# Three hours of freezing rain followed by cold snap - the city is a skating rink. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2018, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329 "2018-01-10T15:48:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![brainstall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@brainstall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brainstall)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/21 "2018-01-11T02:11:07Z")
They’re calling for rain overnight here. I’m waiting to see what it does to the roads out here First winter in rural Ontario with a long drive on a twisty, hilly, dirt road to anywhere. I’m really hoping I don’t have to cancel my riding lesson again. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/22 "2018-01-11T04:19:49Z")
And my prediction about the post came true. No delivery today. Frankly, I think it would have been an O+H violation to send them out walking on those sidewalks. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/23 "2018-01-11T04:37:57Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > There’s also “wintry mix”. I _hate_ wintry mix. The _ **dread** _ wintry mix > [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What is “wintry mix”? 😕 Precipitation wavering between snow and rain. You end up with dense snow on top of watery slush. It’s too heavy for the traffic to keep the roads clear, but plows are no good - they just create a nasty thick sheet of ice. Shoveling is heart attack inducing. The watery slush never really drains, so you end up with an inch or so of ice on the sidewalk and driveways. Even though the temperature isn’t that cold, it’s wet and bitter and your winter clothes just get soaked and take days to dry. It’s frequently followed by a cold snap, that results in deadly icicles on your roof that break off from weight, and have been known to kill. Or at least badly damage cars. It is the reason this liberal East Coast Elitist now lives in the south west. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/24 "2018-01-11T04:48:23Z")
Northern Piper, that’s what is coming my way overnight. Thank you for the heads up. It has been foggy/misty here all day today with the storm moving slowly east. I think I’ll be working from home tomorrow just to play it safe. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/25 "2018-01-11T15:57:44Z")
We’re scheduled for freezing rain/entry mix on Saturday after some melting today and Friday (40s and 50s! - time for a car wash). I’m glad I don’t need to go anywhere till Sunday. My claw-thingies will be firmly attached to my shoes. ---
**Author:** ![apollonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2bfe46/32.png) [@apollonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/apollonia)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/26 "2018-01-11T16:09:40Z")
> [@Patx2](#): > > Wintry mix is hellish. How are the kids getting to school for indoor recess if the buses aren’t running? Around here, no transportation, no school. They don’t actually expect parents to drive the kids do they? I love my Canadian neighbors, but that’s just batshit crazy! Around here the schools stay open unless the conditions are truly so awful no one can get to school. Kids aren’t penalized for not showing up, but lots of kids will go whose parents have to work (can’t miss a day of work to stay home and watch kids who aren’t sick), and the schools will have a sort of study-hall type of day if not enough kids show up to run classes proper. And plenty of kids walk to school and can walk just fine even when buses aren’t running for whatever reason. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/27 "2018-01-11T18:59:59Z")
Was it like this? [https://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/18/1/10/Ir5VZD3mCkmUqg3YmS7SeQ2.mp4](https://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/18/1/10/Ir5VZD3mCkmUqg3YmS7SeQ2.mp4) ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/28 "2018-01-11T19:57:31Z")
Similar, but darker, wetter, colder and snowier. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/29 "2018-01-11T20:50:05Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > Similar, but darker, wetter, colder and snowier. So, just a bit more Canadian then, right? ---
**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:** [January 11, 2018, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/30 "2018-01-11T20:58:47Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Hey, you’re in Canada. You get ice, you break out the ice skates and play hockey. It’s only natural. > > A number of years ago, I was living in a hilly area and the driveway to the house was even steeper than the roads. And we had an ice storm once, coated everything with a half inch or so of ice. No way was I going anywhere, but the next day was trash day, so I had to get the garbage can to the curb. My landlord (I was renting part of his house) didn’t think the garbage man would come by because of the ice, but those big heavy trucks can get traction where smaller vehicles can’t. So I figured I’d better put the can out anyway. > > So to get the can down the driveway, I just grabbed both handles but didn’t lift the can. And then slid down the driveway. The combination of the bottom of the can and my feet was stable enough that I didn’t fall down. Went out into the road a ways, but there was no traffic at all, of course. To get back up, I climbed though the “lawn”. Well, we didn’t have a lawn there; it was more of a forest: dense trees and bushes. So I pulled myself up using all the branches. > > Turns out the garbageman did come by, so it was good I put it out. I was visiting my dad in Minnesota one winter and there was freezing rain while we were out for dinner or something. His driveway isn’t steep enough for a pencil to roll down, but the ice was so perfect that his 4WD pickup couldn’t quite make it to the garage. I got out to turn the lights on, and I couldn’t even walk up. I had to get down on one knee and get my fingers into the seam between the asphalt and concrete to pull myself toward the garage. A couple handfuls of sand in front of the tires and it drove right in, but that thin layer of ice was like a skating rink. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/31 "2018-01-11T22:42:23Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > So, just a bit more Canadian then, right? Only if it was darker, wetter, colder, snowier and more mild-mannered. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/32 "2018-01-11T22:59:17Z")
Here In Detroit we had a mind-blowingly nice 55 degree day, with some sun and only a bit on a breeze, got a nice walk in. Tonight it will rain. Overnight it will become freezing rain, making the drive into work most likely resembling curling. By the drive home it is supposed to be a heavy blizzardly snowstorm. Then it will stay at a hard freeze for a week, preserving the hockey-rink-meringue in place. Yay. ---
**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:** [January 11, 2018, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/33 "2018-01-11T23:19:37Z")
The temperature went above freezing today, about 6C, for the first time in a month and it is raining on top of all the snow. Same weather tomorrow, followed by a deep frost, about -20C, and everything will be covered in ice. I will heavily salt a path to the street and hope for the best. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/34 "2018-01-12T10:15:45Z")
I’m dealing with more than -20C temps again. It would be one thing if temps were in the -10s, but I cannot do all my snow at -20 or more. My fingers get too cold and are unusable. I have to shovel snow in two or more shifts. Did I really play golf in shorts and T-shirt last summer? ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/35 "2018-01-12T14:40:45Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > The temperature went above freezing today, about 6C, for the first time in a month and it is raining on top of all the snow. Same weather tomorrow, followed by a deep frost, about -20C, and everything will be covered in ice. I will heavily salt a path to the street and hope for the best. Yes, it’s almost 50F here and the driveway is now rain-soaked snow with a layer of water over it. Below 0F over the weekend will not be pretty. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/36 "2018-01-12T15:12:24Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > Yes, it’s almost 50F here and the driveway is now rain-soaked snow with a layer of water over it. Below 0F over the weekend will not be pretty. We were considering skiing this weekend and took a look at the temp chart. It’s in the high 40’s and raining up in Franconia, with a low tomorrow night of -13. Cannon is typically firm on a good day; Sunday it’s going to be an ice rink. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/37 "2018-01-12T16:51:53Z")
I’ve never skied – what does the ice do for you besides making it more painful when you fall? Is it faster and more fun to ski on? Or scary? ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/38 "2018-01-12T17:08:38Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > I’ve never skied – what does the ice do for you besides making it more painful when you fall? Is it faster and more fun to ski on? Or scary? You need sharp edges, lots of concentration, and lots of muscle to keep control on icy conditions. Even then, you’re likely to fall much more often. Those falls will hurt and you can slide for a long ways on steep terrain, possibly smashing into other skiers, frozen moguls, lift towers, and trees along the way. At the end of the day your muscles and joints ache, and you might have a headache from the concentration. In general, not much fun. If the groomers do a great job you have flat but still frozen runs. If, like most places, the groomers can only do so much, you have sheets of ice, death cookies, ruts, and frozen crust. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/39 "2018-01-12T17:16:02Z")
“Death cookies!” :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329/40 "2018-01-12T20:10:38Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > You need sharp edges, lots of concentration, and lots of muscle to keep control on icy conditions. Even then, you’re likely to fall much more often. Those falls will hurt and you can slide for a long ways on steep terrain, possibly smashing into other skiers, frozen moguls, lift towers, and trees along the way. At the end of the day your muscles and joints ache, and you might have a headache from the concentration. In general, not much fun. > > If the groomers do a great job you have flat but still frozen runs. If, like most places, the groomers can only do so much, you have sheets of ice, death cookies, ruts, and frozen crust. In other words, typical lower east coast skiing conditions! 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/three-hours-of-freezing-rain-followed-by-cold-snap-the-city-is-a-skating-rink/806329.md?page=3)