Snow is supposed to start mid-day here on Long Island. We've moved up a proposed family gathering in Manhattan from the evening to much earlier in the day so as to avoid having to get home in snow and dark. If it looks bad as it gets closer, we may cancel alltogether. Weather Service has already issued a Blizzard Watch, but the notice states that it may be a false alarm depending on the storm track.

We always have plenty of food in the house. I'll go on a run for milk for the kids and to fill both cars with gas later today.

My biggest concern here is lack of power. No electricity and my house gets cold pretty quick. We've got good sleeping bags for the whole family, but we'd likely be using them at the firehouse where there is generator power.

Yeah, you hardly get any snow in Minnesota

Forecasts here call for 4" to 8" with possibles up to 12" at higher elevations. Preparation check list:
wood for the fireplace (in case electric goes off) - check
warm snuggly blankets - check
extra food and water on hand - check (after this evening, hope there is still some left on shelves )
survival kits in vehicles - check
snow shovel - no check, but I am pretty sure I know where it is hiding at and will have it out by tomorrow morning
ice melt for steps - check
popcorn and plenty of movies - check (as long as electric stays on )
Plenty of warm clothing for playing in snow - check
Am I missing anything? We don't plan on going anywhere this weekend, we live on a main road that gets cleared quickly anyway hence no snow shovel in the cars but have CS shovel to throw in if needed)?

Haven't had a forecast here for snow like this in years. Hope I still remember how to shovel snow

Hope I can hold off DW and Brother-In-Law as DWs employee Christmas party is tonight, she really wants to go and BIL is blowing off the forecast as another conspiracy implemented by the bread-milk-egg industry to increase sales and the media to increase ratings. I believe the fact that DS was going to spend the night with BIL tonight may have something to do with that as well but I for one am not willing to take that kind of chance. Of course DS can still stay the night with BIL tonight if DS wants to.

Pete, I would talk DD into delaying the trip if at all possible. Hope they arrive safely if they don't.

Just back from REI, which was mobbed when it opened.

Decided not to go anywhere near a grocery.

It is a difrent type of snow here and there is the ocean affect on the snow.

We get sknow but not like a good NE Blizzard. Then again the NE hasn't seen a good Blizard for a while either.

Don't mind me Ty, just another failed attempt at sarcasm.

Edit: no offense intended, hope none taken.

Good call Dagny. Don't want to get too close to those getting their "French Toast Diet." (aka, milk, eggs, bread)



Kudos to whoever first posted that, I thought it was hilarious.

A friend's report from the frontline -- Washington area grocery stores, some of which were reportedly jammed at 6:00a:

"...jammed packed, rude people rushing and pushy. But the real hoot was Balducci's -- went there for seafood. ONLY IN WASHINGTON could you catch this scene. Zero parking spaces in the ENTIRE lot and that lot is HUGE. I parked across the street. NO CARTS! It was a mob scene."

Do people really not have enough food to go a couple days or a week w/o grocery shopping? That is pretty wild. We grocery shop once a week or so, but that is just to keep fresh things in the house. If we were "snowed in" which I really can't imagine happening in this storm, I think we could easily go a week with just the canned and frozen foods we have. Sure, black beans would get old after a while, but they'd get the job done. Mmm, now I want baked beans...

Where I grew up and my folks still live they may get 10 inches, that'd be pretty neat. I wish I could go hang out down there and do some duck hunting instead of spending the day in the library watching the snow fall!

They are only predicting a max of 6" in my area tomorrow night. Nothing spectacular. This frigid cold though...not my favorite!!