Blizzard 2015 Boston

[Garandman]

SNE snowfall totals through 7:19am
National Weather Service Text Product Display

My neighborhood received 8.7" while other parts of Boston reported 3.5 to over 10". Ipswich MA, a coastal town on Cape Ann N of Boston, got 20". Forecast is for 7-11" more today.

 

[dave1949]

One plow driver's take on doing his job in Boston. Warning: language not for delicate ears -
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=919734934737438&fref=nf

Too bad he got fired. I think he was just having some fun with the commentary. The plowing, that's just the reality of the situation in a city. I would hate to live where I have no off-street parking. Just a giant PITA.

The nearby small town has a permanent winter overnight parking ban on all public streets that starts in November and ends in April or May. That's not so easy to do in larger, denser cities.

 

[Garandman]

dave1949, 9 out of 10 people realized he was probably just having a little fun in what is usually a pretty boring job punctuated with occasional moments of terror, mechanical breakdowns and all the other crazy things you see at 3am.

But once the video went viral - as witness by the fact that it's two years old and been rehosted 100 times - if only one out of the one of the ten complained, that's still a lot. But I bet he has another job!

In Boston they ban parking on all the "Snow Arteries" and that also triggers special parking rates at city-owned facilities, usually a dollar a day for a garage and free in lots.

We're up to the third most snow in modern Boston history (records kept since 1891) and may get to 2nd by this afternoon - 95+.

Just about up to the windows of the shed.

 

[IslandTractor]

Still snowing pretty hard here ten miles north of Boston. We got about a foot overnight. Current forecast is total of 18-24.

My daughter had a hockey tournament game scheduled for this morning and as it hadn't been cancelled as of 7am I was out snow blowing and shoveling in the thick of it before dawn. Team ethos, gotta show up. We actually drove fifteen miles following closely behind a phalanx of big plow trucks (what is the proper collective noun for a group of snowplows? A blizzard of plows? A shovelful of plows? A scraper of plows?) along 95 until, within a mile of the rink, we got a call telling us the game was postponed until this afternoon. Great.

Had to turn around and drive home in same conditions. Followed a state trooper at 20-30 mph back up 95. Wouldn't have gone faster anyways but I followed the old adage about never passing a trooper on the highway. One guy in a pickup tried to pass me until he saw the trooper ahead. Amazing thing is that he was freaking texting!!! as he drove past me.

Plows had cleared all but a few inches from the road surface on 95 so that wasn't a problem but visibility was poor, maybe 200 yards. Felt bad for the trooper as he didn't have anyone to follow. Luckily the snow banks were so high that you could judge the left, right and middle travel lane positions by looking sideways. I'm sure that was what the trooper was doing. Got home to see that the local plows had refilled our driveway entrance but I just blasted through as the snow is light.

All cosy at home now doing an inventory of ice dam damage from the previous storms (living room, dining room, two bedrooms, foyer so far). Just had a crew chipping ice dams yesterday and it is windy enough today that the roof isn't accumulating too much now.

Good news is that my twelve year old Craftsman snow blower starts on first pull even at 10F and I can still barely throw the snow above the banks along the sidewalk. And, the house is warm.

 

[Garandman]

My son's hockey game was to be 7am at the Dorchester DCR rink. High tide was 7:26am and the storm surge was forecast at over two feet, which usually submerges Gallivan Blvd. We were planning on takin a canoe but DCR announced rink closure mid afternoon Saturday so we stayed put.

We have to drive to Lake Placid next week so I had the Outback checked out. The links and bushings on the sway bars both front and rear had to be replaced from slamming into potholes. We have Nokian Haakapeliita R2's on it and my wife's Odyssey and they're absolutely amazing. It's great: I can drive in perfect control behind people on All Seasons going 20mph.....

 

[IslandTractor]

My son's hockey game was to be 7am at the Dorchester DCR rink. High tide was 7:26am and the storm surge was forecast at over two feet, which usually submerges Gallivan Blvd. We were planning on takin a canoe but DCR announced rink closure mid afternoon Saturday so we stayed put.

We have to drive to Lake Placid next week so I had the Outback checked out. The links and bushings on the sway bars both front and rear had to be replaced from slamming into potholes. We have Nokian Haakapeliita R2's on it and my wife's Odyssey and they're absolutely amazing. It's great: I can drive in perfect control behind people on All Seasons going 20mph.....

Pothole crop is pretty good this year. I was surprised by the number of new ones on 93N between Boston and Somerville yesterday that were not present Friday. Big tire popping ones too. Those overpasses are like pothole fertilizer.

Snow seems to have stopped but still pretty windy. At this point I hope the wind continues as it blows snow off the roof.

Oh yea, just heard, our postponed hockey game has been rescheduled for 6am tomorrow. Wonderful.

 

[Garandman]

Update 10:14am.

Accushnet 22"
Milton 21.2"
Salisbury 20.5"
New Bedford 20.0"
Lexington 16.6"
Boston 13.0"

National Weather Service Text Product Display

 

[NewfieDan]

In Edmonton they have "Snow Routes". These are used for heavy snow falls. The city declares snow routes in effect. That means that there is no on street parking for 72hrs, where snow routes are identified. Anyone parking in a snow route will be ticketed and towed. The declaration is made public through local TV and newspapers. Both city police and tow companies focus on the snow routes to make sure they are kept clear for the plow drivers.

The routes are identified by street signs.

 

[aczlan]

We actually drove fifteen miles following closely behind a phalanx of big plow trucks (what is the proper collective noun for a group of snowplows? A blizzard of plows? A shovelful of plows? A scraper of plows?) along 95 until, within a mile of the rink, we got a call telling us the game was postponed until this afternoon. Great.

They call it a Conga Line (usually clearing an interstate from one side to the other all at one time, or moving snow from the center to the shoulder).

Aaron Z

 

[IslandTractor]

They call it a Conga Line (usually clearing an interstate from one side to the other all at one time, or moving snow from the center to the shoulder). Aaron Z

Yep, that's what they were doing.

I was thinking that a blizzard of snowplows would be appropriate but conga line captures it perfectly.