OT: Winter rant....

[Jr ///M5]

The so called winter storm that barreled through the Midwest on Thursday night has left my area in about 14" of the white crap on top of 2" of sleet that has transformed into a solid block of ice. Snow drifts were 2-3 feet in some areas around my house. The local Super Wal-Mart is closed due to snow loads on the roof and sagging trusses.

Plows exposed the ice removing the snow to get down to the pavement, but soon found out they didn't have any traction upon the ice and had to wait till the storm stopped to patrol the roads. Now we have mountains of snow piled up all over the place and exposed ice to drive upon. Nice...

The ice is anywhere between 2-4" deep, and has transformed into nothing resembling a smooth surface. It's like driving on a rub-board, it literally beats the **** out of your car.

There are cars off in the ditch all over the place because of the uneven surface, it will literally bounce you right into a skid unless you're driving as you were competing in a WRX race.

Regular plows on trucks are hopeless, tractors, bobcats and endloaders are what it takes to move the heavy snow. The news was calling it "Heart Attack" snow because of it being so heavy.

Friday was the first day in over 16 years that I didn't attempt to go to work because of snow. The local school district 150 that never misses school was closed, but officials broad-casted across the media waves for their 12 month employees to report for work. The Illinois State Police had a different idea and 10 minutes later they announced for everyone to stay the hell off the roads.

Many people commented about it being worse than the blizzard of '78....I was in that one too...they both sucked about the same.

I've spent Friday and Saturday digging snow out from the garage door to the middle of the cul-de-sac where the snow plow decided to plow an opening right down the center of the court. What you see is half of the work. If it snows again, I don't know where we're going to do with it. Anybody out West need some air conditioning?

https://publish.insightbb.com/personalfile/personalsite/england31/DSCN1508.JPG

[Bill R.]

.;)

[brick8]

No snow here, but it is d***** cold outside!

[632 Regal]

OOOooooooo.... more pictures of the madness please :D

[Jr ///M5]

It took 15lbs of ice melt to loosen the 2-3" bond of ice on the concrete drive. Then I had to break the ice in small pieces with a scraper and scoop shovel in order to clear the driveway.

Yeah, the MB's an outside dog, so's the 318iS...the M5 is all tucked away in the warm garage with the covers pulled over it's head, and Lori's car is sitting next to it plastered in salt spray after driving 100 miles to Milliken University yesterday to hear and see Vespers. (evening prayers) 320 student voices singing spiritual and traditional music. The roads opened up after we traveled about 35 miles, that's when we saw all the trees covered with ice and downed from the freezing rain the storm produced. It was really pretty with the sun glinting off each individual limb that was encased with ice, as if the tree had been dipped in glass.

[Bill R.]

really need to experience the tree's covered with ice, your description and photos are close enough for me. I enjoy it vicariously from your descriptions.





It took 15lbs of ice melt to loosen the 2-3" bond of ice on the concrete drive. Then I had to break the ice in small pieces with a scraper and scoop shovel in order to clear the driveway.

Yeah, the MB's an outside dog, so's the 318iS...the M5 is all tucked away in the warm garage with the covers pulled over it's head, and Lori's car is sitting next to it plastered in salt spray after driving 100 miles to Milliken University yesterday to hear and see Vespers. (evening prayers) 320 student voices singing spiritual and traditional music. The roads opened up after we traveled about 35 miles, that's when we saw all the trees covered with ice and downed from the freezing rain the storm produced. It was really pretty with the sun glinting off each individual limb that was encased with ice, as if the tree had been dipped in glass.

[rickm]

I recall the 78/79 winter. The James River (VA) froze over near me...and it's a good 5 miles wide. In the late 80s we had a really nasty ice storm that coated everything and took out all power. I was "must work" for Virginia Power and had to drive in that crap. It was like pressure ridges on sea ice. 35 miles and 3 hours of getting my kidneys rattled. Luckily Ye Olde Subaru 4x4 wagon made it w/o flinching though I didn't.

I'm wise now, if we're due snow/ice I drag the big blue tarp out of the basement, cover the cars and hope for the best. :)

[Jr ///M5]

Ice melt= Sodium Chloride = Hell in a bag....it's salt, Bill it's what causes that other phenomenon called "rust" that you've never experiened either! :D

[Bill R.]

where your going to be driving? I thought you guys had stuff now that would melt the ice without the bad effects of salt..;)



Ice melt= Sodium Chloride = Hell in a bag....it's salt, Bill it's what causes that other phenomenon called "rust" that you've never experiened either! :D

[Atl530i]

I'd love to be in that right now...

All the fun :)

[Jr ///M5]

No we don't dump it on the ground, if there were ground....we wouldn't need the damn salt!!! :D

Yeah, they got some wicked stuff now, it's a liquid. I saw a brand new car go around one of the liquid sprayer trucks and by the time he got past the sprayer truck the car had turned into a rust bucket.;)

[winfred]

yea i think they figured out how to make it rust out a car even faster, or so i've herd :D i hate getting in a yankee car to work on or part out, bastards keep your **** heaps up north where they belong http://www.turbodieselregister.com/ubb/hihi.gif

[bsell]

I recall the 78/79 winter. The James River (VA) froze over near me...and it's a good 5 miles wide. In the late 80s we had a really nasty ice storm that coated everything and took out all power. I was "must work" for Virginia Power and had to drive in that crap. It was like pressure ridges on sea ice. 35 miles and 3 hours of getting my kidneys rattled. Luckily Ye Olde Subaru 4x4 wagon made it w/o flinching though I didn't.

I'm wise now, if we're due snow/ice I drag the big blue tarp out of the basement, cover the cars and hope for the best. :)

'80's Subarus...rode like trucks but got the job done. Drove one from Atlanta to Roanoke one snowy day. Started out in 6" of wet mess, ended in 18-24" of powder. My only complaint was burning my feet to keep the windshield clear. The outside temp was in the low 20's so my feet would get cold without heat yet the floor heat was higher than the defroster!?

Either way, the little car that could soldiered on through the 14 hour drive.

[Airborne001]

I saw one of those 1984 Olympic Ski Team Specials pull a semi out of a ditch once, if we had gotten video, Subaru probably would have given him a free car for that.


'80's Subarus...rode like trucks

[attack eagle]

AND I was feeling pissed becasue it is too cold to either
A: go finish fixing or at least rigging the wife's Saturn's Driver's door window to go all the way up, or give up and put the door skin on so she can stop taking my Wagon to work...

B:put up my christmas lights... I should have done this about 10 days ago when it was 70 degrees daytime and 50s at night, instead of 45 day and 20 at night.
C: wash the filth off the wagon from the snow flurry/ rain that came thru last week.

Ah well I will bundle up like the Michelin tire man today and see if I can't get something done.

Still hoping for a little snow this year though.