Patriots fans tossed snow in glee at Gillette Stadium after Tedy Bruschi's late interception and touchdown iced a victory over the Dolphins.
Posted on 01/22/2005 4:04:20 AM PST by SamAdams76
Well all the stops have officially been pulled out by the weather prognosticators. They are on a "war footing." The Northeast is getting a true BLIZZARD this weekend. Not a "nor'easter". Not just your basic snowstorm dumping 6-10 inches in Boston and New York with a mix and changeover to rain along the coast. No! We are talking 20-30 inches of windblown powdery snow in many locations with no chance of a mix with or change to rain whatsoever.
The temperatures are currently running zero or below zero across most of the Northeast this morning so the cold air is in place and fully entrenched. With the high winds expected with this storm, This will be a true BLIZZARD.
So as I sit in the epicenter of it all (my area is expecting over two feet of snow), I thought I'd start this thead so that Freepers can give us reports of how conditions are in there area. And you don't have to be in the Northeast to participate as this storm is currently affecting Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and West Virginia as it heads to the East Coast where it is expected to undergo what the weather nuts call "bombogenesis" and literally explode into a superstorm as energy is transferred over the comparatively milder Atlantic Ocean.
So there you have it. Even in areas where plenty of snow falls this time of year, you have people running to the supermarket early this morning to "stock up", as if somehow a few feet of snow is going to stop all commerce and transportation for the forseeable future (the reality is that we should be all shoveled and plowed out by Monday morning no matter how bad things get).
The local TV stations around here have gone absolutely bonkers, as they are wont to do. It's even more extreme this year because TV "broadcast" stations are struggling to maintain their relevancy in a high world of internet, satellite radio and many other distractions that consumers have these days.
Weekday "anchors" are being rolled out of bed early this Saturday morning as they throw on their hairpieces and head to the studios for all-day "wall-to-wall" coverage of this blizzard. Seasoned reporters are being sent to Home Depots where people are already nervously buying shovels (even though they likely have 7 or 8 shovels in their garage already) and supermarkets where silly old ladies are buying gallons of milk (that they normally never drink) and loaves of bread (that they will never eat and end up throwing to the birds). Other reporters will be sent into the streets to do interviews with snow-plow drivers and "public safety" officials. More junior reporters are being sent to the sides of highways for liveshots where absolutely nothing is going on presently. But they will stand there nevertheless, filming the traffic going by and commenting on "how dangerous" this highway will be in just a few more hours. Then when the storm hits, these same reporters will retreat to rest areas where they will continue their liveshots as their cameramen instruct them to "sway in the wind" and "hold on to their hats" to help convince the viewers at home that the storm is severe indeed.
Yes, it's going to be a fun weekend in New England and the Northeast in general. But the beauty of this is that is is on a weekend. If we are going to get a true blizzard, the timing just couldn't be much better. We are able to get our normal errands done on Saturday morning and then in the afternoon, we can retreat to our homes and stoke up the fireplace as the snow moves in. Then tomorrow (Sunday), we can sleep late and take our time shoveling out. Then we have a perfect excuse to sit around the warm house all afternoon watching football as THREE out of the four teams still playing are all in the snow-bound Northeast. The ratings ought to be phenomenal, provided the power doesn't go out.
So post conditions in your area here.
Outside my home (approx 30 miles northwest of Boston near the NH border), it is -11 degrees! It is daybreak and the skies are mostly clear with some high clouds. It is COLD out there, almost too cold for snow. But it's coming, at least that's what they tell me!
I thought the name Sam Adams was a representation of the "Sons of Liberty"? Oh well, I guess I am behind the times! ;)
The tractor is fueled, the fridge is full, we have a stack of DVDs to watch. We're set!
Ah, that's the life!
Hmmmmm... possible correction to my earlier report that Trenton, NJ was due for 6-10 inches. That was according to weather.com, but weather underground (wunderground.com) is predicting a -total- accumulation in my county of 12-16 inches. That's more like it!
Qwinn
Not many though. Don't move here for the politics! Nice geography, clearly 4 seasons, taxes are real high (one of the worst business climates in the USA). But still, we like it here.
It's seven below zero, cold for here, and we're supposed to get a typical snowstorm of 4-7 inches.
Family is all over Michigan, besides, sick as it sounds, I love our weather here! And nothing is as sweet as a fresh pan fried Michigan bluegil, except, maybe a pan fried Michigan Walleye!
-1 here on the shoreline of Southeastern CT. Last night our local weather dude, Jeff Fox, predicted 24-30 inches with the possibility of thunderstorms. He referred to it as a snow hurricane with winds over 60 miles an hour. Preparations underway here.
Used to live in Northern NJ. Yep, Nor'easters can produce mighty heavy snowfalls.
In GA now. A balmy 45 degress this AM Will have a high of 60. Regretfully it's going to go to the 20's tonight.
Stay safe, and have some good brandy.
Oh, one other important point to report, specific to NJ but I bet it's the same over a pretty large area:
The ground is COLD. I mean seriously, seriously cold - I've rarely seen it like this. Over 48 hours ago, we had a light dusting of snow - I don't think it could've been over half an inch total when it was done... but it's still around! It's amazing to me how long that little bit of snow has lasted on the ground. Add to that that we're not expected to get temperatures any higher than 25 degrees or so until at least Tuesday, I don't expect a single snowflake to melt for several days minimum. Expect those 6-7 feet tall banks of plowed snow along the roadsides for a few days.
Qwinn
Brunswick is at -16 and expecting 10 to 14 inches of the white stuff.
I used to keep a boat at the harbor in Waukegan - really nice harbor with great facilities. Couldn't get anything in the City with a dock. But Waukegan was great. Sold that boat and now own a classic wooden racing sailboat circa 1920 in Maine. Believe it or not, I spend more time in Maine sailing than I did in Waukegan sailing. The drive to and from Waukegan on the weekends was just too much - this was before they took out the first toll plaza on the north side and it would literally take me 5 hours to get home on a Sunday. Now, I just take the first three weeks of August off and spend them in Maine and get more sailing in than I ever did with the boat up in Waukegan. Go figure.
Hope you stay warm, sweets!
...however a sleeping bag on my back porch would probably feel better than -11 degrees!!!
Seriously, God bless you all and take all precautions....
The last time I was in anything 'close' to a frozen tundra was Chicago in December 2000.
Ended up waiting at O'Hare 10 hours to fly outta there--watched them de-ice my plane....
...I was 'this close' to kissing the tarmac when I arrived at my very steamy, humid, hot town here in Florida :))
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
415 AM EST SAT JAN 22 2005
.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY)...
MODELS CONTINUE TO HANDLE SYSTEM WELL WITH NORTH SHORT WAVE DROPPING SOUTH RAPIDLY AND EVENTUALLY MERGING WITH THE SHORT WAVE OUT OF THE PACIFIC NW. EXTREMELY LOW TEMPS AND DPTS WILL BE SLOW TO RISE AS CLOUDS WILL SPREAD OVER FA BEFORE OR SHORTLY AFTER SUN RISE. SNOW WILL SPREAD IN RAPIDLY AND SPREAD ACROSS ENTIRE AREA. HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL BE LATE AFTERNOON INTO EARLY TONIGHT WITH RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. AS ENERGY TRANSFERS OFF THE COAST AND THE SYSTEM DEEPENS WINDS WILL PICK UP AND DRIFTING AND BLOWING WILL ENTER THE MIX. SPEAKING OF MIX...STILL EXPECT SOME RAIN MIXING ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST FROM ATLANTIC COUNTY SOUTH. SNOW WILL END SUNDAY MORNING WITH DRIFTING AND BLOWING CONTINUING. TOTAL AMOUNTS OVER ARE GENERALLY 10 TO 18 INCHES.
EASTERN MONMOUTH NJ-COASTAL OCEAN NJ-
425 AM EST SAT JAN 22 2005
...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT TODAY INTO SUNDAY...
...COASTAL FLOOD WATCH FOR SUNDAY MORNING...
...STORM WARNING...
.TODAY...A CHANCE OF SNOW THIS MORNING...THEN SNOW THIS AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 10 INCHES. WINDY WITH HIGHS AROUND 30. NORTHEAST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH...BECOMING EAST 15 TO 25 MPH THIS AFTERNOON. WIND CHILL VALUES 1 BELOW TO 18 ABOVE ZERO.
.TONIGHT...SNOW. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 8 TO 12 INCHES. VERY WINDY WITH LOWS AROUND 20. EAST WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH...INCREASING TO NORTH 30 TO 40 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWEST WIND CHILL READINGS 3 BELOW TO 12 ABOVE ZERO AFTER MIDNIGHT.
.SUNDAY...CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW IN THE MORNING. AREAS OF
BLOWING SNOW. STRONG WINDS WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 20S. NORTH WINDS 30 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 45 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW
50 PERCENT. WIND CHILL VALUES 5 BELOW TO 12 ABOVE ZERO.
.SUNDAY NIGHT...MOSTLY CLOUDY IN THE EVENING...THEN BECOMING
PARTLY CLOUDY. WINDY WITH LOWS AROUND 10 ABOVE. NORTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...DECREASING TO 10 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT. WIND CHILL VALUES 3 BELOW TO 7 ABOVE ZERO.
Ping. Brrrrrr.....
A few flurries are coming down here in York, PA, but the brunt is still just east of Pittsburgh.
I'm heading out in a few minutes to my 20ac garden center & nursery, down near the Md line, stock the cat up with plenty of wet/dry food and water, and will leave there after 2pm, when it's supposed to be heavily snowing.
I already have made arrangements to p/u 2 of my employees on Sunday morning, to bring in so we can begin plowing and digging the complex, out.
I'm getting too old for this crap.
Oh I love snowmobiling. You guys have a wonderful day up in the north woods. Too cool!
Just broke down and bought an OTA HD receiver, am pulling in a nice Fox signal, getting a really nice HD picture. Can't wait to see what the game looks like in HD. It'll be interesting to see how the Falcons do in the snow/cold. It doesn't bode well for our warm weather dome team to be playing a cold weather open-air team in these condidions.
For some reason, I can't get CBS in HD (for the late game). I think I'm going to go to Fry's later and get the super-duper antenna, to see if that solves the problem.
Oh, and I guess I'll have to look for some news today, to see all the DOOOOOOMED! northeasterners getting snowed in / digging out, in HD.
Hi...SamAdams76 and All FReepers in the path of this massive Storm.
I couldn't sleep all night, the Arthritis is bothering me as the Barometric pressure and temperatures drop.
OY VEY!...It's really COLD here -1 with the Wind Chill, and No White Flufy Stuff yet.
The air is very heavy and the Birds aren't chirping as usual, they know that something Bad is coming.
Will keep you posted as the day....weekend progresses as long as we have Electricity / Power that is.
PRAYING for Everyone to Stay Warm and Safe.
GOD Bless.
PS: Please PRAY for our: State Troopers, Policemen, Firemen and EMS Rescue personnel, Hospitals and their Staff...all who are in the path of this Storm...May GOD Bless and Keep them Safe.
Amen ~ and ~ Amen.
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