Blizzard 2010

Wasn't taking chances. Glad we did now. Power was out from 5:15 to 11:15am but almost back up to 70 inside with electric and woodstove going to get back up there quickly. With electric restored took about 2 hours to make it from 62 to 69.3 inside. I just remembered, I want to turn my electric blanket on high, just in case electric goes off again. It's already cut off briefly once since restoration. Neighbors on main road still without power. First time we beat them back on line.

Does your electric blanket retain the heat for a long time after the power is off?

My wife and I didn't like an electric blanket turned on all night so would turn it on an hour or two before retiring. We'd turn it off once nestled in. The bed must have retained the heat just fine. I can't remember. I fell asleep.

Just before climbing in. That way the bed is warm and during the night it keeps my feet and lower legs warm. Residual heat creeps upward from there. Seems better having the feet and legs a bit warmer than the rest.

not to sleep on top of it? Ours is long gone but that was what the tag said. But maybe you'd rather bake than broil.

a heating pad designed for that.

However, it cost over twice as much as the electric blanket at the same store. But with it under you, and blanket over you, it's very warm.

Particularly since we don't turn the temps way down at night.

Roger

I've learned my lesson the yr. I got sick when I kicked the propane people out. I used a 20lb.(100lb. too) tank for general use until I found a new supplier. Another 20lb. tank inside with burner lasts about 40hrs or more. Its my backup even though I have firewood, it can get pretty nasty to wrestle wood out. We lose power now and then, so I've gotten use to it over the yrs.

Glad you're OK. The weather will get better and then its the MUD! I have to get the muck boots out once spring arrives. adios from Ohio -----Willy

Everything was grounded around here from late Friday to about mid Saturday, quite a few airports affected. We have our power back but neighbors on main road still don't. A couple hours ago their inside temp was 58, so probably less now. Their child's been here since our power came back, she may end up staying the night.

...the next storm arrives about Wednesday. Not sure how much snow that one's supposed to deliver but it will be snow event number 6. So, it will be dropping on top of all or most of this.

2 snow storms (in the US) and Global Warming is debunked.

and anecdotal evidence of Ice Glaciers melting is not evidence of Global Warming?

"Glen Burnie" & "Global"...it's a small, small world...

by definition a long term thing? Any short term event (such as a 2-day snow storm) then seems a less strong argument than a long term event (such as a comparison of the state of a gletscher in 1959 and 2009).

Kees

Depends on whether one believes in Global Warming or not. If one does, then ANYTHING true or otherwise, and as we are learning it seems mostly otherwise, COUNTS. As for me, I'm looking at this short term as in 5 snowstorms this year already in an area that might at the most get 3 a year and probably averages only 2 and only one of those more than half foot of snow. If you want longterm comparison, then consider the next snowstorm will place the Baltimore region OVER the alltime season for snowfall, and this latest single snow storm ended up finally as the second largest in Baltimore area in recorded history going back to about 1875. I think the largest was in 2003, probably the year Al Gore embarassed himself with his book. But, what are facts we can see compared to a book based on false science they refuse to release their data on, yes?

Another snow run to add tot larder. As you said, the new snow will add to the stuff already here. It seems to be coming and this time people are more serious. Pretty much the same as before to include the wind which should add to drifts. I hope my peanut butter lasts. -----Willy

It's like a winter wonderland for her. The dog isn't quite as impressed, he's already tired of it. County snow plow's not been by yet, but a neighbor used a bobcat to clear a single car path down the road. I'm more worried about ice damming on the eaves right now than anything else.

As I type the snow is falling. No big wind yet but already at least 3in. if not more added to the old snow. Worst, I don't hear the "bump.bump" of the snow trucks as I'm off a main corridor road and its been a while since one pasted. That alone tells me how bad it is or can get. I only wish I got some library DVDs and books to past the time more comfortably.

As for pets, my cats wanted out bad and I let them out. They only stayed on the pooch as I hadn't shoveled yet. Once, I did they only ventured as far as the shoveled path or under a vehicle. Within mins. they wanted in and all that.

The only good thing out of this is the water table will be refilled(spring) and the mosquitoes are not going to be plentiful hopefully this yr.. However, this is the type of winter I expect from yrs. past, we've had it pretty easy these last few yrs.. -----Willy

I'm next to last house. Hah, how long you think I usually have to wait for a snow truck? This time it's worse, according to the news because the normal back road plows couldn't handle the loads, so they have to wait for the big plows from the main roads to do it. Since it's all over the mid atlantic, it's not like they can rent from other areas either. Thankfully a neighbor who does construction brought a bobcat from his work and we've got a strip opened up, for now. In a bit I will take my van out for the first time since the snow fell.

and continuing through Thursday. I don't really understand how they measure this stuff. Our official total for the city last week was just over a foot but I didn't measure anything more than 6" in open space in my own yard. It was, however, quite a wet and heavy one. They give total precip in inches of water. I suspect they melt the collected snow and apply some sort of fudge factor to derive a powder equivalent.

How do you calculate the water equivalent of snow ?
A.

To calculate the water equivalent of snow, we melt the snow captured in snow gauges like the Nipher snow gauge. This Nipher gauge is designed to diminish the turbulence around the opening of the gauge and positioned high enough above ground to prevent most of the blowing snow from entering the gauge.

In many snow events a ratio of 10 to 1 can be applied to the amount of snow to determine its water equivalent. In other words, 1 centimetre of snow is equivalent to about 1 millimetre of water once the snow is melted. This means that in many snowfall situations (on days when only snow fell), you can simply change the units from millimetres to centimetres on the "Yesterday's Precip. Total" on a specific location's weather page to get a reasonably good idea of how much snow fell.

However, this 10 to 1 snow to liquid ratio is not exact. Exceptions include very fluffy snow (snow that has less water once melted) where the snow to liquid ratio could be 15 to 1 or higher (i.e. 1.5 centimetres of snow would melt to provide 1 millimetre of water). At the other extreme, the snow can be heavy and wet resulting in a snow to liquid ratio of around 5 to 1 (i.e. 0.5 cm of snow would melt to provide 1 mm of water).

We also have a map giving snow depths (snow on the ground). It is available from http://weatheroffice.gc.ca/analysis/index_e.html.

don't know why the weather guys (and gals) don't treat this in a similar fashion to temperature. We get the "wind chill factor" which is sometimes called "real feel". Real feel seems to be derived from both wind and relative humidity and can be warmer or colder than the recorded temperature. So why not do something similar with snow depth? Call it a snowball making factor. 1 for "don't bother" and 10 for "skull cracking hard".

Q.
How is snow measured?
A.

Usually, the snow amount or the depth of accumulated snow is measured using a snow ruler. The measurements are made at several points which appear representative of the immediate area, and then averaged. Snow is normally measured in "centimetres".


A link to more stuff you already know?

And, I'm not starting a snowball fight