Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Snow


Here a shot of a lady driving into a local cafe here. Sorry lady they don't have a drive thru.
(More photos later if I can figure this out)

We get about two snow storms a year out here on average. Some winters almost none. Anyone from the northern states would laugh at the amount we get and having come from that area many years ago myself I can understand. What people don't understand is what always happens to our snow here. We get an arctic breeze that combines with the warm water filled fronts from Hawaii and where the two meet we call the convergence zone. That's the area that gets hit the worst. Snow usually starts in the evening making for a less than happy commute but in Northeastern terms it would be seen as a mere inconvenience. As morning and evening rush hour commutes grind on and temperatures warm it causes a couple of inches of snow to turn into slush. All complete with news crews racing to find the latest spin out into the ditch and interviews with 4X4 driver who said he didn't think it was that bad when he started out. Then of course we always hear everyone except the other guy knows how to drive in this mess.
After the roads are turned to that slushy mess and the towing companies have finished their first round, the temps drop and everything turns to ice. That's when the real fun begins. If you're lucky enough to live near a hill you can kick back with a cocoa and watch the show from your front window. Maybe a little Blue Danube playing in the back ground would add to your viewing pleasure. I recall one car dealership having their sales staff hold up point signs with each spinout with an SUV doing a 360 getting a 9.5 for style and difficulty.
But alas the beauty of living in the Northwest is that such storms are short lived with the warm rains from Hawaii winning the battle with old man winter. It's one reason why I moved here in the first place. You don't have to shovel rain.

6 comments:

BBC said...

My street has yet to be plowed by the county and there is more snow coming. But the driveway is clear and I can deal with the street cuz I'm one of those dudes that know how to drive on this shit.

All side streets are compacted with snow and it warmed up a bit today so that makes them nice and slick.

A lady went into the deep ditch at the corner and her hubby came to pull her out with his pickup, I didn't think he could do it but he kept jerking her up a bit at a time and got her out.

Four Dinners said...

I love snow!!!...Send it over here!!!!

'her hubby came to pull her out with his pickup, I didn't think he could do it but he kept jerking her up a bit at a time and got her out'....I so wish the last word had been 'off' Billy..;-)

jmsjoin said...

I didn't realize snow was so infrequent there. My son said they had snow in his area, 1 inch and they shut down the base.

People don't know how to drive in snow. Funny but first time ever we got 2 feet before Halloween, never before and we have barely had an inch or two since.

The weather is forever changing. We get these rare occasions and 100 year storms all the time now

The Blog Fodder said...

Send snow this way, too. We have had none.
-40 in Saskatchewan. They have winter finally. Snow and all.

Randal Graves said...

That's more snow than we got last night. This will not stand, I'm placing a call to the International Brotherhood of Yetis.

BBC said...

It's snowing again on this fine fucking Wednesday morning.