Looks like Snow is on the way !

[MarcSpaz]

So... we measured 22" in the low spots and 28" in the high spots... Split the difference... we are at 25" right now.

I have been driving from my house about two miles to the nearest main road. Just using my Jeep to mat the snow down so if I need to leave I can. Evidently, that set a bad example. I am on 33" mud terrain tires, I have front and rear lockers, and 12" of ground clearance at the axle, 22" at the chassis. I pulled 3 people out of snow drifts around Woodbridge who thought they were going somewhere.

Seriously, where that hell are these people trying to go? Everything is closed. It's not like they are going to work, school, out to dinner. Just dumb. The only person I helped who had a legit excuse was a lady in an all-wheel drive minivan who does home visits for elderly and home-bound persons with disabilities. She had the complete wrong vehicle, but at least checking on the infirm who rely on her is at least a good excuse to be out.

[trailrunner]

We're getting a lot of snow here just a few miles north of you Marc. I shoveled last night and this morning, and I was going to do it again this evening, but the wind is howling and shoveling wouldn't do any good. Think I'll just stay inside tonight. Tomorrow I'll do like you did and drive my truck (a 4x4 Tundra) up and down our little street to compact the snow, and help break down the ridge that the plow made by my wife's car.

After I shoveled, I went for a run this morning. That was pretty nice, and this weather is actually nice for running. Since the only vehicles out were a few snow plows, I just ran down the middle of the road, including Rolling Road (which is a moderately busy road here in northern VA).

[Snakester]

The snow hasn't stopped all day . We've got about 7" now. Wind has been blowing it sideways since noon. We haven't been out of the house in 2 days and have only seen maybe a dozen cars all day. Looks like most people are staying off the road . I'm surprised the city of Hopewell hasn't plowed our road as of yet . Usually we get that Big Pile at the entrance to our driveway !

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[MarcSpaz]

We're getting a lot of snow here just a few miles north of you Marc. I shoveled last night and this morning, and I was going to do it again this evening, but the wind is howling and shoveling wouldn't do any good. Think I'll just stay inside tonight.

I'm in the same boat. We got 4 more inches since I finished and the wind is blowing so hard that the snow in the driveway now, is completely different snow than two hours ago.

Tomorrow I'll do like you did and drive my truck (a 4x4 Tundra) up and down our little street to compact the snow, and help break down the ridge that the plow made by my wife's car.

Its amazing how much that helps. Especially if you are on a street like mine. Our road (and most of the neighborhood streets) is private property. The company that sold us our homes contracts a company to plow the road for us, but they may not be down our way until Monday. If I don't maintain it by packing it down and keeping it passable, I might not be able to leave the house until Monday or Tuesday. If there is ever an emergency, no ambulance or firetruck is getting here. So, someone needs to be able to get that Jeep out to the hospital.

After I shoveled, I went for a run this morning. That was pretty nice, and this weather is actually nice for running. Since the only vehicles out were a few snow plows, I just ran down the middle of the road, including Rolling Road (which is a moderately busy road here in northern VA).

There's something you don't here every day. During rush-hour, that will get you killed. But yea... all I saw was a few US Army HMMWV's, Plow trucks and a few crazies like me. I would be shocked if, in the two hours I was out, I saw 10 personal vehicles.

The snow hasn't stopped all day . We've got about 7" now. Wind has been blowing it sideways since noon.

I heard we were getting 45+ mph winds. We dropped to zero visibility at one point. It was pretty bad.

We haven't been out of the house in 2 days and have only seen maybe a dozen cars all day. Looks like most people are staying off the road . I'm surprised the city of Hopewell hasn't plowed our road as of yet . Usually we get that Big Pile at the entrance to our driveway !

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That drive me nuts. I'm on a dead-end road and the company that plows our street pushes all the snow into the entrance of our driveway and the front yard. I get so PO'ed every time. Takes me an extra 20 minutes of labor to clear the driveway every time.

[Snakester]

It would be better if the city streets weren't plowed .....In our neighborhood all it does is pile it up and block traffic anyhow . I have a blade for the front of my Gator and I clean our driveway and entrance before the plow comes . Then have to clean the entry after the plow. I try to avoid any manual shoveling !

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[FiremanBob]

Got 28" here in the Page valley. Shoveled twice yesterday, but when it paused at 3pm today there was 18" on the driveway. In an hour I had cleared three shovel-widths the length of the drive with 16 more to go. Then my neighbor walked up with his snow blower. We had it done in a half-hour. I felt like John Henry trying to keep up with the steam engine.

Good neighbors are priceless.

And it's snowing again...

[Snakester]

I know when I clear my drive tomorrow I will clear 4 or 5 neighbors too. Shoveling snow is rough on us old Guy's .

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[MarcSpaz]

Tell me about it. Even mostly using the snow thrower, I have muscles hurting all over.

[Swampman]

It appears that it has stopped. I have 30" here, 5 miles west of Front Royal. I've had the blower out three times today. I have one of those new two-stage blowers. Not being familiar with it, I got it all clogged and the clog froze making me think I had sheared something off. So, I got out old reliable - a late 50's model single stage that never fails. Got it all done, then had a brain fart. Unclogged the new machine and, glory be, it worked again! Figured out that when you let go of the drive lever, gotta keep the auger lever depressed until it blows all the snow out. Doesn't clog and freeze up that way. That and going slower through deeper snow, it works like a charm. I'm a lot happier now than I was this morning!

[FiremanBob]

It occurs to me that a snow thrower is like a gun. You hope you'll never need it; but if you need one and don't have it, life gets bad real fast.

[Ironbear]

Having grown up on the Great Plains, I have done my share of snow removal. When I got older and bought my own house, I began to wonder why shoveling was so much more work than I remembered! Then I recollected that those first few passes with the front-end loader or the skid-steer made for much lighter shovel work!!!!

I think justifying a tractor would be more work than justifying a gun though...

[MarcSpaz]

I might look into a light duty plow for my truck. I never had one, and would like one. Had one on one of my tracktors, which was awesome for the driveway, but it wasn't a big enough tractor to plow the road.

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[thekinetic]

Snow is an understatement, it's like the dang ragnarok out there! I'm half expecting Odin to show up with the rest of Valhalla !

And cookies to those who actually know what I'm talking about!

[Snakester]

If you are looking for Odin , he has been sitting on my back porch since Friday .....He looks a little like Anthony Hopkins !

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[dorminWS]

Well, I didn't even go out of the house yesterday. Got out about an hour or so ago. we wound up with about 16", but it seems uncommon slick. Worser'n snot on a doorknob.

[trailrunner]

I agree about the plows. I wish they would stay off of my court. They usually show up a few days after I've dug my cars out, and after I've driven up and down to make the street passable for my neighbors who don't have four wheel drive. Then the plows show up and shove the snow against my cars, block driveways, and I have to start digging all over again. During the 2010 storms, a bobcat showed up a week after the storms, even though we were just getting along fine, and piled the snow about six feet high on my neighbor's yard - she was 80 years old then.

I've lived here for 25 years, and we've been through something like three out of the five worst winters, and four out of the five worst snow storms. I shoveled for six hours this morning, and at this point I'm thinking of buying a snow blower -- but that will just guarantee that the next three winters won't have any snow.

[kelu]

I had enough shoveling. Decided to buy a snow blower.
Please let me know what is better: one stage, 2 stages, or 3 stages?
What bad-ass would you recommend?

[Snakester]

Over the years I have owned just about everything a man could own except a snow mobile or a snow blower. I still have no interest in a snow mobile but this morning I could have probably have paid for a snow blower . I helped 3 neighbors dig out today and each said "I can't believe you don't have a Snow Blower " ......I also never have owned Snow Shoes either !

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[dorminWS]

Just so everybody will know what two feet of snow looks like........

[Reverenddel]

We're sacked in with a foot of snow, and stupid people driving like CRAP! DO NOT PUNCH THE GAS! If you do not know how to drive on it, DO NOT DRIVE ON IT!

Working from home tomorrow. Ain't any illusions of dealing with the level of stupid out there.