Major Snow Storm headed east, BRING IT!!!!

[Rams]

Was just talking with a life long friend who is visiting a mutual acquaintance in Phoenix, he's currently stuck in snowbound traffic about fifty miles south of Flagstaff in a major snow storm, said that the traffic is backed up as far as he can see both front and to his rear with no traffic on the south bound lane.   Said he'd been driving 10 to 15 mph the last 20 miles in 4WD.

Here I sit and it's raining in Kentucky, thinking crap, it's that time of year again. But, as I told my neighbor when he saw me unloading my newest acquisition (8 horse, 27 inch snow blower) a couple of days ago, I've just ensured we won't have another heavy snow fall in Kentucky for at least the next five years. Last year's 12 inch and a week later's 22 inch snow fall just about killed me shoveling out all the concrete driveway I have. Never again!!

The Valkyrie is inside my shop, the Jeep is fueled up, the frig is stocked my back up generator is full of fuel with several gallons of Stabil laced fuel just waiting to be used.   Mother Nature, You Don't Scare ME, BRING IT!!!!     At least for a week or so.  

[wiggydotcom]

Haha. It sounds like you are up for the challenge, Ron!

[Rams]

Haha. It sounds like you are up for the challenge, Ron!

Almost, still have to get the Spousal Unit her Christmas gift, just not sure how big of a snow shovel she can handle. 

[Jess from VA]

Haha. It sounds like you are up for the challenge, Ron!

Almost, still have to get the Spousal Unit her Christmas gift, just not sure how big of a snow shovel she can handle. 

Get her an aluminum or plastic one, the steel ones really hurt when swung down over your head.   

[old2soon]

Was just talking with a life long friend who is visiting a mutual acquaintance in Phoenix, he's currently stuck in snowbound traffic about fifty miles south of Flagstaff in a major snow storm, said that the traffic is backed up as far as he can see both front and to his rear with no traffic on the south bound lane.   Said he'd been driving 10 to 15 mph the last 20 miles in 4WD.

Here I sit and it's raining in Kentucky, thinking crap, it's that time of year again. But, as I told my neighbor when he saw me unloading my newest acquisition (8 horse, 27 inch snow plow) a couple of days ago, I've just ensured we won't have another heavy snow fall in Kentucky for at least the next five years. Last year's 12 inch and a week later's 22 inch snow fall just about killed me shoveling out all the concrete driveway I have. Never again!!

The Valkyrie is inside my shop, the Jeep is fueled up, the frig is stocked my back up generator is full of fuel with several gallons of Stabil laced fuel just waiting to be used.   Mother Nature, You Don't Scare ME, BRING IT!!!!      At least for a week or so. 

           Be cursed careful WHAT ya wish fer!    Growin up in Illinois I made lotsa loot cutting grass rakin leaves and shovelin snow.  Appears like to me kids don't wanna do much of that stuff!  RIDE SAFE.

[cookiedough]

Hilarious,  Arizona-nites complaining about a 'major' snowstorm. 

How much snow is expected, a blizzard of 2-5 inches of snow?

I've never driven under 35 mph in 4wd in ANY type of snowstorm and felt comfy doing that speed.  Only time on the hwy. I have driven slower than say 35 mph is in very heavy fog. 

Even back in the 90's when we had a 24" snowstorm blizzard conditions,  my rear wheel drive clunker 1978 buick skylark made it just fine doing 35-40 mph for anything less speed that that I doubt I would have made it up the hills in the country spinning and slipping and sliding all the way to work.  I had the furthest to drive to work at the time about 35 miles one way and I still made it to work on time vs. the rest late for work or never showed up for work at all.  I just had to leave 20 minutes early tops is all. 

Biggest issue, besides fog, is in icy conditions, now no one can drive very well on glare ice. 

[da prez]

  Several years ago I had to put the Valk in storage because of lack of parking space. On the way it started snowing.   The car in front of me slowed down to 25 MPH in a 55 MPH zone where I could not pass.
  When I finaly passed , she was white knuckled on the steering wheel.
  I honked and waved as I went by.  The roads were only wet until I got a couple miles from the storage yard.
  Some people should not be on the road.

                                   da prez

[hubcapsc]

Hilarious,  Arizona-nites complaining about a 'major' snowstorm.

I don't know what they get in Arizona, but here in South Carolina we
likely get ice storms. Snow is easy to drive in, I've driven over two
mountain passes in Colorado in a blizzard in a Geo Metro. But ice....

I kind of chuckle when the news talks about some Northern city being
shut down because they got a little blast like we get at just
the right temperature that hovers back and forth between freezing
and melting...

The wiki sez that Arizona gets between 60 and 144 inches of snow a year around
the Grand Canyon...

-Mike

[Jess from VA]

Ice storms are the killer in VA too (rarely a pile of snow here in NoVA). 

Really they're long steady rainstorms with (like you say) the temps on and off freezing. 

Trees and huge branches down everywhere, power out all over, sump pumps must have generator or you flood (all that rain is not frozen below ground), fall on your head just getting the mail, cars sliding all over the road, bridges are an ice rink, and if you have two feet of snow on your roof before the ice storm, you stress test your roof, and your gutters rip off.   And you need a hammer and chisel to get into your car.   

I stay home.   

[Oss]

I am good for scotch and bourbon till spring

Beer will stay cold in the garage

So No worries.  

Dont know if you have mountains hills and steep turns with ice in indiana, I think probably not.

Going downhill on a long mountain curve with ice and no barrier for oncoming traffic ?

You wouldnt be doing 35 you would rather be like Jess, sittin home sippin the whisky

It snowed in Flagstaff the night before I got there last March. If I didnt get caught by the 71 mph wind in Gallup NM I would have hit that snow around dusk (where is the shiver emoticon)   By the time I hit Flagstaff at 10am there was no snow left

[Valkpilot]

Hilarious,  Arizona-nites complaining about a 'major' snowstorm. 

How much snow is expected, a blizzard of 2-5 inches of snow?

Arizona ain't all cactus and sand. 

Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet elevation, in the middle of a pine forest, and experiences regular heavy snowfalls during the winter, with an average annual snow fall amount of 100 inches.

Most of Wisconsin sees far less than that amount, except along the border with Lake Superior and Michigan.

The difference is, that it hangs around much longer in Wisconsin! 

[scooperhsd]

Ice storms are an issue here.

In 30 years of living in the DC metro area and here in NC - same conditions yield the same results - drivers can't drive in it.

The "perfect storm" that generates the most snow (and I've seen 20 inches here) is when a moisture laden airmass from the south meets a cold air mass barrelling down from the north / Northwest. Not too great of odds of seeing a white christmas (thank god).

Growing up in Kansas - I can drive in anything the weather throws at that the vehicle can handle - I once was driving back to Pensacola on I-55 on a closed Interstate in Mississippi because it had a foot of snow.  A Boston winter wasn't too horrible.

[art]

Was just talking with a life long friend who is visiting a mutual acquaintance in Phoenix, he's currently stuck in snowbound traffic about fifty miles south of Flagstaff in a major snow storm, said that the traffic is backed up as far as he can see both front and to his rear with no traffic on the south bound lane.   Said he'd been driving 10 to 15 mph the last 20 miles in 4WD.

Here I sit and it's raining in Kentucky, thinking crap, it's that time of year again. But, as I told my neighbor when he saw me unloading my newest acquisition (8 horse, 27 inch snow blower) a couple of days ago, I've just ensured we won't have another heavy snow fall in Kentucky for at least the next five years. Last year's 12 inch and a week later's 22 inch snow fall just about killed me shoveling out all the concrete driveway I have. Never again!!
50 miles of Flagstaff is a very bad place to be. No turn around and very exits. Some exits go nowhere. You can't cross over either,the medium is 1000' in some places. You hunker down and wait . Not fun. Believe me it's worse in the summer in that area-HEAT HEAT.
The Valkyrie is inside my shop, the Jeep is fueled up, the frig is stocked my back up generator is full of fuel with several gallons of Stabil laced fuel just waiting to be used.   Mother Nature, You Don't Scare ME, BRING IT!!!!     At least for a week or so.  

[Rams]

50 miles of Flagstaff is a very bad place to be. No turn around and very exits. Some exits go nowhere. You can't cross over either,the medium is 1000' in some places. You hunker down and wait . Not fun. Believe me it's worse in the summer in that area-HEAT HEAT.

Yeah, that pretty much describes what he was looking at, he said the snow was so heavy that he could barely see the semi that was four cars in front of him.   What really piss'd him off was all the jerks that kept trying to go down the emergency lanes on each side of the road.   

He said the semi ahead of him pulled over and blocked the emergency lane for a while until an emergency vehicle came up from behind and the semi pulled back into line.    Unfortunately, that emergency vehicle didn't get much farther because someone else had slid into another vehicle driving  too fast in the emergency lane also.   Said it was a pretty screwed up situation.

[cookiedough]

Hilarious,  Arizona-nites complaining about a 'major' snowstorm. 

How much snow is expected, a blizzard of 2-5 inches of snow?

Arizona ain't all cactus and sand. 

Flagstaff is at 7,000 feet elevation, in the middle of a pine forest, and experiences regular heavy snowfalls during the winter, with an average annual snow fall amount of 100 inches.

Most of Wisconsin sees far less than that amount, except along the border with Lake Superior and Michigan.

The difference is, that it hangs around much longer in Wisconsin! 

Did not know that, thanks for the education lesson.  Only been to Phoenix and south into Tucson once in the winter is all enjoying the balmy 60's all by ourselves swimming in the outside hotel pool when all the locals asked us where we were from, WI?  YEP!

agree though that ICE is the worst and luckily only 1-2 times per winter we get that crap and if so,  I stay home usually if at all possible.  Is not worth dealing with any type of traffic on severely 1/4" thick or so ice covered roads. 

[KY,Dave (AKA Misunderstood)]

Was just talking with a life long friend who is visiting a mutual acquaintance in Phoenix, he's currently stuck in snowbound traffic about fifty miles south of Flagstaff in a major snow storm, said that the traffic is backed up as far as he can see both front and to his rear with no traffic on the south bound lane.   Said he'd been driving 10 to 15 mph the last 20 miles in 4WD.

Here I sit and it's raining in Kentucky, thinking crap, it's that time of year again. But, as I told my neighbor when he saw me unloading my newest acquisition (8 horse, 27 inch snow plow) a couple of days ago, I've just ensured we won't have another heavy snow fall in Kentucky for at least the next five years. Last year's 12 inch and a week later's 22 inch snow fall just about killed me shoveling out all the concrete driveway I have. Never again!!

The Valkyrie is inside my shop, the Jeep is fueled up, the frig is stocked my back up generator is full of fuel with several gallons of Stabil laced fuel just waiting to be used.   Mother Nature, You Don't Scare ME, BRING IT!!!!      At least for a week or so. 

           Be cursed careful WHAT ya wish fer!    Growin up in Illinois I made lotsa loot cutting grass rakin leaves and shovelin snow.  Appears like to me kids don't wanna do much of that stuff!  RIDE SAFE.

My brother and I used to make a boatload of money shoveling snow too. We were talking about it last year that kids don't do it today. He still lives in the same area in PA is hoping some kid will show up at his door asking to shovel his drive and always has to do his own. Kids aren't go getters like they/we used to be.......

[Rams]

Kids aren't go getters like they/we used to be.......

Used to be being the key phrase.   The ole grey mare ain't what she used to be and neither am I. 

[Hooter]

   I agree, bring it...TO YOU! We have no snow and I understand we may have a brown Christmas.  Not what the kids want but for us adults, this is a good thing. Plow is still settin next to the garage and I hope it stays there!     I'm usually gettin ready to ice fish after deer season but not yet. Guess I will keep the boat ready.

[Skinhead]

The roads south of Flagstaff are treacherous when it snows.  Think mountain roads that normally run 70 mph with folks that usually don't drive on snow. 

I left Phoenix for Flag once, it was 75 in Phoenix and it started snowing as I started into the high country.  There was maybe 4 inches of wet snow on the ground, I was running about 45-50 in a FWD Buick, guy in a 4WD jeep passed me in the mountains going about 65, I found him off the road, over turned about 5 miles up the road.  There was 18" on the ground by the time I got to Flagstaff.

[Rams]

The roads south of Flagstaff are treacherous when it snows.  Think mountain roads that normally run 70 mph with folks that usually don't drive on snow. 

I left Phoenix for Flag once, it was 75 in Phoenix and it started snowing as I started into the high country.  There was maybe 4 inches of wet snow on the ground, I was running about 45-50 in a FWD Buick, guy in a 4WD jeep passed me in the mountains going about 65, I found him off the road, over turned about 5 miles up the road.  There was 18" on the ground by the time I got to Flagstaff.

Just cause the vehicle has 4WD doesn't mean the operator knows what the hell he/she's doing.   We have proof of that almost daily.   

BTW, talked to my friend today, he made it to Farmington, NM and is going to sit back and wait for better driving conditions.   He said, "There too damn many idiots out there on the road that think they know how to drive!"

[Hooter]

   4WD can be worse if someone doesn't know what they are doing. It's usually gives someone a false sense of security especially if it's their first, they think they can drive normal on crappy roads. They will end up with their end up.

[RP#62]

Flagstaff got 12 inches of snow yesterday and is expecting another 12-18 inches by Friday.  It does actually snow in Arizona.

-RP

[Dave Ritsema]

Flagstaff got 12 inches of snow yesterday and is expecting another 12-18 inches by Friday.  It does actually snow in Arizona.

-RP

GLad we were there last week!

[cookiedough]

What snowblower did you pick up?

Agree, will take 12 inches of snow vs. 1/3rd of an inch of ice.

snowtires in a fwd car are at times better than a 4wd truck/suv.  

snowtires can stop much quicker and have more braking and cornering control for sure better than any 4wd vehicle with LT or passenger tires on.  

I did not believe it either until I got used off craigslist but near new condition for 1/2 price a set for the FWD SUV.  Loved them so much that got a set for the FWD car as well.    I tried my darndest in 4-5" of snow going pretty darn fast around a corner doing more than I should and the snowtires just gripped almost like on dry pavement.  If I tried going that fast in my 4wd 1/2 ton truck with P-rated tires on it,  I would have been in the ditch even in 4wd.  

larger vehicles don't stop worth a hoot on snow/ice too much weight going forward to stop as well as a snow tire car.  

So far,  I think one accident was avoided due to being able to stop/brake well in advance of hitting a car in front of me that pullled out/braked suddenly.