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As I am sure folks have seen on the news, Chicago has been rocked with the worst winter storm in 40 years. I am originally from Central WI and was a teenager in South Central WI, so I have seen some sh*t. But never like this.

Last night I am out getting a jump start on the shovelling in a few spots that the drifts were getting over 2 feet, and the neighbor was doing the same. He and his wife, both in their 70s, are a sweet couple. As we stopped shovelling to converse about the severity of the storm, he tells me that his wife is at work about 8 miles away in Batavia, and that he needs to go get her. He has a minivan. I said maybe I should drive- I have an Expedition Eddie Bauer with a 5.7L V8.

So I drive the 8 miles to Batavia with my neighbor. Along the way, the whiteout conditions were so bad that even the truckers were like "F-this!" and many were parked along the side of the roads. In one unlit section of Rt 59 south, I unknowningly drove over a median into the oncoming lane and amost into a the opposite side ditch before I regained orientation. I was going 20 MPH when this happened.

I have never seen hurricane force winds and white out conditions like I drove through last night. I am 100% convinced that I would have read about my neighbors in the news today if he would have tried to pick up his wife in his minivan.

It's pretty bad down here. I sure hope no one else was as stupid as I was last night trying to drive in that sh*t. I hope everyone is safe and doesn't try today with an additional 8-12 inches coming. Be SAFE!!!
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Along with the snow, we had power outages about every 15 minutes. The power would only be out about a minute and then come back. I finally got an email from my boss at 7:00 this morning saying it was a work at home day.

The wind was blowing so hard, the snow came through the screen on my patio door and it was filled half way up. There is a ranch house across the street and the drift is halfway up the front of the house.

My wife works 35 miles from here so her company put her in a hotel for the night.
Past 18 hours have been hell....starting to clear up a bit and the wind is letting up a bit.

My wife was able to make it home by 4pm another hour or two later and she would not have made it. God Bless the Ford F150 Supercrew Big Grin

I know if I put it off another couple hours one of my neighbors will be over with there big assed tractors and take care of me.

WHo knew having a tractor without a cab was a bad idea.

Waukegan Illinois.
I zipped straight home last night and got home at 5pm.
Most businesses closed at 3pm.
The wind was really blowing hard. It sounded like a hurricane was blowing outside.
There was nothing and no one on the streets last night. No snow plows.
As soon as the snow was plowed, it blew back in.
The worst was along the lake, where Waukegan, Il., is. Blizzard plus lake effect.
The snow was coming from the NE.
My company told everyone to stay home today. I am getting paid regardless. Smiler
Its pointless to even try to get out.
Its still snowing now.
Theres a front end loader trying to plow out the Post office.
Other than that nothing is moving.
More snow coming they say.
I recall and don't miss days like this ( + 1'-2' of snow with winds ).


Temp dropped to 15 in Austin overnight. City has been doing rolling black-outs since 4am to offset the power drain from the heat demands. At least it is dry and I don't have to deal with everyone who never knew or those who forgot how to drive in 1" of snow.


Stay warm and safe everyone.
Stay safe, folks. I just talked to my brother in Madison, and I guess even the UW shut down, which I don't remember it doing except one time when I was a student there and a very bizarre ice storm hit. No one he knows is even trying to leave their houses until the plows begin to make a dent on the roads.

Just in case anyone is worried, I'm going to take the dogs to the beach at lunch today. It's still sunny, but a little chilly here - only about 68 for a high today. Big Grin

I hope everyone made it through that horrible storm without a problem.
Last edited by JJSD
Below freezing here in the Catskills, but enough warm air aloft to put me squarely in the freezing rain zone. About six inches of snow yesterday, six more today, plus just enough freezing rain to make today's snow a bitch to shovel. Forecasters were predicting 1/3" to 1/2" of ice, but none of the branches have the ice covering you'd get in a typical freezing rain storm, so I don't think we got much at all.

I don't envy those of you out in the midwest.
Unbelievable pics and stories. And I sit in Onalaska, in western Wisconsin, and we got none of this blizzard (knock on wood). We got about 4" on Monday, but nothing last night. I am very shocked we didn't get hit.

My daughter is at the Univ. of Iowa and she called me all excited this morning as they have no school today and Wed is her busiest day. Lucky kid.
Southern part of Milwaukee County here.

18-20 inches and I have 6-8 drifts blocking my front door and garage. Cudahy (a suburb of Milwaukee) has given up responding to EMS/Fire calls with their trucks. They've all gotten stuck. They are only responding with snow mobiles.

It's just nuts. It's been a loong long time since I remember it this bad.
quote:
Originally posted by catts:
It is not even close to being that bad here but it is bad enough that it could affect, as to whether or not we will host another SB here.

Atlanta had snow durning a SB and it's not been held there since. Frowner


just wait until NY gets their SB. Arizona and Florida will be on a 2 year rotation after that.
quote:
Originally posted by catts:
It is not even close to being that bad here but it is bad enough that it could affect, as to whether or not we will host another SB here.

Atlanta had snow durning a SB and it's not been held there since. Frowner


If having the SB in a total schit-hole of a region this year doesn't bother the NFL why would they mind a bit of winter weather?
Got all plowed out...toward the end started leaking hydraulic fluid....just friggen lovely.

Went in to town and got some supplies. Few decent drifts still in the road N/S

W/E roads are horrible and just got plowed an hour ago.

Tell my beautiful dum dum blonde wife to avoid East - West gravel roads. She gets a 1/4 mile from house and gets stuck...guess where E/W gravel road.

"I just wanted to try it"

Dug and pulled her out.

Someone owes someone one
if the Shawano area got 2" of snow I'll be surprised.
wind caused some drifting but nothing that would close a road.
and thanks to the northern wind all the snow in my driveway was blown away.
what snowstorm? and today was supposed to be the coldest day yet the sun's out and it's pretty darn warm - 26 degrees.
God's not mad at northeast Wisconsin? Smiler
quote:
Originally posted by Mr.Yuck:
quote:
Originally posted by Iowacheese:
Tell my beautiful dum dum blonde wife to avoid East - West gravel roads. She gets a 1/4 mile from house and gets stuck...guess where E/W gravel road.

"I just wanted to try it"

Dug and pulled her out.

Someone owes someone one


Why did you even let her out of the kitchen?
going to show her that...ewe are sure to be one of her favs
It was a similar situation here oldnavy, It was [76] here last thur & fri and was [22] for the afternoon temp 4 days later.

It was 22 degrees in GB about an hour ago and 18 degrees here in the DFW area. How strange is that?

We're currently under a wind chill advisory through thur. It will be 13 degrees in the morning w/ a w/c of -7.

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