Winter weather thread 2009-2010

[TooLiveBrew]

Whoa, that's pretty messed up, Hammer. Glad she at least feels ok.

 

 

I know what I'll watch tonight! (Maybe also Mr. Plow.)

 

"That name again is Mr. Plow" -- one of my all-time favorites, hawing. And thanks for the welcome-back.

[owbc]

It always stinks to hear about injuries/accidents in these storms especially since I get so excited about them. Advice as always is to stay inside and be careful when shoveling.

 

The Milwaukee NWS has created a new graphic with start times and total expected accumulations

[fondybrewfan]

FDL was upgraded to a Blizzard Warning. These snow totals seem to keep going up. 15 Inches now? My arms are going to fall off shoveling in the morning

[BrewCrewForever]

Should I do a round of snow blowing tonight around 8 or 9 and then again in the AM before work? Or do it all in the AM before work?

[trwi7]

You should do it all before work and then come over and do my driveway and sidewalk. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

[BrewCrewForever]

You should do it all before work and then come over and do my driveway and sidewalk. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif

LOL, I will have to pass.

[Hammer]

I have 4 driveways to do for tomorrow so far. Cash, $15/hour...my snowblower is going to make me some money!!!

[owbc]

I should have listened to my very intelligent friend who was saying 12-18" all along. The models had been showing the potential for that for several days, but we're not going to precipitate the media circus that comes with a blizzard warning until we are nearly 100% sure on the location and the intensity. Obviously, there were a number of busted winter storm warnings, especially last year.

 

My advice is to not drive at all tomorrow. The worst will come from midnight to 8 AM but the winds will be strong well into the afternoon. Then lows dropping to near 0.

[adamb100]

I hope UWM cancels classes tomorrow. :P

[hawing]

we're not going to precipitate the media circus that comes with a blizzard warning until we are nearly 100% sure on the location and the intensity.

(emphasis added by hawing)

Precipitate...nice. Real nice. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

From OWBC's observations, it's clear this storm is far from peaking in Madison, but I was surprised by how wet my coat got after I spent about 15 minutes outside shoveling.

(I did the steps while the S.O. did the driveways and sidewalks with our neighbor's snowblower. Our neighbor and his wife are in Hawaii this week. I wouldn't be shocked if they called just to gloat.)

 

Edit: a few of my student employees are hoping very hard for a UW-Madison snow day. While I acknowledge that if any general scenario might lead to such a thing, tonight's forecast is probably that scenario...I just don't see UW-Madison calling things off.

[owbc]

I am actually hoping against a snow day. I only have one class and I would like to use the libraries and shell tomorrow.

 

Edit: I have a rumor from a supposed inside source at WSUM that says school at UW-Madison is canceled tomorrow. Doubt there will be any official word until early morning.

 

Edit 2: It is now official, snow day tomorrow for UW, first since 1990!!!

[RyDogg66]

Its been snowing most of the day in Oshkosh, but it looks like there is maybe 2 inches on the ground, and I noticed that it had been melting on contact with concrete up until about 2-3 PM.

[hawing]

I am actually hoping against a snow day. I only have one class and I would like to use the libraries and shell tomorrow.

 

Edit: I have a rumor from a supposed inside source at WSUM that says school at UW-Madison is canceled tomorrow. Doubt there will be any official word until early morning.

 

Edit 2: It is now official, snow day tomorrow for UW, first since 1990!!!

Dang, you guys, this is for real. wisc.edu is frozen due to overload, but I got the Facebook update from UW-Madison.

And I hate to steal OWBC's thundersnow (hah, I made a weather funny), but I think classes started on that day in 1990, but were cancelled early. I'm unaware of any day where they shut down from the start.

[NeedMoreFans]

Madison schools haven't announced yet, and they won't for a while...probably tomorrow AM. If UW canceled this early, I don't know why the schools won't. My wife now has a day off, though.

[Opey76]

Hawing, or anyone else, has there been any word about whether libraries will be open tomorrow? We're already into our finals period, so we need to anchor ourselves to the stacks, rain or shine

[hawing]

If UW canceled this early, I don't know why the schools won't.

Fixed that for you. Seriously, this is quite unprecedented. Any cancellation by UW-Madison is unusual enough, not to mention that they decided the night before.

 

Here's the UW-Madison release. I doubt that library staff are considered "essential," based on the examples given of essential staff (patient care, animal care, snow removal, etc.) They specified that housing staff are essential, but that's because the dorms are full of students who presumably still want meals and stuff.

 

While I was composing this post, my S.O. (who is a UW librarian) got off the phone with the director of Memorial Library, indicating that all UW libraries would be closed Wednesday. Opey, if you want to be completely sure that the Law School isn't doing its own thing (as they seem to be wont to do), I'd call the Law Library or consult the law school website.

 

I don't yet have confirmation that my library (which is located on campus but is a non-UW state agency) will be closed. My supervisor's home phone was busy. Generally, state agencies don't close without an order from the governor. Jim Doyle has declared a state of emergency for all counties in Wisconsin due to the snow, but I don't know that that translates into nonessential state agencies closing.

[hawing]

My work email now has a message from a Law Library employee (at UW-Madison) stating that Law will close at 9:15 tonight and will be closed on Wednesday.

So there you go, Opey.

[Opey76]

Thanks for the quick info Hawing. I'll have to find another place of solitude.

[1992casey]

If all you need is a place of solitude, you can build an igloo. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

[hawing]

The snow here seems a little powdery for building an igloo. It wasn't sticking together when I was shoveling a few hours ago, at least. http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/wink.gif

 

Opey, it's still possible that the Historical Society will be open. The only way we can close is if the governor orders nonessential state employees to stay home (as Kathleen Falk has done with Dane County employees, for example). There has been no such order so far.

However, because our renovation project is still underway, we have no reading room seating at this time. There is some seating in the stacks, which I would expect to be pretty empty tomorrow.

[NeedMoreFans]

Well, Madison schools are closed, so no work for me or my wife tomorrow!

[princeginterhallhelms04]

Kenosha is fine! Just a little snow we shall be opening tommroow i assume!

[wibadgers23]

Hopefully UW-Eau Claire is next to get cancelled. Eau Claire hasn't gotten as much snow as Madison though.

[adamb100]

I wonder what the odds are UWM cancels classes.

[DuWayne Steurer]

THUNDERSNOWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1~~1!!

 

Ok, I'm seriously not happy about this storm, as I'm being forced to drive to mad town from Janesville in the morning, but no once deny how awesomely cool it is that it is majorly thundering and lightning outside right now. At least here it is.