A major east coast storm is a distinct possibility
February 10, 2006
26 posts
16 users
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Map Over the past 24 hrs it has become apparent that there is a good possibility for a major east coast storm.
the models are all over the place but for sure DCA will get something ... and WV might get spanked.
Pro met comment this morning ... "We still have considerable spread among the models, ranging from the armageddon GFS scenario to the fish storm as shown by NAM/Canadian."
Bring it armagedd-ON!
Heading for Snowshoe and hoping to get snowed in!!!
Maybe this is the start of a trend? Probably not, but here's to hoping that by this time next month the salt piles have been exhausted, the supermarkets are empty, the weathermen look like they've been hit by a truck, and the skiing is the best it's been in 20 years.
I love it. We'll have to gauge the newscasters reaction. If it's a good one the time spent discussing snow on the news with "experts" will significantly increase and the event will be increased to a level 5 kill storm i.e. 5 inches. At this point the stores shall be pillaged of all milk, bread, water and ice scrapers. Unbeknownst to us the average human consumption of bread and milk increases a hundred fold during snow event turning normal people into milky bread consuming machines. It also strips them of all rationality and sensibility. Newscasters will frenzy and foam at the mouth leading to mass hysteria and a shut down of the world. Riots will abound over the last sponge gripped ice scraper at Home Depot and those who go without will be forced to drive with no more than 6 inches of visibility throught the hole they cleared on their windshield. The end is nigh.
Bring it b!&$h
Snowcone...do you and yours want to meet for myself and my friend for a drink? I'm driving to Whitegrass tonight, tour there in the morning, then hitting the Shoe Frday afternoon through Sunday, staying at Silver Creek
steve
firemt@yahoo.com
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I love it. We'll have to gauge the newscasters reaction.
The weatherpersons are usually goodnatured about it. Bob Ryan went to school in Buffalo, so a little snow isn't about to scare him. Doug Hill delivered his winter weather annual show once from Wisp, so he probably wants to join you.
Me? I'm hoping to get in some XC skiing in beautiful, downtown Alexandria. I haven't been able to do that in years, so when the chance comes, I grab it.
Hmmm....toilet paper! Don't forget the toilet paper! Its been proven that once the mass histeria sets in and the milk and bread is gone from the shelves the hordes of mothers with squalling babies attached to them turn to toilet paper to comfort themselves.
Me...I prefer beer. mmmmm...beer!
All,
You all forgot the 10 Lbs of ground beef as well
-Warren-
You know they use toilet paper to keep warm during the inevitable black out/power outage that will occur when snow reaches depths of anything greater 3/16th of one inch.
Keep back I have a demi baguette and I'm not afraid to use it. You ever seen a man bludgeoned with a day old stale loaf of bread? not pretty buddy not pretty
.
<inspectorclouseauaccent>
I parry your flimsy ficelle and stomp on your crusty bagels!
</inspectorclouseauaccent>
I'm new to the DC area, do I have to wait until it starts snowing before I abandon my car on the beltway?
There are a few trains of thought on this one. The first is that you drive excessively slowly, this shouldn't be influenced by how much snow is on the ground, you should be travelling slowly enough that it causes everyone around you to get frustrated and do stupid things resulting in a crash.
The next option is to drive faster than you're vehicle is capable resulting in causing you and others around you to crash.
The third is to drive an AWD vehicle or as they are known to some in the area "invincibility machines". These should be driven rapidly and as close to the person in front as possible. Feel free to practice your surprised face you'll need this when you crash because the vehicle didn't stop like you thought it should.
If you own a rear wheel drive vehicle you are obligated to spin it out on an exit ramp.
After anyone of these you may abandon your car on the beltway.
The final option, but not one we like to follow, is to drive with some common sense.
You lost me man..you got AWD (I'll toss in 4wd with that) and rear wheel drive..both you covered quite well...what about front wheel drive? Don't tell me I have to drive all the way home and not get the chance to abandon my car...
My first exposure to the whole DC snow driving experience was back in 92 or 93...g/f and I were downtown DC xmas eve, started to snow, we were ice skating on the Mall, life was grand, perfect xmas eve. Then came time to go home...OMG
We went for the GW parkway to get to the beltway to get back up to Hillandale...3 hours...it alternated between pockets of no vehicles to a cluster so tight it could turn coal into diamonds. I was amazed....funny..hasn't improved in the past 14 years or so..I'm surprised by that..really..I am..honest
Steve
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The third is to drive an AWD vehicle or as they are known to some in the area "invincibility machines". These should be driven rapidly and as close to the person in front as possible. Feel free to practice your surprised face you'll need this when you crash because the vehicle didn't stop like you thought it should.
Ah, there is a slight matinee variant on this play: the surprised face as the bald summer tires spin out in the parking lot.
Front wheel drive, you have plenty of opportunity to for fun car abandonment:
- feel free to abandon the vehicle at any moderate upslope that has a chance to take a microgram of weight distribution off the bald summer front tires. Be sure to slide out sideways and block both lanes, tho. GW Parkway westbound at Spout Run is ideal. Second choice: Underpass at rte 123.
- be sure to hit the brakes at every downhill in the very instant you turn the wheel for that sweeper curve. Your surprised face should only be seen when your muffler points in the direction you were previously headed. First choice: GW parkway westbound ramp to 495 inner loop. Second choice: GW parkway eastbound under 123 overpass Third choice: Downramp to I 495 to Clara Barton, extra points for fog that guarantees a solid whack from the next car. This gives you an opportunity to run from the abandoned car.
Eh front wheel drive plus studds kicks ass in the snow, I am normally the fastest car on the backroads around here in the snow. It could be those rally lessons I took a couple years back.........
Tsk, tsk, Bushwacker.
This is the 'how to behave like a DC resident faced with a 3/16" snowstorm thread'; no paying attention or other competence.
PS Honda CRXs spin like tops, any dc'er'll tell ya.
Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
241 PM EST THU FEB 9 2006
MDZ001-PAZ030-032-WVZ023-041-100345-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.WS.A.0003.060211T1200Z-060212T1200Z/
GARRETT-WESTMORELAND-FAYETTE-PRESTON-TUCKER-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OAKLAND MD...GRANTSVILLE...GREENSBURG...
NEW KENSINGTON...JEANNETTE...LATROBE...MONESSEN...UNIONTOWN...
CONNELLSVILLE...OHIOPYLE...KINGWOOD...TERRA ALTA...PARSONS...
DAVIS...THOMAS
241 PM EST THU FEB 9 2006
...WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING...
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING.
A STORM IS FORECAST TO DEVELOP OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY
DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT THE STORM WILL MOVE UP THE
APPALACHIANS SPREADING ACCUMULATING SNOW INTO THE WATCH AREA
SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.
THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR OVER 6 INCHES OF SNOW IN THE WATCH AREA.
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE DEPENDENT UPON THE TRACK AND INTENSITY
OF THE STORM.
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST
FORECASTS.
$$
Is this still the case? Or has it changed?
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There are a few trains of thought on this one. The first is that you drive excessively slowly, this shouldn't be influenced by how much snow is on the ground, you should be travelling slowly enough that it causes everyone around you to get frustrated and do stupid things resulting in a crash.
The next option is to drive faster than you're vehicle is capable resulting in causing you and others around you to crash.
The third is to drive an AWD vehicle or as they are known to some in the area "invincibility machines". These should be driven rapidly and as close to the person in front as possible. Feel free to practice your surprised face you'll need this when you crash because the vehicle didn't stop like you thought it should.
If you own a rear wheel drive vehicle you are obligated to spin it out on an exit ramp.
After anyone of these you may abandon your car on the beltway.
The final option, but not one we like to follow, is to drive with some common sense.
All good, but you ain't seen nothing till you've seen Texans in snow. I headed out for work one morning (after tossing a shovel full of sand on my fairly steep driveway) to find my neighbor leaving the house with a pot of steaming water. He had a pickup parked on a slight uphill grade, and was "hopelessly" stuck. He was pouring the hot water under his tires to melt the ice. It wasn't working.
Best part is ... the pickup was loaded with dirt. He even had a shovel. We sprinkled a little under the tires, and I suggested he back downhill first. Worked like a charm. I drove away, so I have no idea how far he made it that morning.
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Me? I'm hoping to get in some XC skiing in beautiful, downtown Alexandria. I haven't been able to do that in years, so when the chance comes, I grab it.
twin, where do you go? I might head down on Sunday to Lady Bird park area along Potomac bike trail across from Linc Mem if we get enough snow?
You know, one of the most amazing things I've discovered here in Blacksburg is that people drive pretty darn well in the snow, even the college kids. I thought for sure this would be just as bad a place as any other place in the south for winter drivers, but folks up here handle themselves really well (and the road clearing is pretty decent). People slow down about 5-10 mph in the snow, give each other plenty of space and take longer to brake. I guess we get enough snow each winter that folks have gotten used to it up here... though where the snow has been this winter has been a bit of a sore spot.
JimK, might see you there if the Mo Co. CCT is coated, otherwise I'm off to the power cut west of Montgomery Mall, entrance behind Cabin John ice rink.
(Atomic Rainiers with Alpina TeleLites)
BTW if there's superb coverage why not Fairfax Co's XCT for you?
http://www.fairfaxtrails.org/maps/index.html
Betcha the bluffs behind Great Falls get more snow than Lady Bird park.
