Storm is one for the history books

http://www.omaha.com/article/20110201/NEWS01/702029947/810#storm-is-one-for-the-history-books

Storm is one for the history books

ALLAS: Should be just chilly on Super Bowl Sunday, but arriving teams and fans are struggling with snow and iced roads. Freezes are expected all the way to the Mexican border.

TULSA: The Hard Rock Casino's roof collapses. The Tulsa World cancels Wednesday's print edition and tells subscribers to go online. Oklahoma City, with just 18 snowplows, gets whiteouts.

OMAHA: Deceptive layer of black ice turns interstates treacherous; dozens of accidents occur, but roads crews are helpless because of winds; police appeal to public to stay off highways.

ST. LOUIS: Fearing a repeat of 2006 — when an ice storm robbed hundreds of thousands of power — 1,100 line repairmen are summoned, from as far away as Michigan.

FULL list at link.

Really, really something! Though I never lost power, they were just incredible.

I was in college at the time, and walked through incredible cold and blowing snow. Looking back, I was obviously nuts. Today I would just stay home but back then we prided ourselves on "keeping on". And, because I didn't have a car, I didn't have to worry about driving on the roads. I think the farthest I had to walk one winter was a little under a mile. Man, was that a long mile!

I'm here in Tennessee, listening to some rain (not very heavy) and thinking of you all.

Stay safe!

Stay warm!

And remember to hug your loved ones!

(Saved our galaxy too many times to count)

It wouldn't be terrible if that damned wind would die down. It's six degrees now, heading below zero, and I see tomorrow's high temperature has been revised down to 11 degrees. We'll have to be sunny to see that and I don't think we'll be sunny. We're supposed to get more snow.

If the power goes, it's going to be really nasty really fast. I'll probably be up all night baking stuff to keep warm.

Still, this storm isn't brutal here like it's going to be when it hits the wet air in the country's midsection.

Keep your eyes on this one. It's dangerous.

The storm predictions were all over the place from about 4 inches to "Ice Station Zebra". My normal commute of about 35 minutes was closer to an hour, roads were covered with sleet, but traffic was light and road crews were working as best they could. Temps & Winds were still in the mid 20's with moderate wind.

The grocery store where I work was simply hammered Sunday & Monday as people prepared. Monday AM was busier than any Christmas Eve that I have seen in 37 years, I boxed up and marked down 18 bags of rock salt that had been damaged on the truck when they delivered them and sold them in about 15 minutes.

Tuesday I worked across 5 different departments to help out getting product stocked, cover for those who couldn't or didn't make it in & just help out as I could. There was a whole lot of "creative" merchandising and scheduling going on all day, but we never ran out of milk, eggs, bread.

I can't see out my windows this morning...the snow and wind have covered them over. Reports are about 15 inches has fallen so far and another 5 to 10 still to come.

Parts of the roof of Wrigley Field went flying...yet another reason that 96 year old firetrap needs some serious restoring.

I can remember a few days in 1967 my brother and I each brought home more money(in cash), just for shoveling snow than my father used to make on his regular job.

I sure wish a couple of kids would come by here today to shovel me out of this mess. It would be well worth a fifty dollar bill to me to get this job done.

I don't think many kids do that any more? Been here over 20 years and never had one kid come by looking for that kind of work after a snow storm.

Luckily I have a farmer out here who comes by with his John Deere tractor and a blade attached to the rear PTO for my driveway. Be a big smile on my face when he gets here today.

Cheers ...

Don

So far they say we've gotten about 19 inches here and its still coming down pretty good. I'm crazy...thinking of going out when the sun rises and try to knock some of the drifts down.

I remember '67 real well...my entire family...6 of us at the time...all shoveling and it seemed to blow back as fast as we shoveled. Also the fun of '79 when we got 20 inches on top of 10 that already had fallen. That day I was determined to get to work at 5am...and getting there was quite an adventure. I drove down the Kennedy Expressway and there were only 4-wheel drives and snowmobiles on the road...kinda felt like I was in one of those disaster/day after films...so damn quiet.

The other day I saw some kids helping an elderly neighbor dig out...we'll see if they come back. Fortunately I have my almighty realitively brand-new Toro all gassed up and ready to go. I haven't seen a plow around yet...they're too busy trying to keep the main drags open. I just chatted with a buddy in the city, the trains are running...and pretty much on time. While I'm glad to be warm and snug here, there's a part of me that would love to be running around to see what's going on.

Hope you get plowed out soon. If you have to go out, do it before sunset...heard we're supposed to get -17 tonight. I hate the cold more than the snow.

Cheers...

Just now finally got the snow cleared a couple of feet away from the garage door. That was a real battle. Three foot drift up against the door. Took almost an hour just for that.

I imagine the John Deere man will be here long before the street in front of my house is cleared but we are not going anywhere anyway.

Got enough food to last a few days if needed so I am not too worried now.

Hope that snow blower does you some good. I seen my neighbor put his away after fighting the drifts(which are quickly turning into a concrete like substance), and he switched to a shovel. A small shovel like I was using. The big one I have is worthless in this stuff.

Just take it slow and easy. Thats what I did.

See ya later.

Don

(It's mounted outside, which is supposed to be OK in this climate!) Currently 16° F but feel absolutely lucky by comparison to others around the country.