Isn't it so pretty??

We are at the 4 year anniversary of when I almost succumbed to carbon monoxide. I've never looked at winter weather in the same way, since.

Did you have a CO detector?

The generator was in the open doorway on the opened screened in porch to HOPEFULLY lessen the odds of it being stolen. We thought we had taken all precautions but the wind shifted strongly from the north and blew all of the fumes straight into the house. I thought I was getting light headed from the gas fumes. My brother came by and realized what was happening so we opened all of the windows and dragged the generator further from the house - thievery be damned. He also brought over a detector that was alerting at a level at just about the height of my eyebrows. Another day, at that rate of accumulation, would have done me in.

I now have a brand new one professionally installed in an outside 'enclosure'. All I have to do is plug it in and flip on switches to what ever part of the house I choose. Which would be the one controlling the sump pump and water pump. I can deal with the cold because I have a fireplace. I can't deal with the basement getting flooded, or a lack of water. That was the hardest thing - well, other than almost dying.

A friend of mine is a ER doctor. He once had a elderly couple come in with flu like symptoms. While questioning them he found out they were traveling and stayed in a motel the night before. He put two and two together and sent the fire department over to the motel on the highway. The fire department found several sick people in various levels of distress.

My brother felt incredible nausea and it sent him into dry heaves. I just remember that, at the time, I'd never felt that "unintentionally" light headed, before. The only other significant side effect was that I lost my sense of taste for several months.

I take heart in the fact that if carbon monoxide couldn't kill me, maybe the GOP can't, either.

But I can certainly understand why you wouldn't instantly think 'winter wonderland' when you see snow.

I've seen scenes like the one in the original post well in to March in Minneapolis and it gets old fast. (Though, it's kind of scary that we don't see it as often as we used to.)

While the east side can mirror the climate of western PA and NY, the weather/climate on the west side is far, FAR milder. Contrary to popular (and uninformed) belief, it isn't winter-like here from November through April. The closer you get to PA the worse the conditions during the winter, but that does not define the entire region.

Depressing cloudiness 9 months. Snow October to May. Humid sticky summer.

Only took you over a half-century to leave, huh?

Maybe you lived on the far east side, but that's a real stretch as well. It does not snow in May nor does it snow in any portion of October.

You are spinning a tale, but whatever.

Glad you're gone (if you were ever here, that is)

JRT

You sound like one of the obnoxious climate change deniers I am glad to have left. My friends who still live there will back up what I posted. North and east of Akron. Pretty much everyone there gets SAD 6-8 months.

http://www.wkyc.com/mobile/article/weather/may-snow-hits-northeast-ohio/195056648


https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cincinnati.com/amp/809742001

Perhaps a particular town would have been preferable?

Legendary snows

We were going there for Xmas and he called to say stay home. They got 2 feet over night.

That will give me plenty of time to dig out the driveway from the snow, and then dig it out, again, after the snow plow blocks it up, again. Well, and then again, again since they seem to like to make two swipes to make sure they leave nothing in the street that could be piled up in my driveway.

Three seasons out of the year I LOVE Michigan weather. I'm thinking it might be time to become a 'snow bird'.

You're giving me flash backs! They would plow our driveway full for a week after it finally stopped snowing! YIKES!

I am already SOOOOOOO tired of this weather, and it's only just begun!!!!

Even the buses with chains could not move. The kids ended up having a 6 week Xmas vacation but no one could go anywhere. We live in the toolies and it was a long, very cold (well (in the teens day and night) 6 weeks.It was one of the worst, and I shudder at the thought of another.

There is ice on the ground now with snow on top of it. I am trapped in my house. It is ok so far, but if I can't get out tomorrow, I will start running low on food.

lived in Portland or Eugene or somewhere you could at least get out and go for walks but I forget how horrible the sidewalks and streets were and how dangerous it was just getting off the front porch. We were literally cooped up for 6 weeks.

I hate climate change!!!!!

And the problem in Portland, as you know, is the hills. I live on one, and if it snows too much or is icy, I am trapped. As you wrote, it is too risky even to try to cross the front porch and walk down the stairs. Portland is only good at removing snow on major arteries, but if you can't get to one of those, you are stuck. I wouldn't mind one snow day, but not more than that. I had to cancel classes repeatedly last winter, and it was very difficult to make up the work. Let's both pray for a mild winter!

Today wind chills below zero........brrrr.......

It was painful so I had to give up. Now it's stopped again but I'm not falling for that, again.

Tomorrow I will try to get my very ancient snow blower running, at least one more time, and then head out to price a new one. And, my wonderful neighbor keeps an eye on me, too, so he might stop by with his massive snow blower, and clear me out, again.

Time for a hot shower, a blazing fireplace, and a strong adult beverage!

I'm now looking at photos of green grass and weeping.

Yesterday. I was stuck at my mom's house overnight...couldn't get home.

I didn't do this. And I'd wish it on no one.

No more treacherous early morning drives through deep snow ruts. No more stressing the whole day about what the roads will be like when I get out of work. BUT, in 2013 we had a really bad storm that cut my power for a week, and I ended up with exposure to carbon monoxide. Ever since then, Winter and snow have lost their luster. Now it's just a PTSD trigger.

I want those 9 feet we had in 2015!

Record snow depths. Record cold temperatures. Awful, awful, awful.

I think that if I didn't worry about having to get out to deal with an emergency, I'd be less bothered by the snow. But during that 2013-2015 time span I had one family emergency and tragedy after another, all happening during horrible weather conditions. I attribute how I feel now to a degree of PTSD.

1. Why I moved to southern Nevada

2. That I get to rag on my relatives who are still in Genesee County. Heh heh heh

I love this area 3 seasons out of the year. And I don't even mind a 'mild' winter. I think I'll invest in a new snowblower, and maybe drink more hot rum cocktails.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ... elsewhere.

Formerly Brighton, NY (Rochester-adjacent).

Now Houston, TX.

at least in the lowlands. Got a couple of inches overnight. Not planning on going anywhere, so I'm OK so far.

I have very strong emotional ties to California. I was stationed there, while in the Navy. My brother and some of my friends lived in the Glendale/Burbank area and my best friend lives in San Francisco. Her family is in the San Diego area. I have spent a whole lot of very wonderfully memorable holidays and sanity saving vacations in California. My brother worked for the 20th Century Fox movie studio research library, and he took me on regular tours of what is left of 'old' Hollywood. I've spent a lot of time on the beaches and inland at the wineries and beautiful nature areas.

My heart absolutely breaks when I read about the fire situation.

Shoveled
Last Monday.
Thursday And Friday and Saturday (morning and evening).
And this am. Sun is out but nothing is melting.
And for the rest of the week, windchill at night below zero.
I love winter!

However today we were treated with NO hot water this a.m.

Got 24/7 plumbing to come out. Replaced both elements and thermostsat. I took a very cool one at 5 a.m. and thot we just ran out.
Was so tired, but in the back of my mind, knew it wasn't that. Guys just left and we should be good to go soon. Thanks be!

I envisioned a crapola day. H2O heater only year and a half old, brand new place.

Forecasting to be in the mid to low twenties all week at night. I saw one 16° down the road.😣

"Hot chocolate on the stove." (Lyrics to a song.)

Have a happy!

He is a wonderful man- always looking out after me when we get a lot of snow.

I'm making a batch of sweet and sour chicken, opening a bottle of Chardonnay, and might sip on a Martini, later, in front of the fireplace. I have NO desire to be out on the roads, today.

I hope you get your hot water back, soon!

May you have a peace-filled and restful evening.

(Got hot water 1:30. Yay!)

the largest snow machine in the world, we have plenty of snow to pass around. Am snowed in now with wind to make it more interesting. Hoping to dig out and seek a warmer climate soon.

Although I love Michigan weather, Spring through Autumn, it might be time to turn into one of those snowbirds. I have nieces and nephews in Florida and North Carolina who might just need my wisdom, between November and March.

I was driving at a snail's pace, last night, when the snow was really falling. Fortunately, so was everyone else. When we got home, I checked the 911 accident report - we had JUST missed several accidents, along our route, by a matter of minutes. Glad we left when we did!

We are not amused. 6-8” and still coming down.

I THINK the worst is over. Starting tomorrow, we will be in the deep freeze, for a while. I'll take the cold over the snow, any day.

I only wish for white Christmases for the Gulf Coast etc. Mainly because of the novelty. Don't wish it for my friends in snow country. Been there. Done that.

In Wisconsin, we celebrated when we didn't have a white Christmas!

for that.

The benches on the picnic table are covered over.

He looks like a pink nightmare.

I wished for a multicultural Christmas.

those days in upper state New York!

Merry Christmas, Siwsan!

My neighbor rescued me by clearing my driveway AND the street in front of it. Hopefully we don't get any more snow, for a while.

Now it is time to set a fire in the fireplace and play with the cats.

since your thoughtful neighbor cleared your driveway for you!

Cheers!

Just got back inside and shoveled a 3rd time (first time was at 5am, second at 9/10-ish and third, right now at 3:45.

It's going to be in the minus digits this week (overnight) so I wanted to get as much up as I could before it all freezes.

It's beautiful out there~! And I take comfort that I'll never need a gym membership to be in shape .

Happy Holidays to all

I would much rather have snow than wet, icy weather where you risk breaking your neck just stepping out your door. It has been snowing up here on the southern Maine coast where I am spending Christmas since about 2am and ended around 1pm. It looks beautiful and very festive. We only got about 6-8 inches so it's manageable. I am going back to Boston tomorrow and I don't think we got nearly as much and it has been mixed w/ freezing rain off and on as well.

My best friend and her husband are visiting Michigan from San Diego and they sent me pictures of the white-out they had to drive through to get to his parents house. Then they are spending New Year's in upstate NY in the Adirondack boonies who have also been hard hit with winter weather. I'll be they wish they had never left San Diego!

Christmas/New Year's Eve/Day snow is fine. But after that, I'm over it. That's is about as much winter as I want to put up with these days. I am pretty much a hermit (except for going to work) all of Jan, Feb and most of March.

It is so cold, now, and it's going to get even colder so putting salt on the roads will soon be a waste of time, resources and money.

The whole 10 day forecast is for highs in the mid teens and single digit (and below) night time temperatures. But no significant snow, in the forecast, makes me happy.

I live just north of Seattle. Glad I don't have to go anywhere. Too many people in the area don't know how to drive in the snow even when it's this minimal amount.

I like it until about New Year's Day - then I'm ready for spring!

...just love it. It's so beautiful. After the snowfall, the sun came put and everything sparkled. We had some new birds show up at ur feeder - pine siskins. Their markings stood out strikingly against the white of the snow. Delightful.

Of course, we've had snow (that stuck) since early October - up to about 5' and holding! It never fails; get it clear, and it snows more OR the graders block your drive.............

It looks picturesque!

But now heavy snow and ice pellets are a scary reminders our week long power outage, in 2013, and my brush with carbon monoxide poisoning. Storms now trigger me into rounding up flashlights, candles and lanterns and praying that no water is draining into the sump pump crock. I have a new, professionally installed generator that is wired into the house, but it won't get fired up unless the basement is in danger of flooding and/or food is in danger of spoiling.

He lived in L.A. and didn't have to deal with icy roads or shoveling.

thinking it might reflect thinking of his childhood or of home. Googled it and he grew up in Eastern Washington State.

I hate it, I hate it, I hate it.

And we got around 7, this time around. It was relatively light and fluffy, but it was still 7".

We are in for a good 10 days of very cold air temps, too, with maybe a little snow on Friday. But then we were just supposed to get one inch, on Christmas Eve, so who knows - we could be buried. After all, last night's forecast was for 2 degrees, and we are currently at -8. I don't call it weather forecasting - I call it weather guessing.

Looks like you got way more!

...a few years back. I get stuck in my house as I live on a hill so I just stock up for winter and enjoy b/w movies.

2013 through 2015 were horrible winters, in Michigan, with record cold/snow depth and power outages and me going through carbon monoxide exposure. At the same time we were dealing with multiple family health issues and deaths. Plus, I was still working at a very stressful job so I was constantly having to deal with driving in horrible road conditions while in a state of total stress. So, bad winter weather triggers some awful memories. Then this year my brother broke his elbow so I was again doing a lot of driving, both day and night, on slick roads, getting him sorted.

I do keep a well stocked pantry, have lots of books to read, and am trying REALLY hard to not let the weather send me down a bad memory lane. I guess it's still a work in progress.

from my distance

There is a wind chill advisory for temps from -10 to -25. If I didn't have lunch plans with a very good friend that I haven't seen in a long while, my only outside adventure would be limited to refilling the bird feeders! After I get home, I might just hunker in for the remainder of 2017.

Last night I booked my ticket to Tampa for my niece's wedding, at the end of January. Hopefully their weather will be cooperative and I'll get to take at least ONE barefoot walk along the beach to pick up shells. I'm lowering my criteria for what constitutes beach weather, as I type this.

gorgeous!

So at least that is pretty. I'll have to dig out my sunglasses, before I head out. And, the roads are cleared of the Christmas Eve snow dump, so there's that positive news.

It will be good to get my car out and on the road for a nice drive because letting them sit in this kind of cold is never a good idea. I'm sure glad I put in a new battery, a few months ago!

I'm going to be following Tampa's weather very closely so that I'll know what to pack. I'll be there for 5 days - just long enough for my blood to thin!!

...how to drive in snow, and for them to get where they're going. I tell myself that the reason I don't move to Florida, like my two younger cousins, is because I relish four, count 'em four, seasons. Like you can't truly appreciate spring unless you've survived the winter.

Every year, after the first snowfall, you drive along after these people who have forgotten how to handle snow--you see the graceful S patterns their tires have made before they slid back into the lane they were aiming for. And occasionally I pass someone's SUV resting peacefully in a corn field. I glance in their window to check that they're talking on their phones, and if they are, drive gently onward several MPH slower than they were probably going. This Dec., for the first time, I cancelled a dentist appt. on account of lousy driving conditions: I was going 18 mph on plowed streets, and the visibility was varying between adequate and none without warning.

There was a snow storm late last winter that just didn't stop for 3 full days. I shoveled three times on Tuesday, three times on Wednesday, and twice again on Thursday before I could actually take the car anywhere.

I am re-thinking my position on loving four seasons. Still, it would be a shame to lose all these cold weather skills I've acquired.

But thank you very much for your account of generators and carbon monoxide. I will continue to rely on the local utility company who spend their summers pruning branches so we don't lose power.

Now I'm going to check on how they're doing in Erie, PA.

Afterwards they went on a pruning frenzy - starting with my location, which had the longest outage. Since that time, I've had one very brief outage, whereas before the frenzy, I was enduring multiple power outages, every year.

Even though I love 3 out of the 4 seasons in Michigan, I talked with my financial planner about selling up and moving south but she recommended I try 'snowbirding' first. I have a niece and nephew in Florida and a nephew in North Carolina. I might try to convince them it would be FUN to have me visit each of them for a month at a time, during the Winter.

My niece is getting married in Clearwater so I'm heading down for 5 days (hopefully) in the sun. I seriously need a walk on a beach - preferably one with lots of shells.

in the PNW had snowmageddon last year; it's your turn. This year? A very, very rare, unusually warm fall, and about half an inch fell a few days before xmas, which is melting slowly, and still covering most of the ground.

Enjoy; may your roofs stay strong and not too many work days be canceled.

So far, this year's is a mix. Right now the big issues is the extreme cold. My mind set is, the only days it is vital for the weather to cooperate are the day I fly to Florida, and the day I fly home. And that my car starts when I pick it up from the airport econo lot. That's pretty important, too.

I'm counting my blessings; while it's still cold, it's warmer than usual, which helps, since my only heat source is the wood stove. The fire box is too small to hold a good bed of coals all day while I'm at work, so the house is always cold. Even now, it hasn't reached 60 degrees in the last 6 weeks. Still, it's not so cold that I'm huddled under an electric blanket all day, so I'm counting my blessings.