# 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:** 8
**Author:** ![oft\_wears\_hats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7993a0/32.png) [@oft\_wears\_hats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/oft_wears_hats)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/141 "2015-02-12T17:53:55Z")
AFAIK, it’s not the snow that poses an environmental risk, it’s the road grime and salt and other crap that gets mixed into it. I think certain neighborhoods near the Charles River can’t even use road salt because they can’t risk it washing into the river. Of course, with the volume of snow we’re getting, suddenly dropping a bunch of it into the Charles might actually have undesirable effects even if it were pure snow. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/142 "2015-02-12T17:59:50Z")
Dumping it in the harbor is legally OK in extreme circumstances - which these are. The salt and shit in the snow is going to flow into it eventually anyway, right? Maybe it’s the all-at-once aspect that’s problematic. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/143 "2015-02-12T22:21:19Z")
Well, looks like we’ve got another 12-14" coming to complicate my weekend plans. Do I go on Friday and try to make it back on Saturday evening before the snow gets bad? Or do I hope it ends early enough so I can drive back on Sunday afternoon? Or do I just stay at home all weekend and watch the storm fizzle out harmlessly over the ocean? Snow days are nice, but I’m running out of recipes for nourishing hearty stews and soups. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2015, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/144 "2015-02-12T22:43:30Z")
Just for fun, use some water from snow to make your stew! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/145 "2015-02-13T00:48:34Z")
My physician daughter-in-law has to get to her hospital in Lawrence 25 miles away. She delivers babies among other emergencies. She has a 4WD van and so far has been able to make it. ---
**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 13, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/146 "2015-02-13T02:38:04Z")
It’s snow again right now. Hopefully not too much. But really, anything more than a dusting at this point is just fucking overkill. A big problem that doesn’t get discussed much is that we’ve had no melting. NORMALLY we get enough warmer days so that a bit of each major storm melts away before the next one. Not all of it every time, but even just 10-20% means an inch or two fewer on the ground for later storms. There’s been no melting so it’s literally piling on top of previous storms. Plus for those of you who don’t live here, it’s snowing every couple days or so. It’s just unending in frequency and duration. The days where it’s not snowing have been really cold and not sunny. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/147 "2015-02-13T02:40:48Z")
> [@Fair\_Rarity](#): > > It’s snow again right now. Hopefully not too much. But really, anything more than a dusting at this point is just fucking overkill. > > A big problem that doesn’t get discussed much is that we’ve had no melting. NORMALLY we get enough warmer days so that a bit of each major storm melts away before the next one. Not all of it every time, but even just 10-20% means an inch or two fewer on the ground for later storms. There’s been no melting so it’s literally piling on top of previous storms. Plus for those of you who don’t live here, it’s snowing every couple days or so. It’s just unending in frequency and duration. The days where it’s not snowing have been really cold and not sunny. [![](http://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/deepsnowaroundworld66.jpg?v=at&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0) ](http://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/deepsnowaroundworld66.jpg?v=at&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0) ---
**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 13, 2015, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/148 "2015-02-13T03:03:21Z")
The public radio program Marketplace did a [story](http://www.marketplace.org/topics/business/bostons-massive-snowfall-brings-business) about the snow situation in Boston. They interviewed a guy who runs a [snow removal company](http://ippolitosnowservices.com/) in Boston. Googling his company led me to “[Snow Business Magazine](http://ippolitosnowservices.com/).” I had _no_ idea that there was a magazine for snow plow operators (and a [trade group](http://www.sima.org/)). I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised; there are trade magazines and trade groups for _everyone_. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/149 "2015-02-13T03:28:42Z")
> [@oft\_wears\_hats](#): > > AFAIK, it’s not the snow that poses an environmental risk, it’s the road grime and salt and other crap that gets mixed into it. I think certain neighborhoods near the Charles River can’t even use road salt because they can’t risk it washing into the river. > > Of course, with the volume of snow we’re getting, suddenly dropping a bunch of it into the Charles might actually have undesirable effects even if it were pure snow. > [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Dumping it in the harbor is legally OK in extreme circumstances - which these are. See post #115 for your solution: > [@RandMcnally](#): > > I just wish I could magically send all this snow to Sacramento. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/150 "2015-02-13T16:54:53Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > I just wish I could magically send all this snow to Sacramento. [One bottle at a time for $12.99.](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/02/06/tongue-cheek-startup-tries-sell-snow-out-state/3ovwE3myWowgleM4fq3gsI/story.html) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/151 "2015-02-13T20:23:09Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > [http://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/deepsnowaroundworld66.jpg?v=at&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0](http://dsx.weather.com//util/image/w/deepsnowaroundworld66.jpg?v=at&w=980&h=551&api=7db9fe61-7414-47b5-9871-e17d87b8b6a0) You do realize that [8000 feet above sea level](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yukino-%C5%8Dtani) tends to get quite a bit more snow than [141 feet above sea level](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston), yes? ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/152 "2015-02-13T21:31:52Z")
Latest update on 2/13 for southern Maine; “The Blizzard Watch has been upgraded to a blizzard warning. Travel will be impossible Sunday. Many roads will be impassable Sunday into Monday. Snow drifts may be 10ft high, forecast models are showing 100 mph wind gusts very close to the coast of Maine.” ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/153 "2015-02-13T21:54:37Z")
I feel like I’m in a disaster movie. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2015, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/154 "2015-02-13T23:45:46Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > I feel like I’m in a disaster movie. Yeah, but not one of those awesome ones where the leading lady and the hero get to fall in love as they bond over their adversity. Here it’s unending misery and you’re not meeting anyone because you can’t see in the snow and you’d get hypothermia waiting for another idiot to venture outside anyway. They’re predicting up to another 18" here for the weekend. I just can’t even. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/155 "2015-02-14T00:23:38Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > Luckily the Thursday storm has turned into a bust. And next week is school winter break, so no matter how bad the Saturday/Sunday storm is, it won’t affect the schools. > > ETA: I do find it amusing that you need DEP approval to dump that notorious pollutant, frozen water, into the ocean. Maybe they should arrest some of these storms. The winter mrAru was up in Kitery at the shipyard, they just shoved the snow into an unoccupied dry dock, let it melt and opened the locks. No problem 😃 ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/156 "2015-02-14T01:33:32Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Yeah, but not one of those awesome ones where the leading lady and the hero get to fall in love as they bond over their adversity. Here it’s unending misery and you’re not meeting anyone because you can’t see in the snow and you’d get hypothermia waiting for another idiot to venture outside anyway. > > They’re predicting up to another 18" here for the weekend. I just can’t even. Can I come to your house? I can’t stay in this house for another 3 days running. ☹ I’m afraid my dog is going to go crazy and reenact The Shining. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/157 "2015-02-14T01:36:44Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > ETA: I do find it amusing that you need DEP approval to dump that notorious pollutant, frozen water, into the ocean. Maybe they should arrest some of these storms. It’s because of the salt and the deicing chemicals they throw on the roads. It’s also an emergency situation, given that most, if not all of the snow farms are already full. Where else could they put it? ---
**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 14, 2015, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/158 "2015-02-14T04:04:52Z")
[QUOTE=Slate magazine blog] The city has recorded its snowiest 30-day stretch in history in just 17 days, breaking the record by more than a foot. A full Gronk of snow (6 feet, 6 inches) is now in sight for Boston, and will likely be exceeded by the end of the week. [/QUOTE] I expect widespread panic if we go over two [Smoots](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot). ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2015, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/159 "2015-02-14T13:46:02Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > ETA: I do find it amusing that you need DEP approval to dump that notorious pollutant, frozen water, into the ocean. Maybe they should arrest some of these storms. > [@kiz](#): > > It’s because of the salt and the deicing chemicals they throw on the roads. The road salt and deicing chemicals aren’t the only problem. I did my grad school Master’s thesis on treating the pollutants present in roadway runoff, which includes oil and other petroleum compounds, heavy metals, etc. When these pollutants mix with the snow, it creates a real mess. Finally, a lot of household trash has not been picked up by trash collection services due to all of the recent storms, and they are finding a lot of trash mixed in with the snow banks. The latest word on the news is that Boston is _not_ going to dump snow in the harbor due to all of the trash present. ---
**Author:** ![andygirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@andygirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andygirl)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911/160 "2015-02-16T00:38:57Z")
Ya know, most of the time I really love living in New England but I am currently in a state of mind that is best summed up as “WHY DID I MOVE HERE THIS WAS A POOR LIFE CHOICE WAAAAGH” I want to commission a flamethrower, which will likely not actually help with the snow but I bet it’ll make me feel better. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-england-dopers-will-soon-get-historic-blizzard/710911.md?page=9)