# Pre/post storm check in



## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Well I think this monster is going to hit a lot of us. When I got to work this morning, and as we prepared to send the first flight of the day off, we heard many stories of the storm. There were several people on the first flight who had rescheduled their flights because Delta had precanceled flights. One couple was to leave on Christmas day but got an email rescheduling them for the flight this morning. Very early on we heard that most flights out of Minneapolis were canceled. As the day went on the stories got worse and worse. MPR was calling this "Stormzilla" or "Stomageddon"  But all of our flights left on time today or maybe a bit late, nothing unusual.

But as the last flight of the day was leaving we found out all flights for tomorrow are canceled. So what was going to be a work day for me has now become day off. I have a long weekend :bouncy: I'm happy too that this storm is happening on my days off, more time to dig out. Predictions I'm hearing for me are 8-12 inches but no one really seems sure how much snow we will get.

So tomorrow night I will be going to my friend's for dinner and taking a small overnight bag, just in case.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Nothing but rain in NW IL. We had about 4" overnight Monday (or was it Tuesday??) Started to rain yesterday and still drizzling today. Temps are going up (just above freezing), so we're okay (until the temps drop and everything freezes)


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## carellama (Nov 12, 2007)

THe south received it last week end. My daughter had to spend the night in Bristol, Tn. They received between 6 and 10 inches. In Corbin, Ky we received 4 to 6 inches. Boy was it heavy stuff! Huge huge flakes that brought down big trees! Some people will not have their electric until the beginning of the year! What has happened to global warming? Merry Christmas Val


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Ice on the windows this morning in Michigan. DD flew in from PA last night (through Cleveland, thank the Lord, as Chicago had delays and cancellations). It was her first time flying, and alone, so I'm extra glad things went well. We're due for more ugliness, though not to the scale of a Stormzilla.

Merry Christmas to my fibery friends...


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## DoxieMom (Feb 2, 2007)

Right now, it is raining here. It's supposed to turn into snow by noon. We were planning on staying home for Christmas this year anyway, and the snow that is coming has sealed the deal.  I plan on baking some cookies and continuing learning to crochet. I wish I could knit, but I haven't quite gotten the hang of it yet.


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## ejagno (Jan 2, 2008)

Congratulations on the unexpected time off...................even if it isn't under ideal conditions. I really feel for you folks dealing with all that snow and ice.

We are having a different type of weather event down here. We woke up this morning to some pretty significant straight line winds and heavy rains. We were at 77 yesterday with a high today of 60 which we've already met and now the temps are dropping. We are under a tornado watch, flood warning, wind advisory and storm warning. The good news is radar looks as though we are now out of the worst part and we still have utilities. Yippee!

Doxie; Hang in there. I taught myself to crochet and now I'm teaching myself to knit. You can do it!

I pray everyone has a safe and wonderful Christmas filled with joy and peace.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Ventured out this morning to drive DS to work. We drove his car because it needed a headlight and wiper blades. Did I say he is supposed to be driving north to his GF's house tonight. At least the Canadian boarder isn't supposed to get as much snow  I made him drive this morning in the dark and in the snow so he would have some idea of what he is headed into. A few inches of fairly wet snow fell over night and not much was coming down at the moment. I got the things on the car fixed and drove home. The snow was falling fairly heavily and beginning to blow. I think we are supposed to have these bands of heavy snow alternated with lighter bands. I'd say maybe 4 inches so far.

I'm going to my friends for the evening but I definitely will be packing a bag just in case. Knitting is a must.

Everyone be safe and stay warm


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## carellama (Nov 12, 2007)

I know lots of folks in the "south" got slammed by this stuff last weekend but its important to remember for us folks this far north -this snow will be with us until the end of April! December is traditionally one of our "lighter snowfall months" with the heaviest predicted snowfalls coming in March.  Its gonna be white here for a long long long time. 




Oh Baby---as an original northern native(Iowa) do I remember. That is the reason when we relocated(Job related) we chose an area with milder winters! 

However, I remember the excitment of having a reason to be house bound(when prepared). I also remember being stuck in those snow drifts. 

Be safe. Val


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## northprairiegir (Apr 11, 2008)

Well the kiddos and I are in and we are staying in for the next several days. This morning was the calm before the storm - and a little break from the last 3 days of snow - so we went out to bed down animals a little heavier and such. We are in a blizzard warning starting tonight till Sat. It has already started to snow here again and I am thinking that if the wind comes up like they say it will (40 to 50 MPH) we might be staying put for a while. That is fine though - the kids and I are ready. They don't know it yet, but they are getting several new board games from "Santa" and I have a ton of smaller projects I can get caught up on. Oh the joys of winter!!


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## wyld thang (Nov 16, 2005)

Wishing you all a nice snowy Christmas! We got dumped on last Christmas(4 ft), and no power, but I loved it. Not a stitch of snow this year, BOO!

Here is a photo from my grandma's things of Minnesota skiing in the 1930s. I don't know who these guys are. My aunt Violet wrote about being snowed in all winter, she would ski to town dragging a little tobaggan to get a few groceries, a four mile round trip I think. So suck it up! (just kidding ) If anyone knows about these skis, fill me in. I'm sure they were homemade, and the tips look interesting. My family was Norwegian on Grandpa's side and my grandma wasn't but she was converted as it were. Tomorrow I make (more)lefse and sandbakkels!

Ha, imagine skiing with literal boards on your feet!


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Whew! Ice. Christmas Eve services cancelled, but not until I'd driven down the teeny hill that is our drive and out to the road. Then couldn't get back up the drive. We have a 8-10' deep county drain between the road and our home and I kept sliding in slow motion towards it. I must confess to some uncharitable thoughts toward whomever waited just a hair too long to cancel...

Then in watching to see that my first-responder (back from rescuing someone cold and wet out of another deep county drain) could get back up the teeny hill, I fell. More uncharitable thoughts. I'm just full of tidings of comfort and joy tonight. 

But we are all home and (hopefully) dh won't have to go rescue anyone else. I've hit my quota for uncharitable thoughts...

Merry Christmas!


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## FairviewFarm (Sep 16, 2003)

Central Wisconsin - We woke to 3" fresh snow that was already crusted from sleet and/or freezing rain. Mostly freezing rain throughout the day with that being the predominant precipitation overnight. Christmas Eve services at our rural church were cancelled. The Christmas Day family gathering to be held at SIL's about an hour west was also cancelled. So we will have a quiet evening and day. I hope to finish embroidering the last of 12 quilt blocks, do some spinning and reading.


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## cwgrl23 (Feb 19, 2004)

Well, it is still snowing and blowing here in south eastern SD. We are hunkered down in the house with plenty of everything. We will just ride this out like any other and start shoveling in a few days. LOL

Stay safe you all and have a very Merry Christmas!

Carrie in SD


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Just got home form dinner with my friends. There was a long lull in the weather today. It is snowing in earnest now, it seems to be a dense snow not the light fluffy stuff that we all know and love. The good thing about a dense snow is that it can't blow as much as the light fluffy stuff. It sounds like the east and west edges of Minnesota will be getting the really high winds, 40-50 pmh  Where I am we have the Laurentian divide (northern divide) that runs through our area, it actually runs through my back pasture. But the weather tends to go north and south if the divide, you can see it happen on the radar. Maybe we won't get as much as the surrounding towns. I can hope :help: Either way we are supposed to have snow falling until Saturday.

I have spinning and knitting to do in the mean time.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

Marchwind, the snow hasen't made it here yet, I guess it turned to rain. Dh's flight left from Flint(mi) and made it into Atlanta with just a little turbulence. He's coming home Sat. night. Hope that Fight is a good one too. He doesn't like to fly. Have a Great Day.


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## Katherine in KY (May 11, 2002)

It's hovering around freezing and just starting to rain here just north of Pittsburgh; most of the ice and snow still on the ground will melt, however, when it goes up to 40 later today--not a pretty sight. Mom was released yesterday, and they're letting my dad out of the skilled nursing area to come home for dinner which I'll be cooking. DH says it's been raining cats and dogs in Ky, and he's been without internet service and with a dicey phone line for 4 days--so what else is new? I'm hoping I can go home on Tuesday and settle in for a long winter's nap--no, crafting session  Merry Christmas, everyone who celebrates!


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## glidergurl03 (Feb 28, 2005)

Gotta push hard to get out the door this morning! We've got at least a foot, up to 18''ish before we're done I think...Woo! Getting to work tonight should be fun


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## Slev (Nov 29, 2003)

St. Louis area checkin in, 
with too much wind and too much rain, 
The temperature is cold out, enough to be a pain,
This flat Prairie land is a pain in the butt,
I can't drive around my farmyard without leaving a rut..!


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Here in Missouri we've had two days of rain, then a day of sleet, now lots of snow and wind. This morning, in 8 degrees, we shoveled out of 6-8 inches but the wind was blowing and didn't do much good. So on Christmas my husband and son went out to help out older friends, break the road and shovel some, but it's still snowing tonight. (I really did injure my shoulder a few days ago, honest.) Main roads got graded but not ours. That's why we have a 4X4, not because it's stylish. But we are all safe and warm and had plenty to eat. A good Christmas---now where are those people that wanted a white Christmas? I have a shovel that will fit their hands.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I finally got motivated to shovel out the drive yesterday afternoon. It is so warm out (relatively speaking) even with the wind. I worked up a sweat in no time. My dogs love the snow so they had a great time running around and wrestling while I worked. Got it all shoveled and I look out this morning to see that I can notice that the drive has been shoveled but will have to be done again.

Here are some pictures taken out my back door


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## ~NY_Cowgirl~ (Sep 25, 2007)

We have gotten freezing rain since yesterday afternoon... but no snow,yet!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

It's been snowing since yesterday afternoon. Light, dry, fluffy stuff. Only about 3" so far


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Update. It stopped snowing about dark thirty last night, but when I woke this morning, it was snowing again. I'd estimate about 5" all together so far.


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

It says it is supposed to start snowing here around noon, but the sun is shining and looking at the radar, I don't think that will be happening. We got up to 37 on Christmas with rain, so any snow we had is pretty much gone.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Snowing steadily for almost 24 hours. Nice light fluffy stuff, so we were able to get out this morning for church. If it would start blowing, we'd be socked in for sure. It's beautiful! DD is supposed to fly out tomorrow, back to "real life". We'll see.


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## ~NY_Cowgirl~ (Sep 25, 2007)

We just have a ton of ice right now but we are supposed to get 6.5 inches of snow in the next 5 days...


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Well, down here in Northeast Texas we are not dealing with snow. The Dallas area did get some, but we are a couple of hundred miles east of there.
But what did happen was enough for me!
Wed night it was raining buckets... hard hard rain, like rivers in the road and thunder and lightning and all. The kids and I had started out to church (35 miles northwest of us) and had only gotten about 10 miles down the road when I decided to turn back. I had been talking to DH on the phone, he was still at work, and he was telling me how bad the storm was and all, so I just said, nope, we were going home. We have a steep driveway, and half of it is red clay, so I just wanted to be sure that between that and the creek that likes to run over the county road, we would make it home. All the way home the radio was interrupting with tornadoes being spotted and touching down in towns all east and south of us. My 17 yr old's girlfriend was in one in Longview... they were texting while she was hiding in the hallway!!!!! (kids!)
So.... we just chilled out and dozed watching Christmas movies. Then at 10:30 my son that lives in Nacogdoches called me (that is about 2 hours due south of me) and said that he and his wife had been in a tornado! She was on the way to the hospital, and his car was messed up, and he needed me to come down. That was all I knew. SO - - DH decided that he should stay at the house with the other 4 kids as it was STILL raining buckets. And it had been since about 5 pm. So, DS#3 (16 yr old) and I headed south, in driving rain, with reports of tornadoes still around.
Did I mention that Jesus and I were conversing regular?????
Anyway, I drove fast when I could, slow when it was raining too hard, and some how managed to either leave the towns before the tornadoes hit or arrived just after. Got to Nacogdoches about 1 am, and DS tells me he and wife are on the way to the house, released from the hospital. Got there, and water was rushing over their driveway, so we all parked on the highway and walked across a neighbors cattle guard, crossed a fence and to their house.

Here is what happened to DS & wife: They were coming out of Olive Garden Restaurant in Lufkin, a town about 20 miles south of Nacogdoches, As they left the building it started a sudden downpour. Being young and all, they just laughed and ran for the car. About the time they got to their little Honda, son realized what was about to happen, and hollered to run to the building. DIL had just opened the car door. But it was too late. A tornado touched down right in the parking lot. DIL was thrown to the concrete and sucked up under a mustang, and wrapped around the front wheel (probably a good thing, it kept her on the ground) and son was sucked (thrown) under a suburban. He said he grabbed the running board to stop himself and the running board ripped off the truck, he kept going and came out the other side, close to his wife. He jumped up and dragged her out from under the Mustang and they ran to the building for cover. Immediately after that the two cars they had been under slammed into each other! The whole time the cars were spinning in the parking lot and rocking and slamming around.... the car door that DIL had opened was totally bent forward and smashed into the front fender.
The kids are banged up really really bad, road rash and bruising like you wouldn't believe. I almost cry when I think how close we came to loosing them. But, praise the Lord, somehow, someway, no bones were broken. We do suspect some internal injuries on DIL, and don't feel like the doc's checked close enough, so she will pay a visit to another doctor tomorrow.
So... anyway, I spent the rest of Wed night with them, and gathered them and their dogs up and we came home. DS had to go work last night in Dallas, so he and DIL went to stay with my mother while he works his 4 day shift.
There were a couple of buildings totally destroyed in Lufkin. And yet - the news reports say there was a 'possible' tornado ....  Go figure.

Anyone want to trade snow for some high wind, lots of rain and hail?????


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

Oh. my. word. I'll keep my snow. So glad your kids are fix-able. Do make sure that DIL gets checked out thoroughly, and when they're not so sore, SQUEEZE 'em hard. You could have lost them.


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## Mrs. Homesteader (May 10, 2002)

Oh MamaJ, praise the Lord they were not hurt more seriously!!!! WOW!!!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

MamaJ that is quite the story. I'm glad they are relatively alright and that everyone is safe now. I've said it many times before, I'll take -30 and blizzards over that stuff any time. But we do get tornadoes just not as often.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

It is very odd to get tornadoes in December. Not the usual season for them. I guess that is why we were caught so off guard. Should have figured it, the temp was in the 60's all that day... with a cold front coming in.


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