East Coast Storm - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

dynalow · #1 12-19-2009, 06:33 AM

Gonna get hammered here in SJ. Forecast is for 18+ inches of snow in the region. Right along the coast we should get around 8 +/- inches. I have about 1-2 inches now. Snow all day with the heaviest from 3pm to 9 pm tonight.

Big December snowstorms are unusual in this area. How are you guys in the DC/Balto area doing?

Bad weekend for retailers in an already poor Holiday shopping season.

Stoneseller · #2 12-19-2009, 06:41 AM

About 4" deep at 6:42 am in Highland MD. That's just west of Columbia by a few miles. Let the dogs out an hour or so ago, and it looked a bit less than 3" then. At this rate it may just do what the predictors predicted, to my surprise.

Stoneseller · #3 12-19-2009, 06:50 AM

I hit the Nordstrum in Columbia Mall at about 10 am yesterday. I had the lingerie department all to myself except for 2 sales ladies. Ventured out & walked through a few jewelry stores, and the place was very quiet.

OTOH, we went into the Giant grocery store around 2:00, and had to park in literally the last spot in the last row. The place was a mob scene. Plenty of Milk, bread, eggs, & toilet paper on the shelve, but not squat in the meat department. Never seen it like that before. Ended up buying several bags of frozen shrimp to eat over the weekend.

dynalow · #4 12-19-2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stoneseller

I hit the Nordstrum in Columbia Mall at about 10 am yesterday. I had the lingerie department all to myself except for 2 sales ladies. Ventured out & walked through a few jewelry stores, and the place was very quiet.

OTOH, we went into the Giant grocery store around 2:00, and had to park in literally the last spot in the last row. The place was a mob scene. Plenty of Milk, bread, eggs, & toilet paper on the shelve, but not squat in the meat department. Never seen it like that before. Ended up buying several bags of frozen shrimp to eat over the weekend.

I hear ya. Wednesday I took the afternoon off and went to our area Mall near Atlantic City. Macy's had a big weekday sale. Lots of traffic in Macy's. Rest of the mall was verrry slow. Given, it's a weekday and mid-day, but a week before Christmas Day? Bad holiday season.

And yesterday I went to the food store too. Jammed. Practically tripped over the snow shovels and Halite racks in the front door. Already stripping down the Holiday section.

mgburg · #5 12-19-2009, 08:00 AM

Sorry to see you folks gettin' smacked like this just before the holidays...

BTW, I "heard" that the Bears game was being considered for cancellation, or is it being rescheduled for later...like 4:15PM Eastern? My station was, supposedly, scheduled to air it at Noon Central, but I guess this "storm" has a few folks freaked out in the NFL Offices and they've either decided to cancell the game, out of fear that someone could get hurt (Doubt that...probably want to minimize the amount of revenue lost by having the game and no one being able to get to it!!!) or maybe they're going to move the start time back, hoping the Baltimore area has a chance to "clear the way" for fans to trek out to the stadium and save football from itself.

*********************************************

SNOWPLOW DRIVER #1.) "Hey! Ralph! How's ya' doin'?"

SNOWPLOW DRIVER #2.) "OK! How's the blade on your rig, Norton?"

SPD#1.) "OK, I guess. Hey! Ralph! Who'd da' thunk we'd be doin' dis' on such a crappy day...I would have taught dey'd wait 'til da' snow quit bafore they'd send us out..."

SPD#2.) "Heck no, Norton! I herd' sumthin' 'bout some Commish' orderin' da' guys in da' Capital to move sumthin' ta' later and they wanted us on da' road ta' clear a path for folks..."

SPD#1.) "Hey! Ralphie-boy! You don't 'tink the Octomom is "preggers" again and we's just keepin' da' lanes cleared so sum cabbie ain't havin' to hose his rear seats after she delivers, do ya'?"

SPD#2.) "Aw common Norton! I've got to poke my ears out after youse just wrecked a good thought wit' dat' comment! Jeez! Norton! We ain't out here for sumthin' that stupid! We're doin' sumthin' really important if the Governor has us humpin' our kiesters to keep da' roads clean an' all...even if da' storm is still blowin' us..."

SPD#1.) "I guess you're right there, Ralphie-boy!! Hey! You don't tink' the Reverend Billy Graham Sr. is speakin' today at the stadium, do ya' Ralphie?"

SPD#2.) "You know Norton...dat' ain't a bad thought...with Christmas and all this close...why else would we be riskin' life and limb to keep streets clear if it wasn't really important and God-like an' all?"

SPD#1.) "You know, Ralphie...you could be right an' all...by the way, how come I ain't gettin' the Ravens on the box right now? They didn't cancel the game 'cause of this weather an' all, did they Ralphie?"

SPD#2.) "Ya' know Norton, I've heard you ask sum' dumb stuff over da' years, but that's got to be one of the dumbest things I've heard in a long time...no, they didn't cancel da' game, they jus' probably sent da' Ravens over to Chicago...dat' way, da' weather here ain't affectin' ticket sales an all...da' NFL ain't dat' stoopid' an' dey ain't cancellin' no games jus' 'cause of a few flakes!"

SPD#1.) "No, I guess you're right...maybe my radio jus' can't quite pick up WGN too well and all...Oh, Ralphie, lookatthat! A little lady w/her doogie near the hydrant...and there's a little car just about to back out of his cleared drive..."

SPD#2.) "I gotcha' Norton!!! Let me go double on this this!!! I gets 300 points if I knock her off her feet and the pooch is missin'...and 500 if the guy can't get out of his car in time for me to see if he's givin' me da' finger before I turn at da' next corner!"

SPD#1.) "Ralphie-boy! You da' man!!!"

SPD#2.) "I know dat' Norton. I know dat'! Now sit back an' watch a pro at work!!"

*********************************************

Hey, good luck with the weather out there guys...just hope it doesn't freeze on you after it lands and sticks!

.

dynalow · #6 12-19-2009, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgburg

Sorry to see you folks gettin' smacked like this just before the holidays...

BTW, I "heard" that the Bears game was being considered for cancellation, or is it being rescheduled for later...like 4:15PM Eastern? My station was, supposedly, scheduled to air it at Noon Central, but I guess this "storm" has a few folks freaked out in the NFL Offices and they've either decided to cancell the game, out of fear that someone could get hurt (Doubt that...probably want to minimize the amount of revenue lost by having the game and no one being able to get to it!!!) or maybe they're going to move the start time back, hoping the Baltimore area has a chance to "clear the way" for fans to trek out to the stadium and save football from itself.

Hey, good luck with the weather out there guys...just hope it doesn't freeze on you after it lands and sticks!

.

How are you going to seat fans in a stadium full of snow?

The Eagles play Frisco in Philly tomorrow. I think it's a 1:00 game. Forecast for Philly is 14-18 inches, heaviest coming later today and into early night. I guess they'll get rid of it someway. Fortunately, private contractors don't have too far to go to dump it in the Delaware River. Gotta clear the parking lots for dem freakin Philly tailgaters tomorrow.

We have about 4" on the ground here (SO.JER.) now. Good to go as long as the electric and Comcast Cable stay up.

County and local snow removal programs are spotty... and usually don't start in earnest until the snow stops.

My plans to celebrate the G/F's birthday at 12:01 tonight may be on hold.

Kissed her goodbye this morning and told her I might not see her until tomorrow....and her home is only about 5 miles away

mgburg · #7 12-19-2009, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dynalow

How are you going to seat fans in a stadium full of snow?

The Eagles play Frisco in Philly tomorrow. I think it's a 1:00 game. Forecast for Philly is 14-18 inches, heaviest coming later today and into early night. I guess they'll get rid of it someway. Fortunately, private contractors don't have too far to go to dump it in the Delaware River. Gotta clear the parking lots for dem freakin Philly tailgaters tomorrow.

... We have about 4" on the ground here (SO.JER.) now. Good to go as long as the electric and Comcast Cable stay up.

County and local snow removal programs are spotty... and usually don't start in earnest until the snow stops.

... My plans to celebrate the G/F's birthday at 12:01 tonight may be on hold.

Kissed her goodbye this morning and told her I might not see her until tomorrow....and her home is only about 5 miles away

Hell, da' Packers have been doin' it for years! They go outside the stadium, pay anyone standin' around about $8/hour and put together a stadium clearing crew...plastic sheets down the aisles, "pushers" shovin' the snow to the sheets and the whole mess ends up on the field where skid-steers bucket the white stuff into dump-trucks and out it goes...

Hell, the "Ice Bowl of '67" was done the same way as it's being done today. I'm willing to bet the Packers send folks around to the snow bowls and teach the locals how to do it.

Pretty simple once you have a plan...or better yet, the experience.

MS Fowler · #8 12-19-2009, 09:00 AM

The Raven's game has been reschedules for 4:15. The parking lots open at 11 and the gates a 2 or so. The field is covered with a tarp.
Many Raven's fans never sit down anyway.

About 5 inches in Bel Air ( 20 miles North of Baltimore) at 8 am. I shoveled the walks and they were covered before i finished.
How bad is my timing? I have a Cub Cadet in the garage for some repairs. They should be done today, and then I can put the snow blade on it. BUT there are 2 vehicles that block the garage door buried in snow. I guess I won't have it to use today.

#9 12-19-2009, 09:06 AM

LOL, I was in Richmond, VA a week ago, looks like I got out just in time. Last year I was in south jersey when they got a little snow (4-6") an pretty much shut everthing down for a day. You do not want to drive with the locals on the road with any snow.

dynalow · #10 12-19-2009, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgburg

Hell, da' Packers have been doin' it for years! They go outside the stadium, pay anyone standin' around about $8/hour and put together a stadium clearing crew...plastic sheets down the aisles, "pushers" shovin' the snow to the sheets and the whole mess ends up on the field where skid-steers bucket the white stuff into dump-trucks and out it goes...

Hell, the "Ice Bowl of '66" was done the same way as it's being done today. I'm willing to bet the Packers send folks around to the snow bowls and teach the locals how to do it.

Pretty simple once you have a plan...or better yet, the experience.

Even simpler if the snow has stopped falling...
Ice Bowl. Was that the game where a ref got clocked by beer bottle? Oh, no I think that was a game against Minnesota, or was the game in Minnesota.

Yeah, Ice Bowl was Dallas. Check the date tho..

http://www.packers.com/gameday/1967/12-31/

MS Fowler · #11 12-19-2009, 09:15 AM

Craig
You are correct at that, sir!

We get so little snow that many people never learn the skills required.
Instead, here we teach people ( At least the customs are universal so I assume they must be taught in Drivers Ed), the following snow rules:

1) Whenever you approach an uphill grade be sure to stop at the very bottom ensuring that you, and all following you lose a forward momentum.

2) Find the most critical intersection within driving distance. Dive to the center. Stop and turn off your engine. Exit and lock the vehicle. leaving the 4 way flashers on.

3) Never try to feather the gas, or the brake pedal. Use them simply as switches with an "on" or "off" function.

4) Believe the 4wd and AWD have been engineered with all the knowledge required for ice and snow.

5) Believe that 4WD and AWD work for stopping the vehicle just as if there was dry pavement.

6) Black ice is just a myth.

#2 is the most commonly and universally used.

Palangi · #12 12-19-2009, 10:14 AM

Damn that global warming .....

Stoneseller · #13 12-19-2009, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Craig
You are correct at that, sir!

We get so little snow that many people never learn the skills required.
Instead, here we teach people ( At least the customs are universal so I assume they must be taught in Drivers Ed), the following snow rules:

1) Whenever you approach an uphill grade be sure to stop at the very bottom ensuring that you, and all following you lose a forward momentum.

2) Find the most critical intersection within driving distance. Dive to the center. Stop and turn off your engine. Exit and lock the vehicle. leaving the 4 way flashers on.

3) Never try to feather the gas, or the brake pedal. Use them simply as switches with an "on" or "off" function.

4) Believe the 4wd and AWD have been engineered with all the knowledge required for ice and snow.

5) Believe that 4WD and AWD work for stopping the vehicle just as if there was dry pavement.

6) Black ice is just a myth.

#2 is the most commonly and universally used.

They teach it that way in Balmor also?
I thought Washington Metro area had that teaching regimen to itself.

On a lighter note, I just came in to dry off after pushing the stuff around for a few hours. Cleared the GL off, drove it into the middle of the lawn. Then spent about an hour on the Kubota.
I now have about a 14" pile all along both sides of the driveway, and a pretty reasonable path to the street. The snowplows undid my work a couple times, But as of now I'm quite clear.

My next plans, after warming up & drying out, are to head back out in it for a walk with the dogs. They are VERY happy with the weather.

#14 12-19-2009, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS Fowler

Craig
You are correct at that, sir!

We get so little snow that many people never learn the skills required.
Instead, here we teach people ( At least the customs are universal so I assume they must be taught in Drivers Ed), the following snow rules:

1) Whenever you approach an uphill grade be sure to stop at the very bottom ensuring that you, and all following you lose a forward momentum.

2) Find the most critical intersection within driving distance. Dive to the center. Stop and turn off your engine. Exit and lock the vehicle. leaving the 4 way flashers on.

3) Never try to feather the gas, or the brake pedal. Use them simply as switches with an "on" or "off" function.

4) Believe the 4wd and AWD have been engineered with all the knowledge required for ice and snow.

5) Believe that 4WD and AWD work for stopping the vehicle just as if there was dry pavement.

6) Black ice is just a myth.

#2 is the most commonly and universally used.

That's funny, but it seems to be true for the entire mid-atlantic area.

Denver has the opposite problem, everyone drives at full speed regardless of conditions. Most are a little too comfortable driving in snow and also think a 4WD/AWD vehicle is invincible.

Fulcrum525 · #15 12-19-2009, 11:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Craig

That's funny, but it seems to be true for the entire mid-atlantic area.

Denver has the opposite problem, everyone drives at full speed regardless of conditions. Most are a little too comfortable driving in snow and also think a 4WD/AWD vehicle is invincible.

Yeah during the last storm I saw a Jeep Grand Cherokee in between the two highways getting towed off the grassy area....must have had sports tires on it

Last winter some ass-clown in a Wrangler was TAILGATING me in 6+ inches of the stuff. I nearly spun out pulling into my street cause I didn't want to hit the brakes too hard.