Thread: Weather - how are the northerners?

Here around Indy we have dodged the big snows so far, but I doubt that luck will last all year.

I traveled North to visit some family this past weekend. There was snow all the way up beginning with the north part of Charlotte. Most of VA had traffic crawling at 10mph and when I got into WV it turned into a slalom of abandoned/stranded cars that were littering not only the sides of the road but various lanes at times. A little further into WV and both sides of the freeway were completely shut down for the following 7hrs due to the number of accidents and stranded cars. The National Guard was authorized to come in and clean it up. Finally made it to my destination after 19hrs, instead of the usual ~9.

Wow, you picked the wrong week-end eh!?!

Got between 18"-24" here. I was out in the middle of the worst part of it. Wasnt as bad as I expected.

Eh ... pretty tame here. We had a huge storm last month that dropped nearly 3 feet at my house. But even then, that doesn't shut things down. We're a bit more hardened here in the Rocky Mountain West. Right Slick and BWhip??

Originally Posted by BobcatSig

We're a bit more hardened here in the Rocky Mountain West. Right Slick and BWhip??

Yep.

BTW, check the last page of the "Real Life Pics" thread for my most recent snowfall pic.

Originally Posted by SHOTIME

W got 16-20 inches here. It was a sunday, so we just stayed inside, had a fire, and did Xmas type stuff.

My little snowblower is a bit to small for all of that at once, but we got through it. :-)

probably about the same here. I had to work Saturday night but they let us leave early. I was just leaving to go home when it was starting. The guys who go to RI and CT said it was snowing down there but they had helpers so no big deal. And by the time I got to work yesterday all the roads were cleaned up.

we have a big snow blower and it did good until the end of the driveway where the plows had piled it all up. Since my driveway is right at the beginning of the curve of the road and a few feet away from the town line they usually don't come within about 8ft of the end of the driveway. I figured good they won't get closer so I can get it. I was just about done when they came in and got all the way to the sidewalk so I had to do the end all over again. Halfway through that time I put the snow blower away cause the wind would change directions with me and blow it all back in my face.

The UK still coming to a halt after a few more inches

BBC News - Cold weather causes travel disruption across the UK

I ask again, what is this... "snow"... of which you people speak?

Originally Posted by MotoVegas

I ask again, what is this... "snow"... of which you people speak?

its magic white cold stuff that would reveal to you how much the people in your city cannot drive worth a shit.

BBC News - Freezing weather brings misery to Europe

BBC News - Snow and ice delay Christmas getaway

We're still not managing to cope very well in the UK with this protracted period of snow and cold weather, even though it's trivial by Northern US standards:

BBC News - Icy conditions cause travel chaos

Originally Posted by oldfogey

We're still not managing to cope very well in the UK with this protracted period of snow and cold weather, even though it's trivial by Northern US standards:

BBC News - Icy conditions cause travel chaos

How much does it snow in the UK typically? Periodically light accumulation, flurries, or rarely?

Originally Posted by oldfogey

We're still not managing to cope very well in the UK with this protracted period of snow and cold weather, even though it's trivial by Northern US standards:

BBC News - Icy conditions cause travel chaos

That little bit of snow and ice would cause mass hysteria around here.

For the southeast states below about Maryland, the appearance of anything that even resembles a single falling snowflake will cause at least 5 accidents and one vehicle will roll into a ditch. Schools and businesses will have a minimum of a one hour delay in opening and all child care and pre-school services will be closed.

Hell, kids had a delay a few weeks ago because snow flurries were forecast for the next day.

If you're not used to driving in it, I'm sure it's a horror story when it happens.

Originally Posted by 08silvercbr

How much does it snow in the UK typically? Periodically light accumulation, flurries, or rarely?

In the south-east round London, we get snow perhaps on a couple of occasions a year. London is around 4C warmer than the surrounding suburbs, so sees snow hardly at all. The further North you go, the more it is usual, so Scotland is used to a fair few inches each year. We just don't invest (gritters, de-icers) or prepare (winter tyres) for it.

The road outside my house has about an inch of compressed snow / ice with zero grip. My wife had to dig her car out in Yorkshire, 200 miles North, with snow up to the window level.

Major winter storm taking aim at West, Midwest - Yahoo! News

We've got more snow this year than I've ever seen here... and I said the same thing last year. Only this time it's come over the span of only a couple weeks.

Originally Posted by phobe

We've got more snow this year than I've ever seen here... and I said the same thing last year. Only this time it's come over the span of only a couple weeks.

You're obviously a victim of the effects of global warming.

Originally Posted by seamus

You're obviously a victim of the effects of global warming.

Well we were certainly victims of the lowest temperatures recorded here in a century... Rocky Mountain House (my home town) hit minus 58 celcius a week and a half ago. In Calgary where we normally have fairly mild winters (and brown christmases) we endured about a week straight of minus 30 and a shitpile of snow. It's currently about minus 20.

But then again, it isn't called "global warming" anymore... it's man-made climate change. And all irregular weather patterns can now officially be blamed on it.

Record cold? Climate change.

Record warm? Climate change.

High water level? Climate change.

Low water level? Climate change.

Record high number of hurricanes and forest fires? Climate change.

Record low number of hurricanes and forest fires? Climate change.


Et Cetera, and so on.

Originally Posted by phobe

Well we were certainly victims of the lowest temperatures recorded here in a century... Rocky Mountain House (my home town) hit minus 58 celcius a week and a half ago. In Calgary where we normally have fairly mild winters (and brown christmases) we endured about a week straight of minus 30 and a shitpile of snow. It's currently about minus 20...

How do vehicles act in weather like that? Do they even warm up?

Below minus 30 they don't usually start. And if you get them started you leave them running in the parking lot rather than dare shut them off. A lot of people plug in block heaters.

I used to run a rental fleet of mostly Duramax diesels used by drilling crews. In minus 40 they couldn't get any heat out of the engine.... too much cooling capacity, too large of radiator. GM responded by offering an optional high idle switch that helped keep the motor warm.

Ask Purpdust how his truck did in minus 50 up in Fort McMurray a couple weeks ago.

Originally Posted by phobe

Below minus 30 they don't usually start. And if you get them started you leave them running in the parking lot rather than dare shut them off. A lot of people plug in block heaters.

I used to run a rental fleet of mostly Duramax diesels used by drilling crews. In minus 40 they couldn't get any heat out of the engine.... too much cooling capacity, too large of radiator. GM responded by offering an optional high idle switch that helped keep the motor warm.

Ask Purpdust how his truck did in minus 50 up in Fort McMurray a couple weeks ago.

It's brutal. High idle, cold weather kit (block/limits air entering the grille area), block heaters. A guy stationed up in Alaska told me that his tires had flat spots every day. Don't know how they can live like that, I'd fold.

Even at temps around freezing, it takes a while to get the DMax up to and stay at normal operating temps.

Originally Posted by seamus

It's brutal. High idle, cold weather kit (block/limits air entering the grille area), block heaters. A guy stationed up in Alaska told me that his tires had flat spots every day. Don't know how they can live like that, I'd fold.

Even at temps around freezing, it takes a while to get the DMax up to and stay at normal operating temps.

that sucks. past week or so its been around 15-25° here and it takes my work truck about 30-45 minutes idling (with the heater on cause I don't wanna get into a cold truck after loading it) to get to around 120° with 170-180 being normal. once driving it warms up quickly though and we don't use bibs. had to let it crank a bit yesterday for it to start. no plugs at work either although the trucks do have them.

I know that one of the options on the current SuperDuty trucks is dual alternators with an auxillary cab heater so that you can get cab heat in extreme cold. You still have to get it started though.