hey folks - I havent posted in a while, but I've been lurking...suprised no one has called this one out, yet.

"6:00 AM THURSDAY 2.4.2010 A powerful low pressure system developing across the southwest United States is combining with a significant influx of tropical Pacific moisture enhanced by much above normal sea surface temperatures courtesy of a strong El Nino. This low pressure will tap additional moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, while moving slowly off the Carolina coast by Sunday morning. Latest computer model indications of 2.0 - 3.0 inches of liquid suggest this will be an historic and extremely heavy wet snowfall across the entire Northeast I-95 corridor from Virginia to southern New England. We urge citizens to heed public safety advisories from local and state authorities as well as the National Weather Service while preparing for this crippling event. "




"If computer model trends continue as they have in the past 24 hours, this storm has potential to eclipse December 19, 2009 ; February 15-18, 2003 ; January 6-8, 1996 ; March 11, 1993 ; February 11, 1983 ; December 1966, and could rival March 18-22, 1958. We are are not trying to be sophomoric for the sake of ratings. In this highly charged El-Nino pattern, with the 3-month Oceanic Nino Index (ONI) equal to January 2003, this weekend's storm may represent what February 2010 could deliver, and bear similarities to January 1994 along the eastern seaboard."

http://www.footsforecast.org/


could prove to be very, very bad. Batten down the hatches, folks.

I was busy doing the milk-eggs-tp emergency store run.

Seriously, I ran out of eggs and milk during this past Saturday's snow. So I went to the grocery at lunch yesterday (Wednesday). They were remarkably busy. The cashier said The Snow People were already on the march so they were calling extra cashiers to come in.

Peops were already planning their Super Bowl grocery runs for this weekend. With snow on top of the Super Bowl, imagine what the supermarkets are going to be like in the next 24 hours.

This is such a great winter for those of us in the mid-Atlantic who have felt snow-deprived the past several years. On that note, here are a couple pics from this past Saturday's snow:

Great pics Dagny! Looks like fun.

You all stay safe.

I find that weathermen tend to over-predict the snowfall.

The accuracy of forecasts in the DC area have improved significantly in the past twenty years. They seem to get our big storms right these days. We had a few days warning that the Blizzard of '93 (aka "Storm of the Century" and the "Snowicane") was going to hammer us, and boy did it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1993_Storm_of_the_Century

Forecasters did well in calling our Blizzard of '96, the big snow of 2003 (our last big one until recently) and this past December's blizzard.

Sometimes the 4-6" predicted snows don't pan out but that's always in the realm of possibility. These super big storms form down south and seem to just take aim. I don't recall one of them fizzling.

In any event, I'll be able to make omelettes. And the gas tank is topped off so if I go get stuck somewhere.... Well, I won't.

This just came over the emergency e-mail system here:

NJZ003>006-011-NYZ072>081-050415-
/O.NEW.KOKX.WS.A.0001.100205T2300Z-100206T2300Z/
BERGEN-EASTERN PASSAIC-ESSEX-HUDSON-UNION-NY (MANHATTAN)-
BRONX-RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-QUEENS-NASSAU-
NORTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-NORTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-SOUTHWESTERN SUFFOLK-
SOUTHEASTERN SUFFOLK-
303 PM EST THU FEB 4 2010

.WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRI EVENING THROUGH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN UPTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WATCH.WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRI EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON.

SNOW WILL LIKELY DEVELOP FROM WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE WATCH AREA
FRIDAY NIGHT.& CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY.BEFORE TAPERING OFF
LATE IN THE DAY. AT THIS TIME IT APPEARS THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL
FALL LATE FRI NIGHT & SAT MORNING.

THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR 4 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW TO FALL ACROSS
SOUTHERN PORTIONS OF THE TRI-STATE.WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN
LOCATIONS CLOSEST TO NY HARBOR & THE ATLANTIC.

THERE IS STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY ON THE EXACT TRACK OF
THE STORM. THE AREA IS ON THE N. PORTION OF THE PRECIPITATION
SHIELD.AS A RESULT.ANY CHANGE IN STORM TRACK LIKELY WILL
RESULT IN A LARGE CHANGE IN FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS. A TRACK FURTHER
NORTH THAN CURRENTLY EXPECTED.WOULD RESULT IN MORE SNOW.WHILE
A SHIFT TO FURTHER SO. COULD RESULT IN LITTLE OR NO SNOW FALLING
ACROSS THE WATCH AREA.

Beautiful pictures of your Sammy girl in the snow, she's a gorgeous girl. I have two Dobes who love the snow providing they have their jackets on!

Probably to avoid getting sued.

Dagny, it certainly is amazing how the usual bland photos of your area tend to stand out with Gidget in them! Lovely girl!

Stay warm, stay dry, check the dog food and treats supply.

Sue

I have been caught in all but one of the storms listed.

1958: We lost electricity for 5 days, we melted snow and cooked in our 1850's fireplace. National Guard flew supplies to our towm by helo.

1966: Christmas eve. The snow drifted over 6' high. We spent hours digging out, by hand, to go to Christmas mass, left the car in the middle of road while in church, virtually the only people there. Next morning we had to dig out all over again because of the drifting snow so my dad could go to work. We have pictures of my father-in-law clearing the drifts on his D4 Cat bulldozer.

1983: Was in LA when the storm hit, took me two days to get home. Schools were closed for 4 days.

1993: Was living in Paris and missed this one. Oh la la la (The French actually do say this!)

2003: My wife got the 5:00am call that school was cancelled (duh). She was on sabbatical that year...

The rest were inconvenient with no real problems. The most trouble I had was digging a path for the dog to get to his favorite tree. (20" snow vs 10" of dog)

But just in case this year I got a 5000watt generator.

Interestingly, almost all these storms hit on the weekend. Since 1900 77% of the major snow storms in the mid-Atlantic have occurred on the weekend.

And, yes, I am old.

Stay safe and warm.

NWS is calling for 20-28" in Central MD. Hatches battened, everything is ready. Heck, I'm even at work today. I hope my wife lets me go out and play in it tomorrow. My truck is enjoying the unusually snowy winter...

So very nice to live in the middle of the city when a big snow hits. Several corner markets within half a mile have the basics for those who don't want to brave parking lots at supermarkets. Walkable coffee shops, restaurants, delis and diners are cozy places to sit and watch the snow fall outside. Snowshoeing on the National Mall.

Neighborhood friends and I have already planned for group meals -- stew tomorrow, chili, a walk to the local barbeque place today. Who has what in case of power failure. When the dogs will get together for the Snow Bowl at a local schoolyard....

Sympathies and best wishes to those who for whatever reason feel they must be on the highways during the storm. Drive extra cautiously and prepare to be stuck in traffic jams or snow drifts for many, many hours.

To those of us hunkering down at home, who still have the benefit of electricity: enjoy!

You can bet a million bucks that I will be posting a lot of photos in the next 24 hours. Assuming I have electricity and Internet (which in all likelihood I will as it is very rare for to have outages in my zip code because the power lines are underground).

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/?hpid=topnews

Not just major but most likely historic snow is approaching. Please take this potentially dangerous storm seriously. Snow will start between mid-morning and mid-day, slowly lowering the temperature to around freezing. Mixed precipitation may accompany the light, beginning period of the storm. Slowly through the afternoon and early evening the snow will accumulate. But the bulk of the storm's fury will come after dark when snow rates over an inch per hour are likely. Snowfall intensity will diminish Saturday afternoon, slowly. But breezes will pickup, creating cold wind-chilled air. The impact of this storm will be felt for long after snow ceases by Saturday evening.

I wonder if it'll beat the Knickerbocker storm of '22? That one was pretty historic.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergang/2008/01/the_great_knickerbocker_snowst_1.html


Stay safe....

They just upped the forecast for DC to 20"-30"

The view out the windows is going to be a lot different Saturday morning than when we go to sleep tonight. The super heavy snowfall is supposed to occur overnight.

The news is showing video of supermarkets -- milk and meat all gone or nearly depleted. One manager of a Giant supermarket said his business is up ten times normal.

I don't think it's that people are panicked, though some clearly need groceries. Kids are going to be home for every meal for at least a few days, and no doubt snacking out of boredom. Gotta have bread for sandwiches. Adults want beer, can't risk running out of coffee, need the 1/2 & 1/2.

These storms also are an opportunity to cook some big meals - big breakfasts, comfort foods. I'm hankering for chili.

And the Super Bowl was already going to make groceries busier than usual.

This is an interesting drill on supermarkets staying stocked in the face of an onslaught of customers and a looming transportation problem.

Off to the barbeque joint now. Think I'll buy a little extra for tomorrow, and Sunday....

Somehow leftovers always taste better. Get extra for Gidget's doggy bag

I am the Technical Rescue Duty Officer for the weekend and just received this from our EMO:

A conference call just concluded with the National Weather Service:
The snowfall forecast is now up to between 20 and 30 inches, with 30+ inches possible in higher elevations. Between 10pm tonight and 4am the forecasters are expecting 20 to 30 mph winds with snowfall that could be 2 to 3 inches an hour creating blizzard conditions. The liquid equivalent for this storm forecast is 2 to 3 inches of rain, which puts it as comparable to the largest storms of record for both Baltimore (President’s Day 2003) and Washington (Knickerbocker storm 1922).
Frederick County snow emergency plan went into effect at 9am, concurrent with Governor O’Malley’s declaration of a State of Emergency (attached). State and County highway staff have been pre-treating roadways since earlier this morning in preparation for the storm.
As a reminder for those organization who will be active during this emergency to track your costs carefully, as it is likely that there will be a disaster assistance request submitted by the Governor to FEMA. The last graphic on the email shows the “storms of record” for Baltimore and Washington. Forecasters are advising that the amount of precipitation could easily approach/break the record established by the “Knickerbocker storm” in 1922/President’s Day storm of 2003.
Additional status reports will be provided periodically throughout the storm. The next NWS conference call is at 6pm tonight.

Pete

To Pete and all the other folks who have to go out in such dangerous conditions please be careful and stay safe. Everybody else should stay the heck home if at all possible.

The Feds are letting their folks in DC go home early. My folks are also getting kicked out of the office now.

Looks like a good weekend to sit home and watch my newly arrived box set of Farscape DVD's. I'm such a nerd...

Latest from National Weather Service:

LOOKING BACK AT THE BIGGEST STORM OF RECORD FOR WASHINGTON DC... THE JANUARY 1922 KNICKERBOCKER STORM...28.0 INCHES OF SNOW WAS
PRODUCED FROM 3.02 INCHES OF LIQUID WATER.

CURRENT FORECASTS FOR THIS EVENT HAVE TOTAL LIQUID FALLING FROM THIS STORM APPROACHING 3 INCHES...WHICH ACCORDINGLY WOULD CREATE A SNOWFALL THAT WILL RIVAL THE KNICKERBOCKER STORM TOTAL. GENERALLY ACROSS THE REGION...20 TO 30 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL BY SATURDAY EVENING.

Do take plenty of pictures! It sounds like this storm will be great story telling material for years to come. I wish I had taken a LOT more pictures of our ice storm a couple of years ago. Take care of yourself.


(Off to shop for a pocketable camera that I might actually keep with me instead of wishing I had my SLR.)

I really love Texas. You don't need to shovel sunshine and heavy rains just flow away...
-Blast, who was there for the blizzard of '93

Of course the rain likes to take chunks of the hill country north of San Antonio with it.

All we are getting here is rain changing to light snow overnight. All in harm's way be safe ... and be prepared.

Ummm...

4" to 9" is hardly an "emergency"

I want more pics! :-)

-john

Snowfights of the 21st century:


http://voices.washingtonpost.com/local-breaking-news/snowball-fights-planned-no-gun.html

Snowball fights planned; no guns allowed

Reports are coming in from throughout the region of a slew of snowball fights planned during the snowpocalypse. But everyone is emphasizing the gun-free nature of the fights after an incident in December in which a D.C. police officer pulled a gun on a group having a snowball fight at 14th and U streets NW.

For those who want to join in the great snowball fights of 2010, there's one advertised on Facebook for Saturday afternoon on the Ellipse; another on the Mall; and one in Fort Dupont Park. NBC4 also has a roundup of events.

I am curious... leaving the people who do provide necessary services out of the equation... Who thinks they're so indispensable that they are going to work with this storm on the way?

Here in WA (correct or not), the news today is flat out saying there's going to be at least 30" of snow. I guess one part of it is that the storm is moving so slowly, that the back of it is still in Missouri.

If you can't touch your little finger with your thumb, you're getting too cold.

Sue

I was wondering why we hadn't heard from Dagny or seen more great pics of Gidget and then I saw that 200,000+ without power in DC metro.... Watch the video in the link.

Meanwhile, we got a little rain in San Diego. . .

over 400 interesting snow photos from the storm...

Not quite Dagny's but hope they show what kind of a snowstorm we had here in southeastern PA.









Tomorrow is dig the car out and get the snow off the flat roofs day.

Hey, Andy, if you left that little guy out for more than five minutes with that short coat, he would be a popsicle!

If it gets any deeper, he's going to have to start tunneling!

Sue

This was a magnificent storm! Started snowing mid-morning Friday, picked up the pace during the evening, cranked up more around 10:00p and it was relentless for the next 18 hours.

What was shocking about this storm is not just the depth of the snow but the moisture content. From the get-go, this stuff was super-glue, sticking to the sides of bollards, cars, every twig, clogged chain link fences. Stunningly beautiful. Sympathies to those whose power it has knocked out.

God help you if you needed to (or still need to) drive anywhere, or Metro above ground.

I haven't posted photos until now because I have hardly been in the house. Snowshoed five miles today, took Gidget to her "Snow Bowl" puppy playdate, had a neighborhood potluck to attend and just hung out in the 'hood for hours with all kinds of peops. Pedestrians have ruled the roads -- big roads and side streets -- for the past 30 hours or so. Hasn't been this quiet since 9/11 shut down the airports and trains.

Here are the first of a variety of photos, from mid-storm until after the last snowflake fell. All taken today, from sunrise to after sunset.

Below is Massachuseetts Avenue, a major cross-town 4-lane thoroughfare.

Around the Capitol.

More....

U.S. Supreme Court.

Residential.

The guy below was gunning it to keep moving. Doubtful he got much further. Few ventured out in vehicles, many of those who did got stuck. Two snowplows got stuck in my neighborhood. A home in Virginia burned down last night as the fire trucks got stuck trying to get there. Temps tonight are down to 12 degrees in the 'burbs. Scary to need 911 tonight.

The Capitol Police are not enforcing the rule against sledding this year. What a fun gathering, peops of all ages sledding, snowboarding, skiing. Not much of a hill but beats sitting at home.

The storm ended with a nice sunset.

Gidget likes sticks but they were buried under snow. So she dismembered any snowman she could get to. This one she also decapitated because I'm not nimble on snowshoes.

Sue,

After I dug a path to his favorite tree in the backyard he decided to go after a squirrel and disappeared under the snow. He dug himself out and came back into the house muttering 'no mas, no mas'

Wind chill here now is 0 degrees with more snow in the forecast for Tues/Wed. He doesn't seem to mind the cold for our 30 minute walks but he's no Gidget playing in the snow for hours.

You have shown me hell: Washington + snow!


-Blast, who couldn't do that any more.

Wow, wonderful shots. Loved the sunset.

*sniff sniff*

Not fair, guys. You get all that wonderful white gold. Here in Vermont, our January thaw brought us rain, we lost it all. I've got bare LAWN beside my apartment.

Flatlanders get everything, we just get boned.

Great pictures of Gidget in the snow. Her expression looks like she loves it and she is so naturally prepared! We had record snow here in the puget sound area last winter and my two Dobes loved to play in it but for a very short time and then only when dressed in warm jackets.

Fascinating looking at those car less streets that normally have traffic everywhere.

Anyhow, thanks for sharing the pictures.

Brilliant blue skies today -- spectacular! Pedestrians still ruled the road. A few more cars ventured out but even 4x4s are still having trouble if they don't have decent tread.

A friend and I trekked around for five hours. You'd think this was Mayberry the past couple of days. So much friendliness.

Another snowstorm is coming through Tuesday. Forecasts are 4-8."

Some inspired substitutes for gaiters, and some First Amendment expressions in the snow:

It figures that within a month of moving from the D.C. area to the Blue Ridge Highlands in the mountains of Virginia I get less snow. I really like snow.

Lovely photos, Dagny! Just great!

I made a snowman last winter (18" of the dreaded white stuff). Rocks for eyes and smile, carrot nose, stick arms. Then his nose disappeared. La Doglet was crunching it on the back deck.

I'm curious, how is the crime there doing at this time? Less?

Sue

Thanks, Sue. It's a photographer's mecca just now.

As for crime... well, I haven't been mugged lately. But I haven't done my taxes yet.

The big scare in our zip code lately is a rash of carjackings and muggings targeting mothers with infants and toddlers.

We're hoping they target a pistol-packing NRA member mother.

Or perhaps the police might catch the perps. Evidently this is gang-related.

Gidget's been dismembering as many snowmen as she can get to. She likes sticks so their arms are irresistable.

She also decapitated this one. I wasn't nimble enough in my snowshoes to stop her.

This snowman was on federal property, so the Gidg is now a fugitive. Mandatory minimums....

well, we survived it. no reports of mass panic or wide-reaching power outages...roads are crap and shoveling is a lesson in perseverance to say the least. (builds character!)

i made an igloo and slept in it for a few hours.
3 tealights, a foam mat, a thermos of coffee and a 0 degree bag made it a suprisingly pleasant experience. i kept waking up though, feeling claustrophobic because of all the layers and the mummy bag...but man, was i cozy! ive no doubt i could pull off a snow shelter and survive in it, should i have to...


unfortunately, another beast is knocking at the gate. the storm slotted to hit us sometime tomorrow evening has the potential for 20"+ snow and blizzard-like wind gusts. word is that it is neigh-impossible to effectively navigate Baltimore City, as they've plowed streets in @the cross-streets and are trucking out the snow at their leisure. i believe DC is in a similar situation, with above-ground Metro being all but stopped.

as far as emergencies go, this could paralyze the baltimore/dc metro areas, as there is already 20-some-odd-inches of snowpack on the ground already...there is nowhere to put the incoming stuff.

nevermind the fact that roofs collapsing, trees falling, water mains breaking, roads impassable and power outages are almost guaranteed - this could prove to be a very real issue and test the limits of people's endurance and civility.

ugh.


...then it melts, and it floods.

All my neighbors have one question when they start digging their cars out (street-parked): "Where do I put the snow?"

The sidewalk they've been shoveling for the past three days?

Or the street, where you'll end up playing ping-pong with the plows?

I've no plans to move my car so it will be dug out, eventually, by the sun. Sometime in March, perhaps....


:-)

Make sure there's a channel for the snow melt to make good its escape.

A neighbor already took care of that.

So many people are bored they're thinking of shoveling the street.

Gidget and I are resting between treks and Dogapoloozas at the park.

Great pictures! Thanks!

-john

Dagny..great photos!!!..the ones we see on TV here could be taken anyplace but yours really gives us/me an idea of the East is like right now...the TV stuff is trucks spinning their wheels,car being pushed out of snow banks that could in Denver.

You're welcome and thanks for the compliments. This storm has been a photographer's dream - and round two starts any moment now. Widely divergent accumulation forecasts for this next bout (which will go into tomorrow - Wednesday).

Gidget will tell you it's all about The Snow Bowl:

I think most married men can relate to the last pic.

LOL! Here are a few more to caption.

and the end of that series.... These pups are having a blast every day!

great pics everyone. And as for all the snow, HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!

With more bad weather on the way, everyone stay safe and warm.

Great shots, Dagny!

Talk about Gidget being in her element!

Sue

Don't know if you saw this story in the Post but it raises similar questions.

Also,

I SURRENDER!

Here in lovely Chester County PA we've already gotten 10-12" of snow at 14:00 Wednesday and they expect it to keep snowing until midnight. My dog's snow trench is now 4 feet high. Enough already!

You could sew bags into your trousers so that you could sneak the snow past the guards. Then via a clever string system you could open the bottom of the pockets and release the snow down your pant leg where you could mix it with the rest of the snow in the yard. LOL

I know NOTH-ing, I seeeee NOTH-ing... NOTH-ING!

You shovel the snow into the trunk of your car, slip and slide to the nearest river, and dump it in.

* * *

You make little holes in your pockets and operate the strings while you're walking casually (and whistling) across your neighbor's yard with your hands in your pockets. If you have a really nasty neighbor, have everyone empty their socks in his yard and bury his house.

* * *

Andy, if you have a woodshed with a dirt floor, take him in there. Pick up solids in a plastic bag, scatter some sawdust over the liquid deposits. It works fine for dachshunds.

Sue

I'd be interested to read a more in-depth report on the grocery situation this past week, but this is instructive. Psychology, actual need and a fragile distribution network.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/11/AR2010021101944.html?hpid=artslot

Washingtonians huddled against two monumental back-to-back snowstorms have been buying groceries in near-hoarding quantities over the past week. They've been quick to post online photos of empty grocery shelves and trade the latest intelligence on which stores are stocked and which have nary a green vegetable in sight.

A reader reported being greeted at a Safeway in Burke by a cart wrangler who offered a wry [i]"Good luck finding food."

Store after store was sold out of flour and baking supplies. "I guess everyone is baking," surmised Maria Rodriguez-Carreno after reporting no flour left Tuesday at a Giant in Rockville.

If there's one lesson grocers have learned from past storms it's this: Shoppers will buy everything in sight the day before a storm. They want bread, eggs, rock salt, snow shovels. They want gourmet Gruyere cheese to melt over the French onion soup they're going to make for the first time in a decade. They want frozen pizza, toilet paper, flashlights and loads of those big honking D-cell batteries to fuel them. That was last Thursday. And again Tuesday.

The second lesson in the grocery business is this: Most shoppers hibernate during the worst of the storm. Then, once they begin to dig out, comes the second rush when shelves are again picked clean. That was last Sunday. Now, grocers are bracing for a brisk day Thursday and into the weekend as even more snow is predicted for Monday.



[/i]

What would happen with all those people if a major EMP incident took place next week?

It boggles the mind, doesn't it?

Sue

Yes, it does.

And we're out of milk.

Contrary to the article, a neighbor went to the grocery this afternoon and said it was not busy and was very well stocked (with lots of employees stocking the shelves while he was there).

Retailers are pretty good at this sort of thing now, especially with modern computer sales & inventory modeling. They know what happened the last time there was a major snowstorm, and this time there was plenty of time due to weather forecasting to prepare. Any large retailer that ran dry has a problem somewhere in inventory management or demand forecasting.

Well, regardless, I don't think people realize that a supermarket full of food depends on a well oiled distribution network. Once disrupted, there really isn't much food there compared to the population it serves.

Just-in-time distribution cuts both ways.

-john

Saw on the news this morning that Washington DC (IIRC) has had 55 inches of snow dumped on it, with more on the way.

Bless your heart Dagny. Hope you and Gidget are having a good time with all that snow. Of course I know the answer to that rhetorical question. The pics speak for themselves.

"Any large retailer that ran dry has a problem somewhere in inventory management or demand forecasting."

That's only two legs of a three-legged problem. The third leg is delivery. If the trucks can't get through, you still have a problem.

Sue

Sorry no pictures-

Well it has been an interesting week-plus around here. Things are beginning to return to normal, although the schools are still closed. Ft. Detrick was closed all of last week except for essential staff (mostly the Facilities Maintenance, Security and Animal Care staff), which allowed me to stay at the fire station for 3 days.

We received 59 inches between the two storms, which paralyzed the area for the better part of the week. They are still plowing some of the roadways in some of the more remote areas. Many were still stuck in their homes through the weekend.

Tuesday night through Wednesday night was the roughest with blizzard condition for most of the time. I cannot list the number of truly stupid individuals who thought it would be fun to ride around; most of who ended up stuck and had to be rescued. Dozens of individuals who for one reason or another had semi-legitimate reasons to be on the roads compounded by the idiots resulted in close to a hundred rescues of stranded motorists, many ended up spending the night and part of the next day in their vehicles. Even large equipment like plows and tow trucks were getting stuck. One of the fire crews in a 4-wheel drive utility who were trying to get to stranded motorists ended up stuck in the snow for 5 hours.

We had at least 1 barn and several buildings collapse, fortunately with no entrapment; our team did not need to provide any shoring or collapse rescues. We had one rescue (in Frederick) via helicopter, which was quite interesting.

MSP Helicopter Rescues

Pete

Update:

The schools finally opened with a 2-hour delay. There was some major drifting of snow over several roads today severely reducing travel until they were re-plowed. Plow crews are finally making headway in some of the developments and some roads are being widened to make travel easier. Snow in the downtown area is being hauled to large parking lots located in some of the parks. Trash pickup has resumed after being down for close to two weeks.

Pete

Down here in the Carolinas we did get some snow/ice. Mainly melted the next day where I am at.

But I am truly amazed at the stupidity of the natives. They tie a rope to a car/truck/4 wheeler/ATV and using improvised materials, go for a sleigh ride. On city streets. Unplowed, but icy messes as traffic has been using them. Improvised = car hoods, cardboard boxes, inner tubes. And then these mental midgets wonder why they get hurt. One lady is dead. Heads and electrical poles/traffic signs don't mix well.

Oh well, Darwin at work.

JBMat, those folks who sled, ski, snowboard, etc behind moving vehicles are job security for us Public Safety personnel. That combined with the idiots who have but don't know how to use four wheel drive and the rest of the knotheads who drive on the Interstate and secondary highways like they would on a warm sunny summer afternoon. Snow in the south is fun, sleet and freezing rain just add to the excitement and the stupidity.

Hey, we need organ donors.

-john

Most of the people in W. WA can't seem to drive in the rain, much less on snow or ice, and most of them have lived here all their lives. Go figure!

Sue

Delivery happens before the storm, and/or deliveries as soon as possible afterward.

Snowstorms have happened before and it's possible to model every aspect of the problem and work out solutions. There is an entire industry of guys like Doug who consult with supply chain managers on "Equipped to Keep Your Job in the event of ___". As one executive put it in our company 20 years ago in a different context "there are no surprises, just things for which you have no plan".

(when Wal-Mart shows up the day after hurricane landfall with a truck convoy of portable generators it's not because someone had a sudden brainstorm - there are contingency plans drawn up months & years before,set in motion many days ahead of time covering the generators, trucks, escort, permission to enter the aftermath area, etc. And if those generators don't get there the day after, someone probably gets to "explain" to the CEO why not)

In this case the two storms were so close that many businesses may have opted to run out of perishables rather than have the risk & expensive of trying to get stuff delivered between storms.

This is just a variation of the supply problem hospitals go through, except that a store can afford to run out off something if the cost of supply or storage is too great.

Sad part is John most of those idiots won't end up as organ donors (they didn't sign the back of their license or the family won't agree to it after the fact).

Pete DS had his first day of school today after nearly two weeks of being out. I can't even remember when he had his last school day it's been so long. Sad part is we have not had nearly as much snow. Just timing of the snowfalls. Just when they get side roads cleared off from one here comes another snowfall/storm. Another is expected to come after this weekend. I don' think DS has had three full weeks of school since Christmas break. When will it end?

P.S. I've been giving happy dollars at Kiwanis because all the snow reminds me of home. Cheers.