Mid-Atlantic peeps - PSA

spockforprez

AddieCake said:

Last year, we got a lot of snow here in HR in February, and quite a bit end of January the year before, so there's still hope, @spockforprez

I've been here since Sept 2013 so I've been through some of those snows, but man I want 12-24" of snow so bad!

CMGragain

I remember the big storms of the early 1980s in Washington, DC.  Willard Scott was the local weatherman then.  He did his weather broadcast out in the heavy snow in his shirtsleeves, pleading, "I'm sorry!  I'm sorry!  I was wrong!"

Baltimore used to have a promotional spot, where a woman's robotic voice said "Norm Lewis says it is going to snow...must buy bread,,,,must buy milk,,,,must buy toilet paper."

Daughter is out playing with her son on his new saucer sled.  I hope she can still squeeze into those snow pants at 20 weeks pregnant!

ericasm0703

My parents live around the corner from us and my mom and I both had to get groceries so we went to the store after the gym. We normally go shopping during the week, but neither of us got everything we needed on our lists. As of now, I'm scheduled to work on Friday/Saturday so I'm sure that will be a real treat if the guy covering my shift as a swap payback decides not to take it.

emmaaa

I've noticed that usually the most snow we get is when it is late winter. Last year we got like 6 inches of snow in late February/early March which is a lot for central NC.

kmmssg

This storm isn't hitting us at all but I do hope concerts and weddings go on as planned. We got snowed in on Sunday up in Traverse City over the weekend, but not too much where we live. I think this is a good time to go all prepper and store at least 2 cases of wine in case of emergencies.

kaos16

I think we are in a 6-12 predicted area at this point. . . . with my luck, i'll go into labor Saturday.  Nothing like a baby in a blizzard.  If he doesn't make an appearance, I think he'll stay right where he is until February.  Should be an interesting weekend!

banana468

The models seem to disagree based on where I am.   If it's actually blizzard conditions I hope DH's event gets cancelled and he stays home.   

He's doing the wine run tonight.   He picked up lemons for hot toddies yesterday.    

nerdwife

North Jersey/NYC area here and I had to cancel my birthday party that we were supposed to be having on Saturday night (and by birthday party, I mean people coming over to eat and drink and play cards against humanity). This is the problem with winter birthdays. I held off because the report is so often wrong, but now we have a full blizzard warning, so I gave up.

Also, I do not understand why people buy all the bread and milk. First of all, those are like the most perishable foods, so you know if you're trapped for a while, they won't help you, right? Also, do you ordinarily eat/drink a lot of milk and bread? No? So why are you buying it all now?!

We did buy a lot of liquor for the party, so at least we have that going for us. May need to restock after this weekend...

I don't get snow days since we can work from home on our laptops, so I don't really care so much that it's not a weekday. Also, one of the few benefits of renting, particularly in an apartment building, is that we never have to shovel, so yay for that.

Edited because you can't eat milk.

emmaaa

I had to go to Walmart last night for food for my dogs and cat and had to brave the crazies. It was awful timing.

lyndausvi

nerdwife said:

North Jersey/NYC area here and I had to cancel my birthday party that we were supposed to be having on Saturday night (and by birthday party, I mean people coming over to eat and drink and play cards against humanity). This is the problem with winter birthdays. I held off because the report is so often wrong, but now we have a full blizzard warning, so I gave up.

Also, I do not understand why people buy all the bread and milk. First of all, those are like the most perishable foods, so you know if you're trapped for a while, they won't help you, right? Also, do you ordinarily eat/drink a lot of milk and bread? No? So why are you buying it all now?!

We did buy a lot of liquor for the party, so at least we have that going for us. May need to restock after this weekend...

I don't get snow days since we can work from home on our laptops, so I don't really care so much that it's not a weekday. Also, one of the few benefits of renting, particularly in an apartment building, is that we never have to shovel, so yay for that.

Edited because you can't eat milk.

   A gallon of milk lasts me 2 weeks.    So as long as I have power it's not going to go bad.      

Some families go through a lot of milk.  When I was a kid we went through 4 gallons a week.   So if we normally went to the store on Saturday and that is the day the storm was coming, we would stock before hand.   We also had an extra refrigerator. 

Bread doesn't got bad in a day or two either.   Even if you lost power you can still make sandwiches.

I also think these days everyone eats out a lot.  Then a storm comes and people are like "oh shit, I actually need food in the house in case we are stuck for a few days".    

I work from home so there is always food in the house.  When I worked outside the house I would let supplies get pretty low since it's so convenient to pick up something.

lyndausvi

emmaaa said:

I had to go to Walmart last night for food for my dogs and cat and had to brave the crazies. It was awful timing.

2 years ago we went OOT for xmas.    4 days after we got back I flew down to the Orange Bowl.    Well I flew in about 12 hours before a big storm was coming.  I had to go to FOUR different stores and I still couldn't get the basics.   Basics that I wasn't getting just for the storm.   Because of traveling we just had not been to the store in a few weeks.    

 I posted pictures on here, but there was not one single fresh vegetable to be bought at ANY store.   No milk, bread, water or even a can of soup.    It's still the craziest scene I have every seen at a store.   And I've been through hurricanes in the islands. Sure stores were out of stuff (ships couldn't get in), but nothing like this.

The city was shut down for 5 days.   I was happy to get what I could get.  I can see why people stock up.   Trucks couldn't get to the stores for days. 

nerdwife

lyndausvi said:

nerdwife said:

North Jersey/NYC area here and I had to cancel my birthday party that we were supposed to be having on Saturday night (and by birthday party, I mean people coming over to eat and drink and play cards against humanity). This is the problem with winter birthdays. I held off because the report is so often wrong, but now we have a full blizzard warning, so I gave up.

Also, I do not understand why people buy all the bread and milk. First of all, those are like the most perishable foods, so you know if you're trapped for a while, they won't help you, right? Also, do you ordinarily eat/drink a lot of milk and bread? No? So why are you buying it all now?!

We did buy a lot of liquor for the party, so at least we have that going for us. May need to restock after this weekend...

I don't get snow days since we can work from home on our laptops, so I don't really care so much that it's not a weekday. Also, one of the few benefits of renting, particularly in an apartment building, is that we never have to shovel, so yay for that.

Edited because you can't eat milk.

   A gallon of milk lasts me 2 weeks.    So as long as I have power it's not going to go bad.      

Some families go through a lot of milk.  When I was a kid we went through 4 gallons a week.   So if we normally went to the store on Saturday and that is the day the storm was coming, we would stock before hand.   We also had an extra refrigerator. 

Bread doesn't got bad in a day or two either.   Even if you lost power you can still make sandwiches.

I also think these days everyone eats out a lot.  Then a storm comes and people are like "oh shit, I actually need food in the house in case we are stuck for a few days".    

I work from home so there is always food in the house.  When I worked outside the house I would let supplies get pretty low since it's so convenient to pick up something.

I guess if it's something you drink a lot, then that makes some sense. But if you're only afraid that you're going to be stuck inside for a day or two, why do you need so much extra? Like, with hurricane sandy, most people around here were without power for a week, so it's good to have a lot of supplies before that kind of storm. But a snowstorm in this area will likely get plowed and cleaned up pretty fast - I'd say everyone will be good to go to work/go out by Monday. It would take what was literally called a superstorm to do so much damage that you would be trapped or without power for that long. And, if you do lose power, bye bye milk.

Just sayin. It always always happens and I always wonder what exactly people do with all the milk and bread they can carry. At least buy some chocolate, people! Like, don't leave the candy aisle so full. Better yet, buy some produce! Eat an apple! The produce never gets wiped out.

kmmssg

That stocking up thing doesn't just have to do with the roads being cleared - it also has to do with digging yourself out. We live about 300ish feet off the road. Part of the driveway (most) is dirt/gravel, and the last 25 or so feet is concrete. That is a bitch to clear, even with a snow blower. Last week we got some snow and it turned into ice. DH spent more than 4 hours digging us out. When DS is home from school we go through 6 gallons of milk a week. Fortunately we didn't have any severe weather when he was home for Christmas, but we'll see how Spring Break goes. In Michigan that is still solid Winter. If it is Winter time when you lose your power all you have to is set your milk outside (in a cooler, closed) and it will be fine. We might pick up an extra loaf of bread but if your power goes out PBJs are no problem. We don't stock up for Armageddon but we think about what we will need, how long it will take us to dig out, and what the weather is like after the dig out. If it is close to zero, who wants to go out in that?

nerdwife

kmmssg said:

That stocking up thing doesn't just have to do with the roads being cleared - it also has to do with digging yourself out. We live about 300ish feet off the road. Part of the driveway (most) is dirt/gravel, and the last 25 or so feet is concrete. That is a bitch to clear, even with a snow blower. Last week we got some snow and it turned into ice. DH spent more than 4 hours digging us out. When DS is home from school we go through 6 gallons of milk a week. Fortunately we didn't have any severe weather when he was home for Christmas, but we'll see how Spring Break goes. In Michigan that is still solid Winter. If it is Winter time when you lose your power all you have to is set your milk outside (in a cooler, closed) and it will be fine. We might pick up an extra loaf of bread but if your power goes out PBJs are no problem. We don't stock up for Armageddon but we think about what we will need, how long it will take us to dig out, and what the weather is like after the dig out. If it is close to zero, who wants to go out in that?

Okay, I guess it just varies by area. Growing up in a NJ suburb with constant snowstorms and constantly emptying supermarkets, I always wondered what people were doing. Most of this wouldn't apply to where I grew up (no one lives that far off a plowed street), but the milk outside thing would - good tip! And I also grew up on a cul-de-sac, which was always one of the last streets to get plowed, and we were still out within a day. So I guess I will limit my laughing at people/wondering why everyone freaks out to standard NJ suburbs.

lyndausvi

nerdwife said:

lyndausvi said:

nerdwife said:

North Jersey/NYC area here and I had to cancel my birthday party that we were supposed to be having on Saturday night (and by birthday party, I mean people coming over to eat and drink and play cards against humanity). This is the problem with winter birthdays. I held off because the report is so often wrong, but now we have a full blizzard warning, so I gave up.

Also, I do not understand why people buy all the bread and milk. First of all, those are like the most perishable foods, so you know if you're trapped for a while, they won't help you, right? Also, do you ordinarily eat/drink a lot of milk and bread? No? So why are you buying it all now?!

We did buy a lot of liquor for the party, so at least we have that going for us. May need to restock after this weekend...

I don't get snow days since we can work from home on our laptops, so I don't really care so much that it's not a weekday. Also, one of the few benefits of renting, particularly in an apartment building, is that we never have to shovel, so yay for that.

Edited because you can't eat milk.

   A gallon of milk lasts me 2 weeks.    So as long as I have power it's not going to go bad.      

Some families go through a lot of milk.  When I was a kid we went through 4 gallons a week.   So if we normally went to the store on Saturday and that is the day the storm was coming, we would stock before hand.   We also had an extra refrigerator. 

Bread doesn't got bad in a day or two either.   Even if you lost power you can still make sandwiches.

I also think these days everyone eats out a lot.  Then a storm comes and people are like "oh shit, I actually need food in the house in case we are stuck for a few days".    

I work from home so there is always food in the house.  When I worked outside the house I would let supplies get pretty low since it's so convenient to pick up something.

I guess if it's something you drink a lot, then that makes some sense. But if you're only afraid that you're going to be stuck inside for a day or two, why do you need so much extra? Like, with hurricane sandy, most people around here were without power for a week, so it's good to have a lot of supplies before that kind of storm. But a snowstorm in this area will likely get plowed and cleaned up pretty fast - I'd say everyone will be good to go to work/go out by Monday. It would take what was literally called a superstorm to do so much damage that you would be trapped or without power for that long. And, if you do lose power, bye bye milk.

Just sayin. It always always happens and I always wonder what exactly people do with all the milk and bread they can carry. At least buy some chocolate, people! Like, don't leave the candy aisle so full. Better yet, buy some produce! Eat an apple! The produce never gets wiped out.

Unlike when Hurricane Sandy came, it's cold outside.  So you will not lose things like milk if you put them in a cooler out in the garage, basement outside, etc.  

See my post above.  Jan 2014 the entire city of Indianapolis was shut down for an entire week after a storm.  We got about a foot of snow, then had -14 degree temps.  State of emergency and all.  It's not horrible to plan for the worse.  

Also clean up is always easier of people would stay in longer anyway.   Even if you can leave your house, it's often better if people stay in a little longer.


ETA - you also have to predict when supplies will return.    If the city is closed then 18-wheelers are not bring in supplies to stores.   When the streets are cleared they just do not magically appear.   They have still get into the city.  Staff has to be able to get there to unload, stock up, etc.      

lnixon8

My favorite is how so many people are going to walmart/target and buying snow shovels! They are not perishable. What did you do last time there was snow? Why do you need new ones?

lnixon8

@Maggie0829 Oh no! I just saw your concert was postponed

Maggie0829

lnixon8 said:

@Maggie0829 Oh no! I just saw your concert was postponed

@Inixon8 - It is actually a good thing!  I was stressing out about deciding what I should do in regards to driving back Friday night or staying in the city and then trying to get home Saturday.  So I am happy that the decision was made for me. And my sister was able to re-schedule her flight so she still gets to come up and go with me!

lyndausvi

update from my buddy:   

Blizzard Warning for the Baltimore/DC corridor, Blizzard Watch for the Philly area and points NE.

The models continue to be in excellent agreement that this will be a major storm. The actual amounts are pretty well dialed in...some minor fuzziness with numbers, but not much. Most of my numbers from yesterday will be bumped up a category from Richmond on north.

As my profile pic suggests, there will be whiteout conditions at times in the Blizzard Warning/Watch areas. Don't travel. Period.

If you're prone to power outages, prepare now. Heavy snow + heavy wind = downed trees.

themosthappy91

@AddieCake and @spockforprez how did I not realize you both are in Hampton Roads? Love discovering other 757 Knotties (I'm in Williamsburg).

AddieCake

Ahhh, sweet. You don't seem psycho, so I'd be willing to meet you IRL.  

spockforprez

themosthappy91 said:

@AddieCake and @spockforprez how did I not realize you both are in Hampton Roads? Love discovering other 757 Knotties (I'm in Williamsburg).

Awesomesauce! Not sure about Addie but I'm on the Peninsula so we're probably within 30 mins of each other at the moment haha. I moved here from the Richmond area and I go back up there a dozen or so times a year.

thisismynickname2

This is from last year, but enjoy the blizzard survival tips and stay safe!
http://www.theonion.com/graphic/blizzard-survival-tips-37853

PrettyGirlLost

lyndausvi said:

Maggie0829 said:

lyndausvi said:

Maggie0829 said:

lyndausvi said:

Sorry about your Great-Aunt Olive.     I attended a funeral of a great-aunt in a mega storm back in the 80's.   It was crazy.  



Maggie - Mom's are funny.  Hope your sister gets in okay and the concert is not cancelled as a result.    

This is my biggest fear.  I am thinking for Friday we should be okay but Saturday's concert is questionable.  The only thing I am afraid of is that they are just going to cancel or postpone Friday and Saturday because they don't want to drive everything in on Friday and then have to try and get back out that night with the snow coming down.

I would worry about that also.  Where are they coming from?    

 I assume it's in Baltimore, right?  Don't they have a history of closing down the city?

I am not sure where they are coming from (off to look that up right now).  The last time I remember the city really being shut down from snow was back in 2009/2010 (?) when we had two blizzards back to back and accumulated like 5-6 feet of snow in a two week period.  Other then that, it is usually business as usual.

my friend says it might rival the 2010 storm.    

It's snowing here right now.   Suppose to get 5-6 where we are, foot or more up on the slopes.   We have the benefit of less people, who drive good cars with proper tires and of course the right snow removal equipment.

Yaaas! My university shut down for a week and I didn't have to come in to work because I'm a "non essential" employee.

If it's going to be shitty, ima pray for Blizzard of 2010 shitty so I can get 5 bonus vacation days again :-)

kmmssg

All you ladies involved take care!

spockforprez

We've been "upgraded" to 2-4" here on the Peninsula. This is for today's snowfall, not sure if there is more to come. My parents were changed to 12-20" (from 24"+). 

My dad drives snow plows during storms so he'll probably be up and out for the next 36 hours. If you're sending thoughts or prayers to snowpeople this weekend please send a few for him! 

peachy13

Hope everyone stays safe and warm! As a Bostonion, we're all kind of jealous up here.

hellohkb

So far we've been downgraded to about 5 inches. According to AccuWeather our chance of snow has gone from 50% to 25%(for today). Last year there was supposed to be a "Snowmagedden" and we didn't get a single snowflake. It was supposed to start ready and it hasn't yet. I'm praying!

banana468

If you look at CT, the models are rather interesting.   The SE coast is in the 4-7" range but a few miles south the North Fork is in the 8-14" range.   I'll just plan for whatever and hopefully DH is able to make a packie run to fix that bottle of corked Bogle Pinot Noir that smelled like old library books last night.

DH is still hoping to go out and the northern area of the state isn't supposed to be hit too hard.   I'd prefer he stay but there's not a whole lot I can do to convince a man with snow tires to stick around. 

lyndausvi

"My guy" said this is one of the few storms he has seen that ALL the models are reporting the same thing.  He said there has been very little changes in forecse.  If anything some areas were increased.    Bottom line it will be dumping snow in a lot of areas, no question.

Sure some places will get less than reported, but just because your area didn't see the snowmagedon doesn't mean others in the viewing area didn't see it either.    

Prepare for the worse, hope for the best.