# Snowpocalypse 2011! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 31, 2011, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667 "2011-01-31T17:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/81 "2011-02-02T14:13:11Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I was watching the Weather Channel’s coverage last night and at that time the storm was shaped like a large number “9”, positioned just below Chicago and headed that way. It was obvious y’all were going to get creamed. Jim Cantore had a live feed that happened to catch some snow thunder which, despite the danger, was pretty awesome to witness. Yeah, my suburb is in the middle of another big front right now. I was just outside and shoveled off my front steps and front walk all the way to the street; the blowing and snowfall was still going on in a big way. The snow on the walk was nearly 3 feet high in spots due to drifting on top of the accumulation. I know the local USPS is still expected to carry mail (my husband was told that he was expected to be at work today), so if some unfortunate letter carrier is trying to deliver today, I wanted to give him a path to our house. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/82 "2011-02-02T14:59:36Z")
> [@Ferret\_Herder](#): > > The winds along the lakeshore hit 60-70 mph last night, causing multiple traffic accidents on Lake Shore Drive, leading to pileups that left some people stranded until 5:30 am (due to terrible visibility and extremely dangerous conditions), with crews working all night to search cars, evacuate people, and tow vehicles off the road. I live on the lake front and can tell you those winds were nasty. I got home last night around 11pm and had to cross to the east side of Sheridan Road near Granville to get to my building. The wind was so strong I had to use street signs and a mailbox to support myself. I’m 6’2" and 250 pounds and was worried about getting knocked down. The one good thing is it looks like the predictions of giant waves on the lake flooding Lake Shore Drive didn’t come true. I was able to see the lake from my apartment and I couldn’t see anything like that happening. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/83 "2011-02-02T15:04:43Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > Jim Cantore had a live feed that happened to catch some snow thunder which, despite the danger, was pretty awesome to witness. I just saw some footage taken of Cantore last night by a local NBC producer who was out there, with him trying to windsurf down the road, using the wind’s force against his body to push him along. Yeah, I can easily believe it was that bad. I wasn’t out in winds like that - nor do I expect they got quite that bad this far inland - but you can see what happened just by looking at the drift patterns around my house. Sounds like my husband will be home before noon - lots of his coworkers aren’t allowed to drive in their counties due to the state of emergency, and the mail-hauling trucks from the distribution centers weren’t able to get to his office yet. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/84 "2011-02-02T18:20:31Z")
Yawn. About 8 inches total here Detroit area. I woke up about 4AM to check it out, and the skies were clear and the roads pretty much empty of traffic, So I went to work early. ---
**Author:** ![Jaded\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8c91f0/32.png) [@Jaded\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaded_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/85 "2011-02-02T19:17:49Z")
18 inches at my house here in the Ozarks. Parts of the Interstate still closed. ---
**Author:** ![longPath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@longPath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/longPath)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/86 "2011-02-02T19:25:46Z")
It started a couple of hours ago in Nova Scotia. The forecast is for up to 40 cm/ 16 inches and high winds. brrrr. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/87 "2011-02-02T19:31:11Z")
Photo of Lake Shore Drive in Chicago - caption should say “Wednesday morning,” of course: [Link](http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-snow2lsd20110202071217,0,2905048.photo) ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/88 "2011-02-02T19:39:21Z")
Holy cow, that looks post-Armageddon. Shouldn’t you guys be in Tahiti or something? ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/89 "2011-02-02T20:43:03Z")
We here in Upstate NY have already received 112 inches of snow (or more). Today we were supposed to get one more solid foot. Instead, at 4 a.m. I woke to hear the ‘ticky-tick-ticky-tick’ of sleet, one of the most dreaded sounds in the universe. It stopped and started on and off, then snowed lightly until about 10 a.m., another burst of sleet - and then it was quiet. Now it’s starting to snow again. So far, about 4" instead of a foot of snow. I had to go out and break through the ice crust and try to shovel enough of the driveway for Mr. Sali to get his car in off the road, and it was a miserable experience. VERY heavy snow under the ice. He’s out there now with the snowthrower, bless his heart…I myself didn’t have to drive today, but my daughter was out (in MY car) and she’s one of those fearless new drivers… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/90 "2011-02-02T20:57:04Z")
Wow. I’m glad I’m well north of the storm! We just had about 15 cm of light, fluffy, _pretty_ snow. On the other hand, my friends and their family are all coming back from the Dominican Republic tomorrow. I hope. > [@Rysto](#): > > Some say the world will end in fire, > Some say in ice. > Ice is winning. Not in Australia. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/91 "2011-02-02T22:53:37Z")
> [@pudytat72](#): > > 19 degrees (wind chill of 1 degree) in north Dallas with a sleet slick sheet of ice everywhere. Still about the same tempature and the roads are still icy. My business (Meals on Wheels) has cancelled through tomorrow and more than likely Friday. However, the husband works at a hospital and they are treating it like the end of the world. Who knew a little ice is all that it would take? > [@pudytat72](#): > > Not making enough electricity here in Texas, so they have started “rolling blackouts”. I lost my power for 5 minutes at 7:30am. WAKE UP MORE HAMSTERS AND GET THEM RUNNING, ONCOR! Yep, I’ve been hearing about them all day. But as of yet, I haven’t experienced any in The Colony. Sending more hamsters your way **pudytat**. ---
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2011, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/92 "2011-02-02T23:35:55Z")
Got the ice, not the snow. Tree of Death did not fall on me, but a limb fell off another tree and missed the house and fence, thank goodness. Another tree is trying to stay upright against the weight of the ice. It’s strange to walk in the yard and feel tall because I don’t sink in the snow cover at all now that it’s got the layer of ice over it. Once it warms up a little, or the sun comes out, and I have an inch or so of icewith water on the top - it won’t be fun trying to get in the garage. Or maybe I should say it will be a lot of fun for the neighbors to watch me, but it won’t be fun for me. My daughter got a foot and a half but the plows haven’t been by yet and I don’t know how she and her little car will get to work tomorrow. ---
**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 3, 2011, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/93 "2011-02-03T00:14:10Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Woo morning update! The Natl Weather Service update now includes this (and a wind chill warning) as of 4am today: > > LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT THAT NEARLY EVERY ROADWAY IS IMPASSABLE AND IN MANY CASES CLOSED. A STATE OF EMERGENCY HAS BEEN DECLARED AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS ARE PLEADING FOR PEOPLE TO STAY HOME AND OFF ROADWAYS. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS REPORTS OF CARS OFF ROADWAYS AND PEOPLE STRANDED AND THE EXTREME CONDITIONS ARE MAKING IT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR RESCUE PERSONAL TO REACH THE STRANDED. VISIBILITIES ARE SO POOR IN OPEN AREAS THAT MOTORISTS COULD BECOME DISORIENTED AND UNABLE TO EVEN SEE BEYOND THE HOOD OF THEIR CARS. BEFORE CONSIDERING GETTING ON THE ROADS THIS MORNING… ASK YOURSELF IF GETTING TO YOUR DESTINATION IS WORTH RISKING YOUR LIFE. > > * * * > > I just took a look outside and we have snow drifted up so bad against the front door that I’m afraid to open it (door opens inwards so it will open, but it might not shut again). My roommate who said “she didn’t have a choice” about going in to work at 4am is still here–she’s the gen manager of a gas station and so they’re surely not open right now. My other roommate+his gf came in at 9pm last night from their retail jobs, I couldn’t believe they let them drive. But they made it okay fortunately. His gf said there were 2 cars in the ditch when they were traveling, and that’s just the ones they were able to see because visibility was literally zero with all the wind. Visibility is good NOW since it isn’t snowing at the moment, but last night gusts were 50+mph. Scary. I should take some pictures before the plows go out to show to my grandkids someday XD > > It’s drifted up to 2.5feet at least against our back sliding glass door. It’s not snowing right now, though I doubt the storm is over. The plows have not even attempted to run on our street yet, it’s very pretty like one big winter playland. No tire tracks at all. Which means nobody on my street is at work or school, yet, which is good. Our driveway has 3 feet of blown drifts on it, my other roommate’s car looks like someone dropped it into a snowbank. Mine is in front of his so it has less snow around it, but to get out of the driveway I’d have to back through all of that, so it’s going to take an herculean amount of shoveling (we don’t have a snowblower) > > There’s no way anything but a snowmobile could travel on my street in its current condition and I ain’t stupid enough to try! [View out my front door last tuesday](http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy176/aruvqan/Miscellaneous/166848_162729493774544_100001124828422_304059_6197487_n.jpg). Just now, sent mrAru to the front door to get a [new picture](http://i789.photobucket.com/albums/yy176/aruvqan/Miscellaneous/IMG_20110202_191033.jpg). He says we got about half an inch of ice, but no real amount of snow, though it did sleet a fair amount yesterday. ---
**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 3, 2011, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/94 "2011-02-03T00:16:59Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > We here in Upstate NY have already received 112 inches of snow (or more). Today we were supposed to get one more solid foot. Instead, at 4 a.m. I woke to hear the ‘ticky-tick-ticky-tick’ of sleet, one of the most dreaded sounds in the universe. It stopped and started on and off, then snowed lightly until about 10 a.m., another burst of sleet - and then it was quiet. Now it’s starting to snow again. So far, about 4" instead of a foot of snow. I had to go out and break through the ice crust and try to shovel enough of the driveway for Mr. Sali to get his car in off the road, and it was a miserable experience. VERY heavy snow under the ice. He’s out there now with the snowthrower, bless his heart…I myself didn’t have to drive today, but my daughter was out (in MY car) and she’s one of those fearless new drivers… We skipped out of my Mom’s in Caledonia at 7 am Sunday, had a decent drive, mainly occasionally light fluffy flurries. mrAru telecommuted Monday and today, we did get the sleet yesterday, and ice yesterday and today. No trees down, no loss of power, or at least so far! ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/95 "2011-02-03T04:17:52Z")
> [@faithfool](#): > > Still about the same tempature and the roads are still icy. My business (Meals on Wheels) has cancelled through tomorrow and more than likely Friday. However, the husband works at a hospital and they are treating it like the end of the world. Who knew a little ice is all that it would take? > > Yep, I’ve been hearing about them all day. But as of yet, I haven’t experienced any in The Colony. Sending more hamsters your way **pudytat**. I live and teach in the North Texas area, and tomorrow will be our 3rd day off from school due to the icy roads. Only a couple inches of snow, but the rain and sleet that preceded it is still frozen hard into solid sheets on many roads. We don’t usually stay below freezing (and this far below freezing!) this many days in a row. I’m guessing school may be closed Friday, too, as it looks like we won’t get above freezing until Saturday. My power was out only briefly this morning from the rolling blackouts. I was worried because during our record snowstorm last year, my power was out for a couple of days and that was no fun! ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/96 "2011-02-03T04:30:11Z")
LOL Snowpocalypse? The Beast? Here in Ottawa we just call it Winter! They did cancel school buses but everything is still open. We just shovelled off the rink in the backyard and kept a big fire going. Hopefully everyone makes out OK out there. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/97 "2011-02-03T05:23:09Z")
Just mentioning that the Houston(!) area is forecast to receive 1-3 inches of snow Thursday night through Friday. Yep, folks up north will surely cackle at such a paltry amount, but if the forecast holds we’ll probably shut down the office simply because that amount is pretty much guaranteed to paralyze road travel. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/98 "2011-02-03T06:23:46Z")
On the plus side, I see Punxatawney Phil managed to dig himself out to not see his shadow, so spring is just around the corner. ---
**Author:** ![kushiel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bbce88/32.png) [@kushiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kushiel)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/99 "2011-02-03T19:07:18Z")
This winter is just the WTFpocalypse, I swear. In the course of a week we’ve gone from -35C to 1C and going back to -35C. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667/100 "2011-02-03T19:12:10Z")
It is now brilliantly sunny here in East-Central Ontario. Another light dusting ontop of the 15 cm yesterday, and all is well. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snowpocalypse-2011/569667.md?page=6)