# New England Dopers Will Soon Get Historic Blizzard **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 26, 2015, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911 "2015-01-26T07:53:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/201 "2015-02-22T17:57:04Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Not everyone has a pair of tights lying around that we can use for this. Fortunately, the roof is not my responsibility. > > Not a bad plan, though. You might want to locate the salt-filled tights so they’re not over your prize flower bed. They sell tights in CVS. And Stop and Shop. And Walgreen’s. And… 😛 Luckily I don’t have _any_ flower beds, let alone a prized one, but good reminder for those who do. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/202 "2015-02-22T18:00:19Z")
If you’re going to run out to CVS, Stop and Shop or Walgreen’s to buy tights to jury-rig a fix for ice dams, why wouldn’t you just go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a roof rake that’s designed to remove snow from the roof? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/203 "2015-02-22T18:20:10Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > They sell tights in CVS. And Stop and Shop. And Walgreen’s. And… 😛 “Oh, no, they’re not for me. I use them to, uh,… prevent ice dams! Yeah, that’s it.” ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/204 "2015-02-22T21:11:10Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If you’re going to run out to CVS, Stop and Shop or Walgreen’s to buy tights to jury-rig a fix for ice dams, why wouldn’t you just go to Home Depot or Lowes and buy a roof rake that’s designed to remove snow from the roof? You can get a pair of panty hose at the dollar store. IF you can even find a roof rake for sale anywhere in New England right now it’s going to cost you at least 50 times that amount. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/205 "2015-02-22T21:49:42Z")
Good point. And I assume that snow shovels are in short supply as well. But living in New England, you know that you’re going to need things like snow shovels and roof rakes every year. So why do people wait until the big storm occurs before it occurs to them to acquire one? ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/206 "2015-02-22T22:26:08Z")
I have a roof rake. I still needed extra supplies and effort to break up the ice dams. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/207 "2015-02-23T00:01:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > So why do people wait until the big storm occurs before it occurs to them to acquire one? Some people are actually new to the area, some didn’t own them in their previous homes (i.e. apartment dwellers moving to houses or condos), and they do sometimes get broken or worn out or lost or stolen. Then too, there is denial and simple dread, as well as cheapness or brokeness or procrastination at play. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/208 "2015-02-23T00:12:31Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Good point. And I assume that snow shovels are in short supply as well. But living in New England, you know that you’re going to need things like snow shovels and roof rakes every year. So why do people wait until the big storm occurs before it occurs to them to acquire one? We don’t tend to get more than 2 feet of snow at a time so some people are discovering if they do, their roof’s previously adequate pitch is no match for this much snow. And Lorene’s right too. We have a regular old roof rake and [one of these](http://avalanche-snow.com/product/avalanche-original-500-2/), and there’s \*\*still \*\*a worrisome amount of snow on the roof neither will reach - the snow came too fast to keep up with either. Hopefully when the extension kit for the latter comes we’ll be able to get more off. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/209 "2015-02-23T03:28:08Z")
[Old New England homes were built to shed snow](http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t663/Kadargo/snowfall%20accumulation/d4d408f1572e0aea606b7f73e4d08145_zps890824c3.jpg) due to the steeply-pitched roofs. [our home](http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t663/Kadargo/snowfall%20accumulation/aca1a4d18967cec200cb83cc2aaa0a97_zps504e1cae.jpg)is 230+ years old and has withstood many worse winters than this, [This is the drift](http://i1319.photobucket.com/albums/t663/Kadargo/snowfall%20accumulation/aea3f7605836809f9251fe5be5d3f788_zps6fccae4b.jpg)at the end of the driveway after a neighbor pushed it back about 10 feet with his John Deere 5085 commercial tractor ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/210 "2015-02-23T04:59:24Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > I have a roof rake. I still needed extra supplies and effort to break up the ice dams. Yeah, once you’ve got a block of ice on your roof, the rake is pretty useless. I did see a guy down the street standing on the top step of a 12 ft step ladder - the one with DO NOT STAND HERE printed on it - smashing the ice on his roof with a hand sledge. That was entertaining. Though this latest storm was actually bearable. And it even warmed up enough that I could see my entire driveway by sunset. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2015, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/211 "2015-02-23T05:12:28Z")
Didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t diligent with your raking **lorene**. Even with raking after each storm, this winter has been ice dam city. ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/212 "2015-02-26T01:13:43Z")
[Facebook Statuses About the Boston Snowstorm](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8dr7fgrklM). I laughed out loud quite a few times. Make sure your volume is up. The music really makes it. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/213 "2015-02-26T03:13:06Z")
I emailed a friend in Massachusetts to find out how it’s going for him. He tried driving into Boston the other day for an event but had to go back home, because parking was impossible. He described seeing cars parked on the road that probably won’t be moveable until the snow melts in the spring. So I’m wondering what happens to those cars? Will they still be drivable after the snow melts? (I was wondering if the water might make its way inside, ruining the interior.) Is all of that snow on the roofs of the cars going to cause body damage? ---
**Author:** ![Arabella\_Flynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8491ac/32.png) [@Arabella\_Flynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arabella_Flynn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2015, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/214 "2015-02-26T07:23:56Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I emailed a friend in Massachusetts to find out how it’s going for him. He tried driving into Boston the other day for an event but had to go back home, because parking was impossible. He described seeing cars parked on the road that probably won’t be moveable until the snow melts in the spring. So I’m wondering what happens to those cars? Will they still be drivable after the snow melts? (I was wondering if the water might make its way inside, ruining the interior.) Is all of that snow on the roofs of the cars going to cause body damage? Parking is more or less impossible even when the weather is fine. It’s one of our charms. 😃 Really, though, this is a concern for a lot of people. It’s mainly snow and not ice packed around the cars, so you can dig them out if you’re willing to put in the work. Finding a place to put the vehicles you _can_ move is something of a problem. I know City of Cambridge arranged to open the local commercial garages for residents, because there was just no place else to put them. I feel most sorry for the cyclists right now. The sidewalks are clear enough to pass, albeit single-file in some places, but the bike lanes are blocked with snowdrifts taller than I am. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/215 "2015-02-27T00:45:47Z")
Not to self: do not go up to New England this year until well into Summer. Got the feeling people will stay twitchy for some time… ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/216 "2015-02-27T02:20:19Z")
I’ve gotten honked at twice in the last two days for yielding to traffic when I was legally required to yield. People are indeed very twitchy. I’ve heard of a few road rage incidents and there is a lot of space saver nonsense going on. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s when you shovel out a spot and then put some piece of detritus in the spot when you pull out to save it for when you return later. It’s actually banned in most areas, but it’s not enforced. If you remove a saver and park there, your car will likely be vandalized. So I am really anti space saver. Not because I think people shouldn’t save their spots after they do a ton of work, but because the retribution for transgressions is ridiculously disproportionate and someone is going to get really hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/217 "2015-02-27T02:28:02Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I emailed a friend in Massachusetts to find out how it’s going for him. He tried driving into Boston the other day for an event but had to go back home, because parking was impossible. He described seeing cars parked on the road that probably won’t be moveable until the snow melts in the spring. So I’m wondering what happens to those cars? Will they still be drivable after the snow melts? (I was wondering if the water might make its way inside, ruining the interior.) Is all of that snow on the roofs of the cars going to cause body damage? Nah. Some may need a boost, but cars are pretty resilient to being cloaked in snow. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/218 "2015-02-27T02:31:48Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Not to self: do not go up to New England this year until well into Summer. Got the feeling people will stay twitchy for some time… Nah. We bounce back quickly once winter ends and it stops snowing. That’s usually by the third week of April. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/219 "2015-02-27T03:39:48Z")
In March begins the mud. Oh no, the mud. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/220 "2015-02-27T04:28:42Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > In March begins the mud. Oh no, the mud. Only if the temperatures get above freezing in March! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911.md?page=12)