punkrockhockeymom | February 13, 2007 01:14 PM

Is the death really coming there, John?

I only ask because here in AA, we've been expecting the death to start any minute since late morning. Death appears to be taking his sweet time. So now I'm wondering if maybe AA will cheat death this time.

Steve Buchheit | February 13, 2007 01:15 PM

I told you all, once we got our heavy truck for snow plowing, I'm off the "praying for good weather" detail. We have our truck. Whomever was supposed to step up into the prayer detail wasn't doing their job.

Yep, we're not going to get any snow like Oswego County, NY, but 18" by tomorrow isn't much fun either.

strugglingwriter | February 13, 2007 01:20 PM

We would appreciate it in Pennsylvania, if you people in Ohio could stop some of that snow for us like you're supposed to.

I am already mentally preparing myself for some backbreaking snow shoveling as we speak (or type).

Ryan | February 13, 2007 01:25 PM

Here in NH, the forecast says snow (and lots of it) through sometime Thursday, so the drive down to Boskone shouldn't be too bad by Friday noontime. I just hope the meteorologists are accurate this time.

Bryan | February 13, 2007 01:27 PM

I wouldn't complain about the snow.

We're supposed to get several inches of ice here in Virginia tonight. Which likely means I can say goodbye to electricity for a while.

Zeynep | February 13, 2007 01:30 PM

In Near Washington DC, MD, our university campus will be closed at 2 pm. As far as I know, we're only expecting 1.5 inches of ice over the course of the afternoon and night, but that might have changed. Or it might not, and we're just being wimpy.

Good luck riding it out, if it gets serious-serious where you are.

Steve Buchheit | February 13, 2007 01:34 PM

Bryan and Zeynep, I stream WAMU during the day. Yeah, it sounds like the capital is closing for business this afternoon.

Nathan | February 13, 2007 01:41 PM

When DEATH finishes dropping dandruff on you, will you take a picture of the house from the same angle as your current background? I'd like to see Manse Scalzi with the western side drifted up to the eaves.

Matt W | February 13, 2007 01:46 PM

Out in the burbs of Chicago they're not calling it a blizzard yet. We've got the snow and some wind, but not all the wind. It still took me 2.5 hrs to get to work when it usually just takes 1.

I guess death is just doing some warm up laps here as it moves out east. Good luck for anyone having to be on the roads today in these kinds of conditions.

Andy | February 13, 2007 02:02 PM

Matt W:

I'm currently experiencing the 'heavy snow' in Chicago as well. This is child's play compared to the lake effect I grew up with back east of Cleveland.

As far as the commute goes: shit, I think drivers here actively seek excuses to add unecessary time to the drive. 'Oh noes! It's drizzling! How could I ever take that 5 degree banked turn at anything faster than 12 mph?! Thank god for my $70k BMW SUV's advanced antilock braking system!' *slams on brakes, causes hours of not-unexpected delays*

It's times like these that I wish I still had my Ohio plates.

Steve Buchheit | February 13, 2007 02:07 PM

Ah, when the Weather Chanel starts playing Dark Side of the Moon on Your Local on the 8s, you know it's time to duck and cover.

"TRAVEL IS NOT RECOMMENDED ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT"

To bad they didn't shedule this a week ago. Work for the day job (along the Lake Erie Shore) and meetings for the night job. I always like how they say these things but then we in the local goverments can't say, "close the roads" so everybody has to go to work which puts more cars on the road which exacerbates the problems.

Well, it looks like my drive home is going to be punctuated by several moments of "Wee!" So, John, my Karma may get a chance at its wish sooner rather than later. :)

Steve Thorn | February 13, 2007 02:07 PM

John, I'm about 45 minutes SW of you, and the snow has tapered off for the inches of sleet we've been getting, with promises of more snow afterwards for a good ice sandwich. It's coming your way, if not there already..

Phillip J. Birmingham | February 13, 2007 02:26 PM

This all couldn't have happened last week, when I had nowhere to go.

You mean last week, when it was colder than the frickin' Oort cloud?

John Scalzi | February 13, 2007 02:29 PM

Yeah, it was cold. But you could drive.

Cassie | February 13, 2007 02:44 PM

I heard from a friend in Columbus that they have had freezing rain on top of the snow, which makes it ever so much more pleasant to travel.

Up here in northeast Ohio, the temps have been staying in the lower 20's, so I'm hoping to miss the freezing rain party. But the lake effect is promising its own mess.

Keep the warm front down there, please.

And a pic of Chez Scalzi in the snow would be good to see, if someone down there has snow boots deep enough to make the trek. Maybe Kodi could pull you down on a sled?

Phillip J. Birmingham | February 13, 2007 02:46 PM

Yeah, it was cold. But you could drive.

Feh, driving in snow is easy.

Stopping, now, that can be tricky.

DJN | February 13, 2007 02:54 PM

Stopping on/in snow isn't hard - after a while enough piles up in front to effect good braking if you're doing it correctly.

I note with some amusement that Madison is not getting very much snow. Could be some kind of Karmic thing as punishment for John refusing to attend Wiscon. ;-)

He is a very scurvy pig dog, he is.

DJN

Chang who is also Chuckles | February 13, 2007 02:55 PM

Scalzi: Buckle up, chuckles. It's coming.

Hey, who told you my secret name?

God damn, if you're not going to Boskone then I'm not. I don't feel right stalking Ms. Bear, The Nielsen Hayden's and Karl Schroeder without you there, too.

Yeah, and the snow hits us right when we have our biggest event of the frigging year. Grrrr... You'd think Mainer's wouldn't yelp over a foot or so of snow.

Dr. Matt | February 13, 2007 02:56 PM

It's an official "snow emergency" here in Fort Wayne. I've seen worse --- I grew up in Ottawa --- but it's pretty bad. No ice or sleet, at least.

Kristin B | February 13, 2007 02:59 PM

We would appreciate it in Pennsylvania, if you people in Ohio could stop some of that snow for us like you're supposed to.

I'm with strugglingwriter. I mean, if Ohio's not gonna do its job, what is it good for, huh? We had a deal, people.

cisko | February 13, 2007 03:00 PM

We're getting a mix of sleet and snow here in Indy. Was snowing until about 10AM, then sleet; I think it's switching back and forth now.

Probably 6" of snow on the ground but that's got a layer of frozen sleet on top of it. And then maybe another 3-5" of snow atop that tonight. I am NOT looking forward to shoveling.

John Scalzi | February 13, 2007 03:01 PM

Yeah? What does Pennsylvania protect us from? New Jersey?

Kristin B | February 13, 2007 03:04 PM

Well, what do you think all those hills are doing? They're not there to make the winter driving easier, I'll tell you that much.

darren | February 13, 2007 03:14 PM

Thank goodness this whole "global warming" craziness can finally be put to rest.

ship | February 13, 2007 03:32 PM

"What does Pennsylvania protect us from? New Jersey?"

i thought philadelphia was the last piece of civilization between jersey and chicago...

Dan | February 13, 2007 03:34 PM

I'm on the feeble, dwindling, north end of this storm. It's not to bad here in Milwaukee, but I do seem to have a lot of flaky, white Lake Michigan in my yard and on my sidewalks. And, for some reason, I think it smells like dead fish. Snow is not supposed to smell like bad sushi, man.

Dave Klecha | February 13, 2007 03:35 PM

Welcome to the club. Our blizzard was last weekend, of course, but still. Nothing like a lake effect blizzard that has all my co-workers in Detroit saying, "Pussy. No snow on the ground here. Get out and drive."

Annalee Flower Horne | February 13, 2007 04:17 PM

on ice in DC: nothing wimpy about that at all. When we get ice in DC, we get black ice. And let me tell you right now that it will knock you on your ass a hell of a lot faster than any amount of snow.

My dad's blog these last few days has mostly been about how horribly his job (ambulance crew) is going to suck over the next few days.

Which is why I'm not laughing, even though I'm far enough east that I could get away with it.

Chad Orzel | February 13, 2007 04:30 PM

What does Pennsylvania protect us from?

Highway construction?
They've certainly got enough of it. They must be getting it from somewhere...

Jim Wright | February 13, 2007 04:58 PM

From Alaksa: Bahwawawawa! Ya bunch of babies.

I've got a couple pairs of showshoes and a slightly used sleddog team, if anybody needs them.

Basic rule of thumb: its not really a blizzard until you've made at least two trips into town to buy milk, diapers, and kerosene - on your snowmobile. The first time you did it was because you thought it would be fun (it wasn't), the second time was because you HAD to.

Good luck, Ohioans, and again - Bahwawawa!

Maggie | February 13, 2007 06:00 PM

Yay! Flaky doom!

According to the reports now, Boston might miss out on the worst of it, so it's possible it won't affect this end of your travel. Good luck digging out.

bob Scranton | February 13, 2007 06:10 PM

75 and sunny in californa, wow, i just love my state, ha snow, that white stuff, im off to go surf

mythago | February 13, 2007 06:11 PM

I'll take "Do you ever miss the Midwest?" for $500, Alex.

MWT | February 13, 2007 06:25 PM

I'm glad you included Indiana in the map, as it shows very nicely that my mother is right in the pink band with the ice storms. Good thing she has an SUV....

(...meanwhile I'm having some nice 60s sunny weather in coastal Georgia. :D )

Dr. Phil | February 13, 2007 07:15 PM

Amazing the number of Whatever posters from the Midwest. And I was just waiting for one of the sonsofbritches from California to start The Gloat. What I like about blizzards is that in the Midwest, snow comes down, snow goes sideways, but the house doesn't move.

At last report the Line o' Death is tracking along I-94, not I-96. That means we'll get a little snow where I live in West Michigan and the high winds will drift it some. Maybe the garbage can will stay in its drift and not wander out down the icy road in the morning. But when my long commute reaches Kalamazoo County, well, K-zoo has no concept of what it means to plow snow and the university does little better -- and the university CLOSES so dang late if they bother to close that I'll be on the road trying to get to my thrice-damned 8am class.

Who came up with 8am classes in the winter anyway? Oh, wait, the university renamed this SPRING semester the other year. (smacks-hand-on-forehead)

Dr. Phil

Cassie | February 13, 2007 07:35 PM

Well, you are in Michigan, after all.

Just a little interstate rivalry here.

Randomscrub | February 13, 2007 08:25 PM

No whining. Here in Valparaiso I had to wade through 2-foot drifts for a mile to get home from class. That was a pain. Especially when the snow decided to break its customary pattern and fall horizontally rather than vertically.

Mark DF | February 13, 2007 08:25 PM

Boston should be fine by Friday...fine as in the expected snow tomorrow should be tidied up just in time for FREAKING FREEZING temperatures again. Should be hovering around and below freezing with the wind chill.

Grey | February 14, 2007 04:06 AM

If any of you Midwesterners can band together and push that storm down into North Carolina, I'd be grateful. I love snow! But I live in the middle of "wet and mild" territory. Not much snow, I'm afraid, just a lot of cold rain.