Ice storms

[thombrogan]

Decidedly not as fun as they appear in cartoons.

[Sullybob]

I'm guessing you had an ice storm where you live?

I've been through several ice storms. As an adult, fun is not a word I would use to describe them. As a kid ice storm = no school so they were great.

[Octaveman]

Being over here on the ideal side of the country, what the hell is an ice storm?

[kamkazmoto]

Isn't ice that thing they put into your drinks to keep them cold? What the heck does that have to do with a storm??

[joecil]

It is where it rains and freezes quickly as well as rains like hail which is ice. They tend to take down power lines as well as making it almost impossible to get out and drive never mind trying to walk. We had one here the first year I came to Kentucky, 3 week without power except a generator which always seems to run out of gas about 2 in the morning.

[vai777]

imagine.....miracle grow falling from the sky...slightly less opaque...sticks to everything....not cool:mad:

[VHo]

I remember them well. hell to drive in.

lots of downed branches that can't handle the weight, looks like a disaster zone.

amazing in the sunlight the next day. I DON'T miss them.

[Octaveman]

It rains and freezes quickly? Isn't that snow? Do you mean it's like a slush as it comes down?

[VERDEinVT]

It rains and freezes quickly? Isn't that snow? Do you mean it's like a slush as it comes down?

no it falls as ice and makes a noise when it hits the car. snow is light an fluffy when it falls.

[Octaveman]

no it falls as ice and makes a noise when it hits the car. snow is light an fluffy when it falls.
HA...isn't that hail? I'm not trying to be silly here. I guess I have no concept of what this is.

[VHo]

it comes down wet, unlike snow, and yes, freezes quickly. clear, like frozen rain. vertical / horizontal tree branches, telephone wires, everything will have 1/4 - 1/2" of clear ice around it's circumference.

in the sunlight the next day the reflections are amazing.

and don't get me going about driving. being from michigan, we laugh at la drivers - rain doesn't even count! don't give yourself enough room to stop on ice, and it's suspended animation as you slide helplessly into the intersection or ditch.

[thombrogan]

Bob,

The rain freezes as soon as it touches something solid. The roads have been fine, but the trees have been snapping and falling over left and right. As VHo says, it looks so beautiful (the trees look like crystals), but, well, everything else suxx0rz.

Sullybob,

My state has 300,000 people without power and some might not get it for nine more days. I'm sure kids enjoyed not having school, but with nowhere safe to play outside and no power for interweb, it probably was a shortlived joy.

Verde,

Hoping your area got spared. We're at a Holiday Inn two towns South of us. Place rocks.

[ksskss]

Bob, what's so funny is that you really aren't kidding. The weather in California is just so nice compared to many other places. I used to live in Atlanta and Louisville so I remember ice storms, but the memories are fading. Can't say I miss them at all. We get some tremors every once in a while, some fires now and then, but you can't have everything.

I haven't turned on the heater yet this year, just a room heater now and then, but Northern CA gets a bit colder than it does for you folks in LA and San Diego ...

---
Ken

[Octaveman]

No, I'm not kidding. I've never spent time on the east coast during the winter so I haven't a clue. What Thom said about rain freezing upon impact makes it more clear. I have been in storms in the midwest during the summer that produced golf ball sized hail...scared the hell out of me. I was outside throwing a frisbee with a friend and a hunk of ice comes flying by. I first thought someone just through an ice cube. Then a couple more flew by in front of me, then more and more. Next thing I know I was being pelted with golf balls. I ran and duck for cover underneath a bus. It lasted about 5 minutes...amazing. I've been used to BB sized hail all my life. I was born and raised in California so severely adverse weather beyond what we get here or the SF bay area is foreign to me.

[ChrisLehrer]

Ah yes, ice storms. Sure do miss 'em. :rolleyes:

Here in Kyoto, one night it got down just about to freezing, but fortunately it was only for a couple hours. We'll probably get the odd flake of snow in January and February, though, which makes the plum blossoms look pretty.

[apicius9]

I probably should not say anything here... :) But we did have severe rain and wind today, I got drenched when I was sanding wood.

Stefan

[kamkazmoto]

Thom, I'm glad you're safe and have internet access. Bring any Busses?

[VERDEinVT]

yeah many of the people i work with are still without power and will be for a few more days. with the temps in the single digits it can get scary.Even know someone who had his truck crushed from a falling tree.

[VERDEinVT]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081215/ap_on_re_us/ice_storm

some pictures from the storm.

[thombrogan]

Verde,

Sorry about your friend's truck. Yeesh! :eek: We should have power by Wednesday and pa-in-law just got his back this morning.

Bob,

Our hail is rarely that large, so we're lucky in that respect. And while tornadoes do know where we live, it's not Tornado Alley.

Ken,

The good thing about bad weather is it keeps the mountain lions more humble. Not that I don't want to move.

Herr Lehrer,

Japan sounds very picturesque.

Kamkazmoto,

Didn't pack a Busse, but have been carrying a Swamp Rat every day. Was tempted to pack a khukuri in case it was needed (the fallen trees on day one of the storm made the trip to work like Mario Carts only in real life), but it wasn't needed. A pickled jar of your Cali-Indo peppers was one of the few things that survived when I cleaned out the refrigerator this morning.

[9mmbhp]

What Thom said about rain freezing upon impact makes it more clear.

Wikipedia entry on freezing rain. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freezing_rain)

Google 'super cooled water' for related info.

Worst ice storm I've ever experienced was in Dallas; 2" of ice + really bad drivers = bad combination.

Here (Colorado, front range) we get hail frequently in the summer. BB sized is common, golf-ball sized is not unheard of, and every few years a soft-ball sized hailstone makes the papers.

[AlanSellers]

These ice storms have been in the news here in England over the last 2 days and it looks pretty dreadful, there's not been anything like it here in my lifetime, it's rare to get a significant snowfall where I am, and the worst weather the country has had in recent years is some bad flooding in low lying areas.

I hope everyone caught up in it comes through alright, in pictures it looks quite impressive but I imagine living through it is a hard experience.

[thombrogan]

We got our power back some time last night! Yay!

Hoping it lasts through the snow storms. heeheeheeeheeeohcrap.

[Octaveman]

Cool, glad to here. So do you guys just run generators to power the house or something? How else could you survive without power, right?

SD just had a couple of storms blow through dropping a butt load of rain. Snow in local mountains about 20 minutes away too.

[thombrogan]

Some folks used generators, but we stayed at hotels, couch-surfed, and sometimes stayed at home and wished we could use the shower. Thankfully, one of our heaters is a propane heater with a pilot light and mercury thermostat, so our house never got cold the entire time. Even yesterday afternoon, I felt like a snug little bug while reading Cold War history by flashlight.

[kamkazmoto]

I'm glad you're home and safe. Say safe friend.

[thombrogan]

Gracias! Will do! Hoping you and yours are all doing well and have a great holiday!

[MartinPiller]

The poor weather conditions were in the news here today. Thom, I hope you and your family are going to be alright and you will be enjoying the holidays.

[thombrogan]

We're doing better now, thanks much. Hoping your storms are milder. The snow we have now is much less stresssful in comparison. On the other hand, the combination of storms and illnesses has set my holiday shopping back a bit. Oh well. There's still time.

Have a great holiday season, Martin! I hope Sinterklaas can get you that 300mm Hattori KD next year. You're only 42 once.

[MartinPiller]

Glad things are better with you guys; I hope you will have a wonderful Christmas this Thursday and you will recover soon from the illnesses.
Due to unexpected business matters; I decided to postpone my next super knife purchase. Hopefully the Cherry blossom (sakura matsuri) next year will be the right moment to go for it.

[thombrogan]

Thanks for your kind words and wishes, Martin. I hope your prosperity grows in 2009 and that you'll be able to afford your indulgences with greater ease.

[thombrogan]

I know its not an ice strom but NW is getting hit hard.

at my house I have just over 15" of snow!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/XdrewsiferX/IMG_1754.jpg

Take from the Chanukkah thread because that one was for the Festival of Lights and this one is for the Festival of Crappy Weather.

That's quite the amount of snow for one storm, Drew! Blech! We got a little more than that this Friday-Saturday and Sunday, but it was over two storms and not one horrible drop. Your snow looks powdery and I hope it is so far as removal is concerned. Stay safe and keep making knives.

[xdrewsiferx]

I know its not an ice strom but NW is getting hit hard.

at my house I have just over 15" of snow!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/XdrewsiferX/IMG_1754.jpg

EDIT: Posted in wrong thread :P