Snow Forecast For Virginia

[iptman]

No trees down here but this one really stung. The snow just piled up on the wet netting and before I realized what was happening it was down. 3 of the 4 frame hoops are bent. This pic was after I shook all the snow off the net. I wish I would have taken a pic before.

 

[Gord Baker]

According to some stats I just read, an Compact car uses up to .16 gallons per hour idling. With a 4 to 5 liter car will use twice that. If you have a small car with a lets say 12 gallon tank and it was about full when you started, you could idle for about 75 hours. With a larger car with say a 20 gallon tank you might be able to idle for nearly 60 hours. BUT it would be foolish to idle the entire time. A better strategy would be to idle for no more than 15 minutes with the heater on full blast and then shut it off for at least 15 minutes before restarting. Don't let the car get too cold or it will be hard to heat up again. This should about double your survival time with what ever fuel you have onboard.

If you have electric car the protocol is simple, you are going to freeze to death in a few hours. You best be making friends with someone with a an ICE engine and full tank to share their car. You might be able to convince them that your body heat could be a help. Don't run the battery down trying to heat the car, you are going to need the reserve battery power to drive the thing off if and when the road is clear. Otherwise you are going to be in for a big tow bill.

It is very easy to run your battery down by using fans. electric seats etc. Be prudent and when the battery appears to be low, DO NOT even try to start it one more time. Take the cables out of your kit and ask someone to be prepared to boost you.

 

[Tony H]

Maybe just do what we do in the north..
Dress warm and have blankets, gloves, boots and TP, in the car

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Maybe just do what we do in the north..
Dress warm and have blankets, gloves, boots and TP, in the car

We don't care how you do it up North...

 

[check]

We don't care how you do it up North...

Don’t mind Step. He was dropped on his head when he was young!

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

I have a friend down there, day 6, no power

 

[LD48750]

Bottom line is you are probably better off to being stranded in the Internal Combustion Engine car than the electric car. But you can survive for some time in the Electric car if you use your head. Of course keeping a couple of blankets in either type is a good idea. Not to mention toilet paper, some extra water and a few snack bars could go a long way to making your life more comfortable. Using snow for toilet paper does not sound like much fun to me.

Better yet, whenever you leave your house, go in a FULLY stocked motorhome.

 

[Tony H]

Don’t mind Step. He was dropped on his head when he was young!

Obviously. No one expected to be stranded for all that many hours but there was a FORECAST. Is it that hard to be prepared? I realize that Common Sense has been drummed out of this younger generation but so much so that they lost Self Preservation? I guess so, college kids walk across main streets without looking.... The 'book' says that pedestrians have the right-of-way, they interpret that as walking out in front of cars is OK

 

[Fxfymn413]

Got power back last night around 8. Like I said a big inconvenience but not a disaster. I did get the TV to work by running a small converter I have off of the power outlets in one of the cars. Now I just need UPS to re-start deliveries so I can get the part I need to repair my whole house generator. It has been sitting in the local UPS station for the last two days and is supposed to be delivered today.

We finally got the trees completely cleared from the road as well and we'll go back and clean up the limbs, etc. when the weather warms a bit and the snow melts.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Don’t mind Step. He was dropped on his head when he was young!

More than once...