Weather Horror Stories

[tower912]

I know that it isn't as cold here as it is in Minnesota.   Good lord.      But I will but the 12 inches of snow from yesterday's storm, 3-6 inches of lake effect snow, 25-30 mph sustained winds and -25 wind chill up there.    The cold with all of the snow is the kicker. 

[JWags85]

I made the drive back to Chicago from Columbus, OH where I was for a wedding this weekend. I left Columbus on a normally 5-5.5 hour drive at 8AM CST. I got home at about at about 445-5. Indiana's highways were the worst driving conditions I've ever seen. I saw a massive 3 snowplows the entire drive through the state. I-70 into and around downtown Indy had 3-4 inches of accumulated snow, even driving in previous cars' grooves, you still weren't touching pavement. It was harrowing. We had to turn around and drive the wrong way a half mile to an exit cause a semi jacknifed north of downtown on 65 and the road was closed. That was the easy part, past West Lafayette we had not only chunky snow all over the road, but snow was whipping around the fields and making your visibility about 10 feet. I had friends behind us that just pulled off and got a hotel. That was never an option for me, but the 5th time that a douche semi felt the need to break up the safe, single file line of cars by forcing it back to two lanes made me question my decisions. And I can't even talk about the 65/80/90 juncture outside Gary. That hadn't seen a plow all day and you were basically driving through an unplowed parking lot. I was terrified. Good lord. Thank god I have a work from home day today cause after all that noise, the last thing I need is walking outside from the bus to my office in -15F temps.

[real chili 83]

We drove to Duluth Saturday morning.  Temps started at 19, and were at 11 when we got up there.  The freezing drizzle from the night before made the roads treacherous.  Lots of cars in the ditch from that morning.  Several were overturned.

Sunday, when we got back home, it was -9.  Better yet, our furnace had gone out overnight.  The house was at 57 degrees.  We cranked up the fireplace, opened the oven door, and turned on the one space heater we have.  Fortunately, the furnace repair guy was able to find a temporary replacement fan motor last night.  Finally got the heat back on at 9:00 PM.

The low temp last night was -20.  Got one more day of this.  Crazy, this coming weekend is going to be a thaw with temps in the 30's.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

friend texted his dashboard from Green Bay this morning. it read -13
He's driving to Chicago to fly back. Hope he makes it
Does Indiana just not bother to plow? After reading above story I think so. Drove Florida to Chicago one winter and most exits in Indiana were drifted over. No where to go if you needed to exit.

[🏀]

-17 driving from the PTM Compound to the greater Kenosha area this morning.

[StillAWarrior]

We drove to Duluth Saturday morning.  Temps started at 19, and were at 11 when we got up there.    Got one more day of this.  Crazy, this coming weekend is going to be a thaw with temps in the 30's.

Years ago, we drove from our home in the Phoenix area to my grandmother's funeral in NE Colorado.  When we left, it was 70 degrees.  When we arrived at our destination about 17 hours later, it was -35 degrees.  For those keeping score at home, that's a 105 degree drop over the course of our drive.  There wasn't much snow to speak of...just really, really cold.

[real chili 83]

Years ago, we drove from our home in the Phoenix area to my grandmother's funeral in NE Colorado.  When we left, it was 70 degrees.  When we arrived at our destination about 17 hours later, it was -35 degrees.  For those keeping score at home, that's a 105 degree drop over the course of our drive.  There wasn't much snow to speak of...just really, really cold.

The in-laws saw -28 last night in NW Wisconsin.  They are arriving in Florida in about an hour from now.  They will see a 98 degree fluctuation in about a 3 hour period.

[mu_hilltopper]

I once was an astronaut and rocketed into orbit from Florida.  Went from 80 down to -455 in 12 minutes.

'Topper.

[LloydMooresLegs]

I once was an astronaut and rocketed into orbit from Florida.  Went from 80 down to -455 in 12 minutes.

'Topper.

Nicely done, Topper.  Looking forward to Keefe's topping all of these.

Mine is leaving Oahu after a week of "work" at 5:00 pm in January 1994 when it was 82 degrees; arrived in Chicago at 5:00 and was greeted by -21 degrees actual temp with a -70 wind chill.  And I had no coat, gloves etc.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

Nicely done, Topper.  Looking forward to Keefe's topping all of these.

Mine is leaving Oahu after a week of "work" at 5:00 pm in January 1994 when it was 82 degrees; arrived in Chicago at 5:00 and was greeted by -21 degrees actual temp with a -70 wind chill.  And I had no coat, gloves etc.

Did have the legs though.

[chapman]

Got down to 10 last night, and the high today was only 25.  I braved the cold from the car to the office in the morning and back again at night.  At least we didn't have a 20% chance of snow, the grocery stores would have been cleaned out days ago with everyone stocking up!

[mu_hilltopper]

You know it's been cold when .. you go outside, it's 0 degrees, and .. you think, hey, this isn't bad.

[🏀]

You know it's been cold when .. you go outside, it's 0 degrees, and .. you think, hey, this isn't bad.

My lungs don't hurt when I inhale, might as well stop sty the bar on the way home.

[keefe]

Nicely done, Topper.  Looking forward to Keefe's topping all of these.

Mine is leaving Oahu after a week of "work" at 5:00 pm in January 1994 when it was 82 degrees; arrived in Chicago at 5:00 and was greeted by -21 degrees actual temp with a -70 wind chill.  And I had no coat, gloves etc.

Can't beat that swing but I had an interesting take on climate perspective. While living in Jakarta, which sits on the equator, I made a business trip back to Chicago in early March and visited through the weekend with a Marquette roommate who lives in Lincoln Park. I was horrified when my roommate suggested drinking outside. I was bundled in winter gear but every one else was in shorts and t shirts, roller blading and basking in the 40 degree temperature. For me it was 60 degrees too cold but for Chicagoans it was more than plus 50 from the previous weekend. The human body is a remarkable machine but it is always subservient to the brain.

[muhoosier260]

Waited for the light rail for 15 minutes in -30 real temp yesterday morning in Minneapolis, that was plenty.

[Coleman]

You know it's been cold when .. you go outside, it's 0 degrees, and .. you think, hey, this isn't bad.

+1. Felt downright balmy

[tower912]

Nicely done, Topper.  Looking forward to Keefe's topping all of these.

Mine is leaving Oahu after a week of "work" at 5:00 pm in January 1994 when it was 82 degrees; arrived in Chicago at 5:00 and was greeted by -21 degrees actual temp with a -70 wind chill.  And I had no coat, gloves etc.

During that 1994 cold snap, I had the pleasure of riding outside on an actual tailboard of an ancient fire engine on two consecutive shifts.   We had fires both days, both from kids being left home unattended because school was cancelled due to the cold.   Riding back to the station on a tailboard in wet gear....everything ached and I was still in my 20's.   Eyelashes freezing together every time I blinked.    Good times. 

[Spotcheck Billy]

^ sometimes I am grateful I didn't make the final cut for a firefighter position in Richfield, MN back in '89

[setyoursightsnorth]

Can't beat that swing but I had an interesting take on climate perspective. While living in Jakarta, which sits on the equator, I made a business trip back to Chicago in early March and visited through the weekend with a Marquette roommate who lives in Lincoln Park. I was horrified when my roommate suggested drinking outside. I was bundled in winter gear but every one else was in shorts and t shirts, roller blading and basking in the 40 degree temperature. For me it was 60 degrees too cold but for Chicagoans it was more than plus 50 from the previous weekend. The human body is a remarkable machine but it is always subservient to the brain.

Ah, a 40 degree day is a luxury indeed. A day for t-shirts and celebration.

http://www.thewrap.com/jimmy-kimmel-arctic-los-angeles-weather

The above link shows people in California freaking out over days when it hits 50 degrees, a perfectly beautiful day by midwest standards. In California, weather in the 50's calls for winter coats. I'm sure many have seen the video.

[GooooMarquette]

You know it's been cold when .. you go outside, it's 0 degrees, and .. you think, hey, this isn't bad.

Yep.  It's -1 with a -12 wind chill where I live right now, and it feels downright balmy after the past couple of days.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

^ sometimes I am grateful I didn't make the final cut for a firefighter position in Richfield, MN back in '89

Madison had their written exam yesterday for the new round of recruiting.  I had my letter to get in to the testing.  But opted not to go. 

Thanks to tower, brew and all the other crazy mofos that are on fire departments.

[keefe]

Ah, a 40 degree day is a luxury indeed. A day for t-shirts and celebration.

http://www.thewrap.com/jimmy-kimmel-arctic-los-angeles-weather

The above link shows people in California freaking out over days when it hits 50 degrees, a perfectly beautiful day by midwest standards. In California, weather in the 50's calls for winter coats. I'm sure many have seen the video.

I love how the reporter has gloves on...

Seattle lives within a narrow 50-70 degree range throughout the year. Almost no one has AC and on those few days when it gets into the 80's people act as if it's Death Valley.

[StillAWarrior]

According to Jimmy Kimmel, denizens of SoCal have some weather horror stories of their own.

[tower912]

You guys have probably seen those videos of people throwing hot water into the ridiculously cold air and watching it disappear.    We had that at a fire the other night.   The fire is through the roof on the house, one of our pumpers is shooting water from a deck gun mounted on top, and the cold water was disappearing before it got to the house.   According to the guys who were there.   I missed that one.   Just add that to the list of adventures that this last week has brought.   Hydrants getting buried by snowplows (spent 3 hours yesterday driving through subdivisions looking for them and digging them out), trying to get a truck down snow-narrowed streets,  having hose lines freeze if you turn close them down and set them in the snow for a couple of minutes, double digit slide-offs/rollovers on the same stretch of highway, pumps freezing, people forgetting about safety precautions with space heaters......I love this stuff.   Impossible to get bored.   Just when you think you've seen everything, some bizarre situation that you never thought of smacks you in the face. 

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Weather Conditions --- Just got off the phone with a friend who lives in North Dakota .











She said that since early this morning the snow has been nearly waist high and is still falling. The temperature is 32 below zero and the north wind is increasing to near gale force. Wind chill is -59. Her husband has done nothing but look through the kitchen window and just stare.





She says that if it gets much worse, she may have to let the drunken bastard in.















 

[tower912]

Awesome!

[keefe]

Weather Conditions --- Just got off the phone with a friend who lives in North Dakota .











She said that since early this morning the snow has been nearly waist high and is still falling. The temperature is 32 below zero and the north wind is increasing to near gale force. Wind chill is -59. Her husband has done nothing but look through the kitchen window and just stare.





She says that if it gets much worse, she may have to let the drunken bastard in.

That was hilarious!

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

Can't beat that swing but I had an interesting take on climate perspective. While living in Jakarta, which sits on the equator, I made a business trip back to Chicago in early March and visited through the weekend with a Marquette roommate who lives in Lincoln Park. I was horrified when my roommate suggested drinking outside. I was bundled in winter gear but every one else was in shorts and t shirts, roller blading and basking in the 40 degree temperature. For me it was 60 degrees too cold but for Chicagoans it was more than plus 50 from the previous weekend. The human body is a remarkable machine but it is always subservient to the brain.

When I was in vacation in Florida this summer I was talking to one of the hotel workers.  She was from the UK and used to colder weather and she was wondering what was going on with herself in Feb. when it was in the low 70s in Florida and she was wearing a sweater and wrapped in a blanket to keep warm while keeping order on the waterslide and watching people from the northern US in bathing suits going down stating how warm it was.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/Wis-woman-uses-hot-coals-to-warm-van-starts-fire-239136151.html


can't fix stupid.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

http://www.nbc15.com/home/headlines/Wis-woman-uses-hot-coals-to-warm-van-starts-fire-239136151.html


can't fix stupid.

The coal thing is an oldschool farmer trick I saw a guy use about 15 years ago in northern MN.

He used an old oil drain pan (back when they were metal, not plastic), filled it full of charcoal and shoved it under his truck for an hour.

Its seems insane, but on old cars that don't have a lot of plastic, it seems to work fine. Not so good on a mini van that's lower to the ground and has a lot of plastic on the front end.

[Hards Alumni]

The coal thing is an oldschool farmer trick I saw a guy use about 15 years ago in northern MN.

He used an old oil drain pan (back when they were metal, not plastic), filled it full of charcoal and shoved it under his truck for an hour.

Its seems insane, but on old cars that don't have a lot of plastic, it seems to work fine. Not so good on a mini van that's lower to the ground and has a lot of plastic on the front end.

It is a terrible idea.  Absolutely terrible.  Even if you're a farmer.  Get a block heater if you're worried... If it is just to warm the car up for comfort, run it for 10 minutes, or put on more clothes.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

It is a terrible idea.  Absolutely terrible.  Even if you're a farmer.  Get a block heater if you're worried... If it is just to warm the car up for comfort, run it for 10 minutes, or put on more clothes.

Yea, I'm not endorsing it, just saying that on an old 4wd pick-up truck (mostly metal, higher off the ground, fuel tank is farther back), it works (I've seen it). On a new mini-van, a lot more can go wrong (like lighting your plastic bumper on fire).

[keefe]

people in Alaska plug in their block heaters when they park