Winter’s (Hopefully) Last Fling
Posted on March 6, 2013 Posted by John Scalzi 49 Comments
Last night’s winter storm looks to have dropped about half a foot of snow around here, more or less, but the high for today is going to be slightly above freezing, reaching fifty degrees by Saturday. So this isn’t going to last, and given the time of year, this seems likely to be the last major snowstorm of winter here. So I figured it was worth getting at least a couple of snaps. Here they are.
If this particular winter storm came to visit you, how are you holding up? I understand that Virginia is especially messy at the moment. Let me know in the comment thread.
Here in Hopewell, VA (South of Richmond) it just started to snow after raining all night. So we are in good shape.
Chicago here. Wasn’t too bad for me as I do have the privilege to work from home on days like these. We got so much steady snowfall that even though I plowed the snow twice it looks as if I didn’t bother at all.
I like my snow the same way I like adventure. Happening to someone else, a long way from where I am.
In DC, snow is falling, but not yet sticking on roads and sidewalks. But the Federal Government is closed in anticipation of a messy evening commute.
Sterling’s not too bad yet. Rt 7 was a bit hairy this morning going west at around 9:30, but going back east at 10:15 wasn’t too bad. Of course, I was behind one of the big plows… Snow’s all slushy like. Haven’t let the kids out yet.
Whoa!
It was 90 deg (according to the car) on Monday, Sunday was nice, too. About 85. I thought we were done with cold weather, but yesterday was WINDY and cold and today is just cold. It’s only going to get to 65.
Blech. But hopefully soon, hopefully.
Like Theophylact, I’m in the DC area, Prince George’s County, MD, to be exact. Although we woke up to a heavy dusting of snow outside (clear roads) it has since turned to rain (National Weather Service says it is 35 right now). Since I was already scheduled to telework from home today I have the dubious pleasure of working even though almost everybody else in my office gets administrative leave for today :-(
Hope you’re right, as I’m heading toward Chicago on Sat! Here in Seattle the camellias are blooming, the cherry trees are budding, the daffodils are getting ready to bloom and the tulips are out of the ground. In other words, our usual four-month spring has started.
The Federal Government may be “closed” but now that we have the capability to telework, we’re all expected to do so, scheduled or not. At least we don’t have to dress up or spend 3 hours commuting (closer to 4 today). Looks like the snow in the Maryland DC suburbs will be continuing all day.
Outside of Arcanum, Ohio we have 7″, school is cancelled, and we’re stuck with three kids. Life is great, John!
You’d think we live in Florida or whatnot. When I was a kid 7″ was just a dusting. It’s official, I now sound like my dad.
Crofton, MD, is wet and icy. Very little snow. Windy and temp is hovering right around freezing. We’ve had worse. Personally, I wish my area looked like John’s.
10″ in the Twin Cities Monday night, enough to actually cancel the suburban schools (or, in our case the daycares that take their cues from the school districts), so we got an unexpected snow day. It wasn’t too bad, except for the shoveling. Man, I am so sick of shoveling.
I’m in Texas. Down here, well… I own a coat. Got it right there in my closet. In case, y’know, the need ever arises…
I haven’t seen snow for so many years (going on 20, now I think about it!) that, if I hadn’t seen the photos, I wouldn’t even remember what it looked like ;-)
I’m almost *envious* of all the snow you people get…
It is in the 60s and windy. I considered taking the coat out of my closed but decided it was too much effort.
@Michael Mock, I spent some of the coldest nights of my life in San Antonio, around November. Of course, it was for basic training, so the context might have contributed.
@nicoleandmaggie:
I officially hate you. *raspberry* It’s been a cold one here in Ontario. Last year by this time I had flowers. Currently 0 Celcius, or about 30 F.
Beautiful. I’ve never seen snow in person.
Nothing in Toronto but grey skies. We got hit last week with alternating rain and snow. I work from home so all was well except for the water in the basement.
I’m in Annandale right behind the nerd high school, and there’s maybe an inch of slush on the ground.
In DC, this may be the Storm Of The Year, but in Chicago it’d be called “a nice day”.
Another from Sterling. Seconding the slushy mess. Though, in the last hour it’s turned into a bit of real snow, which is nice to watch I suppose. So. Hooray.
On the up side, I’m not among the many required to telecommute.
Chicago – Downtown – I can see the streets and the sidewalks. meh. little or no effect.
WHERE IS MY TWO FEET OF SNEW?!
Think you could throw up a higher res version of that third one? It would make for a great wallpaper :)
I’m guessing I got hit by the same storm when I drove from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Lloydminster, Alberta. Because that was a hell of a thing to drive through, on black ice, with drivers on the road who are moronic enough to think they can pass slower traffic on one-lane highways in complete whiteout conditions. Me and my little Sentra almost did the upside down swan dive that so many vehicles looked to have done on the way.
Yeah, we’re having a winter storm here in NoCal too. It’s only gonna be 55 today and we’re having a little rain.
It’s getting pretty heavy in Sterling now. I’m glad I’m not out in it, although I’ll probably tow the kids around on a sled later in the backyard. I don’t think I’ve seen snow like this since I’ve been an adult, certainly not since I moved here a year and a half ago.
Those pictures are wonderful.
Here in So. Cal, the roads are clear for the moment. We had some snow a few weeks ago (I live at a higher elevation) when we had some rain. The roads might be covered in accidents later today cause they say we might get more rain today.
Wilmington, Delaware, where I work, is a breezy rain, 40F. Home is southeastern Pennsylvania, same. Forecast is for 2-4″ overnight, but like John, highs in the 40s and 50s this weekend, so nothing sticking long.
No no, you’re supposed to sacrifice virgins to appease the storm gods, not Virginians. *sigh* When will people learn how to read?
KenC: So, you missed the Snowpocalypse threepreat? It was snowing a little stronger than this. But, it was colder and it all stuck. And oh my god the shoveling. I mean. I live no further north than Virginia for a reason. I’m not built for snow like that.
A tree fell through my house, so I’m pretty well over this whole ‘winter’ thing.
In Salt Lake City, all we got from this storm was a rainy Sunday. Rain, not snow. YAY US!
It is howling here in Seaford DE. The patio furniture is dancing all around the deck. Lots of rain. Happily we still have power.
Some wet snow on the grass in Takoma Park, MD, and a mix of rain and snow coming down. Fierce wind gusts every once in a while, making me worry about the power, and we had some thunder!
Here in Murrieta, CA my daughter wore shorts to school today.
Near Chicago it was the same for us. We cleared the snow twice yesterday, and this morning you couldn’t tell. It was about 8″ in all.
I think nearly the whole team worked at home. There was plenty of snow, and I’m glad that I didn’t have to commute, but it wasn’t traumatic.
A couple years ago the drifts were so high that our snow blower was over-matched. We coalesced a neighborhood snow committee around neighbors who had a sufficiently massive machine and went house to house. So we had a neighborhood where you could drive from house to house, but couldn’t actually leave until the county plow came by to clear the road.
Lovely pictures. Slightly disappointed by no feline presences (mine love the snow)
Here in the UK – two days of freezing fog. Lovely.
Had a snow day here in Huber Heights, so I spent a couple hours wandering around Carriage Hill (a park and “living history farm”) taking photos. Hoping to have got some good ones……
I live in the Reston/Herndon area of Northern Virginia. Really, it’s not too bad…we have a snow cover of a wet, heavy snow. Precipitation is rain/snow mix, so it’s a cold, slushy day. No worries though, I made a huge crockpot of chili and we just baked lemon bars for dessert. I shoveled the driveway whilst the chili cooked and came inside from the cold to a yummy smelling house! The sledding is sloppy, but the house is cozy…it’s all good!
Nothing here in western mass yet. Supposedly 8 or so inches later tonight and tomorrow. Working from home is great, but no paid time off when the office closes due to weather.
I’ve crossed over into some kind of bizarro reality. I’m in the middle of Michigan, and we got nothing.
We got it before you did — it amounted to about a foot on the higher mountains, which kep the snow fluffy for about a day. Down in the flatland it perked up the weeds, just in time for the glyphosate to crush their little vegegetable hopes.
Now the highs are back up in the upper 70F range and heading towards low 80s. Time to get the cooler ready.
Seems like we will be having the same weather patterns. In Indianapolis we got about 6 inches overnight. Cant wait for it to melt this weekend and hope its the last of the year. Really tired of winter
I live in Fort Wayne…last night was fairly awful with 10 inches or so by morning. But, INDOT and the City guys were mostly on the ball; so not too bad by 1300 or so. Kids had the day off and I get to drive to a contract negotiation in VA…At home, like Indy, we ought to be fine by the weekend.
Weathermen should be paid based on accuracy. Snowfall estimates jumped between 1-3″ and 4-6″ over the course of the day and then…10″ in the morning.
Damn Global Warming! I was promised there would be no more winters if we didn’t ban the internal combustion engine!
Did they lie to me?
;)
Well, we got 10 1/2 inches the night before I was set to take my mother to the hospital (a scheduled surgery, not an emergency). Beautiful timing. Thank god we have good neighbors or I’d still be out there shoveling, I think.
I’m about 50-60 miles from you (near Lebenon, Ohio, north of Cincinnati) and we ended up with about 4.5 inches. It’s the first pretty snowfall of the winter in that it stuck to all the trees and such and very much created a winter wonderland feel. As I get older, I dislike winter more and more, but this I don’t mind at all. It’s also the first time my snow removal service needed to make an apperance this year – if those guys are depending on that income, this has been a damned painful year for them.
In and around Richmond, we got 3″ of snow, and a day off of school. Today, (the 7th) most counties are on a 2hr delay. It rained overnight with some snow mixed in for variety, so the roads are pretty slick.
Roanoke received all of one inch, even though 3-6 were being forecast by the weather gurus. I am of the understanding that north of me received upwards of almost a foot.