in my way driving that bastard.

When I get back to Denver someday, I am getting an F-550 and putting a wrap around pusher bumper on the front and back, or something like that. To heck with the mileage, I want something that will survive the idiots and a-holes a bit more. Or maybe I'll just grab one of those Army surplus rigs.

I am becoming Burt Gummer more and more these days.

I agree about the comment about those that think traffic laws are not applicable when it snows. Since I can't change the way everyone else drives, I just stay home till it melts. Nothing I need to go out and get. Everyone else seems to need to buy all the bread, milk & TP in the store. Don't you already have that stuff at home?

We got 12"+ (of snow) and normally < 2" makes everyone here panic. Although I was surprised to see how many neighbours that had snowblowers. My trusty plastic shovel and metal lawn edger did me just fine!

Gonna have to look for a 77 Suburban for combat driving restoration project!

It was interesting hereabouts. We had a 2-day ice storm followed by a lull for one day and then a 2-day blizzard.

We lost power for 48 hours at our place, the average was 72, some people are just now getting it back (6 days). It's a small town with neighbors that will help each other, and the Red Cross and similar groups set up "warming shelters" for those who just had no place to go, so there were thankfully no deaths.

We kept warm at home with a fire in the fireplace and a propane camping stove to heat food and drinks. We were fine, but I give myself only a "C+" for preparedness, because I had barely enough fire wood for 2-3 days and I had failed to follow through on plans to buy a generator that would have allowed the heating system circulating pump and burner to keep working. Plus, I realize I have yet to figure out a way to by-pass the "smart" feature on my gas stove that won't allow any gas to the burners when there's no power. We were fine in the food and water department, emergency lighting was well-covered, and we had plenty of warm clothes and blankets. Still, I hope to improve on that C+.

We were repainting my son's room and ran out of paint so while we didn't need to go out, we wanted to to get another can of paint, the stuff thats supposed to cover in one coat doesn't. We usually go to breakfast Sat mornings anyway and when your two year old wakes up and runs to the closet and pulls out his boots its hard to say no.
I have a full size truck so while its not quite the take that a 77 suburban is (I took my drivers test in a 79 Blazer) it will still do just fine against someone else hitting us.
We tend to go to the store every weekend anyway with a two year old drinking a gallon of milk a week and a 5 month old going through too many to count baby food jars a cart load of groceries doesn't last much longer than a week.
When we went in to lowes for paint, someone was pulled up in front loading up the last of their salt and someone else bought the last shovel. The only snow blowers left were $150 electric ones. I wondered if my inverter would power one, I could strap it to the front bumper of the the truck

I'm not in the midwest but I'll post anyway. Here there is so much snow accumulated that some roofs are collapsing from the weight of the snow: http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/345354 and snow banks are so high that children climbing them can easily reach electric wires.

I myself am a city dweller and don't even have to shovel because the owner of the building does everything. And I don't have a car and don't have to deal with spinning wheels and stuck vehicle. But as a pedestrian I used to get away with wearing hiking shoes during the winter but this year I always end up with snow getting in my ankles and wetting my socks so I will get myself a pair of Canadian combat boots that are just high enough. I see people wearing cumbersome ski-doo boots around town sometimes and that makes me cringe knowing that a pound on the feet is like 5 pounds in the pack and I would quickly oversweat in them.

But I cope with this never ending winter by going shopping for summer gear and preparedness like fli-flops, bug nets, sunscreen, straw hats and boonies, etc. while everybody is rushing on snow shovels and stuff like that.

Frankie

So cal: 72 degrees no clouds in site, birds chirping no rain, plants blooming. Oh wait your asking how the ppl with all the snow are doing, im sorry!! But really I could swear its spring here
@ my friend has one of these: http://www.offroaders.com/readers/images2/Pinzguer/Pinzgauer6-l.jpg I get to ride in it occasionally, totally fun especially of roading!!