NationStates Jolt Archive

As I'm originally from Rochester, NY, I know what real snow is like. This morning, my home got 14 in. of snow, and yet the city is still running. But I now live in DC, and am in my first December there. They get 1/4 inch, and half the city shuts down. Why?

As I'm originally from Rochester, NY, I know what real snow is like. This morning, my home got 14 in. of snow, and yet the city is still running. But I now live in DC, and am in my first December there. They get 1/4 inch, and half the city shuts down. Why?Very simple: Places like Massachussetts or New York get snow, so they're prepared to get rid of it when it comes. It's too costly for Marylanders and (West) Virginians to keep a ready stock of snow plows and snow fighting supplies around, so they don't really have any when the roads are snowed in and icy.

Very simple: Places like Massachussetts or New York get snow, so they're prepared to get rid of it when it comes. It's too costly for Marylanders and (West) Virginians to keep a ready stock of snow plows and snow fighting supplies around, so they don't really have any when the roads are snowed in and icy.

And the stupid drivers have no idea how to drive on slick roads.

As I'm originally from Rochester, NY, I know what real snow is like. This morning, my home got 14 in. of snow, and yet the city is still running. But I now live in DC, and am in my first December there. They get 1/4 inch, and half the city shuts down. Why?

DC isn't exactly south. Though the further south you get the less people can handle snow. They haven't a clue how to drive in it, so they shut down.

The instant a snowflake hits some folk's windshields something in their brain snaps and they forget everything they know about driving and become little more than untrained chimps.

That's nothing compared to the transplants who move to Seattle, when the once-every-few-years significant accumulations hit there...then melt...then the rain comes...then the flooding. Ah, I miss my soggy former home.

DC isn't exactly south. Though the further south you get the less people can handle snow. They haven't a clue how to drive in it, so they shut down.

It's south to me. And I'm stuck at home all day because they can't handle the snow, so yes, I'll respond instantly to your posts.

I'm stationed in Northern Virginia, and as a kid, 1-2 inches would usually get us 2 days off from school. Like what was posted earlier, many people just arent used to driving in snow (we only get it 5 or so times a winter), and the locals would just rather be cautious than to possibly have extreme crashes.

I'm stationed in Northern Virginia, and as a kid, 1-2 inches would usually get us 2 days off from school. Like what was posted earlier, many people just arent used to driving in snow (we only get it 5 or so times a winter), and the locals would just rather be cautious than to possibly have extreme crashes.

So this happens all the time down here?

And the stupid drivers have no idea how to drive on slick roads.Yeah. I'm glad my cousin grew up in Boston. I visited him West Virginia last year and had to catch the Greyhound in Pittsburgh right when the first snowfall hit. And it came down hard, considering it hadn't snowed at all that winter.

From Rochester? Me too! I will also be spending January in Sterling, Virginia, near D.C. It'll be weird not seeing a lot of snow.

So this happens all the time down here?
Sadly, it has happened every year since I moved here in '92. Oh, and 3 feet'll get you 2 weeks off from school (Blizzard of '96).

p.s.
I think its funny that I'm a "new member" even though I've been lurking these forums since 2003.

At least you don't have to live with the humiliation of having called in the army to dig you out of the snow fall. Blah...

At least you don't have to live with the humiliation of having called in the army to dig you out of the snow fall. Blah...

You did?! The worst I ever had was a backhoe dig me out, but there's a story behind this.

From Rochester? Me too! I will also be spending January in Sterling, Virginia, near D.C. It'll be weird not seeing a lot of snow.
It really is. I miss our snow. Where were you from, btw? I'm from Fairport.

You did?! The worst I ever had was a backhoe dig me out, but there's a story behind this.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/1999/01/14/snow990114.html

It did happen back in 2000. Kind of pathetic actually given that Toronto IS a Canadian city that does get winter.

As I'm originally from Rochester, NY, I know what real snow is like. This morning, my home got 14 in. of snow, and yet the city is still running. But I now live in DC, and am in my first December there. They get 1/4 inch, and half the city shuts down. Why?

Here, a lot of that snow quickly becomes ice. It's not worth keeping the fleet of snow removal equipment because the snow usually melts off of the roadways by afternoon.

And watch the supermarket shelves... You'll see that bread, milk, and toilet paper are the preferred survival items for a snowstorm.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/1999/01/14/snow990114.html

It did happen back in 2000. Kind of pathetic actually given that Toronto IS a Canadian city that does get winter.

Still, that's a lot of snow.

Here, a lot of that snow quickly becomes ice. It's not worth keeping the fleet of snow removal equipment because the snow usually melts off of the roadways by afternoon.

And watch the supermarket shelves... You'll see that bread, milk, and toilet paper are the preferred survival items for a snowstorm.

I've always found that hilarious, what the fuck are you going to make with bread and milk?

I've always found that hilarious, what the fuck are you going to make with bread and milk?

Why, bread pudding of course!

We just picked up 18 inches here in Maine, and the University actually did shut down for a day and a half, but it takes a smackdown like that to cancel things here. Now, I grew up in South Texas. I left there in '96, but I saw on TV that 3 years ago the had an inch of snow there on Christmas. I would have loved to have seen that, because they hadn't seen a flake in 40 years. They probably thought it was a sign of the Apocalypse.

I've always found that hilarious, what the fuck are you going to make with bread and milk?
Lots of peanut butter sandwiches? I've never seen the wisdom in those choices, either.

The worst storm that I've been through in Georgia lasted a couple days and power was out for about a week. The firewood stacked out back was a much more useful commodity than any amount of bread or milk.

I've always found that hilarious, what the fuck are you going to make with bread and milk?
Nothing. You make toilet paper sandwiches out of the bread and toilet paper.
If you feel the need to ask what the milk is for, then you have obviously never tried eating a toilet paper sandwich. Those things don't want to go down at all.

Lots of peanut butter sandwiches? I've never seen the wisdom in those choices, either.

The worst storm that I've been through in Georgia lasted a couple days and power was out for about a week. The firewood stacked out back was a much more useful commodity than any amount of bread or milk.
It always is. That and candles. And a landline phone, which can amazingly still work even during a power outage.

Nothing. You make toilet paper sandwiches out of the bread and toilet paper.
If you feel the need to ask what the milk is for, then you have obviously never tried eating a toilet paper sandwich. Those things don't want to go down at all.

Is it self cleaning upon exit?

Is it self cleaning upon exit?
That is exactly the point. When in a blizzard, you want to spend as little time with your trousers down as possible.

Long ago, when I was still in school, one of my French I classmates was from North Carolina. According to her, three flakes were enough to shut down the state.

We just picked up 18 inches here in Maine, and the University actually did shut down for a day and a half, but it takes a smackdown like that to cancel things here. Now, I grew up in South Texas. I left there in '96, but I saw on TV that 3 years ago the had an inch of snow there on Christmas. I would have loved to have seen that, because they hadn't seen a flake in 40 years. They probably thought it was a sign of the Apocalypse.

BU has only closed for snow for a full day four times in the last eight years...the last time was a the blizzard 4 years ago when Boston got 28" of snow.

We have had afternoons off once or twice

DC, a city of Northern charm and Souther efficiency!

That's nothing compared to the transplants who move to Seattle, when the once-every-few-years significant accumulations hit there...then melt...then the rain comes...then the flooding. Ah, I miss my soggy former home.

Just like this past weekend.

Just like this past weekend.

Hence my mentioning it. It happened in 1997 and 1991, too. In fact, winter flooding usually follows that pattern. Cold enough to snow, moisture obliges, temperature rises enough to melt it, moisture doesn't care and rains on top of the melting snow, drainage system can't handle it 'cause it's used to steady drizzle, and you get pocket lakes where wetlands were carved away by housing developers with more greed than sense.

BU has only closed for snow for a full day four times in the last eight years...the last time was a the blizzard 4 years ago when Boston got 28" of snow.

We have had afternoons off once or twice
I was at Ohio State during the great blizzard of 1978... I remember being in the library until late. When I came out, the temperature had dropped so much that tire tracks had frozen in the road.

The barometer ( I know this because of reading the linked (http://dept.kent.edu/ksutop_story/archive_98/980121_blizzard_of_78_shmid.html)article ) had dropped to 28.28. Pretty damned low!

And the usual shortages appeared -- bread, milk, and eggs. Apparently, Ohioans prefer egg sandwiches to those made with TP.

Anyway, this was the first and last time I remember OSU shutting down for weather and I was able to make cross-country ski runs to the State Liquor Stores -- for a fee, or course.

Later, after the Olentangy river started to thaw, the ice floes were dynamited to prevent more damage downstream. Watching things explode is a great spectator sport.

I'm stationed in Northern Virginia, and as a kid, 1-2 inches would usually get us 2 days off from school. Like what was posted earlier, many people just arent used to driving in snow (we only get it 5 or so times a winter), and the locals would just rather be cautious than to possibly have extreme crashes.


When I was in high school in CT (graduated in '91), 1-2 inches of snow wouldn't even merit a 1/2 hour delay.

I was at Ohio State during the great blizzard of 1978... I remember being in the library until late. When I came out, the temperature had dropped so much that tire tracks had frozen in the road.

The barometer ( I know this because of reading the linked (http://dept.kent.edu/ksutop_story/archive_98/980121_blizzard_of_78_shmid.html)article ) had dropped to 28.28. Pretty damned low!

And the usual shortages appeared -- bread, milk, and eggs. Apparently, Ohioans prefer egg sandwiches to those made with TP.

Anyway, this was the first and last time I remember OSU shutting down for weather and I was able to make cross-country ski runs to the State Liquor Stores -- for a fee, or course.

Later, after the Olentangy river started to thaw, the ice floes were dynamited to prevent more damage downstream. Watching things explode is a great spectator sport.
Last year, we had a snow storm, then rain storm, and then temperatures crashed again. Sidewalks were coated with 2" of ice. It was bad.

During the blizzard, I strapped into my snowboard and would latch onto plows and cars...not the safest idea, but successful.
When I was in high school in CT (graduated in '91), 1-2 inches of snow wouldn't even merit a 1/2 hour delay.
Still seems that way in my hometown (Berlin). As long as the 6 or 7 major roads can be cleared somewhat, there will be school. However, due to schedule changes, we only have 2 hour delays, 2 hour early dismissals, or closings.

As I'm originally from Rochester, NY, I know what real snow is like. This morning, my home got 14 in. of snow, and yet the city is still running. But I now live in DC, and am in my first December there. They get 1/4 inch, and half the city shuts down. Why?

Same situation in reverse from where I grew up, Virginia Beach, verse where I live now in Richmond... One thing to take into account is that the less snow a city gets; the less cost effective it is to have more equipment to handle snow situations.... A place with large snow accumulations is more likely to have entire fleets of snow plows and salters/sanders... Places with little accumulation is likely to have only a few of such... The less equipment you have, the more likely offices will close under lighter accumulations... In VB it was likely that even when the snow was merely sticking, with light accumulation, that city offices would close, since it happens in such rare cases that we literally have little to no equipment to clear roads and sand them when they begin to freeze.

Because Southerners have no idea how to handle snow. It's scary when they come up north during the winter ...

http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/1999/01/14/snow990114.html

It did happen back in 2000. Kind of pathetic actually given that Toronto IS a Canadian city that does get winter.

Well, what about that huge blizzard in Winnepeg (Winterpeg?) in 1994 was it? They needed the army's help too >.>

We got 6" in Vancouver in the space of 36 hours last weekend. Then it started raining and the next day it was 15 degress and everything was green again o.O Strange, strange weather.

Because Southerners have no idea how to handle snow. It's scary when they come up north during the winter ...

Depends on what area of "the south" they are coming from; someone from Tennessee, south-west Virginia, Kentucky is likely to know how to handle snow; Someone from Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Alabama or Texas is likely not to know how to handle snow.

Well, what about that huge blizzard in Winnepeg (Winterpeg?) in 1994 was it? They needed the army's help too >.>

We got 6" in Vancouver in the space of 36 hours last weekend. Then it started raining and the next day it was 15 degress and everything was green again o.O Strange, strange weather.

Last October, Buffalo got 22 inches in 24 hours. No kidding.

As I'm originally from Rochester, NY, I know what real snow is like. This morning, my home got 14 in. of snow, and yet the city is still running. But I now live in DC, and am in my first December there. They get 1/4 inch, and half the city shuts down. Why?I live in Canada, and have less snow than either place.

We shut down before the stuff starts sticking either.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/1999/01/14/snow990114.html

It did happen back in 2000. Kind of pathetic actually given that Toronto IS a Canadian city that does get winter.At least the army had a chance to be useful for once.

So this happens all the time down here?

'Fraid so. Take it from someone who's lived in the Maryland/Northern Virginia/DC area his whole life. This always happens. You think what happens at an inch or two is bad, you should see what happens in a blizzard(at least the few years we get one or two). I'm fairly sure there have been reports of heads exploding from the stress.

DC isn't exactly south. Though the further south you get the less people can handle snow. They haven't a clue how to drive in it, so they shut down.

The instant a snowflake hits some folk's windshields something in their brain snaps and they forget everything they know about driving and become little more than untrained chimps.

Reminds me of the Rocket Power episode where every adult was panicking about a snow forecast and the kids didn't get what was so scary.

Huh, lucky buggers with all your snow :( Here in Portsmouth I can remember getting snow a grand total of three times in the last eighteen years, and only once was it a decent amount. The other two times it was maybe an inch or so of icy slush.

And what's worse, the time when we actually got proper snow - maybe 6 to 12 inches (that's proper snow in Portsmouth btw) nothing shut down! I mean fair enough I was horrendously late for school because me and my brother and friend took ages over walking to school because we were messing around, but even so. It's just plain not fair. Best couple of days ever though! Amazing snowball fights and such.

Damn Isle of Wight and Portsdown Hill stealing all our damn snow :(

Are we really that south? I was thinking Georgia was south.

A water main broke here, and my office lost water pressure. I was the first to find out, when I went to the bathroom. *wa wa waaahhhh*

I live in Canada, and have less snow than either place.

We shut down before the stuff starts sticking either.

Where in?

Are we really that south? I was thinking Georgia was south.

A water main broke here, and my office lost water pressure. I was the first to find out, when I went to the bathroom. *wa wa waaahhhh*

To me, anything from Maryland downward is south.

I was at Ohio State during the great blizzard of 1978... I remember being in the library until late. When I came out, the temperature had dropped so much that tire tracks had frozen in the road.

The barometer ( I know this because of reading the linked (http://dept.kent.edu/ksutop_story/archive_98/980121_blizzard_of_78_shmid.html)article ) had dropped to 28.28. Pretty damned low!

And the usual shortages appeared -- bread, milk, and eggs. Apparently, Ohioans prefer egg sandwiches to those made with TP.

Anyway, this was the first and last time I remember OSU shutting down for weather and I was able to make cross-country ski runs to the State Liquor Stores -- for a fee, or course.

Later, after the Olentangy river started to thaw, the ice floes were dynamited to prevent more damage downstream. Watching things explode is a great spectator sport.

I wasn't alive then, but I've heard stories about it. Apparently, Rochester, then a busy industrial center, shut down the day before. Then the storm hit Buffalo, and blew north, missing us completely. Better overprepared than nothing at all, I guess.

Last October, Buffalo got 22 inches in 24 hours. No kidding.

Yeah, we kick ass... Unfortunately everything was still green and a lot of that snow was the really heavy wet kind. Just about every tree in the city got torn a new one, it was like a bomb went off that only destroyed trees. We have a big pine in our back yard (maybe 60 ft. at the tippy top of it) and even that lost quite a few branches. Its sad because one of the things I've always loved about Buffalo was that when you looked outside of a tall building it looked like you were in a forest with some buildings, not a city with a few trees.

I wasn't alive then, but I've heard stories about it. Apparently, Rochester, then a busy industrial center, shut down the day before. Then the storm hit Buffalo, and blew north, missing us completely. Better overprepared than nothing at all, I guess.

I thought it was the blizzard of '76? Apparently the best thing was jumping off your roof into huge snow banks, or so the old folks tell me. The weirdest thing I hear now is people dying in a snowstorm, I don't think a single person died in Buffalo during the snowstorm.

I'm in north western illinois atm, and we are only getting about 5-8 inches. :( I want like....28 inches.


Oh by the way, I have a joke..

I am like a snowstorm, 'cause I give you 5-8 inches, leave white stuff all over, and make you have to stay in for a few days :p

To me, anything from Maryland downward is south.

For me, Canada is east. The rest of the US is south.

To me, anything from Maryland downward is south.

Well I'm pretty sure the Mason-Dixon line is IN Maryland, so parts of Maryland are considered north. Including where I am. So ha!

To me anything south of Delaware is south...
Driving in the snow sucks...