# Unpleasantly Large Mid-Atlantic Snow Event Coming **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 19, 2016, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612 "2016-01-19T19:59:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/121 "2016-01-23T11:15:25Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > _Where’s the kaboom? There was supposed to be an earth-shattering kaboom!_ > > It’s a decent snowstorm; there’s maybe 6-7 inches out there. But for something that was advertised as being on a par with 2010’s Snowmageddon, this is pretty small potatoes so far. We just had an earth-shattering kaboom. Thundersnow! Pretty much overhead (enough to shake the house good)…glad we were already awake. As for the intensity, The Weather Channel claims DC could still get another 8-12 inches today, and one model (that they aren’t relying on) says up to 20 more. We aren’t done yet. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/122 "2016-01-23T11:50:24Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > What puzzles me is the idea of rushing to the stores, which was the beginning of this thread, when posters from the east coast here are saying that they don’t recall the situation ever being so bad that stores have actually closed out or run out. Some people do buy things in a panic, but a lot just go to the store to get their normal chores done before the snow arrives. ---
**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:** [January 23, 2016, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/123 "2016-01-23T12:07:36Z")
We were in Hawaii for Hurricane Iniki, and people swept staples off the shelves ahead of time. Including beer, which pleased me to see people can still get the basics correct in times of crisis. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/124 "2016-01-23T12:35:04Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > We just had an earth-shattering kaboom. Thundersnow! Pretty much overhead (enough to shake the house good)…glad we were already awake. Wow! That woulda been cool. I was hoping that would happen here, but so far, no luck. > [@](#): > > As for the intensity, The Weather Channel claims DC could still get another 8-12 inches today, and one model (that they aren’t relying on) says up to 20 more. We aren’t done yet. Tru dat, but the forecasts strongly suggested that more than half of the snow was going to have already fallen by this morning, and I’d wake up to a foot of snow. So unless the bulk of the storm has yet to arrive - which doesn’t seem to be the case - I’m thinking that the whole thing is going to be more along the lines of 9-12 inches here. Which is a decent snowstorm, sure, but hardly Snowpocalypse. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/125 "2016-01-23T12:37:35Z")
We’ve got more than a foot now, and the forecast shows the majority of _hours_ of snowfall still ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/126 "2016-01-23T13:20:28Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > We just had an earth-shattering kaboom. Thundersnow! Pretty much overhead (enough to shake the house good)…glad we were already awake. Where are you at? I didn’t hear any thunder last night, I’m over in Gaithersburg so we might not have gotten it. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > Wow! That woulda been cool. I was hoping that would happen here, but so far, no luck. Tru dat, but the forecasts strongly suggested that more than half of the snow was going to have already fallen by this morning, and I’d wake up to a foot of snow. So unless the bulk of the storm has yet to arrive - which doesn’t seem to be the case - I’m thinking that the whole thing is going to be more along the lines of 9-12 inches here. Which is a decent snowstorm, sure, but hardly Snowpocalypse. Aren’t you down in southern Maryland? Just northwest of DC from 10pm til 6:30 I got enough snow to be up to my mid calf. It’s almost up to my knee with all the snow we’ve had so far. I expect quite a bit if it keeps up. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/127 "2016-01-23T13:27:27Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Where are you at? I didn’t hear any thunder last night, I’m over in Gaithersburg so we might not have gotten it. Kind of in the Colesville/Silver Spring area. It was right around 6am, I think. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/128 "2016-01-23T13:48:38Z")
I heard the thunder boom in the Silver Spring area. Loud! ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/129 "2016-01-23T13:55:47Z")
NY’s Cuomo just ordered [a state of emergency](http://www.amny.com/news/nyc-blizzard-state-of-emergency-declared-up-to-2-feet-of-snow-expected-1.11342526). NJ’s Christie declared a ‘[state of emergency](http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/01/christie_declares_state_of_emergency_as_major_stor.html)’. (…and ordered a steak urgently…) ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/130 "2016-01-23T14:02:11Z")
Hyattsville/Bladensburg: was hearing some kind of rumbling noise last night, but difficult to tell if it was thunder or just a truck going by. I’d call it about 10 inches here, right now. I’ve got path lights along the front walk that are a little over 10" high from the ground and the tops of them are exactly level with the snow. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/131 "2016-01-23T15:08:23Z")
As of 9am, it was up to 9" by actual measurement. (On the flat parts of the yard, I got a bunch of measurements between 8" and 10", but centered around 9".) I shoveled off a couple of spots when I went out, just so I could eyeball fresh accumulation better. So far, just a powdering over the past hour, certainly under a half-inch. I’m at the north end of Calvert County, about a mile in from the Bay. And yeah, we did get some changeover to sleet during the night, so that would have helped keep the total down. When the Firebug and I were out late yesterday afternoon, the snow was light and fluffy, next to impossible to make a decent snowball out of. It’s wet and heavy this morning; I think this is the year I break down and pay someone to dig my cars out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/132 "2016-01-23T15:09:57Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > NJ’s Christie declared a ‘[state of emergency](http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/01/christie_declares_state_of_emergency_as_major_stor.html)’. > (…and ordered a steak urgently…) Please knock off the political digs in this thread. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/133 "2016-01-23T15:14:59Z")
Checkiing in from St. Mary’s county somewhere between Leonardtown and Mechanicsville. Near as I can tell without actually measuring, we got 9-10" overnight, and we’ve gotten another inch or so since 5 this morning when I dug out a place for my dog to pee. It’s snowing again and the wind has picked up. I may or may not try to shovel today - depends on the wind. Spousal unit is not permitted to shovel - he’s having back surgery in a couple of weeks and he doesn’t need the additional stress or pain. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/134 "2016-01-23T15:39:54Z")
Went out to shovel off the paths around the house and the sidewalk out front. Snow is fluffy but so deep that it’s still very heavy. Had to do it in 2-3 layers. I’m going to have to do it all again later anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BetsQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@BetsQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BetsQ)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/135 "2016-01-23T16:20:58Z")
I’m inside the beltway in Montgomery County, and we have snow well above my 9 year old’s knees. (I’m not going outside to measure - the 13 year old has purloined my snow gear.) As long as we have power, I’m happy to have a weekend stuck at home not doing much. The one downside: so far, the dog is refusing to go out. I did hit the grocery store Friday morning. Grocery shopping is a weekend activity for us, so we’re pretty much out of everything by Friday. 70 year old house = not much storage space, especially for perishables. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/136 "2016-01-23T16:49:53Z")
And the snow just keeps coming… ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/137 "2016-01-23T16:57:08Z")
Reston/Herndon area near Dulles Airport. National Weather Service reports 16-19 inches in the areas immediately around us. Our dogs are definitely not all-weather dogs. This is so different it’s making them anxious even when they’re inside. Diamond couldn’t even muster up the chutzpah to be bad – normally, she likes to steal socks or play tug with them, but when I was sitting down just a bit ago to put fresh socks on, she came over and put her mouth on one, then let go and looked at me instead of trying. We are hunkered down. Winter is coming. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/138 "2016-01-23T16:58:35Z")
It’s all but stopped here for the past couple of hours. Not that I mind. It would be nice if that perennial assumption that the northern and western 'burbs get the worst of the snowstorms was true for once. I could deal with the government still being shut down for a day or so after I can get to the grocery store here on plowed roads. Speaking of which, they came through and plowed the road through our neighborhood sometime between 8 and 9 this morning, and it’s still in pretty good shape. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/139 "2016-01-23T17:39:19Z")
We’re in Silver Spring/Takoma Park. If there was thunder I didn’t hear it. I dug out a path for the dog, but haven’t done the sidewalk. If there are blizzard conditions, it would all get undone anyway. Also, we’re on a dead end street where people rarely use the sidewalk. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2016, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612/140 "2016-01-23T17:42:23Z")
We’re up to 18-20 inches here in mid Montgomery county. And it’s still coming down pretty hard. It’s deep enough that we’ve built a tunnel system. I don’t think it’s supposed to stop for another 4-6 hours. Time to go shovel once again. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unpleasantly-large-mid-atlantic-snow-event-coming/743612.md?page=8)