The Unofficial 2008 Severe Weather Thread

[Matt700wlw]

Who drove across the Ohio River in 1977? Anyone?

[redsfan1966]

Actually, if we are to have a blizzard, I am glad it occured on a weekend. Just the signs of age, I guess.....from what I remember in 1978, this one doesnt seem as bad or dangerous...I spent a pleasant afternoon listening to the Brennaman boys bring me some spring training baseball...

[Spring~Fields]

Originally Posted by Dom Heffner

"It's 81 degrees here- I had to take off my suit jacket it was so hot."

There was a silence and then a very sincere "F@&* you."

Always one in every crowd, "81 degrees" indeed, may your regedit without you or your registries awareness.

Anybody have a big snow blower or an angry wife that can remove this snow so I can get out of here. :all_cohol

[oneupper]

I feel for you guys. Living in Latin America most of my life and now Florida...snow is not something I've had to deal with.

FWIW it's down in the 50s here right now.

Keep the spirts up, spring is just around the corner!

[redsmetz]

So this blizzard turned out to be almost surreal for my wife and me. We had planned on driving our younger daughter back up to school in northern Indiana on Friday around noon, but with the report of snow coming, we decided to leave Thursday night. We drove part way, north of Indy ahead of the storm.

Friday morning we left with reports of snowing coming in to the southern Indianapolis area and drove in sunshine up to Valparaiso. Sunshine everywhere until Friday night when some light flurries came in off Lake Michigan.

Meanwhile, we're checking the web and reading about pandimonium in the streets, blizzads, seeing pictures of a sideways Metro bus on Boudinot Avenue, etc. etc. etc.

Saturday morning, with our daughter now in a van enroute to a service trip in New Orleans, we take our time leaving Valpo, enjoy breakfast a coffee shop and then I go over to the public library to check on road conditions, the continuing decline of civilization in our beloved hometown, and so on.

We see from the Indiana highway patrol that I-74 from the St. Paul exit to the Ohio state line are snow covered. We figure once we hit Indy we'll see signs of the snow and decided to book a room in Shelbyville right before the "snow covered" highways. We start our drive south in beautiful sunshine, an occasional light flurry and keep wondering where we'll see "the blizzard". Checked in with my dad, then my oldest daughter and yes, it was still snowing, coming down hard.

By about three we reach sunshiny Shelbyville, maybe two inches of snow on the ground but clear roads. We cancel our reservation and decide to go on. It seemed absurd not to. We reach the aforementioned "St. Paul exit" and we see a tiny bit of slush in the middle of the road and then gradually, the left lane becomes not cleared, but the right lane is fine.

Long story, not short, we made it in, only one incident of really being concerned - a spot on I-74 where off to the right is one of those DEEP valleys and both lanes turn mostly not cleared. Guard rail to the right except for about a fifty foot gap. I was going a little too fast when we hit the batch, thank goodness by ABS system was not on the fritz like it is sometimes in my Caravan and I got the car slowed and under control. But I remember seeing that guardrail gap and thinking "What the H***? Why would they leave that gap for me to plummet to my doom?".

Finished coming in between 30 and 55 MPH, but my wife and I were beginning to wonder whether the city had been hit by mass hypnosis and made to believe there was a blizzard. Now our car sits out on the street (sorry, no garage or driveway) looking positively naked. We'd missed the blizzard of '08 completely. Like I said, it was almost surreal.

[wheels]

20 plus inches in Columbus.

What really stinks is that I was infected with the most vicious flu virus from tuesday until yesterday.

I haven't left the house except for Dog purposes since tuesday night. I am a high energy fellow, and I am going crazy. I think the roads will be clear enough for me to hit the gym today.

If I can get my car out.

On the bright side, my house is cleaner than it's ever been, and I've washed every article of clothing I own.

[GoReds33]

I've got 9.5 inches, and I live on the east side of Cincinnati. It's not too bad though. I guess the last thing I needed was another reason to stay inside.

[wheels]

I'd love it if we only had 9.5 inches.

[KronoRed]

I'd love 20...

Hope you feel better wheels.

[wheels]

Originally Posted by KronoRed

I'd love 20...

Hope you feel better wheels.

I got better just in time to do absolutely nothing.

I did get to the gym today, which makes me feel like less of a louse.

[GAC]

Originally Posted by Ltlabner

I vaguely remember 1977 and 1978. This was the first "legitmate" snowfall I can remember sinec then.

I had the pleasure of being in St. Thomas of the Virgin Islands when the '77 blizzard hit. I was sitting on the white sands sippin' on a pina colada and decided to call home, not knowing they were going through a blizzard. I guess I shoulda been there (glad I wasn't).

After all the bad forecasts and misses this year I wasn't sure whether to trust this forecast. Working 3rd shift, I got home Friday morning to rather calm weather. Once I checked the radar and got a more accurate forecast I told the wife that we'd better get to the grocery now and prepare. Every other mother's son was there too. By the time we got back home it was really coming down.

I called the school and asked them if they were going to let the kids out early. They said they were having a 1 PM dismissal. By that time the snow had been coming down up here pretty hard for almost 3 hours. One of my kids rides the bus, and the other drives, so I was concerned. I think the schools should have closed earlier.

My wife, who works 2nd shift, still had to go into work on Friday. Why I have no idea. They then turned around and sent them home 2 hours later. Another dumb move by people in authority.

It's now Sunday afternoon, the blizzard is over and the sun is shining. My driveway was completely drifted/blown over all the way up to my waist. My buddy came over with his truck and plowed me out so I can get to work tonight.

It will take till May for the snow piles to melt.

Look at it as a last gasp folks. Spring is just around the corner.

[sonny]

I took my son out to the biggest smow drift in our yard (about 2 feet or so) and just plooped him right down in it. It went right up to his armpits. I never saw a sweeter balance of awe, excitement and terror in a two year old boy.

[HumnHilghtFreel]

I made this earlier since I was bored of being stuck in the house.

[SunDeck]

Originally Posted by Matt700wlw

Who drove across the Ohio River in 1977? Anyone?

You couldn't drive across it because it was all chunky. We went down and thought about trying to walk across, but it looked way too dangerous. The stuff was groaning and cracking all over, like it was alive.

[OldRightHander]

68 degrees today in Augusta. I went to a park, grilled out, and then took a nice walk, all in short sleeves.