Severe Wx?

[f6john]

Brian, two out of three ain’t bad! KK is as cute as a button, the other kid ain’t half bad either. I could sure use some Western Kentucky Q myself about now, but I imagine it would take me a bit longer to get there than your trip.

[old2soon]

    Bout 2 hrs before sunset saw a bit of blue sky today!  BUT it are Still cold and gonna remain cold fer a few more sunsets. I've had Maybe 6" or 7" of the white stuff. Wind wuz stirrin it up purty good most of today. RIDE SAFE P S STAY WARM!

[Jess from VA]

KK, however, does not have a Vehicle Stability Assist button...



Anyway... Hope ya'll are doing well, and finding the joy in the situation best ya'll can...

While out working in the blizzard, and later from my windows, there were a number of little kids out playing in the snow having a blast and oblivious to the cold (likely none of them had ever seen much snow before).  

[LadyDraco]

I plowed in the morning ,then added ashes on the hills.
While it was freezing rain around 3pm I took the tractor out and put another bale of hay.
The ford did ok I did have to hit the Dif lock to get up the hill to unroll the bale .
Then again to get out of the field.
       I walked and checked the water..
 It's winter, just means more work...

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Went out the back door to shovel a small area for my dog to do her evening business before bed, and measured 18" so far here in my part O' Massachusetts. Still coming down pretty good, too. Oh well; tomorrow's another day. I'll get it cleaned up when it's over. Can hardly wait...


Hope everyone is safe and comes through with little to no property damage.

[cookiedough]

being from WI am use to the cold and wind, for the most part.  Only once had it where in devils lake north dakota ice fishing with my brother some 19+ years ago in my younger adult days where I felt we were NUTS going out in say neg 10 highs and neg 30-40 windchills sitting in a pop up ice shack for 9 hours or more daily not catching much for 3 days straight of this.  Was so cold my eyelids were freezing shut even with ski googles on.  Man, that was an experience I do not want to do again.

[Rams]

Was 7*F when I got up this morning (no idea about wind chill).   Supposed to push the ice laden snow off my neighbor’s driveway today.   That may have to wait.

I don’t mind clearing the driveway at all but, I’m afraid that once I get the concrete exposed snow will melt with the sun shining on it and then will refreeze tonight as soon as it goes dark causing another ice issue.

Rams

[LadyDraco]

It's 10* here , the wind  is  blowing.
They say -1* tonight ...
   
The  coldest I  have  been in  was -28* with a  wind  chill of  -75* ...
That was cold..... 

[f6john]

I had to bust ice off the top of my hvac unit yesterday. It had built up to the point the fan couldn’t turn. I’m glad I caught it before a motor of something burnt out. The design of these things have never taken into account freezing rain. I was supposed to have 12-18” of snow on the ground, not freezing rain. But, I still have power while folks 10-20 miles further southeast do not. I’m going to have to brave the roads to get into town sometime today, got to talk to my banker about a short term note to pay my electric bill for a few months!

[HayHauler]

Well, my story pales in comparison to everyone here.  It got down to 24F last night and Houston is SHUT DOWN!!  They canceled all schools and advised folks not to get out if you don't have to. 
Here I sit at work, near NRG stadium, and didn't have any issues driving in.

I guess it is better to scare the people away than to have to deal with idiots racing around out on icy roads.

Y'all stay warm!

Hay 
Jimmyt

[Hook#3287]

We got a dusting.

I did a first snow removal on the driveway around 8pm last night, good thing.

Even thought the snow was light weight, the Bobcat struggled some to push the 16" or so down at the time.

Got another 6" after that.

[Jess from VA]

Well, the storm is passed and the sun is out.  I'm going to have to go back out and see if my little snow blower will move the mostly ice that rained down all day after I spent 4 hours clearing everything off the best I could yesterday morning.  At a high of 24, I don't think sun is going to melt much.  I will not be using a dang shovel.  I'm prepared to hunker down all week if I have to (it'll be a week before it gets above freezing).

The neighborhood streets are a rutted pile of snow and ice and nearly impassable to cars, and the few I've seen don't know how to be gentle on the gas and rock their way through.  And forgot to bring their snow shovels with them venturing out, and had to walk back home to retrieve them to dig out.

No County snow plows in sight and that may take days too.  Those characters like to plow a 4-5 foot high pile of ice across your driveway apron (after you've cleared it off).  And that takes a pick and shovel; no snow blower will clear it.

At least we didn't lose power, like so many have.

My Ram Promaster 2500 is front wheel drive with engine weight over them and plenty of ground clearance, but I have no idea if those front wheels are positraction, limited slip differential or not.  I never needed to know that before.   I think it does.

[old2soon]

      -2 when I unazzed the rack. Dang just looked and now 7 on the + side of the ledger!  BUT maint has yet to touch any sidewalks yet near as I can tell from what I see!  Sposed to be mid 30s or so mid week and then git cold again.  Anf right this minute crystal clear blue skies here in SoMo!  STAY WARM. RIDE SAFE.

[scooperhsd]

-(something 2, maybe a bit colder ?) when we got up- and moving. I had a dentist appointment this morning (just got home from that), and the Golf Sportwagon would not start - fortunately the Golf Hatchback DID. Put the wagon on the battery charger before coming in - it maybe time to replace the battery (not in these temps, if at all possible) .... Sky is a BRIGHT BLUE today, inspite of the cold temps.

[Jess from VA]

Well, that 8 hours of frozen rain that fell after the snow would not be moved with any snowblower.  It would take a crew of men with sledgehammers to break that stuff up.  I went out and could not even get  my shed doors open to get to my tools, and had to chop and shovel the ice out to get them open.  And my big front gates were iced shut, and I had to climb an 8 foot stepladder and slide my 6 foot stepladder to the other side and climb over the 7 foot fence so I could chop the ice in front of the gate to get into my front yard and truck.  This ice is a disaster, and the worst I've ever seen... even growing up on an island in Michigan was never this bad. 

People that did no work yesterday (almost everyone), have been able to shovel their drives and walks because there is soft snow under the ice.  Me and the few others that worked yesterday have no soft snow underneath, just a solid block of ice.  The County can fine you for not cleaning your walks; and I did that yesterday, but will have to wait for the thaw in a week to get rid of this ice. 

A county snow plow finally came own our street.  Wonders never cease.   

[Serk]

Heh... Photo from Facebook from Beaver Falls, PA... This person here, and willing to fess up? 

[Rams]

Just finished clearing two of my neighbors driveways.   I’m sure my other neighbors would like me to do theirs also but, I  am at my limit for today.

Rams

[hubcapsc]

I plowed in the morning ,then added ashes on the hills.
While it was freezing rain around 3pm I took the tractor out and put another bale of hay.
The ford did ok I did have to hit the Dif lock to get up the hill to unroll the bale .
Then again to get out of the field.
       I walked and checked the water..
 It's winter, just means more work...

I poured some cat litter on the frozen steps. It worked great for about ten
minutes, then turned to sticky clay that made it so that you couldn't wear
your shoes inside. I managed to get it cleaned off today (did I mention sticky?)
after it was less frozen.

-Mike "sand..."

[GiG]

“ from Beaver Falls, PA…”
Looks like Skinhead  

[scooperhsd]

The wife and me saw some pretty bad (20+ inches) of snow at Reston in the early 1990's.  In a way, it was kind of funny to us - the only people really getting anywhere were those who came from the snowbelt (read - the usual places, Great Plains, Mountain states,Rust Belt, New York state  and close by states, New England ). Locals were just absolutely flumoxxed by the snowfall.

[sandy]

Here in AZ, we had: oh never mind. We have too many people now. Y'all move here and we won't have enough water.

Hint; walked to breakfast but wore socks under my sandals.

[Jess from VA]

Here in AZ, we had: oh never mind. We have too many people now. Y'all move here and we won't have enough water.

Hint; walked to breakfast but wore socks under my sandals.

I have a neighbor that is outside all the time in this terrible cold in a Tshirt or maybe a sweatshirt.

I just asked him an hour ago if he owned a coat, and that I would give him one of mine if he needed one.  He laughed at me and said he had lots of coats but doesn't mind the cold for an hour or two. 

OK man, I guess I should just mind my own business.   

No, it's OK Jess, and thank you for the offer, I appreciate it.   

[Jess from VA]

Heh... Photo from Facebook from Beaver Falls, PA... This person here, and willing to fess up? 

That picture looks suspiciously like my snowy neighborhood, and our cops drive the same SUVs.   

But that wasn't me, I only have Interstates.   

[fudgie]

Tg[/img]

The spousal unit had an overnight shift at the hospital Friday night. They put her up for the day Saturday to sleep, fed her, etc then she had another shift last night.

She was supposed to be off work for tonight (Sunday night) but they've had so many folks not able to make it in they made a generous $$ offer for her to stay at the hospital today, get some rest, and do a bonus shift tonight.

Thats 2 wheel drive snow.  We got 4" and everyone made it into the hospital just fine. Ended up with 7".

[Jess from VA]

My neighbor with an F350 and plow came down after working elsewhere yesterday and helped his neighbors out, including me.  I was standing out there, waved, and got in his truck and we talked while he worked.  He got my and a half dozen other neighbors' driveway aprons cleared of ice and snow, saving all of us a lot of hard and heavy work.   

Later, our County (contractors) plows finally hit our neighborhood, and did the best job I've ever seen in 35 years.  Instead of running full speed down the streets and throwing snow and ice up over all the sidewalks and aprons people had slaved to clear, they took their time and worked slowly, and covered no one's apron (for the first time ever). 

And at 6am, they're back out there again.  Bless them. 

 

[Jersey mike]

Yeah where to start.

Sunday afternoon about 3pm the plow came by and I watched “the wall” go up in front and just about 3:30 I decided it was time to get out there and attack the issue of snow.

My driveway is in the neighborhood of 2,500sqft. Double driveway out front and driveway into the backyard and the 3+ bay garage.

From the garage to the street is 90+/- feet, and then there’s all the other area in front of the garage up to the house. Everything is concrete.

I have a 25 year old Honda 7/24 snowblower which has been a real workhorse since I bought it new and I can say it failed me only once about maybe 10 years ago when the stator would not fire it up. Thankfully neighbors pitched in.

Sunday when I went out bundled up in my storm jacket/pants/boots and goggles the wind was 25+ with gusts much higher but the snow was powder. By the time I finished 3-4 passes in the front neighbors were out with their machines doing their stuff. I really think people cue off what I do because it always seems to work out that way. I’m out first and they’re soon following suit.

So anyway, as usual I do the double driveway out front and then help my next door neighbor get his driveway unblocked and make a 8x15’ parking spot in the street and then the people next to him, that’s about 45 minutes or so and then it’s back to the side of my house and leading into the backyard.

The front was pretty level with ranges of 8-14”. The side of the house was deeper from drifts, maybe 14-20” and the back was close to the same but maybe deeper in dome areas and my daughter’s car was buried in the backyard parked next to neighbors fence in front of the garage…this was a mistake on my part this time.


Thankfully my neighbor lets me dump snow from the side into his backyard which helps but it’s over a 6’ fence. With this light stuff it goes sailing way into the backyard.

By the time I finished the side of the house the rain had moved in. The 45 minutes I spent helping the neighbors came back to bite me. The stuff in the back was getting wet and heavy real quick and unfortunately trying to send some over my daughters’s car some fell on top as well.

It was about 6:30 when I finished and the rain was coming down heavier, I’m was soaked the water was just lying on the driveway and my daughter’s car was covered in wet heavy snow. I should have had her clear it but I didn’t want to have her car covered in just ice in the morning, so I bit that bullet, she’s too short to reach the top of the roof which had about 24+ inches.

Yesterday morning, everything was ice. I’ve never seen 2+” of ice crusting before like there was. I was able to use a 16 x 30” piece of 1/2” plywood like a pizza peel to lift the ice off the car and the stuff underneath was still light and fluffy. The exposed parts were a sheet of ice that froze overnight.

With a little hand digging and some cursing I got her car out and that area cleaned up and then went helped the next door neighbor again dig out from the plow and then down to the 4 storm drains a few houses away which the plows left a 5’ wall  x  20” deep in front of and access to our only fire hydrant in our section. I’ve been doing this forever. When we moved in 32 years ago the man who lived next door (the other side) to me use to do it and when I saw him, I started helping, he wasn’t a young guy back then…he died during covid.

These storm drains handle almost all the water for our part of the neighborhood at a T intersection and it’s the bus stop for a bunch of kids, the same stop my kids used all throughout school. My daughter came down with the metal shovel to break up the surface and I cleared away the storm drains made paths for any melting we may get…also made it obvious that the drains were cleared for the plow drivers. This has been my routine forever now.

That little Honda blower has served me well and I’m thinking it’s time to upgrade since I’m getting a bit older. The Honda 928 may likely be added before next winter. The 724 still muscles that snow around but I’m liking the ease of the new controls of the newer models. The 724 I have is not the tracked model I have the tires and would get the tires on the 928 as well. That 724 has gone through 28” (and deeper with drifts) of deep snow and if you let the machine just do its job it works like a champ. Once that first pass is done taking a half or one third bite out of a pass makes the job so much easier and the hydromatic trans is smooth as can be.

All week here it will be below freezing during the day but sunny and nights will be well into the teens or maybe single digits. They’re forecasting a possible storm for the coming weekend….YEAH! 

[Jess from VA]

Good report Mike.

Similar to my experience, except we never had just light powder; even the early snow was also wet and icy and my little Toro just didn't cut it.  And then the 8 more hours of ice covered everything like a rock.  

I wish I had a heavier bladed blower like yours, but it's hard to justify when I only need my little Toro every 4-6 years.  And harder to store in my jam packed sheds too.

My across the street neighbor is a lithium battery equipment nut (mower, blower, wacker, snow blower, rototiller; big money including those batteries) and his snowblower is only a bit larger than my Toro, but that thing outperformed my gas machine by a mile.  He's only 40, and went at the ice with a big flat blade digging bar, and then back over it with the electric blower which threw it 20+ feet.

I've got a big heavy digging bar, but I'm not about to kill myself chopping 4-6" ice with it, and I sure don't want to mark/chip up all my nice concrete or old county sidewalks either.

I will just have to wait for things to thaw (maybe a week).  At least the County has done the best job I've seen in 35 years clearing our streets, so folks can walk in them and not on the solid ice sidewalks.

And I just did some research and discovered my county cannot fine you for not clearing snow and ice from public walks; though strongly encouraged.  Of course a neighbor who falls could sue you.

[Jersey mike]

The Mrs knows a new blower is probably coming but then I showed her this yesterday 

I really don’t think if she actually thinks I’m serious about it. I do believe I’ll keep her guessing for a while.


It’s a Roomba for snow removal, designed to operate all through a storm.

The whole video is 45 minutes and I still haven’t watched the whole thing but skimming through it.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMDLMzGKOew

[Serk]

Thats 2 wheel drive snow.  We got 4" and everyone made it into the hospital just fine. Ended up with 7".

Except that wasn't snow. It was several layers of pure ice with a light dusting of snow on top to make it pretty...

It’s a Roomba for snow removal, designed to operate all through a storm.

There are far more fun alternatives.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXLT3u1-TV8

https://throwflame.com/

[GiG]

My Ram Promaster 2500 is front wheel drive with engine weight over them and plenty of ground clearance, but I have no idea if those front wheels are positraction, limited slip differential or not.  I never needed to know that before.   I think it does…

Positraction would make make that FWD extremely difficult to steer with a solid axle.
Positraction Is a GM product (see “My Cousin Vinnie”). 
Your van should do fine in snow & May have a generic type LSD 

[Rams]

Thats 2 wheel drive snow.  We got 4" and everyone made it into the hospital just fine. Ended up with 7".

Except that wasn't snow. It was several layers of pure ice with a light dusting of snow on top to make it pretty... I’m

It’s a Roomba for snow removal, designed to operate all through a storm.

There are far more fun alternatives.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXLT3u1-TV8

https://throwflame.com/

The neighbors I have assisted have driveways almost as long as mine but not nearly as much concrete when the concrete behind the house and the shop approach is included.  But due to getting mine done first before the clouds cleared allowing the sun to get to the concrete, it took me over three times as long to get to their concrete surface.   Pushing and busting up six to eight inches hard pack snow and ice is a lot harder to do.

I watched several four wheel drive slide right past their intended destination the last few days.   Just cause 4WD can get one moving doesn’t do a damn thing to help one stop on ice.   No doubt experience is a major factor in such conditions.
Rams

[GiG]

Yes, Ron, experience makes all the difference!
4WD is not for driving, as you’ve noticed. Works well to get unstuck.
If you drive around in 4WD & slide off road, then You Are Stuck!
Use 2WD, then switch to 4WD IF you slide off road 

[Detn8er]

My Ram Promaster 2500 is front wheel drive with engine weight over them and plenty of ground clearance, but I have no idea if those front wheels are positraction, limited slip differential or not.  I never needed to know that before.   I think it does…

Positraction would make make that FWD extremely difficult to steer with a solid axle.
Positraction Is a GM product (see “My Cousin Vinnie”). 

That's Dead On Balls Accurate......It's an industry term.   

[f6john]

Tg[/img]

The spousal unit had an overnight shift at the hospital Friday night. They put her up for the day Saturday to sleep, fed her, etc then she had another shift last night.

She was supposed to be off work for tonight (Sunday night) but they've had so many folks not able to make it in they made a generous $$ offer for her to stay at the hospital today, get some rest, and do a bonus shift tonight.

Thats 2 wheel drive snow.  We got 4" and everyone made it into the hospital just fine. Ended up with 7".

When I was a kid, everything was 2 wheel drive snow! Didn’t even know 4 wheel drive existed until the sixties.

[GiG]

Marisa Tomei talking cars! WoW too much!!!


[/url]url=https://postimages.org/][/url][/img]

[Rams]

A question for Serk:

Just curious and wondering if TX got that freezing ice on solar and wind energy producers fixed?

Ice covered generators don’t perform very well from what I have been told.   We have some huge solar panel farms around here.   I’m wondering if they have some kind of heating elements to keep snow and ice from shutting them down?

Rams

[Jess from VA]

My Ram Promaster 2500 is front wheel drive with engine weight over them and plenty of ground clearance, but I have no idea if those front wheels are positraction, limited slip differential or not.  I never needed to know that before.   I think it does…

Positraction would make make that FWD extremely difficult to steer with a solid axle.
Positraction Is a GM product (see “My Cousin Vinnie”). 
Your van should do fine in snow & May have a generic type LSD 

Thank you Gig.

I knew posi was a GM term.

I know I could easily drive now, but I want no salt on my nearly perfect 2017 with 17K miles on it (and original 10 ply tires that look like new).   

[NewValker]

Definitely got about 2 feet here. I worked 40 hours straight, plowing and brining. Cha Ching

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

While I'm certainly NOT trying to change the subject away from the lovely Marisa  ...



This morning, I finished cleaning up (again) after another 3 inches or so fell over night. Several years ago, I tried out several new blowers but felt quite disappointed with build quality, so I decided to build my own. She's heavy, tires me out, and has no mamby pamby safety crap, but will chew through just about anything. I took a mid 80s JD 1032 that had gone kaboom, and someone put a 7hp Tecumseh engine on it. Needless to say, it's performance was underwhelming moving heavy, wet New England snow from a 32" bucket. I went through the blower itself, and swapped a 14HP Robin/Subaru snow engine to it. I played with pulleys to get the auger speed to where I wanted it, and it's a beast. As I always say, I'm no videographer, but here's a short video I made right after I got it together. There is a cover for the belts; I just had't made it yet when this video was shot.    https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6bHD3ZtlT9c

[Ken aka Oil Burner]

Definitely got about 2 feet here. I worked 40 hours straight, plowing and brining. Cha Ching

Here in Mendon, I'd guess a little less; probably 18-20". I do/don't miss municipal plowing (used to in Grafton years ago).