USA Massive winter storm expected

[Maranatha]

Just a heads up for those in the US

From BBC
Massive winter storm expected to bury much of US in snow and ice

"A powerful blast of cold air from the Arctic is expected to sweep through
much of the United States over the coming days, bringing snow and ice to
nearly 30 states and affecting nearly 160 million people, forecasters warn.
The National Weather Service (NWS) expects "life-threatening cold air" to
slowly track from the High Plains and Rockies in an eastward direction from
Friday...."

Stay safe !

 

[psalms 91]

yeah calling for 12 to 16 inchs for us

 

[Lamb]

yeah calling for 12 to 16 inchs for us

We're still in the unknown of 6 inches or 24 inches. Crazy.

Stay safe out there!

 

[Maranatha]

We're still in the unknown of 6 inches or 24 inches

How many inches you get is probably the least of the problems

This is from Sky News:
"The winter storm set to hit the US comes with warnings of ice. An ice storm is one which results in the accumulation of at least a quarter of an inch of ice on exposed surfaces - creating hazardous driving and walking conditions and the threat of downed power lines and trees."

There could be power cuts, the grocery stores and essential services might be closed for a day or more etc.

I suggest you are well stocked up and check up with neighbors and church members etc.

 

[Lamb]

How many inches you get is probably the least of the problems

This is from Sky News:
"The winter storm set to hit the US comes with warnings of ice. An ice storm is one which results in the accumulation of at least a quarter of an inch of ice on exposed surfaces - creating hazardous driving and walking conditions and the threat of downed power lines and trees."

There could be power cuts, the grocery stores and essential services might be closed for a day or more etc.

I suggest you are well stocked up and check up with neighbors and church members etc.

We have a whole house generator and our power lines are underground, so we have a better chance than most of not losing power or suffering too much from it. My church members are all in a different state, so there is nothing I can do to help them. Most of my neighbors now have generators, so we should be good for a few days...as long as the propane holds out!

 

[tango]

How many inches you get is probably the least of the problems

This is from Sky News:
"The winter storm set to hit the US comes with warnings of ice. An ice storm is one which results in the accumulation of at least a quarter of an inch of ice on exposed surfaces - creating hazardous driving and walking conditions and the threat of downed power lines and trees."

There could be power cuts, the grocery stores and essential services might be closed for a day or more etc.

I suggest you are well stocked up and check up with neighbors and church members etc.

Some areas are expecting up to an inch of ice, which could cause huge problems. We're expecting a lot of snow, but light fluffy snow, so the problems of ice aren't likely to be an issue here.

 

[Ghost]

It will be a big storm, but we have faced more snow in the past. The main problem will be if people lose power for an extended time. Luckily a lot of places that will be hit are used to snow and have good state infrastructure for salting and plowing roads, clearing debris, and maintaining everything.

There's a good chance we'll see plows out in rounds so they can clear every few inches and not let it pile up to the total amount. I imagine it will be possible to drive for much of the day with a few hours here and there that may be more intense and less safe. Depends on your car/truck though

 

[tango]

It will be a big storm, but we have faced more snow in the past. The main problem will be if people lose power for an extended time. Luckily a lot of places that will be hit are used to snow and have good state infrastructure for salting and plowing roads, clearing debris, and maintaining everything.

There's a good chance we'll see plows out in rounds so they can clear every few inches and not let it pile up to the total amount. I imagine it will be possible to drive for much of the day with a few hours here and there that may be more intense and less safe. Depends on your car/truck though

It will also depend on whether you live on a main road or a quiet road.

In my area the state plows clear the state routes every couple of hours. The local roads are cleared by the township, that doesn't have the same resources or the same urgency.

Sadly many people have no idea how to drive in the snow, and most years when we get a little bit of snow it's only a question of time before someone gets stuck on a hill, someone else tries to drive around them and gets stuck, and everything grinds to a halt.

 

[Ghost]

It will also depend on whether you live on a main road or a quiet road.

In my area the state plows clear the state routes every couple of hours. The local roads are cleared by the township, that doesn't have the same resources or the same urgency.

Sadly many people have no idea how to drive in the snow, and most years when we get a little bit of snow it's only a question of time before someone gets stuck on a hill, someone else tries to drive around them and gets stuck, and everything grinds to a halt.

Yeah, it is a shame. Also weather patterns can change so some places may be colder with more snow and freezes in the future while others are warmer. I think knowing how to drive in snow, ice, rain should be on everyone's bucketlist. If not legally required, to at least know what to do in those scenarios. Being from northern east coast makes it instinctual for what to do when you are hydroplaning in the rain, ice, and snow or how to get out if you are stuck.

 

[tango]

Yeah, it is a shame. Also weather patterns can change so some places may be colder with more snow and freezes in the future while others are warmer. I think knowing how to drive in snow, ice, rain should be on everyone's bucketlist. If not legally required, to at least know what to do in those scenarios. Being from northern east coast makes it instinctual for what to do when you are hydroplaning in the rain, ice, and snow or how to get out if you are stuck.

I find it remarkable that people aren't required to know how to drive in the snow and ice.

When I took my theory test I think there was one question about what to do in a slide, with multiple choice answers. The question contained no nuances relating to whether the slide took place on a bend, whether the car was front, rear or all wheel drive, etc. It does arguably seem restrictive to deny someone the chance to take their test until they can demonstrate proficiency in adverse conditions, but it's still remarkable how little the test actually tests.

My test demonstrated that I can drive around cones at 10-15mph without hitting anything, drive around the neighborhood at speeds up to 25mph without hitting anything, and back into a space about three times the size of the car. Can I merge into traffic at 65mph? Can I control my speed descending mountains? Can I cope with darkness, rain, or both? Do I know how to respond in adverse conditions? Who knows, the best the test center could manage was to maybe consider asking if I knew in theory what to do.

 

[Ghost]

I find it remarkable that people aren't required to know how to drive in the snow and ice.

When I took my theory test I think there was one question about what to do in a slide, with multiple choice answers. The question contained no nuances relating to whether the slide took place on a bend, whether the car was front, rear or all wheel drive, etc. It does arguably seem restrictive to deny someone the chance to take their test until they can demonstrate proficiency in adverse conditions, but it's still remarkable how little the test actually tests.

My test demonstrated that I can drive around cones at 10-15mph without hitting anything, drive around the neighborhood at speeds up to 25mph without hitting anything, and back into a space about three times the size of the car. Can I merge into traffic at 65mph? Can I control my speed descending mountains? Can I cope with darkness, rain, or both? Do I know how to respond in adverse conditions? Who knows, the best the test center could manage was to maybe consider asking if I knew in theory what to do.

True, it's pretty crazy that highway driving is not required on the tests, and neither is night driving, or anything else related to weather. They don't test different road conditions, pot holes, sand, or mud. They don't test what you do when other drivers are incompetent and making the roads more dangerous, or tail-gating, or driving too slow in the left lane.

 

[Frankj]

True, it's pretty crazy that highway driving is not required on the tests, and neither is night driving, or anything else related to weather. They don't test different road conditions, pot holes, sand, or mud. They don't test what you do when other drivers are incompetent and making the roads more dangerous, or tail-gating, or driving too slow in the left lane.

In a practical sense, how would they do that?

 

[Maranatha]

The main problem will be if people lose power for an extended time

This is certainly a big issue especially for the elderly people and the homeless.
The storm could also affect farmers badly. They could loose a lot of livestock .
I believe this storm will have big consequences.

 

[tango]

In a practical sense, how would they do that?

They could expand the driving test to include highways, and public roads over and above bimbling around a housing estate at little over walking pace.

If you're about to be unleashed to drive solo on any road out there, it can't hurt to verify you're competent. It's hard to see specifically testing driving in the winter if someone is taking their test in August. But simply driving on a busy and/or fast road will increase the likelihood of encountering an incompetent or inconsiderate motorist.

 

[Ghost]

This is certainly a big issue especially for the elderly people and the homeless.
The storm could also affect farmers badly. They could loose a lot of livestock .
I believe this storm will have big consequences.

So far so good over here. We got over a foot and with a light snow and wind, natural banks formed that came to be 3-4 feet high in some areas. I went out and cleared around my car and 2 neighbors' cars while it was still a lighter snow. We're expecting more tomorrow, potentially all day. I heard some areas got 19'' already today alone

 

[Romanos]

How is everyone doing in the storm so far?

 

[Frankj]

They could expand the driving test to include highways, and public roads over and above bimbling around a housing estate at little over walking pace.

In my day that's what we did, took our test on city streets in city traffic.

Didn't do it on the interstate highway system though since the interstate system then was usually just marked routes on regular mostly two lane roads that went across state lines (remember the famous Route 66?).

 

[Lamb]

We got over 10 inches and we needed to icy layer this morning but the snowblower blades got locked up, so we had to shovel by hand so the propane truck can get into the driveway safely. We still have power though, which I'm happy about.

 

[tango]

In my day that's what we did, took our test on city streets in city traffic.

Didn't do it on the interstate highway system though since the interstate system then was usually just marked routes on regular mostly two lane roads that went across state lines (remember the famous Route 66?).

It really is a joke seeing a "test" that consists of little more than proving you can drive at low speeds without hitting any stationary objects.

 

[Frankj]

It really is a joke seeing a "test" that consists of little more than proving you can drive at low speeds without hitting any stationary objects.

If that's how it's done now, maybe that's why there seem to be so many people that have licenses that look like they have no idea how to actually drive.

Things change over time, but not always for the better.