Snow stroms in USA?

After the recent spell of cold weather here in UK, we are seeing in the news the serious weather condition and snow storms in USA. This looks really horrendous - and just before Christmas. Must be very difficult to deal with this if you are affected.
Tell us how you cope - here we have two inches of snow, and everything stops, we are just helpless at dealing with the snowy weather.
We have another cold spell coming soon, so we need some good advice soon, please.

And how to make a decent, snowman when there is not too much snow!
This last request is really important!

It was pretty bad where I live in Minnesota. Fourteen inches on Friday night into Saturday. It was good that it happened over the weekend because less people had to drive in it, to go to work.

We have good snowplowing where I live. We live on a small country road, and we're probably one of the last roads to be plowed. Thus it always takes a while until we get plowed out, but eventually the county plow comes and does a good job.

We have equipment to plow our long driveway. Very little hand shoveling is necessary for us. Others are not as fortunate.

Ice is worse than snow. Ice storms are downright frightening.

That's the scoop from Minne-snow-ta.

Cheryl

My friend Justin calls it Men a Soda....he seems to have to go there a lot, and guess where he is right now....yup..
And he said it is minus 12......ouch......we got minus 8 here last week overnight.
he cant wait to get back to utah.....

Did you hear about the Metrodome roof collapsing under the weight of all the snow. Here is some amazing video of it snowing IN the Metrodome (home of the Minnesota Vikings)!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AAyLX2hY7E0

I haven't made a snowman in years. The best snow to make a snowman is wet and sticky snow.

Cheryl

We just saw that on the news Cheryl. Thank God no one was inside.
Could have been a terrible disaster. Snow is very heavy isnt it.
It took our guttering down out back and it wasnt anywhere near that amount.

Pen

There seems to be a spammer above, please dismiss it.

This is most interesting Cheryl - I never knew there is an equipment to clear the snow from the driveway - what is it like, and how it works I wonder? Please tell us more.
We could do with something like that here this winter ( and last winter) since we have no practice in snow clearance - it just gets compacted and hard, and impossible to remove, soon turning into ice.

Most main roads get salted and most of the main motorways get cleared up quite well (except in Scotland which became impassable lately, including motorways) but side roads are always a problem and so people get trapped as it is impossible to get out specially if you live in a hilly areas which many of us do, even quite close to Lodnon.

The pictures from the stadium are amazing - wow! Thanks for sending the link, Cheryl.

We currently have a rhino, with a plow attached to the front:

http://www.rc-trucks.org/yamaha-rhino.htm

We have the rhino at our cabin in spring, summer, and fall for recreational purposes. But my husband brings it home for the winter, so he can deal with our long driveway.

Many people in Minnesota have snow blowers such as this:

http://www.snowblowersdirect.com/

They come in different sizes, and there are different variations.

We had to upgrade to bigger equipment, when we moved out in the country because of our long driveway.

There are many guys who put plows on their pickup trucks, and they will plow driveways during and after each snowstorm. My BIL works on driveways (asphalt work) during the warm months, and he snow plows during the winter months.

In Minnesota we have to take the snow seriously because people have to get to work! We have no public transportation where we live. We are about forty minutes from Minneapolis.

Even with all the snowplows in the Metro area, this storm was tough to deal with:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/12/14/snow-plows-twin-cities-blizzard/

It is going to snow again tomorrow. This is going to be a snowy winter, I fear. Snow is beautiful, but you can lose your life because of it. Accidents and even deaths from heart attacks while shoveling heavy snow.

Cheryl

I'm about 400 miles South of Cheryl, in Kansas, here it wasn't so much the snow, although we did get a couple of inches, but the wind was our problem. The temperature was about 10 F, but the wind chill made it feel like 5 to 10 below 0 F. Also, all this wind blew the snow around causing visibility issues, and helped take out power to some homes in the area (Thankfully not mine).

At least it wasn't ice, when we have that, it gets really bad here. Cheryl, be glad that you rarely see that as far North as you are.

It looks as if things are really difficult with all the snow at the moment for you. I do hope that you are not too badly affected Cheryl.
I was most impressed by your sophisticated clearing equipment, specially the Rhino - I want one! I am in love! What a lovely looking "toy", I am green with envy.
How big is Rhino - are you allowed to take it onto the road, or is it strictly off the road vehicle
Here we have qaud bikes - which are basically motorcykles on four wheels which are used mainly off the road on larger farms, but they are not as pretty as the Rhino.

I suppose with your large distances, and more extreme weather conditions in all seasons, you need to be ready for any emergency and so you must be very self-sufficient in terms of organising many aspects of your life.
Most winters we do not get any snow at all, so when we do, we are lost. But I love snow, and it takes me out sinces I love walking and taking pictures when the world becomes like a fairy tale and everything is transofrmed. But then, I don't need to travel to work and this can be very frustrating for people on the move.

It must be very difficult for those people, Sara, when it is so cold and windy and you loose power as well I hope you have some back up form of heating for emergencies, too?
I amd lucky I have a real fireplace and I keep same ready wood, but we do not get many power cuts, and if we do they do not last long
- I hope you are all keeping warm and safe, during this very cold spell.

Mini

If you live in a snowy area, you just get used to it.

We usually get about 12 ft. of snow a year so you learn and adapt.

Over the last couple days, we've avoided the major snows. One band of snow was about 30 miles to the west, the other about 20 miles to the east. It all depends how the wind/isobars line up and pick up moisture from the lakes.

Cars and trucks with 4wd or all wheel drive, snow tires, and some common sense keeps you rolling pretty well even in really bad storms.

As Cheryl says....tractors and snowblowers--those are important tools.

I have a Honda snowblower. It loves to eat snow.

We have lived in this house for twenty years, and we only lost power one time (long term) due to a tornado which came through our area. Our house had minimal damage, but the power was out for three days.

My husband bought a generator at that time, and we'll be ok if this ever happens again. It has enough power to run the furnace, well, and maybe some appliances. That's what you want running in the winter, if you lose power!

Like Marc said, we have good vehicles with 4 wheel drive because we need to get to work!

The Rino cannot be driven on roads, but we have over forty acres of land at our cabin with trails for riding. So that is mainly why my husband bought it (used), but then he decided to haul it home for winter use! He does love driving it.

Marc lives in a snowier area than where we live, I do believe. I grew up on the shores of Lake Superior in Duluth, MN. We had more snow "up north" in Duluth, than what I have ever seen living in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.

The snow is very beautiful! I agree!

Cheryl

Mini- Thanks for worrying, but as Marc said, we do tend to prepare for it, as we know we will see some sort of wintery weather. Our household fireplace uses natural gas instead of electricity, so there is that option as well as many churches and schools will open up emergency storm shelters if they know that power is out, just like they will if the heat becomes dangerous here in the summer.

I do tend to keep an emergency supply of a few days of meals here, however since I'm within walking distance of more than one supermarket, I don't tend to keep a ton of food here on hand. If I were further away from both family and easy resupply I would keep a few weeks of shelf stable food for emergencies.

Now my husband's family are Canadians, and with their winter weather, and the fact that a number of them are rural farmers, means that they definantly have backup heat, food and a way to either move the snow or travel on top of the snow.

I hope all here have a warm and loving holiday! (Or if any of you have already celebrated, I hope it was warm and loving)

No snow where I am in North Carolina but we are COLD - it was about 15 this morning which is close to a record. My chihuahua Coco Chanel is freezing! She is currently wearing her warmest sweater with faux fur trimmed hood. My big dogs just laugh when I invite them to go outside...

Wise dogs you have there Amy, I know the feeling; staying in, in certain kind of weather is the only sensible option.

Reading all your excperinces it is obvious, that the good preparation is the answer. Here really cold weather comes only every few winters so very heavy, or costly equipment would not be justified.
We would probably have no space where to store it anyway, as we have much less space, so every inch counts on our crowded island, specially in the South East.
I liked your description Marc, about your snowblower feeding on snow. I can just see the beast gobbling it all up, licking it's mouth and waiting for more.

I must admit Sara, that I also like to have a good supply of dry and frozen food at home, as well as potatoes, so I do not have to worry, that I will run out in case I could not drive. I only worry, in case I'lll run out of my medicines, but I also try to make sure that I have some spare supplies at home most of the time.

Thanks for all your replies, most interesting.

Cheryl,

I think you got the worst of it. Down here, it rained for several hours on Saturday then turned over to snow. We ended up with 6" of new snow.

I won the "good neighbor lottery". My downstairs neighbor was out with a snowblower at 7am on Sunday to clear the walks and all the driveway (we can park 8 cars on that thing). So I only had a little bit of shoveling to do instead of hours of it.

Roads down here have finally improved. With the wind on Sunday, there were patches of sheer ice on the roads. It finally got above 20 degrees F and melted some of it. Roads were in good shape this morning instead of scary.

Amy,

What are you dressing your little dog in? My JR mix has a sweater but it's not keeping him real warm...if he spends any time outside, he comes in and dives under the blankets. Poor boy.

Yes, reading all this I can see that you are coping much better with much worse conditions. I suppose you not only get use to it, but it helps to be prepared, and to have the right equipment.

I supposefrom what you say Cheryl, and Marc it is also a good excuse to get many nice "boy's toys" . But then again, isn't it handy when they come in useful and we are grateful they work.

BTW was, having said all that, here in UK, we are in fact having the coldest December in 100 years.It is official.
Two of London biggest airports weree closed today on this busiest weekend before Christmas.
Fortunately I do not need to travel anywhere until Christmas day itself, but then it is only a short drive - and by then I hope it will all clear up.

Our son never had to deal much with snow growing up because we had equipment. And my hubby handled snow removal.

Our son bought a house in Minneapolis which is on a corner lot. That means he has extra sidewalks to worry about. In Minneapolis it is mandatory that sidewalks be shoveled. He is having quite the time, hand shoveling them, because he doesn't have equipment!

To have the bigger equipment, you need room to store it. Not a problem for us, but it is a consideration for buying something "big!"

Cheryl

I think it is an quite agood law to clear the sidewalks in front of your house, as it prevents people from walking on the road, which often happens here. But of course it is unfair if you are unwell, or too old to do that - I wonder what happens then?
For some reason people here we are under impression that we are not allowed, for legal reason ,to clear the sidewalks in front of our houses, since we might be liable if anyone slips and hurt themselves, as a result.

I try to do it, if I catch the snow early enough and snow is not too deep, since children pass my house on the way to school and school bus stop nearby, but this is not usual. I must say I like the idea of a snowblower the kind that Marc mentioned, I could do it more quickly, but then again such machines are often quite heavy so it might be a mixed blessing.
Heathrow and Gatwick (London main airports) are still closed tonight. They even have snow delays in Italy thsi year!

Wow, looks like Europe is getting nailed again. Reminds me of December 1944....weather that was taken advantage of in the Battle of the Bulge.

While cold here, we're not really getting a lot of snow. Only a few inches here and there. I'll have to get out this week and take some pics at the lake.

What it's like to live in Minnesota:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62RwHHFuf14

It is absolutely brillant, Cheryl!
What a fantasic little video - I love the song as well. Some great talents out there.
Thank you so much for posting the link.
I will definitely forward is to some of my friends who complain about 5 inches of snow on their cars etc.

Makes you realise how resilient we humans are, and manage to keep your sense of humour at the same time.

Pictures of a lake would be great Marc.
We don't have that much snow in comparison with your snow storms, it is mainly low temperatures and frost that brough the country to it's knees.

The problem is the company which now runs our main airports in London is absolutely refusing to invest into any snow clearing equipment, year after year it is the same thing, hence people are stranded for 4 days sleeping on he airport floors, waiting for planes to be defrosted and runways cleared of snow.
And our local authorites never get anough salt ready for our overcrowded island's side roads.

I bet if it is the same cold spell next winter, it will be exactly the same.
They never sack bosses responsible for such embarassing and costly failures. Shame. And they all get their bonuses as well for fine performance as well year after year.