Incredible that 2 inches of snow can paralyze cities. Quite a few friends took 8+ hours to get home, where generally it takes 25 minutes. Why anyone decided to go to work or, in my case, send kids to school is beyond me. Next time I don't care what the school board says.
Quote from: duccarlos on January 29, 2014, 06:57:02 AM
Incredible that 2 inches of snow can paralyze cities. Quite a few friends took 8+ hours to get home, where generally it takes 25 minutes. Why anyone decided to go to work or, in my case, send kids to school is beyond me. Next time I don't care what the school board says.
The weathermen all blew the call. They were ready further south.
Yeah, they were saying 1/2 inch up where I am. But worse was the fact that one of my kids came home on time via the school bus and I had to brave the 2 mile run to get my daughter. They had quite a few kids in the area that had to sleep at the schools. It's ridiculous that a few weeks ago they closed the schools just because it was very cold. I spent last night trying to get some friends off the roads and into other friends' homes for the night.
It was bad here as well, he'll they even closed the base.
Why would they close the base? They don't have the equipment to clear the roads?
-18F here this morning and its business as usual.
Quote from: duccarlos on January 29, 2014, 08:21:11 AM
Why would they close the base? They don't have the equipment to clear the roads?
Probably not... the ones up here outside DC did a shitful job clearing off after the storm the other week and they would have more cause to have snow gear than stuff further south.
A fluff piece on the news was about Tallahassee and it's one plow spreader truck, from the 80's [roll]
Quote from: duccarlos on January 29, 2014, 08:21:11 AM
Why would they close the base? They don't have the equipment to clear the roads?
Nope
Quote from: WarrenJ on January 29, 2014, 08:32:30 AM
-18F here this morning and its business as usual.
It'll be 65-68 here in two days.
It's amazing what a little snow can do to cities that aren't prepared. A couple inches all but shuts down Seattle because the DOT doesn't have enough plows to clear everything. At best they just keep I-5 and other major highways as clear as they can. Everyone else are on their own. Add in our many hills and it's chaos.
We almost never get actual snow in north Texas. It's usually freezing rain or sleet. Hell, we even had freezing fog last month. WTF? A thin layer of ice can cripple a giant metroplex in a heart beat. Yeah, we have shitty drivers when it's dry, warm and sunny. Imagine those yahoos on the ice thinking they are all bad ass. [roll] We don't get enough practice in weather like that even though we do have lots of sanding trucks. No need for plow trucks... again, no snow.
That same crap that hit Atlanta, etc. hit us back in December. Same thing resulted. Ehh, like here, just wait 2-3 days and it will all be gone and 60-70 degrees. 8)
Back porch at 1400 yesterday.
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/8808a7bbb82ef786a4f152bae0533b9a.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/c08dee6124f2b4159f60ff951bd88250.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/f9ec6dcf68387ddd11067b7972f5256c.jpg)
It was just a little storm. ;)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/b403ae2742d31e4a070c0f5f36555600.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/73aa1ff33f4f32b038eceb68652676f0.jpg)
Still nice here in SoCal (despite the damn fog)
Isn't it bone dry in CA? Don't y'all need rain? We damn sure do and have for several years.
I love the way the local TV weather goons act like the slate is always wiped clean on January 1st. They never mention the fact that we finished up the previous year on December 31st with a big ass rain deficit. It's like it never happened and all is new and shiny as of Jan. 1st and the rain gauges are always full. [bang] [thumbsdown]
Crazy.
2" of snow in MN gets a shoulder shrug at best. Meh, whatever.
(https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1511482_10152223586835329_161573704_n.png)
Stealing this one
Quote from: ute on January 29, 2014, 03:30:35 PM
(https://scontent-b-iad.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1/1511482_10152223586835329_161573704_n.png)
Thats classic. [laugh]
[laugh] [thumbsup]
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/9c05a1d1e99d0cf250a83a0f35dc57c7.jpg)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/01/29/the-souths-disastrous-response-to-the-winter-storm-in-16-pictures/ (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/01/29/the-souths-disastrous-response-to-the-winter-storm-in-16-pictures/)
really? people can't drive with 2 inch of snow.. i can see it being a little more difficult if not use to it at all.. most don't have proper tires for it. but hell, i drove 5 winters with summer tires on a high hp car every day.. it's not rocket science...
Quote from: cokey on January 29, 2014, 05:08:11 PM
really? people can't drive with 2 inch of snow.. i can see it being a little more difficult if not use to it at all.. most don't have proper tires for it. but hell, i drove 5 winters with summer tires on a high hp car every day.. it's not rocket science...
Roads froze solid in 2 hours, minimal snow plows, minimal sand/salt trucks, roads were gridlocked very fast. (You couldn't drive even with your superior skillz). Mississippi State police responded to 300 plus accidents yesterday. It was chaos, majority of AL equipment was sent farther south in the state where the storm was supposed to hit.
Quote from: kopfjäger on January 29, 2014, 05:16:05 PM
Roads froze solid in 2 hours, minimal snow plows, minimal sand/salt trucks, roads were gridlocked very fast. (You couldn't drive even with your superior skillz). Mississippi State police responded to 300 plus accidents yesterday. It was chaos, majority of AL equipment was sent farther south in the state where the storm was supposed to hit.
Yep, skills and equipment don't matter much when everyone around you is stuck you are stuck too.
Coverage on the news last night seemed to indicate for the most part (to me anyway) that people didn't know what the hell to do as far as driving on the crud. They were showing one genius that thought you just needed to stand on the gas to get rolling, to the point that tire smoke is rolling. Wow.
Of course, once a few folks crash, it's all over and nobody's getting through. And lack of equipment to deal with it just compounds it.
Black ice (road looks clear but is entirely encrusted with a thin layer of perfectly clear ice) is relatively common at times in MN and you CAN still get around on it. Not necessarily a good idea, but it can be done. Very slow and steady is the key....
Yep, momentum and lack of sudden driver input keeps you rolling
Almost 4" here in Raleigh.
Upside is teaching my boy how to throw snowballs! [evil]
(http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d147/pompino/1622060_10203006330143243_1068754171_n_zps5b3c10d3.jpg) (http://s34.photobucket.com/user/pompino/media/1622060_10203006330143243_1068754171_n_zps5b3c10d3.jpg.html)
I bet some where down there, there was a guy from New England in a Jeep doing this [bang], because it won't phase him to drive in that crap.
All you guys down south should have got your rockcrawlers out.
Homemade Rock Crawler Tows Stuck Cars in Dallas (02/01/2011) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MzTEWH3VKU#)
I can put the best car driver in the world on a layer of ice with "normal" tires and he will not go anywhere. The biggest issues down here were people not being able to head up hills. Those that tried would wreck and cause even more traffic. Most of the blockage on the highways were caused by 18 wheelers. You will run into dumb people anywhere, even farther north, the difference is that states up there have gravel/salt trucks that treat roads on a regular basis and there is such a thing as winter tires.
Up here you have to worry about the idiots in 4WD vehicles that think they're therefore invincible and can drive whatever speed they want, no matter the conditions. :P
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/atlanta-snow-storm-102839.html#.UupvixBdV1Y (http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/atlanta-snow-storm-102839.html#.UupvixBdV1Y)
Quote from: duccarlos on January 30, 2014, 07:01:43 AM
I can put the best car driver in the world on a layer of ice with "normal" tires and he will not go anywhere. The biggest issues down here were people not being able to head up hills. Those that tried would wreck and cause even more traffic. Most of the blockage on the highways were caused by 18 wheelers. You will run into dumb people anywhere, even farther north, the difference is that states up there have gravel/salt trucks that treat roads on a regular basis and there is such a thing as winter tires.
Exactly
Quote from: Scooter Montgomery on January 30, 2014, 06:28:06 AM
...All you guys down south should have got your rockcrawlers out.
Couldn't...too busy watching pro rasslin' and attendin' monster truck pulls.
Quote from: Speedbag on January 30, 2014, 07:26:25 AM
Up here you have to worry about the idiots in 4WD vehicles that think they're therefore invincible and can drive whatever speed they want, no matter the conditions. :P
Yep - a Faceyspace item from a friend of mine and some time DMF'er - this isn't in the south though - Oh/IL
"To my lost love on Route 44:
Yes, you own a large Murican 4x4 pickup, replete with lift kit and larger tires, and a bald eagle over an American flag window decal and your Calvin peeing on all the foreign car brands sticker on your tailgate. I'm sorry my little Japanese car is only a FWD and we were driving in a steady 25 mph wind with gusts up to 45, creating horrible snow drifts and miniature blizzard conditions at random intervals.
And I'm sorry I was going a safe and steady speed for my "damn foreign" car on an unfamiliar country road. Visibility was only about 10 feet, because clearly I was driving way too close to the front bumper of your pristine truck. But I have been coached to be the adult in all driving relationships, so I neither sped up nor slowed down, and I was the adult and did what I judged to be safe.
And when you passed me and "waved" to the little girl with the out of state tags, I remained the adult in the relationship and didn't "wave" back as you spun those 35s and sprayed the front of my car with road grime and sped off frighteningly fast into the distance.
Half a mile later, my lost love, I saw where you had crashed hood first into a ditch so your rear wheels were lifted off the ground. Did I "wave" when you made eye contact with me? Did I point and laugh? Did I pout as I flashed you my impersonation of Marcel Marceau crying?
Oh no I did not - because I am the adult in this relationship. I must confess however, that as you held your cell phone to your ear, staring at your truck in dismay, I smirked as I drove by in my little foreign FWD car still going my safe and steady slow speed.
Tis the driver, my love, not the vehicle. Thank you for proving that, and I'm glad you're okay and that only your property was damaged.
Cheers"
If you are not comfortable driving in snow or bad weather conditions, do us all a favor and take the bus.
Last place you want to be on a snow day is on a bus in Seattle. The operators don't chain up correctly, can't drive and slide all over the road. The articulated buses are fun to watch.
Go to about the 2:40 mark:
Sliding Cars in Seattle Snow on 11/22/10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZCyQ3emQg#)
Even when they do chain up, the articulated buses are a disaster. I was in one a few years back that stopped at a bus stop downtown (it was properly chained up). The stop area was icy though, so after we stopped the bus slowly started to slide and bent at the articulation, hitting the bus stop. Nothing the driver could do. Ride over! [laugh]
Quote from: Slide Panda on January 30, 2014, 08:56:23 AM
Yep - a Faceyspace item from a friend of mine and some time DMF'er - this isn't in the south though - Oh/IL
"To my lost love on Route 44:
Yes, you own a large Murican 4x4 pickup, replete with lift kit and larger tires, and a bald eagle over an American flag window decal and your Calvin peeing on all the foreign car brands sticker on your tailgate. I'm sorry my little Japanese car is only a FWD and we were driving in a steady 25 mph wind with gusts up to 45, creating horrible snow drifts and miniature blizzard conditions at random intervals.
And I'm sorry I was going a safe and steady speed for my "damn foreign" car on an unfamiliar country road. Visibility was only about 10 feet, because clearly I was driving way too close to the front bumper of your pristine truck. But I have been coached to be the adult in all driving relationships, so I neither sped up nor slowed down, and I was the adult and did what I judged to be safe.
And when you passed me and "waved" to the little girl with the out of state tags, I remained the adult in the relationship and didn't "wave" back as you spun those 35s and sprayed the front of my car with road grime and sped off frighteningly fast into the distance.
Half a mile later, my lost love, I saw where you had crashed hood first into a ditch so your rear wheels were lifted off the ground. Did I "wave" when you made eye contact with me? Did I point and laugh? Did I pout as I flashed you my impersonation of Marcel Marceau crying?
Oh no I did not - because I am the adult in this relationship. I must confess however, that as you held your cell phone to your ear, staring at your truck in dismay, I smirked as I drove by in my little foreign FWD car still going my safe and steady slow speed.
Tis the driver, my love, not the vehicle. Thank you for proving that, and I'm glad you're okay and that only your property was damaged.
Cheers"
[clap]
yea i didnt write about frozen iced roads.. i was replying to 2 inches of snow.. driving on an icerink is a different story (even though my skills let me do that as well) >;)
yea in ny most of the traffic that happened was from busses being stuck at intersection.. so no one could pass.. one of the guys took 30 min for one block
Find Asheville, NC and look west just a bit. That's where I live, the mountains that make up the NC/TN border.
We got hit with the storm too, about 2" of fine snow fell. On Tuesday, as it was snowing outside, our local weatherman was saying "we'll only get a flurry, by tomorrow you'll not even know it snowed. Here it is Thursday and we've still got some white covered roads. It got so cold after it snowed, the chemicals didn't work and the plows couldn't cut through the packed & frozen ice.
Moving around was iffy. Even though I only put my truck in 4WD twice for just a couple minutes. It's amazing the difference simply understanding what you're driving on can make. Around here, that's a very small minority of drivers. We get just two or three good snows a year. People forget that most 4WD trucks are heavy. For reference, my regular cab, short bed, midsize truck weighs in at 4400lbs. That means you can slide quite the distance on ice! Most people here think that once they're in 4WD they can drive exactly like they do in the dry. All these trendy AWD SUVs out there? Yea, same attitude with them. It's not much fun to see a soccer mom (or dad, men are just as guilty of this) hurtling toward your in some AWD crossover with no idea they can't stop. Or watching the game of seeing them stop the gas once the wheels start slipping going up a hill. Sure, a little momentum can be a good thing, but once you're spinning you're done. Then they're too scared to ease backwards down the hill.
JM
Quote from: cokey on January 30, 2014, 10:37:19 AM
yea in ny most of the traffic that happened was from busses being stuck at intersection.. so no one could pass.. one of the guys took 30 min for one block
and that is another reason why in the winter to fill your gas tank at half way instead of empty. You never know how long your going to get stuck in traffic.
Right. I do the same here, just in case. My commute is only 3.5 miles, BUT I just feel better seeing that needle above the half mark when bad weather hits.
JM
Quote from: LMT on January 30, 2014, 09:49:22 AM
Last place you want to be on a snow day is on a bus in Seattle. The operators don't chain up correctly, can't drive and slide all over the road. The articulated buses are fun to watch.
Go to about the 2:40 mark:
Sliding Cars in Seattle Snow on 11/22/10 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhZCyQ3emQg#)
Not a single one of those drivers understands that you can't steer and stand on the brakes at the same time with maybe the exception of the fire truck driver. Doesn't anyone remember their traction pie lessons from roadracing school????
BTW: have plow will travel [thumbsup]
I consider myself a pretty good winter driver. I have lived in rural Wisconsin for over a half century and have only gotten in trouble once or twice. Where we go skiing in Montana, they run busses from town up to the ski hill about every half hour. They are rear wheel drive and without studded tires. Those drivers whip those busses back and forth up those switchbacks, 10 miles each way, in whiteouts, snow, slush, crap, ice, fog every day all day. Impressed the tar out of me - I would have been afraid running my jeep up and down those roads. I always leave a big tip and a thank you to those drivers - my hats off to them! They are the best winter drivers I have ever seen.
Quote from: extra330 on January 30, 2014, 02:08:07 PM
BTW: have plow will travel [thumbsup]
Why not just put plows on city buses?
(http://www.wpta.net/about/snowbuspicture.jpg)
This paralyzed city stuff just doesn't make any sense. None of that stuff happens here. Sure there are a few wrecks here and there once in a while, but for the most part people just slow it down and get to where they are going.
I got me one of those trendy AWD SUV's this year for the snow and put some good tires on it. Makes a big difference. Before I had just RWD and couldn't make it up some hills.
I don't think 2 inches of snow is worth getting the plow out for.
K Falls has what, 25,000 people? The metro Atlanta area has 6 million!
Big difference.
Quote from: LMT on January 31, 2014, 07:52:36 AM
K Falls has what, 25,000 people? The metro Atlanta area has 6 million!
Big difference.
Ding ding
Quote from: LMT on January 31, 2014, 07:52:36 AM
K Falls has what, 25,000 people? The metro Atlanta area has 6 million!
Big difference.
Well not that it matters much but its more like 40,O00 people. The population density is definitely less than in seattle but theres enough traffic that a wreck on one of the busier streets or highways could mess things up, but it just doesn't happen very much.
Again, the difference would be the fact that the 2" of snow turn to ice very quickly. With no road treatment whatsoever, everything turns into a skating rink.
Quote from: duccarlos on January 31, 2014, 08:36:45 AM
Again, the difference would be the fact that the 2" of snow turn to ice very quickly. With no road treatment whatsoever, everything turns into a skating rink.
Bingo
The problem usually isn't when it's snowing, or immediately after, it's after it's been on the road for a while, has been melted by traffic, then re-freezes as temperatures drop. Without sand/salt it just freezes into a sheet of ice. Combine that with cars with the wrong type of tires, and inexperienced drivers, and it's chaos.
I lived in Reno for a long time, and drove over Donner Summit a ton of times in horrible weather. I can drive in the snow. That said, Seattle is a pregnant dog to get around when it snows...much harder than Reno or Truckee were with even more snow. Preparation is key, and places that don't get much snow are hardly ever prepared (the DOTs as well as the drivers).
Was this the first time that this has happened? No.
Will it be the last? Probably not. [laugh]
Correct. But it doesn't happen enough for cities to spend millions on plows and such...or for people to put winter tires on their cars.
People just need to stay home when any snow storm hits the south. Unless they're willing to invest in chains.
Quote from: Triple J on January 31, 2014, 04:49:58 PM
Correct. But it doesn't happen enough for cities to spend millions on plows and such...or for people to put winter tires on their cars.
True is doesn't happen often, but Im sure it happens at least once a year. One thing cities south could do is purchase salt for when it does happen, its not like the salt goes bad and converting a dump truck to a spreader isn't that expensive. No its not an expense im sure cities south want to spend, but Im sure avoiding just one storm like you all just had would have off set the cost.
Quote from: ItsaDuc on February 03, 2014, 09:20:58 AM
True is doesn't happen often, but Im sure it happens at least once a year. One thing cities south could do is purchase salt for when it does happen, its not like the salt goes bad and converting a dump truck to a spreader isn't that expensive. No its not an expense im sure cities south want to spend, but Im sure avoiding just one storm like you all just had would have off set the cost.
For the last make the beast with two backsing time it's Y'all. :D
Quote from: kopfjäger on February 03, 2014, 11:50:11 AM
For the last make the beast with two backsing time it's Y'all. :D
Ah crap. I effed that one up.
What's this you all? That's as bad as youz guyz. [laugh]
We have salt trucks here in the mountains. The also spread sand and chat. The sand and chat are good traction aids. I also keep a bucket of cheap clay kitty litter in my truck. You'd be amazed what throwing some of that on a particularly slick hill or similar will do.
The fact that most crossovers and SUVs come with more performance oriented tires causes huge problems in the snow. Couple that with the fact that a lot of those drivers don't change the way they hit the gas or brakes and you've got an accident waiting to happen. I have all-terrains on my truck, and still have to carefully manage traction on the packed stuff & ice. I've not invested in chains, because at this point, I've never NOT been able to coax my truck where I needed to go with simply some careful driving.
Y'all is simply southern for addressing a group of people.
JM
Chat? ???
Quote from: Ducatamount on February 04, 2014, 07:13:06 AM
Chat? ???
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/034b9b1462153b19bd50a5ffb6a9f069.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/ffc62574af5ba3765410f8910cd713f0.jpg)
that looks like great fun to ride on :o
Quote from: Skybarney on February 04, 2014, 09:13:21 AM
that looks like great fun to ride on :o
Need several heavy rains to clear it off, worst part is it's at all intersections.
Quote from: Ducatamount on February 04, 2014, 07:13:06 AM
Chat? ???
Quote from: kopfjäger on February 04, 2014, 09:00:43 AM
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/034b9b1462153b19bd50a5ffb6a9f069.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/ffc62574af5ba3765410f8910cd713f0.jpg)
Ummmm, gravel?
Quote from: kopfjäger on February 04, 2014, 09:41:41 AM
Need several heavy rains to clear it off, worst part is it's at all intersections.
Quote from: Skybarney on February 04, 2014, 09:13:21 AM
that looks like great fun to ride on :o
Yea, it makes for some sketchy late winter/early spring riding. It's basically fine gravel that stays in the center of turns and intersections well into spring.
JM
I remember a few pucker moments riding in the mountains in the spring.
Quote from: kopfjäger on February 04, 2014, 03:28:38 PM
Actually #789
looks like what they call 1" minus around here with the dust washed out.
Quote from: ducpainter on February 04, 2014, 03:42:53 PM
looks like what they call 1" minus around here with the dust washed out.
They call that #57 down yonder. Not sure who made up all the #'s around the states. ;)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa91/chiflado/29449628709b14544be71ffc99fc7db2.jpg)
They leave the fines in and call it ledge pack and use it as a driveway topper.
Packs real good with the dust in it.
The layman's term around is also "gravel dust" as it's the little bits and pieces from the process of the quarry breaking the rock down into the various sizes. Chat is smaller than pea gravel (name self explanatory).
JM
all the more reason to ride a supermoto and stick a leg out
or get a Ural 8)