Snow today and tomorrow
Snow today and tomorrow
Reporting in so far from Mass., Rhode Island, Ohio, New York, Michigan, Illinois, on the snow storm surging across a third of the US. No pictures yet.
Dan B. says:
I’ve had enough. Between plowing my office, the shop, the home and mom’s. Then snow blowing the piles to make room for more. Being, literally up to my hips in snow cleaning off the greenhouses and cancelling my office because I can not keep the hill of the driveway clean…
I’ve had enough.
After this current storm, I have a friend coming to the office with his Bobcat to clean out the 8 to 10′ high mounds on both sides of the driveway at the bottom. I have a unique situation such that the highway plows unload 2.5 lanes of snow that has been pushed for 200′ the minute they hit my driveway.
Spencer England says:
I’ve been in New England since 1974 and this is the first time I’ve ever hired anyone to do my driveway. Although after the blizzard of 1978 I did hire a crew to shovel
the snow off my roof. That one storm dropped five feet of snow. In the Boston area we are seeing building collapse already from the heavy snow on flat roofs even before this storm hits. In one parking garage two guys were trapped in their car when the roof collapsed on them. We already have five feet of snow and I am running out of room to but more.
Just did my deck shoveled before this storm for the first time this season. It was still relatively light snow, not ice and I could slide most of it under the railing rather than lifting it.. They expect the second snow this week to be a heavy wet one with freezing rain, etc
Mike says:
I live sox blocks from the office and walk to work every day. It was a very slow trudge today. I suspect it will be worse tomorrow. We also feed some feral cats and one dog which requires a drive. It sucks in this weather but they gotta eat.
Rebecca says:
I have to shovel a 2′ by 10′ sidewalk.
Dan C. says:
Back in the day the private contractor who plows for the town had his young daughter with him, and Linda provided hot chocolate and coffee for the two (or me some other times) the next couple winters. His daughter is in high school now, but he plows the area which includes our driveway and walk area. At this point I am estatic for the favor. I had to shovel a section of the roof for ice dams.
Of course the snow piles are over 8 feet by tonite.
No word from Linda or Ken, but my Chicago son says lots of snow for that city. I can hear Rusty grumbling from here! As people check in I will add comments. I expect Robert is doing fine with the weather in Italy. Noni Mausa has the dogs out and sleds ready.
Run75441 says:
…work in Upstate New York in the snow belt and we are over 110 inches since December. We get plenty of snow. If you don’t like cross country skiing, downhill, or snowshoe-ing; you go dormant. Got snowshoes for Christmas as my oldest son kept my cross country skiis.
Three years ago I bought a Toro with a 24″ blade and 3.5Hp motor. it didn’t snow and I thought the nearly $700 bucks was well spent. I might be willing to spend that much each year if it would guarantee no snow. i’ve got a 60’x100′ lot, but the 100′ goes to the back as a driveway with no sides for snow piles. The blower works OK exscept when snow falls off the roof and piles two feet and solid in the driveway below. I’m still recovering from the snow fall last week. Too much! And in case you’re wondering what is up with global warming, here’s a good short explanation of the relationship between:”Bundle Up,(and) It’s Global Warming”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/26/opinion/26cohen.html?_r=1&ref=environment
After last winter i decided it was time for a snow blower for the tractor. After the first two passes going up wind, I got a cab. I figured after spending all that money we wouldn’t get snow for a year or two.
It’s worked so far. Thanks, guys! Keep it there.
Jack:
I have an “old, 25 years old” MTD snow-thrower (two stage). I have kept it because it refuses to break down. Now I work in upstate NY and my home is in Michigan. For 10 years now, I have done my neighbor’s drive of twice the width as mine and 100 feet long. He promised to buy a snow thrower and do my drive while I was in NY. I picked one (7 horse generic Simplicity) out for him that was under $500 and not fancy but self propelled and capable. It would be like my old one. Instead he bought a cheaper model like yours which is a push type and single stage. They usually do not put roll bearings in them and they burn up after a while.
We are expecting a foot tonight and he called and asked if I would help with my old snow thrower because he felt his would not work well. I am not happy as I can not depend on him to keep my drive clean while I am away. He is as usual . . . cheap . . . He signed up for 3 driveways with this little single stage.
Guess I will call my other friend to plow my drive. I can’t depend on him.
Grumble?
In Michigan this week, on the northern edge of the snow belt, about 5 inches so far but the winds are picking up to blizzard speed. Going to snow blow about 10:30 and the pick up Mrs. R from work, assuming the night nurse arrives. If not Mrs. R will be really grumpy about an all nighter and I will deliver late dinner and try to reassure her.
My favorite snow story was the great blizzard of 1978 in Toledo area, Mrs. R. was stuck working in a geriatric-psych ward for 4 days (sleeping in an empty room, and she is still mad at me for not rescuing her sooner). I spent six days running a CAT front end loader for a construction company that had equipment but no operators. Many adventures, very little sleep,
The kids are all in Ohio, and the freezing rain has begun to get nasty.
Blowing snow with a 40 mph wind is invigorating, but I have to be a little careful cause I am not a kid anymore.
run
You’ve sold my Toro short. Three forward speeds, two reverse and self propelled. 3.5 horse and it seems to be plenty. Either pull start or power cord, it has both. The thing cost over $600 and it’s worked pretty well so far though it balked at an 18″ hard packed pile. it might have eaten through but I didn’t want to risk damaging the engine or blade. A little chopping into sections was a big help. My big problem is I’d run out of where to throw the damn stuff.
damn. rebecca has it rough.
Hey, y’all. I am unpleasantly reminded of the three years I worked downtown in the Loop. As I was walking toward Wacker Drive over the PO bridge one 20 below morning, my eyes watered so much from the wind that my eyelashes froze to my face. I don’t live up yonder no more. Nice day here–70 outside and inside. Bright and sunny. Y’all come! NancyO
14 inches and high winds – perfect day (?)
DFW Texas,
Its colder than !$#*$. Ice everywhere at least 1″ thick. No one, except us rust-belt refugees, know how to drive in this crap. All major schools systems closed (Dallas, Arlington, Fort Worth) and all closed for today (Wednesday) last nigh before the sun went down instead of the usual 6 am decision. They just punted. Expected to stay below freezing through Friday morning, then warm up for the Super Bowl to a still cool 60 degrees. That will melt off the ice and get things back to normal.
Coldest its been in 15 years. Packers and Steelers in town wearing short sleeves and wondering what all the fuss is about!!!!
And it hit 75 last Saturday!!! Aaaarrgh!!
Islam will change
I have kept up this year with two shovels and roof raking.
Getting a bit old for this type heavy work, so in spring will invest in a medium range snowblower.
Surely, next year will be limited snow. My excuse these past decades……..
About this time a number of years ago I took off through DFW toward TexArkana with two cars, 3 kids, a mini schnouser and house plants PCS to the Northeast.
Ice and stuff up to DFW, then a rotten snow storm all the way to first overnight just insider Arkansas!!!!
The blue northers!!
ILSM, if my onw experience of investing to delay this year’s snow till …? You should be good for a year. Invest even more to extend that period??!!??? 🙂
Oh, that stimulates the economy in a sound way. If we can just get Obama to propose a tax incentive for these investments we can then take advantage of the mythical Govt multiplier.
Buff, no snow here. ~1/3″ of rain last night, and it got to 65 this PM. Sure do feel for you folks, but know it’s only a short term respite here.