Rare, I am with your mom. Sometimes I wonder how those people have enough sense to tie their own shoelaces. Maybe they use Velcro.

We are in a small town in central Georgia and all our trees are icy----every branch is weighted down with ice---and it is windy! We live in the woods and I am hearing trees come down sounding like glaciers breaking apart. I hope they don't come down on the driveway, as it is a bit of a hike without a car. And I just had a fence repaired from the damage caused from a downed 50 ft Leyland Cypress in the last storm. :-(

We know it's coming so I went food shopping today...what a zoo! The storm is supposed to get here by tomorrow a.m. and last through Friday a.m. Right now they're talking about 6-10" in our area but we don't know how much will be sleet or ice or freezing rain. Such fun!

Straitlover, I am in Charlotte, and we have the same things here. Because there was a lull this morning, many people went to work, but then they all got released at the same time, leading to gridlock. Originally they predicted the snow would start around 11:30, but it actually started around 9:30, which is why I thought I had plenty of time to go to the Y.

Kswl, we had our large tree in the back undergo a major pruning about a month ago. Glad we did that!

DH and I went out to clear snow off the cars and pull them up further in the driveway. There was at least 4" of snow just from when I got home around 10 a.m. We had some sleet mixing in, but now we seem to be in a lull again. We are supposed to get mostly snow, some sleet, and hopefully minimal freezing rain.

I'm one of those Yankees who *used* to laugh at southerners dealing with an inch of snow but I get it now. This is serious stuff and I hope everyone stays home and stays safe - and warm if the power holds out.

I hope everyone stays safe! Such crazy weather this winter...even in New England, where we are used to snow, it's more frequent than usual. We are flying from Boston to Miami Friday afternoon...fingers crossed that our flight doesn't get screwed up (she said selfishly).

Living in CA for a couple of years now and do not miss the winter weather in the northeast one tiny bit. High 70's and sunny here today ... I'm wearing sandals. I now know and understand why people continue to pay the crazy prices here in CA for homes and taxes ... no snow, no humidity & no bugs.

Hope you all stay safe and that you get less bad weather than predicted.

I am supposed to fly into Dulles tomorrow. To the DC folks, should I bother even packing (coming from KC where we are finally above freezing for the first time in weeks so no bad weather on my end)? My parents are supposed to drive up to pick me up and I can't decide which is the scarier thought, flying into a snowstorm, or the drive to and from the airport!

In North Alabama here we had just shy of 4" yesterday, which mostly melted today in the rain. But it started a wintry mix about an hour and a half ago, quickly turned to wet, heavy snow, and now the ground is covered. Who knows how much we'll get but it will likely be another 4 inches at least and probably freeze tonight. Schools have been closed for 2 days and will be closed tomorrow. I have been home 2 days as well, and since we are in a rural area and I have to cross a river to get to work, I will stay home if needed. I have AWD, but I don't trust everyone else.

Good luck to those traveling by air. Hope everyone stays safe and warm!

May be in the 60's his weekend. Alabama...where you can wear snow boots and flip flops in the same week!

Kellienoelle, I would be willing to bet your parents won't want to drive to Dulles to get you. The airport is in the area with a 8-12 inch range for snow predictions. Depending on your arrival time, it could also be sleeting before turning back to snow. Have you ever used Uber? It is a car service you can access through an app on your phone. Not sure if that would be any better, but it might be a possibility. I would not be surprised if lots of flights into Dulles and National are cancelled.

My flight is canceled and rebooked for a later flight out same day, so arriving at 9:10 PM. I offered to just get a hotel and stay up at the airport until things had calmed down on Friday, but they assured me it wouldn't be necessary. I've used Uber, but I am pretty sure that they wont want to drive me an hour away in a snow storm (or I wont want to pay for it). Remind me again why I am traveling in the winter?

DD is in college about an hour NE of Atlanta. Her classes were cancelled yesterday, today and also tomorrow. She lives on a hill about 1/2 mile from campus. As I was speaking to her on the phone today she said "Oh there goes some guys sliding down our road in a kayak. Now someone else is using a table." I told her that we used to swipe cafeteria trays to use as sleds. She said if there is any hint of snow at her school, the cafeterias hide all the trays.

Hopefully she keeps her power. Here in SE GA we are cold and rainy.

Yeah...it doesn't matter WHAT the Hell you're driving if you start sliding....

ICE is the great equalizer for anything with wheels.

Obviously though...SO FEW people in the middle/southern US seem to grasp this!! Practice-makes-perfect up here though...

Faron

We have had ice and sleet, freezing rain all day. We lost power for most of the day but just got it back! Blessings to all in this winter storm .

LOL on the kayak going down the hill.

Cami, sorry you lost power. Things seem to be OK here for now.

Just got an email that the regional conference is canceled. They have never done this in my ~20 years of attending, and we have had a fair number of years of bad weather. Really, no one in the region can travel by vehicle or plane. I'm sure the hotel has stranded travelers they can't kick out, plus I'm sure hotel staff can barely report.

Everyone sounds like they are holding up well in the face of adversity. Here in the Maryland suburbs of DC the event is just getting started. The best course is just to stay home, read a good book, hope the power does not go out, but be prepared if it does, "have food", interjects DH, do the shoveling nice and easy ( bummer- my snow guy is AWOL), and face time with the grands. I hope everyone stays warm and safe.

Kellie...I hope you don't get canceled again....last I heard we are supposed to snow on into thurs afternoon. Will be interesting to see how much progress they make clearing the snow. Could even be dicey on Friday. So far everything is shut down tomorrow. Good luck making your way here!

Maryland burbs here too...I went to my neighbors just before 7 and when I left at 7:30 our driveways and walks were already covered...think it's gonna be a big one!

LOL on the kayak going down the hill.

Cami, sorry you lost power. Things seem to be OK here for now.

Just got an email that the regional conference is canceled. They have never done this in my ~20 years of attending, and we have had a fair number of years of bad weather. Really, no one in the region can travel by vehicle or plane. I'm sure the hotel has stranded travelers they can't kick out, plus I'm sure hotel staff can barely report.

Kellienoelle, I'm in the DC/Baltimore metro area also. The area west of DC, where Dulles is, is supposed to get walloped, moreso than the eastern suburbs. Even if your flight doesn't get canceled, I'm sure the roads will still be pretty bad at 9pm tomorrow night. You might be better off getting that hotel room, but I'd book one now just in case since there are going to be loads of stranded travelers all looking for hotel rooms (as well as people who may lose power and need a warm room).

Dh had the misfortune of being on a business trip to L.A., returning tomorrow afternoon. When this storm started to look more promising, I called him yesterday morning and told him he might want to try leaving today. He skipped his last meeting, rebooked his flight (he was supposed to go thru Atlanta of all places!) through Houston and then on to BWI arriving at 11pm this evening. Then I got a call this morning from United saying his Houston-BWI portion was canceled and they put him on a flight tomorrow morning getting in around noon. Before he got on the flight to Houston, they told him they rebooked him to Chicago from Houston and now he's not supposed to get in until 5pm tomorrow night. Same time as his original flight! I'm certain he'll end up getting stuck in Chicago tomorrow night. Totally sucks - Houston for one night then Chicago the next. He should've just stayed in L.A. until Friday! But he was worried it would be really hard to get home at that point with all the cancellations and rebookings.

I hope you make it here. Better to get here and stay the first night in a hotel than being constantly rebooked! Where are you flying in from?

And Joanie, last I heard, the snow is supposed to continue into the evening but not sure how much into the evening. I'm in Annapolis so right near the rain/snow line. Which always means more rain, less snow, though this time the rain is supposed to be sleet which could really be a mess for the roads! I'm just praying we don't lose power. Been steadily snowing here for nearly 3 hours.

Good luck to all in the path of this storm!

Sounds like a big storm, you guys alI stay safe and sound at home with a pot of chili, a fire, and a good book. I am flying in from Kansas City, where we have very nice weather coming up (after our own storm last week and quite a cold snap). It is a direct flight, so if the airport remains open and flight isn't canceled I think we'll be OK. I went ahead and booked a room at the Dulles Marriott just in case we make it into the area but can't make it to our destination (which is even more southwest from Dulles). If not, fingers crossed that they can put us on one of the Friday flights, I imagine quite a few folks to be rescheduled. I just hope for snow only, ice is such a nightmare.

We are flying in because my parents have sold our family home and built a new house. So they are so excited to show it off to me and to my sister, who is supposed to be driving down from New York. My mom is pretty disappointed about this setback, so hopefully we all make it in!

Kellienoelle, i so hope you make it today. I just heard on the news that united has canceled all flights in and out of Dulles until at least 7pm tonight. Not sure what airline you are using but I'm sure other airlines will be following suit unfortunately. They've already had a ton of snow. Here in annapolis east of DC, we probably have 5" or so but it has changed over to sleet and the wind is really blowing. I'm worried my husbands flight (united from Chicago) is going to end up canceled. Not that I want his travel home prolonged another day, but I'd almost rather him wait til tomorrow as I'll be worried about his drive home on the roads after dark tonight.

Hope you make it to your parents' new home soon!

Airport closed here, too. It is so eerily quiet because we live about 20 min from the airport, and there are no planes taking off here. No cars on the road, and the light rail is supposedly running but I haven't heard their "beep-beep." I also haven't heard freight trains either.

We are still getting light sleet and freezing rain, but I think more snow to come later today. Surprisingly, in our region, there have not been a lot of power outages. Just hope that holds for us.

Coffee is ready!

I hope you all haven't lost power. Our news said almost a million lost it overnight.

We had an ice storm where we lost power for 3 weeks. The good news is it led to us remodeling our house and building a room with a cooking fireplace. lol

I do want to say, if you have Yak Trax, please please wear them. If you don't have any, order some for next year. We had packed sleet a few years ago and I fell and hit my head on an antique iron wheel in the flowerbed. (I was reaching for the rain gauge, lol), and I found out it's true, that life does pass before you within seconds. I laid there waiting to die. Then I got up when I realized I wasn't. lol. I started bawling like a baby when I went inside because I was imagining my family's life without me.

Yak Trax. Never leave home without them, no matter if you only have to walk a few feet!

The snow has started here now and it is coming down at a good clip and we're supposed to get up to 40 mph wind gusts. We're planning on trying to clean it up around noon before the changeover to freezing rain as the snow is so much easier to move dry than wet. Tonight it's supposed to change back to snow again, so I'm sure we'll be cleaning it again on Friday am.

DH calls it my aerobic snow shoveling! I do get a good upper body workout from it though....

And now they're talking more snow on Saturday. Yum!

"SO FEW people in the middle/southern US seem to grasp this!!"
These kinds of comments are every bit as encouraging as they are helpful, and we southerners always give them the merit they deserve. :)

We have a beautiful snow blanket over everything, and I'm loving the view from my windows.
Unfortunately, DH has to drive a hundred miles north of us today, and the roads in that direction are covered in a sheet of ice.

We're stuck in Miami, which isn't so bad, except we were planning on flying to New Orleans to visit DS#3 and that got canceled. Haven't got a response from DS#1 in Atlanta this morning, hope he's got power. We'll fly back to CT tomorrow to dig out. What a winter!

Kellie .....I'm sure you've heard by now that Dulles is closed today....and I doubt your sister will be driving down from NY. Tomorrow could be just as bad as any untreated roads will be sheets of ice with temps in the 20's overnight. Hope you make it tomorrow!

We are about 20 miles north of DC and we got 15" with more expected this afternoon.

Oakley, I have a friend who is originally from Idaho, and she swears by Yak Trax.

Melsouth, safe travels for your DH. I am hoping my DH does not have to go to work tomorrow. They have some real estate closings scheduled, and I hope they will be able to move them. Last storm, I drove him in the AWD (my previous car was a 5-speed which he does not like to drive) because the clients insisted on closing even though they were not moving immediately. I should still be off school, but I had already planned on no class tomorrow because some of the students and I were supposed to be at the conference.

This post was edited by gsciencechick on Thu, Feb 13, 14 at 11:27

We're stuck in Miami, which isn't so bad, except we were planning on flying to New Orleans to visit DS#3 and that got canceled. Haven't got a response from DS#1 in Atlanta this morning, hope he's got power. We'll fly back to CT tomorrow to dig out. What a winter!

We're stuck in Miami, which isn't so bad, except we were planning on flying to New Orleans to visit DS#3 and that got canceled. Haven't got a response from DS#1 in Atlanta this morning, hope he's got power. We'll fly back to CT tomorrow to dig out. What a winter!

My flight into Dulles isn't canceled yet so I remain hopeful. It's a late flight, doesn't land until after 9PM. Just talked to my mom and she seems to think that the worst of the storm is passed. So maybe they'll have time to clean up and re-open the airports! Perhaps just wishful thinking, but I figure they are going to want to get any flights they can in.

Wow....the news this morning said Dulles was closed for today...guess they were wrong....do hope you make it tonight then. They said we are getting another 1-3" this afternoon.

Nope, just got canceled with no options at all so guess the trip is off :(

Well the only option is to arrive Saturday night with a connection but considering we were leaving Monday that hardly seems worth it.

Oh bummer, kellie! My husband, who had flown to Houston yesterday trying to get home, was supposed to fly to Chicago then Baltimore today. The Chicago-Baltimore portion ended up getting canceled. He was trying all kinds of options, including flying to Cleveland and driving home from there! At one point the agent said they couldn't get him home until Monday! He ended up getting on a flight to Newark, NJ (it took off an hour ago, so yay, looks like he will at least make it to the east coast). He's then taking Amtrak from Newark back to BWI airport. Thankfully the train stops there as his car is there. However, I will be worried sick about his drive home from the airport. It's on about 25 miles away and mostly highway, but there are always accidents on that highway, even on a clear day! And I'm sure the roads will referee after dark tonight.

I hope you will be able to visit your parents' new home soon. Sorry you had to miss your trip.

Kellie...so sorry...come back in April.....we can still get snow in March. Feb is usually the worst month..but this year has really been strange!

Fourkids...hope your DH makes it home safe and sound (and sane)!

Kellie, sorry about your trip being cancelled. Hope you can all reschedule on another, better weekend.

Fourkids, hope you and your kids are making it just fine and that your DH will get home safe and sound. It's no fun being on the road and frustrated by weather delays. Been there, got that t-shirt and don't want any more.

We lost power last night around 10:30 while getting ready for bed. It was still snowing big chunky flakes. The power finally came back on around 5:30 but not before the security alarm beeped a few times to let us know it was on battery power around 2:30 (we forgot to re-set it). Work was cancelled again so another snow day but temps are climbing in the upper 30's. Roads are still a mess.

Our neighbors (who are out skiing in CO) had a pine tree fall across the road so the other 2 neighbors couldn't get out. Weird because we had been out walking and I had taken pictures. I looked back and around 9:30 there was no tree down. About an hour after we had come in (DH skied our 'hill') and we were putting things away, the tree uprooted from the weight of the snow. DH and the other neighbors got their chainsaws and cleared it. That was our big excitement today.

Just got in from shoveling about 15" of snow and it just started raining before I finished so I got quite soaked.
But we got most of it done with the snow blower while we could still blow it....once it gets soaked, fuggetaboutit.

Here is one of my snow dog angels- Cooper. We got about 16 inches of snow here in MD with more forecast for tonight.
Just thought a cheery photo would be fun. Bailey was warming her royal self in front of the fire while Cooper was outside playing.
Keep warm and safe

Here in my area (East TN), we had 6-8 inches (didn't measure) and it is beautiful. AND (more importantly!) it is already melting on the roads and our (steep) driveway. We've had a bit of sun today and the temps were enough to help the melting. Tonight will be colder though (20ish), so tomorrow morning will be icy. I've not been outside any further than the front porch and out the sunroom door - to take pictures. The school were I work part-time was closed today (never happens!), so I have been enjoying a nice day relaxing and a little bit of puttering around the house (and cooking!). Thankfully power was not lost here. MIL (undergoing chemo - lives alone), dad (83 lives alone) and grandmother (95 - lives in assisted living), all doing well. First thing I think about in this kind of weather!

We are supposed to hit 60 next week - will love that!

tina

Thanks for the commisseration but despite my canceled trip, I am on the good end of this deal. I feel for the ones who are having to live through it, or are stranded away from home. Fourkids....I hope he makes it home safe and sound!

Cooper at least seems to be enjoying the snow!

Love the picture of Bailey in the snow. My lab loves the snow...so fun to watch him run around in it.

Outside, I'm used to weathering storms without dh-can't tell you how many times he's been heading home and gotten stranded, poor guy. My kids and I are fine...warm and toasty. I made a huge batch of marinara sauce and meatballs yesterday in case we lost power (I could reheat on gas range) then made a batch of cookies today with my youngest. Just started a wood fire, so we are cozy here and waiting on the final blast. Supposed to get 2-4" in the next few hours.

Dh is currently standing on the train platform waiting on his train. Had a brief scare in Newark...first no available gates so they waited on runway for nearly an hour, then couldn't get the jetway connected to the plane b/c of all the snow and ice. I thought he was going to miss the train. Thankfully he texted me he's there on the platform so should arrive in MD in about 2.5 hrs. Hurray!

And just got word school closed again tomorrow. Extra long weekend for my kids. They already have Monday and Tuesday off for winter break!

Snowing again here north of DC. Schools closed tomorrow, but they are going to announce later if admin offices (which means me) have to go in.....no sign of a plow on our street yet and DH is working from home so only managed to clear half the driveway...don't think I'm headed anywhere anytime soon!

Love the picture of Cooper. Our Clouseau is the same way-loves the snow. Just came in, but only because I called him. Looked like a snowman since it is snowing again.

Fairfax County school announced at 4:15 pm they were closed for tomorrow. Ha. That will teach them to take away our Presidents' Day holiday by making it a make-up day. ;)

There were 1,000 people stuck at the Charlotte airport. Yikes. Pretty much no flights all day.

Woke up to another 3" of snow on top of slush and the expectation for 4" more tomorrow. It's getting to be we just don't know where to put the stuff. But they keep telling us that next week we'll have several days above freezing so some of it will melt. Let's hope so!

Fourkids - did you husband make it home safely?

I have never been stuck in an airport, the first thing I do when there is a whiff of trouble is book a hotel. It looks so miserable!

Yesterday we used our snow blower to clear 12" deep snow off the driveway. As we we blowing the snow, a snowplow came by and the driver looked as if he was going to push the snow across the driveway, but didn't dare do it while we were watching.
We got about another inch of snow last night and woke up this morning to find 2 feet of packed, icy snow across our driveway. Revenge of the plowman?

Plow came threw a bit ago and it's 43...... But I think we are supposed to get a few more inches tomorrow.

I hope ALL of you "snow affected" people are home safe & sound by now!!!
Or...at least somewhere SAFE...?!??!?!

Take it easy out there please my friends!

Happy Valentines-Day!!!

Faron