Bear Down Wildcats

One of the biggest meteorological fails in memory for me

Meanwhile Austin is getting all the rain. 6+ inches of rain since yesterday afternoon and major flooding, people missing.

Not that I wanted Tucson under water, but when my co-workers were all worried Tuesday, I had to remind them where we lived

I'm glad it was an amazing failure in the direction of nothing ended up happening (as opposed to the other way around), but wow super fail.

I'm used to the weather super-fails living in the mid-atlantic. I remember one time middle school was canceled the night before because a blizzard was supposed to roll thru....all it did was mildly rain. Cool we got off school but it was just like a dreary mid-fall rainy day and everybody stayed inside, nothing even close to snow let alone a blizzard.

pokinmik wrote:I'm used to the weather super-fails living in the mid-atlantic. I remember one time middle school was canceled the night before because a blizzard was supposed to roll thru....all it did was mildly rain. Cool we got off school but it was just like a dreary mid-fall rainy day and everybody stayed inside, nothing even close to snow let alone a blizzard.

I remember in middle school the opposite happened. Meteorologists were predicting flurries maybe up to a 1/2 inch of snow and when we woke up there was a foot on the ground and it was still coming down. Something about an Alberta Clipper system coming in at a pretty good clip but them stalling out right over the top of us when an unexpected Bermuda High came up the Atlantic seaboard. Never seen so many red-faced weathermen trying to explain why they got it so wrong.

Sandbagged ...

pokinmik wrote:I'm used to the weather super-fails living in the mid-atlantic. I remember one time middle school was canceled the night before because a blizzard was supposed to roll thru....all it did was mildly rain. Cool we got off school but it was just like a dreary mid-fall rainy day and everybody stayed inside, nothing even close to snow let alone a blizzard.

Also a fan of weather reports.

Chicat wrote:

pokinmik wrote:I'm used to the weather super-fails living in the mid-atlantic. I remember one time middle school was canceled the night before because a blizzard was supposed to roll thru....all it did was mildly rain. Cool we got off school but it was just like a dreary mid-fall rainy day and everybody stayed inside, nothing even close to snow let alone a blizzard.

I remember in middle school the opposite happened. Meteorologists were predicting flurries maybe up to a 1/2 inch of snow and when we woke up there was a foot on the ground and it was still coming down. Something about an Alberta Clipper system coming in at a pretty good clip but them stalling out right over the top of us when an unexpected Bermuda High came up the Atlantic seaboard. Never seen so many red-faced weathermen trying to explain why they got it so wrong.

My first fall after moving to Chicago, one day the internet was reporting snow flurries for the next day. Being from Arizona and southern California and not knowing what flurries are, I went into a panic. It sounded like furies, the mythical deities that chase you to the ends of the earth in vengeance for your misdeeds. And when people say something like "a flurry of protesters" they don't mean a light, small amount of protesters politely whispering their discontent. They mean thousands protesters jumping over the railing, pushing over service vehicles, and being washed into the sewer with fire hoses. So I thought we were in for it. Not wishing to endanger myself and others, I cancelled my classes and sent out a mass email to all of my students, admonishing them to stock up on supplies, and stay indoors with a battery-charged radio until the barrage is definitively over. Our departmental secretary had to call me and intervene.

Our first after our first "snow" in North Carolina this Arizona born-california living the past 10 years guy went and got sand, sanded my driveway and porch, and put chains on the car.

My neighbors though was nuts. "so you want a beach in feburary right?!"

It socked us in (same day as the snowmagedon in Atlanta), and the sand did shit. Just made a muddy mess and screwed up the concrete even more till about may when it all finally washed away in summer storms.

This Southwest dude moved to the Northwest. First autumn, I'm out with the rake as first leaves fall.

Neighbor: "You know they're just going to keep falling, right?"

After that, I let then pile up. Kids liked playing in them anyway.

Initially, I was overaggressive with the snow shovel, too. I was determined the clear the driveway, scraping down to the cement. Now I just clear paths and move on.

What is the grass mowing thing you guys speak of in the Venting Thread? Is that the stuff Amy Miller likes?

I know about snow. We get between 1"- 4" PER YEAR out here in Vail.

gumby wrote: Initially, I was overaggressive with the snow shovel, too. I was determined the clear the driveway, scraping down to the cement. Now I just clear paths and move on.

Same here. I regarded the task of scraping down to the pavement as taking pride in my work. A job well-completed.

"You just have to get it flat," the neighbor said.

"It was already flat before I started," I objected. "Just 8 inches higher than it is now."

I'm still a maniac about scraping my driveway of snow all the way down to the concrete.

The biggest reason being that the longer it takes me out there, the more time to myself I get. I don't care if I'm freezing my balls off, at least I'm not watching Frozen or Go! Diego Go!

Chicat wrote:I'm still a maniac about scraping my driveway of snow all the way down to the concrete.

The biggest reason being that the longer it takes me out there, the more time to myself I get. I don't care if I'm freezing my balls off, at least I'm not watching Frozen or Go! Diego Go!

The neighbors across the way have a snow blower, and I'm terrified they'll offer. Shoveling snow is its own particular kind of solitude. There's a level of quiet created by the environment and the cold. It's one of the most peaceful things I do, and it's the best possible excuse not to do anything else involving anyone. And when I come back into the house, I enjoy that bit of whiskey to take off the chill, and I have this completely justified bearing that says, "Leave me alone. The credit I've earned for that task is unfathomable. The living room is mine. Shut up while I watch the game."

Longhorned wrote:

Chicat wrote:I'm still a maniac about scraping my driveway of snow all the way down to the concrete.

The biggest reason being that the longer it takes me out there, the more time to myself I get. I don't care if I'm freezing my balls off, at least I'm not watching Frozen or Go! Diego Go!

The neighbors across the way have a snow blower, and I'm terrified they'll offer. Shoveling snow is its own particular kind of solitude. There's a level of quiet created by the environment and the cold. It's one of the most peaceful things I do, and it's the best possible excuse not to do anything else involving anyone. And when I come back into the house, I enjoy that bit of whiskey to take off the chill, and I have this completely justified bearing that says, "Leave me alone. The credit I've earned for that task is unfathomable. The living room is mine. Shut up while I watch the game."

You've hit the nail on the head. But I do use a snowblower. Three car driveway on a hill. Plus I live in the Lake Effect Snow Belt. The only people around here without snowblowers are masochists.

The best is a big snow event. My snowblower is medium sized, which means for anything over 8 inches, I better tackle it about halfway through the storm so that we're not buried. I watch the weather reports, try to take note of how quickly its stacking up, look for radar echoes showing more intense or less intense bands of precipitation, and finally check the television schedule. Usually I can time it just right where I can say at the end of a game and before the start of another, "Honey, it's really starting to pile up out there. I better get out the blower and get ahead of this storm"... and that's the prelude to about an hour of solitude.

I take my time, for sure. Lining up the tracks just right so that it's even rows of snow removal. Gotta test the wind too so you know which side to start on. That way it's not blowing back in your face. Half way through drink a beer or smoke a bowl. Finish up. Crack another beer. Bust out the shovel to clean off the sidewalk and front stoop. Admire my handy-work. Then I get back in side, huffing and puffing, shaking the snow out of my hair and the icicles out of my beard. Femcat will say, "You poor thing, you must be freezing! Get out of those wet clothes and go sit on the couch. You want a beer?" Grab the remote and I'm king of the goddamn castle for a bit...

Jim Cantore should come to town more often.

Sucks for the people in Austin though.

Chicat wrote:The only people around here without snowblowers are masochists.

Or those with kids. I grew up in south central Michigan, and even back in the 1960s they had snowblowers. Pretty much looked and worked the same they do now.

Tried to get my dad to buy a snowblower. He said: "Why should I, I have 3 sons?". So every time it snowed overnight my mom would wake us up and have us shovel the driveway so my dad could go to work.

But in truth, it wasn't all that bad since there was 3 of us and it went quick.

Merkin wrote:

Chicat wrote:The only people around here without snowblowers are masochists.

Or those with kids. I grew up in south central Michigan, and even back in the 1960s they had snowblowers. Pretty much looked and worked the same they do now.

Tried to get my dad to buy a snowblower. He said: "Why should I, I have 3 sons?". So every time it snowed overnight my mom would wake us up and have us shovel the driveway so my dad could go to work.

But in truth, it wasn't all that bad since there was 3 of us and it went quick.

Since my boys are 4 and 2, it'll be a few years before I can get them out there.

Not sure though if I'll be ready by then to give up my me time...

Longhorned wrote:Shoveling snow is its own particular kind of solitude. There's a level of quiet created by the environment and the cold. It's one of the most peaceful things I do...

I feel this way about mowing my lawn. I use a very small, hand push mower with no basket to catch the clippings. Just old school circular blade to do the entire yard (which granted isn't like an acre or anything but still...)

It's one of my favorite things to do.

I don't dig the cold. Hence me preferring AZ & Vegas...f you cold.

Should I spend $400+ on a snow blower for a 30-foot long, single-car width driveway leading to my single-car garage? I admit that it's pretty hard work when the snow is deep, but it's not entirely un-doable, and it's the only exercise I can get when it's snowing because I can't ride my bike.

Chicat wrote:I'm still a maniac about scraping my driveway of snow all the way down to the concrete.

The biggest reason being that the longer it takes me out there, the more time to myself I get. I don't care if I'm freezing my balls off, at least I'm not watching Frozen or Go! Diego Go!

We have a legendary guy in our hood. He obsessively cleans the sidewalk and gutter in front of his home. Hands and knees, surgically scraping out any would-be weeds with a knife. Then sweeps and sweeps and sweeps.

We suspect it's his alone time from the fam.

When the snow is particularly deep, one of the neighbors invariably comes by with a snowblower. Good peeps in my hood.

I have no idea what a snow blower is, but I've got a nice caliche bar.

Longhorned wrote:Should I spend $400+ on a snow blower for a 30-foot long, single-car width driveway leading to my single-car garage? I admit that it's pretty hard work when the snow is deep, but it's not entirely un-doable, and it's the only exercise I can get when it's snowing because I can't ride my bike.

I spent $100 on mine . . . and no. You don't need one. My driveway is about 120' long, 100' wide, with a 10% incline. If I didn't have a snowblower, "me time" would include regular trips to the ER for heart attack/stroke symptoms.

Chicat wrote: I spent $100 on mine . . . and no. You don't need one. My driveway is about 120' long, 100' wide, with a 10% incline. If I didn't have a snowblower, "me time" would include regular trips to the ER for heart attack/stroke symptoms.

Did I just read those dimensions correctly? That's a big ass driveway

PieceOfMeat wrote:

Chicat wrote: I spent $100 on mine . . . and no. You don't need one. My driveway is about 120' long, 100' wide, with a 10% incline. If I didn't have a snowblower, "me time" would include regular trips to the ER for heart attack/stroke symptoms.

Did I just read those dimensions correctly? That's a big ass driveway

Yes it is.

Our first winter there was one snowstorm in January where I did the area where our two cars exit from the garage all the way to the street and ignored the third car garage area because I was in a rush. The next day it snowed again and when I went out to clear the whole thing I realized the 2nd snow compacted the 1st and I couldn't get my blower through it. So I had to give up on it.

Basically 1/3 of my driveway was abandoned until the spring thaw. It looked like my front lawn extended 30 feet out in front of my house. And my neighbors still mention "the winter Justin gave up on snowblowing his drive".

It rained overnight and a friend just told me he can't get out of the foothills to get to work. We have quite a bit of water in the streets in my neighborhood but should have no problems.

Chicat wrote:

Longhorned wrote:Should I spend $400+ on a snow blower for a 30-foot long, single-car width driveway leading to my single-car garage? I admit that it's pretty hard work when the snow is deep, but it's not entirely un-doable, and it's the only exercise I can get when it's snowing because I can't ride my bike.

I spent $100 on mine . . . and no. You don't need one. My driveway is about 120' long, 100' wide, with a 10% incline. If I didn't have a snowblower, "me time" would include regular trips to the ER for heart attack/stroke symptoms.

Can't you just melt it?

Longhorned wrote:

Chicat wrote:I'm still a maniac about scraping my driveway of snow all the way down to the concrete.

The biggest reason being that the longer it takes me out there, the more time to myself I get. I don't care if I'm freezing my balls off, at least I'm not watching Frozen or Go! Diego Go!

The neighbors across the way have a snow blower, and I'm terrified they'll offer. Shoveling snow is its own particular kind of solitude. There's a level of quiet created by the environment and the cold. It's one of the most peaceful things I do, and it's the best possible excuse not to do anything else involving anyone. And when I come back into the house, I enjoy that bit of whiskey to take off the chill, and I have this completely justified bearing that says, "Leave me alone. The credit I've earned for that task is unfathomable. The living room is mine. Shut up while I watch the game."

Haha, perfect description. I feel the exact same way about shoveling and the post-task glow/relaxation.

Merkin wrote:

Chicat wrote:

Longhorned wrote:Should I spend $400+ on a snow blower for a 30-foot long, single-car width driveway leading to my single-car garage? I admit that it's pretty hard work when the snow is deep, but it's not entirely un-doable, and it's the only exercise I can get when it's snowing because I can't ride my bike.

I spent $100 on mine . . . and no. You don't need one. My driveway is about 120' long, 100' wide, with a 10% incline. If I didn't have a snowblower, "me time" would include regular trips to the ER for heart attack/stroke symptoms.

Can't you just melt it?

I've thought about installing a heated driveway, but again . . . me time is precious.

84Cat wrote:It rained overnight and a friend just told me he can't get out of the foothills to get to work. We have quite a bit of water in the streets in my neighborhood but should have no problems.

Where? I had no problems at all

3 day rain total - 0.3" So much for 8-12"

Jefe wrote:

84Cat wrote:It rained overnight and a friend just told me he can't get out of the foothills to get to work. We have quite a bit of water in the streets in my neighborhood but should have no problems.

Where? I had no problems at all

3 day rain total - 0.3" So much for 8-12"

Jefe wrote:

84Cat wrote:It rained overnight and a friend just told me he can't get out of the foothills to get to work. We have quite a bit of water in the streets in my neighborhood but should have no problems.

Where? I had no problems at all

3 day rain total - 0.3" So much for 8-12"

Meanwhile, southern Texas got hammered. So much so that Texas A&M has to replace the grass on their football field.

16 Sep - 0.25"
17 Sep - 0.20"
18 Sep - Tr
19 Sep - 1.21" thus far

"Odile" Total - 1.66"

azgreg wrote:

Jefe wrote:

84Cat wrote:It rained overnight and a friend just told me he can't get out of the foothills to get to work. We have quite a bit of water in the streets in my neighborhood but should have no problems.

Where? I had no problems at all

3 day rain total - 0.3" So much for 8-12"

Meanwhile, southern Texas got hammered. So much so that Texas A&M has to replace the grass on their football field.

It's been a steady downpour for about 36 hours. Not sprinkling, not sideways rain, but just a steady pour non-stop. We've had about 5 inches, but some places around Austin are reporting 10+.