Us Midwesterners

[Meatwad]

Last check outside there is anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2" of ice outside thanks to the freezing rain. Stick your head out the door and you hear the occasional CRACKRACKRACK and the sound of heavily ice laiden branches falling through the trees. Out back have 5 pine trees and I right now have a nice assortment of limbs of various sizes and diameters all nicely strewn about. Biggest so far around 4-5" in diameter. Luckily for me it didnt take down the service drop to the house that was right under it.

Not to mention winds 10 to 20 with gusts to 30 late this evening though until tomrorow late morning. Will be lucky if I still have power by then.

[Simaril]

Lightweight drifting snow last night, every school closed this morning. Clear all day, but driveway I cleared out at 0700 is half drifted over when I get home. As I re-snow blow it, my face is being pelted with wind whipped ice crystals - the sleet has started.

Supposed to get rain, then freezing rain, then more snow tomorrow. Naturally, I'm the one guy who HAS to go in no matter what tomorrow!

[E25280]

STL proper seems to have dodged the worst of it.  The storm kind of split and lifted a bit north.

Yesterday it was a downpour of rain, and thankfully it had time to run off of things before it got cold enough to change over to freezing drizzle. We got mostly sleet in the immediate area on top of the thin layer of ice. 

Winds haven't really hit here yet, so we are certainly not out of the woods.  But so far it is not the disaster people were fearing.

[Simaril]

getting pounded with sleet - clickity clackity, clickity clack.

Wind has drifted over the walk I shoveled just 3 hours ago.

[Plazus]

I spent about 30 minutes chipping ice 1'' thick on my car this morning... Gonna have to do it all over again tomorrow too. This weather can suck it!

[Meatwad]

About 10% of this zip out of power according to the map, no winds to speak of yet.

Across the road they are on a different line, they been out for 3 hours now. Numerous bangs of pole mounted breakers blowing their fuses this part of town. Anyone that knows what I mean know how loud them suckers can get.

Light show 3 hours ago, watch arcing lines a block away. Stopped then the sky was alight again a few minutes later followed by buzzing then a BANG, then their power was done.

Temp been going around 31-34 back and forth from 3 to 6pm so hopefully if it did any melting it was enough to break some ice loose and hopefully come out of the trees without taking the branches along with it if the wind starts.

If nothing from me in the morning, send a generator and some boneless wings

[Stalwart]

When will the utility companies finally realize that they MUST bury their lines?

Anyone having trouble with a blizzard can chalk it up to lack of preparedness or stupidity.

That is all, now quit whining and find a warm woman to snuggle with. (Blizzards r teh fun!)

A cousin that works for a rural co-op in Texas says it's because the lines are so much easier and cheaper to repair and maintain when they are not buried, especially when they try to find and repair lightning damage.

Only repeating what I was told.  <S>

[ink]

lol im stuck in Columbia  Missouri, on my way home to NH, major snow here they shut down 70, the highway I was on....lol

[oakranger]

lol im stuck in Columbia  Missouri, on my way home to NH, major snow here they shut down 70, the highway I was on....lol

Where you in Kansas by and chance?

[Flipperk]

When will the utility companies finally realize that they MUST bury their lines?

Anyone having trouble with a blizzard can chalk it up to lack of preparedness or stupidity.

That is all, now quit whining and find a warm woman to snuggle with. (Blizzards r teh fun!)

Great in theory, but have fun finding the damaged line when you have thousands of miles of power lines buried that you can not see 

[ink]

ya Oak-thats where im moving from we came down here four months ago and it just diddnt work so back home we go......we were in silver lake.

[oakranger]

ya Oak-thats where im moving from we came down here four months ago and it just diddnt work so back home we go......we were in silver lake.

Where in Kansas?

[Melvin]

Stalwart and Flipperk both made good points.

Perhaps high tension and rural lines could be kept airborne, but all lines within a city's limits should be subterranean.

That's what I meant.

I have pictures of what a high wind storm did here. I was so pissed that we have pole strung utilities. There is no reason for it..... wait one.

Couple years ago.... woke up at 0400 to a loud boom.



This limb was 3' at the crotch. Maple tree.



MOVE YOUR VEHICLES FROM UNDER TREES!
(Oh yeah, see the lines down? I lost internet for 3 hours.  )

[BoilerDown]

Ever been to White Sands, New Mexico?  It has done nothing but sleet in my part of Indiana since around 2 PM Tuesday.  There's now 6 inches of fine grained sleet pellets on the ground.  I went for a walk a couple hours ago and it reminded me of the sand dunes at White Sands the one time I visited there.  Definitely has the consistency of wet beach sand rather than snow.  It could be a lot worse... north of here they got lots of snow, south of here they got lots of freezing rain.

[Meatwad]

Still got power at 6:30. Good part of the county was out last night but it kept. Not to see how bad the roads are.....