Snow Watch!

[leviramsey]

**** Bostonians. A little bit of snow falls and Governor Douchebag Deval orders all the highways in the Commonwealth closed

All vehicles have been banned from Bay State roads as of 4 p.m. today and a state of emergency has been declared as a mammoth blizzard, projected to dump up to 3 feet of snow, slams the region.

Gov. Deval Patrick issued his executive order banning vehicle traffic — with the exception of public safety and emergency workers — early this afternoon and said it will remain the law until he rescinds it.

Breaking the ban carries a penalty of up to one year in jail or a fine, an aide to the governor said. Patrick added the state expects to grow 1,000 National Guard members on duty to 5,000 over the course of the weekend to combat the storm.

“I’m asking the general public to make decisions that are wise,” Patrick said, “... and stay home.”

Transportation czar Rich Davey said the state has rolled out 1,600 pieces of equipment which will increase to 4,000 at the peak of the storm. In advance of the travel ban, motorists will not have to pay tolls on any roads starting at 2 p.m. to let toll collectors get home safe.

Utilities have also brought in 2,000 crews, most of which were in place at 6 a.m., officials said. NSTAR is warning that tens or even hundreds of thousands of people could lose power.

“If we get the amount of snow forecast, the recovery will be slow,” Patrick said.

Patrick urged residents to follow weather reports and stock up on basic food supplies and gas to “prepare for the possibility of being shut in and at home for the next 24 or 48 hours.”

“We expect the storm will end sometime late tomorrow afternoon and the sun may even come out. There will be a great temptation at that time to run out and view the aftermath, play in the snow and so forth and I totally understand that, but please, please exercise caution and use common sense,” Patrick said. “There are hazards under this winter wonderland and we just want everyone to exercise extreme caution as the storm ends.”

Patrick added he’s planning on “hunkering down” tonight, adding his wife, Diane, is currently unable to return home from a West Coast business trip because of the weather.

“It’s just me and (my dog) Toby,” he said.

The first swirling white bands of what is forecast to be a monster blizzard have already started hitting metro Boston area.

Between lunchtime and the evening commute the snow intensity will get “really bad,” particularly along the I-95 corridor, said meteorologist Benjamin Sipprell, with whiteout conditions and wind gusts of around 40 mph to 50 mph expected.

These conditions will continue from 5 p.m. to about 8 a.m. tomorrow. At times, snow will most likely fall at a rate of two to three inches an hour, with total accumulation in the range of 24 to 30 inches for the Hub, Sipprell said.

“I believe,” he said, “this will definitely be a blizzard” — blinding snow combined with quarter-mile visibilities and 30 mph gusting or sustained winds.

Snow began falling in the Bay State around 9 a.m. in Attleboro, Plympton, Plymouth, Sturbridge and Monson, crossing the border from Connecticut.

The white stuff is expected to gradually taper off during a 12-hour timeframe from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. tomorrow.

Scattered power outages are anticipated. Those venturing outdoors may become lost or disoriented so the public is advised to stay indoors, according to the National Weather Service.

3 feet is a minor dusting, as far as us hillfolk are considered.

[The_Rev]

But is it... 

 

http://youtu.be/wlxDCa3O7TE

[leviramsey]

Cab view of snowplow train on the Boston subway

Guessing Malden.

Edited February 9, 2013 by admin

[maqroll]

3 feet is a minor dusting, as far as us hillfolk are considered.

**** Hillbillies.

[maqroll]

Usually I enjoy walking outside in a snow storm, but this one is nasty. The wind driven snow hits your face like little ice pellets. Not fun.

[mjmooney]

Makes ours look tame, that's for sure. 

[leviramsey]

From this morning... I'm guessing about 18-20" (there was about 30" at my mom's)

Edited February 9, 2013 by leviramsey

[Genie]

Proper weather that Levi. I drove to Sheffield yesterday and all the way there and back were messages of severe weather today... it's currently drizzlinga bit.

[CI]

We had about 2 inches on Tues in Manchester, they shut the M60 and M62

It was taking people 3 hours to do a 20 min journey

[Brumerican]

I have been in bed all of Sunday with flu and am wide awake now . I have just looked outside to see the ground covered in snow ffs . North Brum btw .

[AVFCforever1991]

Just started snowing here

[Chindie]

**** this **** weather. I'm usually at work by now. I've only just got on the bus.

[Stevo985]

Journey to work took 2 and a half hours this morning.

 

It's actually worse when it's like this than when the snow is really bad. When it's really bad people bottle it and just don't bother coming to work so the roads are clear.

 

THis morning, everyone still comes to work, but everyone drives like a moron.

[hogso]

2/3 inches this morning. Although it was worse when I live than nearer the town centre, where it looks like maybe 1 inch. Although it is lightly snowing as I type this.

[chrisp65]

Clear and dry here, but I've been out and bought all the bread and milk I could find, just in case. I've also abandoned the car at a jaunty angle and put up a camp bed up on the badminton courts in the Leisure Centre.

 

Prepared.

[trekka]

It has been snowing all day here in NW London but very little of it settling. Slightly strange but I guess the air is just too warm.

[MMFy]

It's been mild here all day today.  Not a spot of rain or snow, just a minimal frost  this morning that disappeared almost immediately.

I was in Les Arcs in the Alps last week.  About 2.5 feet of snow in 5 days - epic!

[dont_do_it_doug.]

You know what really **** me off about snow? All those condescending clearings in the woods who live in countries where heavy snow fall is a regular thing, places where they have the infrastructure and the experience to deal with such things, having a pop at others who don't for being overly cautious or concerned for their well being.

 

It's little things such as I don't own footwear made for that kind of weather. Congratulations, you live in an arctic tundra and those tennis shoes attached to your feet really are rather dashing. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to nurse my bruises from where I fell over yesterday taking the recycling out. Ta. 

 

Edit - Having now glanced up the thread I don't mean you Levi!

Edited February 12, 2013 by dont_do_it_doug.

[The_Rev]

It happens all the time when it snows.  Usually the local news will send a reporter to Heathrow to see if he can find some passengers from Winnipeg or Oslo or somewhere who feign disbelief that a country which doesn't get three solid months of snow a year is unable to deal with heavy snowfall because they don't have an entire industry based on clearing it away. 

[limpid]