Wednesday, January 26, 2011

BAD SNOWMANCE 2011:  I'm rather stunned that schools are, for the moment, open in Philadelphia.  As Philly.com now reads, "Pre-dawn ambush: So far, 1 to 2 inches of snow has been measured in parts of the region, and, yes, this was not supposed to happen."

Keep us posted.

38 comments:

  1. (South central PA)
    Our schools have been over-closing in the past few weeks for any type of accumulation, which I imagine why they got the high school kids on the bus this morning, and an hour later turned around and sent them home. Foolish really.

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  2. My commute from Ardmore to Swarthmore (roughly 12 miles taking back roads to avoid the Blue Route) took 1 hour and 15 minutes. My average speed must have been -2. I called the College weather hotline at least 20 times this morning because I couldn't believe they didn't at least delay. Nothing was plowed; even the main streets were a slushy mess. Stay home!

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  3. Here in the Maryland suburbs of D.C. we're under a winter storm warning from now until 4 a.m. tomorrow with 4-8 inches projected.  Most of the suburban school districts in MD and VA are already closed even though it's only raining right now and everything I cleared off the walk and cars this morning was basically slush.  As Phil Connors would say, I don't think the heavy stuff's gonna come down for a while.

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  4. And now, barely visible flurries in Center City.

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  5. I just thought of an experience I had when I first moved to the D.C. area in 2004 to begin my graduate program at U. Maryland.  My first winter, I woke up around 6 to teach an 8 a.m. class.  I looked outside and saw some light snow falling.  Thinking absolutely nothing of it, I got ready, left my apartment around 7, and started to drive to campus.  There was absolutely no traffic on the Beltway, which put me in a great mood to start the day.  I got to campus in record time and saw that there were virtually no cars in the parking lot.  I still didn't get it.  I said to myself, "wow, this day just keeps getting better -- I got a great spot!"  I started to walk across campus.  Halfway to my building I noticed that I hadn't seen a single other person yet.  Finally the doubt started to creep in.  I pulled out my cell phone and called the campus number.  Yup, closed.  I was absolutely incredulous, as it was still snowing very lightly.  Having grown up in Massachusetts and attended college in Michigan, it had literally not even crossed my mind that anything might be closed that day.  I guess that was my "welcome to D.C." moment.

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  6. Coming down quite heavily in NYC, but not aggressively sticking, in part because it's warmer than it has been the past couple of days.  Office seems quieter than usual, but in 8 years here, I've never gotten an "office is closed" announcement due to weather (we were closed for a few days after the steam pipe explosion a few years ago due to asbestos/building damage), so I don't expect an official snow day anytime soon.

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  7. Professor Jeff10:14 AM

    What Kara said.  Paoli to City Avenue, normally 35-40 minutes, took 90 this morning.  T/E schools closed, but with a ridiculously late decision (almost 7:00, less than 30 minutes before high school classes usually begin).  St. Joe's is open but barely, with snow-covered parking lots and walkways.  "Pre-dawn ambush" indeed!

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  8. isaac_spaceman10:36 AM

    Gonna be 68 in SF today. 

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  9. Jenn C.10:47 AM

    Interesting reactions in the DC-VA suburbs.  One county is staying open, neighboring county closed schools this AM.   My commute into the District normally takes an hour via car, today it only took 40 mins!

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  10. Heh, Isaac.  Wintry mix last night in DC, making sidewalks messy but not impassable.  The ugliness should happen right around rush hour tonight.

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  11. Fairfax VA schools closed (and surely closed tomorrow, and I'd guess Friday too).  I'm actually taking a change of clothes to work because I have a meeting tomorrow that I can't miss (if it occurs), so I may stay in a hotel in DC tonight rather than fighting my way back to the burbs.

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  12. L's school to close at noon.

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  13. Central NJ - My normally 50 minute commute took me 2 hours and 10 minutes.  I am contemplating never leaving work.

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  14. I had two meetings and a filing deadline today.  Meeting 1 was moved first from 11 to 12 and then to tomorrow (and I'll be somewhat surprised if it happens then), Meeting 2 appears to be on, but won't be shocked if it get cancelled, and the filing deadline is already met.

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  15. Dateline: Memphis. Snowflakes in the air yesterday afternoon so the city panics. Temperatures mid 30's, not going below freezing until wee hours of AM. Probably every ballet student's family called to see if we were open. Yes we were because snow melts if the ground is above 32°. It's a scientific fact, not an arbitrary number. Many chose not to "risk the drive." I was the last one to leave at 8:45. Wet (not icy or snowy) streets, but snow had accumulated on my windshield. I carefully started the engine, and reminded myself not to lock the door while I brushed off the 1/2". Finished de-snowing the vehicle. Door locked. Engine running. An hour later AAA arrived to let me in. Drove home on *still-just-wet* streets. 

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  16. Professor Jeff12:34 PM

    And now as of noon, we're closed.  Grumble.

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  17. Which is weird, because as of now the roads are clear and nothing's falling.  Next batch expected around rush hour or later.

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  18. J. Bowman1:04 PM

    We got rain instead. The dog is upset, because she doesn't like to walk in the rain (though, oddly, she doesn't care about snow). I, however, am pleased.

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  19. I love snow, and don't see why 2 - 4 inches of it should close anything.

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  20. Memphis (like most cities in the South) freaks out at even the most mild winter precipitation.  I remember sitting in a campus social room mocking the WINTER COMMAND coverage of Channel 5 (I think) back in my undergrad years.

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  21. Adorable! (The students' families, I mean.)  So sorry you locked yourself out.

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  22. janet1:31 PM

    BTW, grammarians: I got the period inside the quotations correctly in the first instance, but what is the rule about " used to denote measurement? Does the period go before or after inches? (I just should have spelled it out, but this is a chance to further my education.)

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  23. Jenn.3:38 PM

    I had the opposite experience.  Classmates from the U of C may recall my confusion as to why we had to go to school when, not only was the snow sticking, but there was a lot of it.

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  24. Benner3:45 PM

    Can I tell you a Philadelphia-based snow story?  One time, my dad tried to drive my sister to school thru light flurries in a Toyota MR2.  With the snow reducing the grip on the road, and traffic at a stop/start pace thru the school zone, climbing over a two-foot incline over a drainage ditch proved insurmountable.  This would have been embarassing enough, until the point that Dad and sister were in the car, listening to KYW, and heard "traffic on Limekiln Road in Doylestown is backed up for a mile and a half." 

    After a few weeks, the snow melted, and they climbed the hill.

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  25. I opted against the mad DC exodus, given that I needed to return tomorrow morning.  Holed up in a decent hotel for the night.  Hoping to get some good reading time!

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  26. patricia8:59 PM

    Apparently my cousin has been in traffic for 4 hours, trying to get from Tyson's Corner to Arlington.  She's been forced to try to relieve herself in a Starbucks cup.  That apparently didn't end well.  Know how I, sitting in non-snowy Atlanta know this?  My OTHER cousin, sister to the first, who POSTED IT ON FACEBOOK.  

    I, of course, had to do my part and spread the story to at least this little corner of the internet.

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  27. Maggie9:06 PM

    Based on all accounts from people who left DC for NOVA, staying in a hotel was the right choice...

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  28. Jenn.9:29 PM

    Hell, going from downtown to the Logan/Dupont Circle area was a bit of an adventure.  I can't imagine trying to get to Virginia or Maryland would be any fun.

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  29. Maggie9:37 PM

    Yeah - I'm lucky to live on the part of the metro that's underground...a friend of mine trying to get to the Cathedral area spent an hour trying to get a bus and then more time sitting on said bus as it made it's way through Georgetown and up Wisconsin.  

    The view of Wilson Blvd from my condo window (approx. 2 blocks towards DC from Courthouse metro) still shows lines of cars at an almost dead stop.  It appears that roving bands of people dressed in puffy coats are helping push cars up the hill...

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  30. Looks like you exercised outstanding judgment here.  Just looked at the traffic on Google and most of the D.C. area is still red -- especially the routes out to NOVA.  I would think the sense of satisfaction you'd get from reading in a warm hotel room, aware of the hell you avoided, would be well worth the room rate by itself (even if you can't expense it, which maybe you can).

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  31. She should've gotten the trenta.

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  32. Probably won't expense it (I'm thinking this is one of those "the price you pay for living out in the burbs" things), but I am 150% satisfied with my choice.  Our office is in the West End.  A colleague who lives in Arlington, right off of Rt. 50 (just east of Seven Corners) just made it home after literally 5 hours in the car.  My wife, likewise, is stuck somewhere else entirely.  By all accounts, I would have spent 4-5 hours getting home, if I even made it.  Instead, I had a nice dinner at the hotel, just did some work, and am debating whether to read in my room or at the hotel bar.  

    I hope everyone stayed safe!

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  33. kenedy jane10:38 PM

    I've been telling my friends that I'm kind of sad that it's been so cold here in Austin (ok, cold for Austin) but we don't get any snow.  It seems like sitting at home watching a nice snowfall would be lovely compensation for having to dig out sweaters and coats.  Somehow forgot the part about traveling in snow.  Guess I'll stop complaining.

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  34. Of course, then she would have needed to pee more. Maybe a grande in a trent a cup!

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  35. lisased10:49 PM

    I just got home -- five hours from Lorton to Fairfax VA, then another half hour maneuvering around trees and low-hanging power lines in my neighborhood. 

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  36. @Lisa:  I didn't realize we were neighbors.  Are you at all close to Mason?

    @Jake:  Maybe a Grande in a Trenta cup... otherwise she presumably would have needed to pee even more!

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  37. Emily7:22 AM

    Snow day in NYC today!

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  38. Yep.  Basically, all of NYC closed today.  My office, on the other hand?  Open. 

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