Winter Weather Thread: 2013-2014

[owbc]

3 inches of snow and I-43 SB and 41/45 SB are both closed due to multi-car pileups!!! Looks like at least 30 cars involved in one of them.

 

Edit: I-94 SB is also closed near Racine from another multi-car pileup. Seriously?

[1992casey]

The plows weren't out this morning, so driving was tougher than it had to be.

[Baldkin]

I don't know what Milwaukee is doing, but they haven't salted anything yet, which caused accidents during the freezing rainstorm (which was predicted a week in advance) and they have done a horrible job with the plows for 3" of snow today (which was known about for a week in advance).

[Patrick425]

Yesterday, from noon to a little after one, I drove from Racine to Waukesha during the main part of the storm. The drive was slow and a bit of a "white knuckler", but nothing compared with the traffic going the other way. I think we saw 3 separate instances where the freeway was closed on the other side and traffic was being diverted off the freeway (7-mile road, Loomis road, and Layton Ave). We saw a lot of cars in ditches, cracked up, facing the wrong way on the other side...but never ran into anything like that on our side all the way home.

 

Someone stated that they new about this storm for a week, but most of the forecasts I saw stated Sunday night. Even when I was watching the forecast yesterday morning before we went to Racine they were not making it sound like it was going to be that big of a deal (2-4 inches). It really shouldn't have been. People just need to learn to slow way down in those conditions and STOP TEXTING!! Even in perfect conditions I don't get this willingness to put yours and other drivers lives in danger by texting while your driving....it's really not any less dangerous than drinking and driving.

[brwrsfan]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say texting is the same as drinking and driving, though it certainly is dangerous. Main difference for me is that texting impairs your driving sense for a few seconds at a time, whereas D+D it impaired the entire time, but I certainly get your point. If you absolutely must send a text, stop or pullover.

 

That being said, yesterday was just ridiculous. It wasn't that big of a storm - 3-5 inches in most places, and there was some freezing rain first which made it worse, but those accidents were crazy. How is it that seemingly every year, people forget what it's like to drive in the snow? It's not different than last year, slow down and be careful. Just makes no sense to me.

 

I do, however, agree that the cleanup of it was atrocious. The wind was making it somewhat worse, but it was only about 3 inches. That simply shouldn't take long to cleanup, but it took forever, and no salt was down. Even when the storm appeared to be coming sooner, they could have at least gotten the salt trucks out on the freeways but they never did from what I could tell - very, very poorly managed.

[logan82]

There seems to be less and less salt used on the roads every year.

[hawing]

I don't know if I'd go so far as to say texting is the same as drinking and driving, though it certainly is dangerous. Main difference for me is that texting impairs your driving sense for a few seconds at a time, whereas D+D it impaired the entire time, but I certainly get your point. If you absolutely must send a text, stop or pullover.

I get your point - and I don't want to unduly prolong this tangent in a weather thread - but a few seconds of impairment or distraction (for any reason) is all that's needed to cause a problem.

[bani1717]

There seems to be less and less salt used on the roads every year.

 

Not sure where you live, but I am glad that Milwaukee at least doesn't use the sand instead of salt like Madison does.

 

City of Milwaukee snow/ice policy:

http://city.milwaukee.gov/mpw/divisions/operations/environmental/sanitation/winter/SnowIcePolicyOld.htm

"Abrasives like sand are often used in rural areas and smaller communities. Heavy urban traffic quickly pounds down and bonds untreated snow into hard pack that is extremely difficult to remove. It takes four to seven truckloads of sand to treat the same number of lane miles as one truckload of salt. Additionally, sand builds up in catch basins and sewers, requiring expensive spring clean up efforts."

 

City of Madison snow removal policy:

http://www.cityofmadison.com/residents/winter/documents/SnowIceProcedures.pdf

"Only main arterials, thoroughfares, main connector streets, Madison Metro bus routes, streets surrounding hospitals and schools and major hills and curves are salted. All other City of Madison streets receive sand to act as an abrasive on hills, intersections and curves."

[Patrick425]

They are also using cheese in some parts of the state...that's right...cheese.

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/cheese-used-to-help-keep-roads-clear-of-ice-snow/

[fondybrewfan]

The High of 4 tomorrow seems like the lowest high in a very long time. I don't remember too many brutally cold days last winter although I might have selective memory.

 

It is December 10th and there are already morons on Lake Winnebago trying to go ice fishing. There is open water everywhere yet but there are always yahoos trying to fish on the first ice that shows up.

 

With no forecasted highs anywhere near above freezing; just wait a week and it will get a lot safer out on the lake. Now it's just dumb.

[brwrsfan]

We've had cold days in the past, but usually not quite this early. I think the average high in the Milwaukee area is still in the low-mid 30's.

 

I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, or this is going to be a brutal winter.

[adamb100]

Last Winter was your typical winter but without a huge snow storm. Hopefully we don't get one again this year. These past 2 months have been unseasonably cool. At least we return to high 20's this weekend.

[NeedMoreFans]

Last Winter was your typical winter but without a huge snow storm.

 

Where were you last December 20/21st? I think we had over 18 inches of snow over the course of 2 days and we didn't have school 2 consecutive days. Perhaps Milwaukee didn't get hit with that storm like Madison did.

[hawing]

Last Winter was your typical winter but without a huge snow storm.

 

Where were you last December 20/21st? I think we had over 18 inches of snow over the course of 2 days and we didn't have school 2 consecutive days. Perhaps Milwaukee didn't get hit with that storm like Madison did.

I believe Madison got that one worse than Milwaukee. The really awesome part was when the Madison buses didn't run on Friday but we had to get to UW-Madison anyway. We walked, not uphill both ways and not barefoot, but we did walk through a lot of snow.

[adamb100]

Looks like another 4-6 inches coming tomorrow near the lake and less further west.

[1992casey]

I have to go to the lakefront late tomorrow morning. I hope I'm out of there before the snow begins.

 

Special Weather Statement for Milwaukee WI until

 

... Lake effect snow possible Friday afternoon and evening...

 

There is a potential for an intense lake effect snow band to

develop over southeast Wisconsin late Friday afternoon or evening

and persist through Friday night. The first of the latest model

runs show Milwaukee and Ozaukee counties as the favorable

locations for a period of high snowfall rates under a dominant

lake effect snow band. Timing of the onset of this snow band and

Its exact location is still uncertain... but could impact the

evening rush hour and weekend travelers.

 

Look for scattered lake effect snow showers to develop Friday

afternoon elsewhere along the lakeshore... and persist through

Saturday morning. There could be brief periods of higher snowfall

rates and reduced visibility. With easterly flow... Expect any of

these lake effect snow showers to reach one to two counties inland

from the lake.

 

Stay tuned for updates... As lake effect snow forecasts can change

frequently.

[Patrick425]

I know that they are predicting more along the lake, but sometimes with these lake effect snow events it can be fairly unpredictable. Many times an inland county like Waukesha gets more lake effect snow than Milwaukee because the snow tends to come off the lake in narrow bands that extend inland. So, you could have a band of moderate snow that extends from say Port Washington through Menominee Falls and Waukesha, while Milwaukee hardly gets any snow at all.

[Hammer]

It looks like this weekend will have some "fun" weather

[adamb100]

The current path of the storm I guess has us for heavy snow on Sunday, so probably 6+ inches.

[owbc]

For a panhandle hook storm, it doesn't look very impressive. Warm, fast moving, and weakening as it moves away. All of the snow will fall in about 8 hours and in a relatively narrow band. 6-7 inches will be the maximum, other areas will mix with rain and be lucky to get 4 inches.

[BrewCrewForever]

Thanks OWBC, keep us updated the next few days on what you know about this storm. Supposed to drive from the Menomonee Falls area to Columbus on Sunday for a baptism.

[owbc]

The latest models have come in a little stronger, 6-9" with the max around Milwaukee. No snow at all for the northwest 1/2 of the state. Heaviest around sunrise Sunday. Travel not recommended Sunday morning.

 

It's also snowing in Seattle this morning!!!!! Our 4 hours of winter have arrived.

[fondybrewfan]

I always much prefer these larger snow storms when they land on the weekend. I absolutely hate having to get up at 5 AM to clean out my driveway in the middle of the week. A projected 7 inches for Fondy; looks like we are on the outer skirts of the heavy snow and not projected to get as much as the MIL area.

[WV Brew]

Meanwhile, it's supposed to hit 70 degrees out here in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia on Sunday.

[Patrick425]

I always much prefer these larger snow storms when they land on the weekend. I absolutely hate having to get up at 5 AM to clean out my driveway in the middle of the week.

 

Ditto!! Then on top of that having it take an extra hour to get into work. I hate snow, but if it has to snow, I prefer weekends.