Community Chat

[Laura14]

For those of us experiencing the ice storm in lieu of snow, Georgia is getting hit as we speak. I am in the ground zero portion of it with major impact expected.

So far we are weathering it well. Obviously, I still have electricity and so do my surrounding northeastern counties. Only about 1500 outages so far and we have about .3" of ice in the north. Atlanta has about .1" in the metro so far. 

The ice is slowly building and the worst is yet to come for those of us in my area, according to the forecasters (the wedge is worse than expected).

So, if you are in the Carolinas or on the seaboard expecting this, some early hope. You may have some extra time to enjoy the heat and lights. 

Huge shout out and thank you to the taxpayers in Alabama and Florida. Our neighbors have sent fleets and fleets of power crews that are literally waiting to help us out. 🙏❤️

[meallen616]

In New Jersey,

Heavy snow, then, ice, then snow again, according to whatever channel you watch. From 6-13 inches??

Stay safe and warm everyone,

[JudyL]

@Laura14  - It's good to see you posting this morning.  Have been thinking of you.

[Jk9]

Hey @Laura14 I'm in upstate SC abut 30 miles east of Greenville and 15 miles northwest of Spartanburg.  Our ice started around 1 am with a very fine rain/sleet that was hard to see but covered you when you stepped outside.  Cold now with a bit of wind.  Our power is still on but could go at any time.  We charged all our ancillary batteries and are ready when it happens (but hopefully this will move on and it won't happen).  My family in upper east TN have reported snow and power outages around them.  

[Laura14]

@Jk9 I hope our power stays. 🙏 Two of our counties have over half the residents in the dark already and the roads are sheets of ice.

We're about to go into round two which is supposed to be freezing rain for the next four to five hours before dropping into the teens here. I have my CuddleDud thermals on already and blankets ready. I'm sure you have the same. 

Stay safe!  Will see everyone on the other side. ✌️

[RedTop]

Reporting from southern WV, we are covered with 5" of snow and a layer of ice.  My brother has cleared my driveway, and the DOH scraped the road about half hour ago.  Quite a few wrecks reported, several tractor trailers jackknifed on I-77 North and South.  My trucker daughter starts her work week on Sunday, but was told to stand by until road conditions improve.  So relieved she is not out in this!  Everyone stay safe!

[gidgetgh]

@Laura14 

Doing well at my house this morning. I didn't get much sleep last night. Ice in the trees behind my house, but they are far away, so no danger to my house. Power outages all around me, but so far, my power has stayed on. 

The radar I looked at showed ice in my immediate area at 1:20.  So here comes round 2.

I hope everyone is safe. 

[Eileen in Virginia]

Here in Northern Virginia we had about 7" of powdery snow when I got up around 8 this morning. It switched to ice pellets before 9 and is forecast to continue through the afternoon and evening. 

Although we have a snowblower, we can't use it on our front steps, so I went out about an hour ago to clear them off. I think it took me longer to bundle up than the time I was actually outside. I only went out because all of the weather folks said it's better to shovel often instead of trying to get it all in one shot. Here are some of my observations:

1. Bundle up. It's so cold that it would have to work to reach freezing! Today was one of the few occasions when I pulled out my heavy duty outerwear and it was worth every penny I paid for those pieces. I was toasty the entire time I was outside.

2. Pace yourself. While the actual snow may have been powdery, the ice pellets added weight to the load. I decided the best approach was to take 2 or 3 passes/shovelfulls instead of trying to lift a full load at once. 

3. Be realistic. Before I went out, DH said, "Don't get offended, but you're not young anymore." (He had surgery last Tuesday, or he would've been the one out there with the shovel.) I had no intention of clearing all of our walkways in 1 attempt, but I did want to see how heavy the snow was and clear our front steps. As I said, the snow was a lot heavier than I expected. This required me to lift & dump the load instead of just pushing it off to the side, which, in turn, required a lot more exertion. I cleared the front steps & the walk between the driveway and the front door, then declared success. 

4. Use a snowblower if you have one. The powdery snow under the ice doesn't seem to be melting, so I think our snowblower will be able to handle the accumulation. 

5. Pay someone else to do the job for you. Although there wasn't anyone out looking for work while I was outside, this would be a great opportunity for younger & fitter folks to earn some money. DH and I agreed that, despite having a snowblower, it would be money well spent if anyone came around offering to shovel our snow. 

Wherever you are in this storm, please be careful. Between the cold and the icy conditions, this is the perfect day to settle in with a good book. 

[Laura14]

@gidgetgh I saw all of those outages down in Fulton. I know they love their trees down in the city. At least the metro will now be mostly rain based on what I'm watching. 🤞

I can not get out of the pink and blue this far north so I think I'm definitely going down at some point.  I am living on borrowed time and lights.

Think some good thoughts for me and the Cabbage Patch Kids. 😂 Baby, it's cold and icy outside. 

[SouthernBee]

@Laura14 : Great to see your post. Concern for @gidgetgh . Praying for everyone's safety including all the utility workers etc. 

My area currently 55 and under tornado watch with expected rain and thunderstorms this afternoon and tonight.Tomorrow sunshine with low of 28 and cold all week.❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

We appreciate the extra help from other states.❤️❤️❤️🙏🙏🙏🙏