Blizzard

**Zacha341** · December-13-10, 06:15 AM

What a beautiful building amidst the snow.......

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

Yeah, this isn't good snow. This, this is slush. Be careful driving. The GAR Building looks like a snow globe ice castle.

http://campusmartiuschronicle.blogsp...e-castles.html

**ja!mz** · December-13-10, 06:28 AM

Just finished here with the snowblower, about 3 inches in Warren, but very heavy snow, dont use a shovel if you can avoid it..

DetroitDad · December-13-10, 08:39 AM

I just had to pop back in before work to mention...

Do you know what works great in the snow?

That's right! Light rail works great in the snow! But we don't have that yet, so wish me luck, because I have to go drive up Woodward Avenue across a sheet of ice.

**Jiveturkey** · December-13-10, 08:44 AM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

I just had to pop back in before work to mention...

Do you know what works great in the snow?

That's right! Light rail works great in the snow! But we don't have that yet, so wish me luck, because I have to go drive up Woodward Avenue across a sheet of ice.

Amen, I heard that!

**Danny** · December-13-10, 08:46 AM

It was a La Nina type Winter Storm and Blizzard. The Southeast Michigan Area haven't got it yet, but we will eventually. This will be a La Nina Winter since we have a La Nina cooler summer. I was right

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Starting shoveling folks!

Neda, I miss you so.

**Danny** · December-13-10, 08:50 AM

Originally Posted by Jared9903

crashed my grand prix into a telephone pole. snow can go to hell.

If you're born the raised in Michigan, you're going to face winter regardless. I like cold winters, It cools me down and rest all day. I can't wait for another La Nina Blizzard to bring 3 feet of snow That way I can hibernate.

**gazhekwe** · December-13-10, 09:05 AM

We have a plow service, and I just love it. Those guys came out twice yesterday. There's plenty of room across from our driveway for snowbanks, no problem.

**Zacha341** · December-13-10, 09:13 AM

DPS is OPEN! It's the only district in southeast Michigan that is. Though I hear some of the schools are closed anyway....

**313WX** · December-13-10, 09:14 AM

This was defintely a strange one too. Probably the strangest we'll ever see for decades.

Basically the storm was forecasted 5 days ago to track across the Tennessee Valley [[missing us 300 minles to the south) to overhead, then through Iowa/Wisconsin/Northern Michigan [[We would have gotten all rain and no snow in that case), then through the Tennessee Valley again [[by this time, was 3 days in), then the final track was actually ESE/SE from Northern Iowa to Northern Ohio [[somewhere around 996mb), then it curved back NE and re-stregthened over Lake Erie north of Cleveland to a sub-990mb low. That's why the forecasts were changing so constantly for this particular system.

The snowfall totals were even stranger, as places as far south of Nashville even received a relatively fair amount of snow. All of the Ohio Valley even had near blizzard condition and preiods of heavy snow. Meanwhile, the storm basically missed the Chicago/SW Michigan areas, those areas only picked up 1-3" total [[because of the strange track).

Then there was another heavier snow area from Southern Minnesota to Wisconsin to Northern Michigan. Normally when those areas see the heaviest snow we're stuck on the rainy/warm side of the system [[not this time).

**canuck** · December-13-10, 10:34 AM

Its heavy slushy stuff to shovel this A.M. It rained and snowed on and off yesterday in Montreal. It just started snowing again. We have a fairly warm 32F to Detroit's 9F. We also had a next door neighbor who died of a heart attack when I was a kid.

LodgeDodger · December-13-10, 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by eriedearie

Oh Hell Yeah! I KNEW we were long lost sisters!

*hug*

. . . . . . .

LodgeDodger · December-13-10, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by pffft

I wish more folks living in regular neighborhood hired guys who use blowers, instead of the snow plow guys. Those plows push the snow across the street onto the neighbor's lawn, they really are set up for parking lots and large areas, and just are a terror in close-set neighborhoods.

Plows are perfect for our neighborhood--we're in the sticks. No one [[other than the ldodgers) have a lawn to speak of. I understand your concerns in a residential setting.

**Eastburn** · December-13-10, 10:49 AM

30 MPH winds here at the tip of the thumb with gusts up to 50. -17 wind chill. White-out conditions. Huron County is closed.

**pffft** · December-13-10, 11:10 AM

Lodge, agreed it works for you guys in rural and semi-rural neighborhoods.
These big lawn service companies find it easier to go 50 mph down a tiny driveway with a plow than snow-blow. I don't get it.

**Zacha341** · December-13-10, 11:12 AM

I detest winter, but I am very good at driving in the snow, if I can stay away from the kooks and those who can't drive properly [[too slow or too fast).

It's all about pacing yourself, using the steering and brake properly, staying relaxed and not going driving too fast or TOO slow [[which is just as dangerous)... I also use my overdrive functions and when I was driving a stick it was a breeze as I never got stuck... it is what it is, Michigan and snow....

Originally Posted by Danny

If you're born the raised in Michigan, you're going to face winter regardless. I like cold winters, It cools me down and rest all day. I can't wait for another La Nina Blizzard to bring 3 feet of snow That way I can hibernate.

**Sandhouse** · December-13-10, 03:47 PM

Yup, trolley cars work good in snow, until ice coats the overhead wire and immobilizes the car; or dry, powdery snow gets sucked into the traction-motor blowers and shorts the whole thing out. Or ice fills the flangeways at a road corssing and sends the car off the track. Street railways used to run cars continually all night long to prevent these problems from accumulating during storms.

In days gone by, trolley lines used rotary-broom snow sweepers to keep the lines clear. Winter was a pain on electric street railways, just like everywhere else.

**gazhekwe** · December-13-10, 04:31 PM

A dog's reaction to the people's concern about snow:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3O8DboEjBNE

**DetroitPlanner** · December-13-10, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitDad

That's right! Light rail works great in the snow! But we don't have that yet, so wish me luck, because I have to go drive up Woodward Avenue across a sheet of ice.

We got the Woodward bus, if you don't think of that as an option, you won't think of other transit options.

**devman1983** · December-13-10, 09:42 PM

Plowed snow from 2pm on Sunday until 7am Monday morning, took a nap for a couple hours and went at it again. This was real nasty snow to plow. The slush underneath the snow froze up, cars packed it down, and it was very hard to plow/salt it away.

Saw a bunch of cars in the ditch, a few on the side, and one upside down. Some roads going uphill were impassable for cars and they were just sliding all over the place.

It's fun being in a big truck, king of the road, making sure the little peon cars will be able to drive. ha ha.

About to have a glass of wine and have some real nice rest...

**canuck** · December-13-10, 09:53 PM

Snow is cool. Just touch it.

**Magnatomicflux** · December-13-10, 10:01 PM

Originally Posted by canuck

Snow is cool. Just touch it.

*sigh* .......Good grief

lol

**English** · December-13-10, 10:29 PM

Love the vid, DetroitDad. But you know there will be many who claim that they actually prefer driving for 1-2 hours on sheets of ice and compacted snow. :-)

**sumas** · December-13-10, 10:31 PM

Got everything shoveled out but wasn't thinking and didn't put my bag of salt into a container. I felt kind of stupid beating the bag to death with a hammer to get it open.

To add insult to injury I couldn't get into my car to do a grocery run. Doors were frozen shut.

One cool thing though, I wear this incredibly ugly Echo jacket to shovel snow that is about 15 sizes too big. It's super warm though and don't care what I look like in it. Found $13 dollars in a pocket from last year.

DetroitDad · December-13-10, 10:49 PM

Sorry, I accidently deleted that video somehow... I'm not sure why that always seems to happen when I post a you tube video?

There is undoubtedly snow maintenance, but it seems to me like it's a breeze when compared to a typical freeway.

Originally Posted by Sandhouse

Yup, trolley cars work good in snow, until ice coats the overhead wire and immobilizes the car; or dry, powdery snow gets sucked into the traction-motor blowers and shorts the whole thing out. Or ice fills the flangeways at a road corssing and sends the car off the track. Street railways used to run cars continually all night long to prevent these problems from accumulating during storms.

In days gone by, trolley lines used rotary-broom snow sweepers to keep the lines clear. Winter was a pain on electric street railways, just like everywhere else.

LodgeDodger · December-13-10, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by sumas

Got everything shoveled out but wasn't thinking and didn't put my bag of salt into a container. I felt kind of stupid beating the bag to death with a hammer to get it open.

To add insult to injury I couldn't get into my car to do a grocery run. Doors were frozen shut.

One cool thing though, I wear this incredibly ugly Echo jacket to shovel snow that is about 15 sizes too big. It's super warm though and don't care what I look like in it. Found $13 dollars in a pocket from last year.

I know what you mean. Found money in a purse I'd put away--felt as if I'd won the lottery.