Enlighten me, oh ye snowy people.

jlee1106

I've seen snow a grand total of 3 times in my life. One of which was on vacay in Colorado.

So, what happens when there is this much snow? Does everyone stay home? Does everything shut down? Do you make S'mores around the fire? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it? In a house? With a mouse?

Mmmmm. S'mores.

two-pink-shoes

It's lovely when it's falling.  Then you go outside and have to dig out your car/driveway/etc.  It takes a long time and is a royal PITA.  Things shut down for a day or so, then you have to go back to work.  Snow is piled up 6+ feet high in the medians and on corners so you can't see when you're turning.  Everyone drives 20 mph, except a few idiots who speed and end up crashed into medians and cause more traffic.  Eventually, the snow turns brown/black, so that's just beautiful. 

:seethes in bitterness:

CinnamonBun

We get snow in Ohio, but not huge amounts. Our people aren't equipped to deal with more than flurries. If there is more than an inch schools close.  Right now - TOTAL CHAOS.

angiegail78

Nothing really changes in Minnesota unless there are blizzard conditions.  We got dumped on the past two days, but it was steady with visible driving conditions, so nothing closed.

capinjen152

We plow.  Or if you're like me and live on a road with no other houses, they don't plow.  And I get stuck, then DH comes with the tractor and pulls my car out after I walked in the foot deep snow and biting wind the last 1/4 mile to the house.  And then he ends up clearing the whole mile stretch of road himself so we can get to work today. 

Super fun times.

hippotree

When there is a forecast that we will be getting two feet, everyone goes to the stores and buys food and shovels. 

I can't speak for everyone else, but I planned out about three big meals (crockpot stuff, chili, etc.) and made cookies.  We figured we would be stuck from Friday afternoon to at least Sunday.

After the snow stopped on Saturday we went outside to play, but there isn't a lot to do with this much snow.  My H spent HOURS shoveling.  Everything was shut down - they even closed the Smithsonians, which is very rare.  Stores and restaurants opened back up on Sunday or yesterday.

It's fun for a couple of days, but now we're looking at a week with tonight's storm.  It's getting old.

melodylb

No fireplace here... it usually means we have to get up earlier and  take longer to get to/from places.

My least favorite part is how the bottom of my pants get wet. Oh and the salt that gets drug into the house that I have to sweep everyday.

tamerbelles

I'm in northwest Ohio. When we get a decent amount of snow (like the 10-13 inches expected today), schools do close down. But that's about it. My boss likes to casually remind everyone that "we don't have snow days here." So basically, you get out of bed earlier, drive carefully, and get your ass into work.

It sucks, but you learn how to drive on the roads more carefully and avoid the idiots who don't. 

 

Amorlinda

In NJ, most places don't shut down unless it's blizzard condition. Things get plowed almost immediately (depends on where you live) especially the highways. Schools on the other hand close a little bit sooner, usually the rule of thumb is 3inches or more schools close. But again it depends on where you live.

ETA: However, people do go insane and buy out the supermarket. 

 

tamerbelles

Oh, and funny story. My junior year in college (also in northwest Ohio), the campus actually closed for two whole days due to 20 inches of snow or so. However, our student rec center (where I was a manager) HAS to remain open as a shelter for emergencies.

I lived just off campus. Since the roads were closed, I was forced to WALK in the snow to open the rec at 4:30 a.m. both days. And like, two students came in during that time. It sucked, but I got paid double time to mostly play on the computer all day.  

MaxOrTori

Nothing shuts down here!  Most schools are open - some evening activities may be cancelled.

jCamsquared

Around here it isn't so much about the amount of snow we get as much as how fast it falls. If it is accumulating really quickly and the plows can't keep up with it, there might be a delay or cancelled school. Most peolple still have to work though, which I think is so backwards because kids are home and the parents have to work, so they either have to take time off or get a sitter.

If it is a lot but falls slowly over a couple days they are usually able to keep up with it really well.

krate24

jCamsquared:

Around here it isn't so much about the amount of snow we get as much as how fast it falls. If it is accumulating really quickly and the plows can't keep up with it, there might be a delay or cancelled school. Most peolple still have to work though, which I think is so backwards because kids are home and the parents have to work, so they either have to take time off or get a sitter.

If it is a lot but falls slowly over a couple days they are usually able to keep up with it really well.

This is pretty much the same in CT.  We are supposed to get some snow tonight/tomorrow, but I'm not sure how much.  Some reports say it could be pretty bad because it's supposed to be windy.  Any boss I've ever had usually says, "use your discretion."  Whatever that means.

greenclown

jCamsquared:

Around here it isn't so much about the amount of snow we get as much as how fast it falls. If it is accumulating really quickly and the plows can't keep up with it, there might be a delay or cancelled school. Most peolple still have to work though, which I think is so backwards because kids are home and the parents have to work, so they either have to take time off or get a sitter.

If it is a lot but falls slowly over a couple days they are usually able to keep up with it really well.

You forgot the most important part.

Whenever we get more than 6 inches of snow, the local NBC station stops showing anything other than local coverage of the "storm of the century," even though we had an even bigger storm the previous week.  They're owned by a company in Miami, so I think they get confused and forget that it snows quite regularly in New England.

ETA: I forgot the part about how I then send them hate-email from an anonymous email account clarifying that we actually know how to deal with snow.

hippotree

greenclown:

Whenever we get more than 6 inches of snow, the local NBC station stops showing anything other than local coverage of the "storm of the century," even though we had an even bigger storm the previous week.  They're owned by a company in Miami, so I think they get confused and forget that it snows quite regularly in New England.

YES - almost everything here has been pre-empted for the past four days so all the reporters can say OMG SNOW!

 

jCamsquared

LOL GC! But they are number one in coverage, so that's what's important, right?

mmk3742

DC2London:

In the north, where they are used to it and equipped to deal with it, it isn't such a big deal.  Snow falls in Michigan all the time without incident.  You just drive a little more slowly.  If they really get walloped with like 12" overnight, the schools close but that's it.

Down south, if there is one inch in the forecast everyone runs out the grocery store and buys all the milk, bread, toilet paper and bottled water they can find.  If we get 6" or more, everything shuts down.  Everyone stays home because they don't clear the roads well enough for you to get out of your neighborhood.  We just aren't equipped to handle it here.  And everyone freaks out.

I sometimes find it really annoying but, more often, it's just amusing.

ETA:  Also, up north it is colder so the snow sticks around for a long time and gets all muddy.  Everything is brown and gray for weeks.  Usually down here it just melts and is gone within a day or two.

This.  Plus people in TN buy eggs.  And I would like to add that they don't clear side streets at all in my city so you are just screwed and super stuck.  

Then because snow never sticks around it all melts, but refreezes creating even more hazardous driving conditions due to black ice.

heather_09_15_07

two-pink-shoes:

It's lovely when it's falling.  Then you go outside and have to dig out your car/driveway/etc.  It takes a long time and is a royal PITA.  Things shut down for a day or so, then you have to go back to work.  Snow is piled up 6+ feet high in the medians and on corners so you can't see when you're turning.  Everyone drives 20 mph, except a few idiots who speed and end up crashed into medians and cause more traffic.  Eventually, the snow turns brown/black, so that's just beautiful. 

:seethes in bitterness:

all of this. Also, the stores run out of bread and milk and bags of salt.

rrcraz7

UGH here in PA we get just enough for everyone to have some random "Blizzard of 'some year'" story but not enough for people to actually be able to handle the trauma.

We got about 15 inches on Saturday and a suspected 18 more tonight/tomorrow. School will be closed, most businesses will close or work on a skeleton crew made up of the tough 4wheel drivers.

My job is based on NYC weather, if they don't close the NYSE I'm expected in. Yeah, me and my Altima are going to play that by ear.

Highways and major roads get all the attention, dream on if you live in a neighborhood.

Since I didn't make it to the grocery story by 7AM this morning they will have nothing left by the time I go tonight. It's like a savage feeding frenzy with no one in the entire state apparently able to sustain themselves for 24 hrs on what they have in their home.

I hate the hype but love the snow day.