The storm hit on Friday, and if it’s as historic in magnitude as they’re predicting, the roads in northern Virginia will still be a crapshoot on Monday. It’s not a question of the store running out of things, but me running out. I don’t necessarily have four days of meals for a family of four stockpiled, particularly when I haven’t shopped since the previous weekend. I’m going to want a margin of safety on diapers, baby food, and toddler food like bread and fruit. People laid in bottled water because the authorities said to do so (surely a Canadian can respect that :p). When everyone is doing the same thing, there’s a rush on the stores. Keep in mind that everyone in charge has been saying that this will rival our biggest storms ever, in an area where the road agencies just showed that they struggle to handle a little one.
I think we may be misunderstanding each other’s assumptions or some such. I feel like all I’m describing is just basic planning for the worst.
I guess everybody’s different. My wife and son and I could get by for a month, if we had to, on what’s in the house. (And that’s excluding the stuff in the chest freezer in the basement, which would be an unfair comparison because most people don’t have one.) The meals would get a bit repetitive after the second week, but we wouldn’t suffer from nutritional deficiencies or anything.
But in the cupboard that serves as our pantry, we’ve got a couple pounds of rice, several cans each of chicken broth, black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans, and a few cans each of diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste in the cupboard that serves as our pantry, plus several jars of peanut butter, unopened jars of condiments and sauces, several boxes of mac and cheese, a few cans of coffee beans, a couple bags of sugar, a few jugs of apple juice and Gatorade, and other odds and ends.
By the middle of the second week, we’d be out of milk and half-and-half, so I’d have to drink my coffee black, and the Firebug would have to wash down his meals with juice and Gatorade rather than milk. And by the end of the second week, we’d be out of bread, if we didn’t have the chest freezer, so no more PB&J sandwiches. But we could keep things almost normal for 10-14 days before we started trying to figure out how to put together rice, beans, and tomatoes in different ways.
Here in South Central PA, we’re getting our winter asses kicked. At my best guess (what I can see from my windows: on top of the chicken coop, nearly covering my compost bin, blocking the front door of the houses across the street, and half-way covering the windows above my front porch), we’ve gotten about 2-3 feet thus far…and it’s still coming down.
I was out earlier to shovel it the best I could away from the heat vent that’s about three feet from the ground. At the time, it was about 6-8 inches from the bottom of the vent, and that was only because I’d put the trash can close to it to block some of the snow from accumulating.
Earlier this morning, I went out to the chicken coop to break up the frozen water and check on the food for the hens, and there was no way I could have shoveled a path. I struggled walking through the snow that was almost up to my knees. Since I don’t have a snowblower, it’s unlikely that I’ll be clearing a path anywhere (including the sidewalk) in the next few days. No way can I clear off three feet plus of snow from the sidewalk out front, especially if the snowplow trucks are kicking the stuff from the road onto the sidewalks.
Overall, I’ll be doing okay as long as the electricity stays on, as it’s the only heat source I have. (Fingers crossed) Pantry and freezer are stocked, the fridge contents are at a good level, and plenty of cat food and toilet paper. So, I just have to not freak out at the thought of what the hell I’m going to do with all of this snow and if I’ll ever be able to leave my house again, and if the roof can hold 3+ feet of snow…
I swear I just heard a snowmobile go down the street a few minutes ago…
Here in glorious Beaver County PA it is a sunny 28 degrees with a gusty breeze. There is about a half inch of snow that fell last night. We expect about the same tonight. If it makes you feel any better, I live beside the Beaver River and it has been frozen over for a couple of days.
Still coming down and blowing off the roof here in the boonies. Once again, I cleared a place for the dog to go pee, and within and hour, it was all covered again. She’s a pug, so I have to dig out for her - she tried galloping into the yard - gave up after about 6 feet of travel.
There are drifts over 2’ and I’m certain over a foot has fallen. I’ve got a long day of shoveling ahead of me. And I’m beginning to think work will be canceled on Monday. We shall see…
I think we’ve gotten about 2 feet, not that I’ve been outside to measure. It’s still snowing.
I can’t open my front door. Despite being a covered stoop, enough snow has blown onto the steps that the storm door cannot open outwards. Luckily for me, I generally leave through the garage, in my car. Even more luckily, I have an awesome neighbor who shovels me out. I think I owe him another case of beer after this.
I’ve measured from 17-26+ inches. The 17 inches are where the trees are protecting the road. I’ve got an average of 22-23 inches I would say, measured on the road that they haven’t touched yet. It’s quite flat in that area so I would say that’s about what we’ve gotten. It is still going.
I’m in NYC. It’s cold, it’s insanely windy (like, 50 mph–that’s about 80.5 km/hr–gusts), and there are huge snowdrifts. And it’s still coming down.
The cars across the street from my building are almost buried in snow. I just saw a guy fall almost up to his hips while he was walking his dog, who kept leaping up and disappearing in the snow.
BBC is reporting a complete travel ban in New York City. Anyone caught out will be arrested. (Is that only for drivers? Surely it can’t be for people just walking around.)
Folks in the upper Midwest may make fun of DC closing with 2" of snow, but these amounts would be a big deal here as well. Maybe anywhere , possibly excepting Syracuse or Aormori City.
Measuring the back deck with a tape measure, we’re at 24.5 inches. It is impossible to exit the house any way other than the garage door. Supposedly, we’re almost done here, though.
I’m not looking forward to ShovelFest 2016 tomorrow.
Yes, it’s just for drivers, from 2:30 PM this afternoon. Buses were stopped at noon, and outdoor subway lines are closed.
The flattest parts I measured were over 22", with drifts way over 3’. Still coming down heavily, but it’s supposed to be over by midnight.
In Brooklyn,
Wallet
Lol no. Flight was supposed to get into IAD ~530p tomorrow, but apparently that’s not happening. We’ll see if I can get through to the travel agent before dinner.
Judging by The Weather Channel, NYC streets are pretty much empty now except for their meteorologists although people are milling about in Central Park. Should be a record snow on Central Park when this is over.
