<p>I just saw the local Philly news…still over 40,00 people in my county without power…they are having a lot of trouble making the repairs because of all of the snow, trees down on lines. I am troubled seeing elderly people sleeping on cots in the local school gyms…want to offer some shelter in my home, but not sure my husband will agree</p>
<p>Our neighborhood just got it back at 6 this morning. (we’re not there, but S will be staying there.)</p>
<p>My elderly neighbors huddled with their one gas heater–they sounded jovial when I talked to them this morning. Really tough, lovely couple. And my H’s aunt has been running a gas fireplace and bringing in snowmelt to flush toilets, has bottled water for drinking (well is electric.) those Cape May’ers are hardy souls!</p>
<p>After it snows on Tuesday, the Philadelphia/Tri-state area will have seen the snowiest winter ever (1995-1996 had 65 inches, 2009-2010 has 56 so far). I love snow, but the constant driveway shoveling and sweeping snow off the roof is getting old. This is rare for this area; normally we get blizzards this big once every other year. Two in the same week is ridiculous.</p>
<p>Oh, and OP: we’ve been stuck in our houses since Friday and we will be until at least Friday/Saturday. So yes, we WILL need all of those eggs, milk, and bread. And French Toast is DELICIOUS.</p>
<p>While we near Chicago are nowhere near our all-time snowiest season (1978-79, ~90 inches), our local news said that Phillie is likely to break its record with this next storm, and DC could break its record from 1899.</p>
<p>I hate winter.</p>
<p>I also was bothered by the news in Philly that talked about fining the homeowners that didn’t clear the sidewalks in front of their homes…that isn’t possible for everyone to do. We went to our rental house and the snow and ice piled up in front of the driveway was three feet deep…solid packed ice. I don’t think my husband and I could have hand shoveled it, so I worry about older people, or people with limitations doing it</p>
<p>My youngest is in college in Md. She has classes canceled again tomorrow. They haven’t had class since last Thursday. With the new snow on the way they will be lucky to get back to school this week.</p>
<p>Same situation with D in Virginia. No school since Thursday. They have scheduled a make up day on a Saturday at the end of the month. I didn’t know colleges did that. She hates missing the classes. As a voice major, missing voice lessons is huge. There is a competition coming up in early March and missed lessons are not good.</p>
<p>Public schools here have been closed since last Friday and will be closed all week.</p>
<p>24" on the ground, 10-20" more expected. School system announced on Sunday that they’d be closed Mon. and Tues. We’re assuming that if the accumulation is what’s predicted, it’ll be closed the rest of the week.</p>
<p>DH works for the gov’t and went in to work today (essential personnel yadayada). Said the roads were fine in some parts, untouched in others. The big issue is that unless Metro is fully operational (specifically, when Metro can get to the above-ground stations), there is no way all those folks can get to work. There’s just not enough parking in town for the 250,000+ people who normally use public transit.</p>
<p>Egads, I need to get to Northern Virginia via I-95 on Thursday afternoon. I would leave NJ on Wednesday but that’s probably out of the question.</p>
<p>^MAYBE you could get out of NJ late Wednesday. The snow is supposed to come Tuesday night, so it will all be on the ground in the early morning. Are you leaving North Jersey or South Jersey? Because from North Jersey, you’ll hit tons of traffic, and from South Jersey the roads will be messy and icy. It would be best to travel through Pennsylvania, but the roads might not be cleared. In Delaware/Maryland, there’ll be rush hour traffic from DC and Baltimore.</p>
<p>Got a call from my D this afternoon, who and said that the Federal Government will be closed for a second day on Tuesday (very unusual!). No Metro to above ground stations, and NoVa bus extension routes aren’t running. And this is all before the next round, due to start midday Tomorrow… D, who works for the Federal Government is starting to get stir-crazy in her apartment. The roads are still dicey from the last storm…:(</p>
<p>Please say it isn’t so…!</p>
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<p>:eek:</p>
<p>Ohhhh, maybe my Wednesday morning exam will be cancelled!</p>
<p>One good thing from this snowy winter – my ninety year old MIL moved from her farm outside of Philly to an assisted living facility this summer. She has complained every phone call since – it is small, she doesn’t have a garden, she misses her lawn mower(!), etc.,etc. Just got off the phone with her – she finally admitted that she is thrilled to not have to get out the snow blower! I never thought we would live to see the day! She is staying in a baking cookies for every one else on her floor.</p>
<p>I was at BC for '78 snow in Boston. School shut down, and it looked like a scene from “Dr. Zhivago” as hundreds of students walked to the nearest liquor store, about a mile west of campus. I remember listening on the radio (to a station based at the top of the Pru) as they described watching military earth-moving vehicles getting stuck on a deserted expressway. Also remember at least one Boston area student got hurt or died when he jumped out of a window into a snowdrift and hit a fire hydrant hidden by the snow.</p>
<p>The next winter I was in Chicago for the '79 blizzard, whch was colder and snowier than Boston in '78.</p>
<p>LakeWashington, you can probably do it on Thursday. If the storm hits on Tue/Wed, they will have the major interstates, including I-95, plowed by Thursday. The secondary roads are a different matter. Just allow extra time and have a snow emergency kit in your trunk. Amtrak is another option.</p>
<p>I never would have thought that I would prefer to be in Wisconsin rather than back in DC and NoVA at this time of the year. We’re only expecting seven inches or so today in Madison.</p>
<p>Now I plan to leave northern NJ on Thursday morning, if I go at all. The relatives in northern Virginia said …“under no circumstances should you drive Tuesday or Wednesday.” And the states of emergency declared by both Maryland and Virginia last days ago are still in effect. Looks like kids in NoVA won’t be in school anytime this week.</p>