I live on that big giant QA neighborhood hill…it’s been fun getting on and off for the last few days. Even today it was treacherous on arterials. If the storm coming is worse I’ll be trapped here for a while. I read to that there is another storm behind it. So stocked up on important things like wine, coffee and toilet paper 
I did get a few laughs about it though. My new to Seattle neighbor asked me after the last storm when the plough was coming to our street!
Just advised DS to stock up on food before tomorrow. He’s in lower QA so hopefully it won’t be too difficult, unless he wants to get to TJ. He’s an experienced snow driver - in Chicagoland. Here in San Diego, they removed the frost alert for inland and mountains :).
People often misuse the phrase “black ice”. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_ice
The kind we worried about in MN is when there were long stretches below 0 Fahrenheit, and exhaust freezes on the freeway. And yes… there are hills in the Midwest, too. Some of them significant, even in the city.
My coworker showed up at work on Wednesday with her arm on a sling. During the office closure on Monday and Tuesday, she stepped outside of her house just to see how things were. She tripped and fell and hurt her shoulder. The pain was so bad she had to have her husband take her to the urgent care.
My routine for those two days were: Couch (TV) - Microwave (heating tea) - Toilet (because of tea) - Couch - Microwave - Toilet.
I’m really not looking forward to the Part 2. I think I will take PM off tomorrow so that I can go grocery shopping before it starts all over again.
From @BunsenBurner’s link:
Wow.
I’m a pathological worrier. D2 humors me and lets me know she’s okay when she’s been sick, when she gets home after driving back from Dallas, that kind of thing. D1 says she refuses to enable me.
D1 works in Seattle. I want to text her to be careful, but that would probably annoy her. “No, Mom, I’m going to be reckless so I can hurt myself really badly.” She probably wouldn’t say that, but she’d probably be thinking it. Sigh.
Black ice forms not only when rain falls on pavement cooled to below freezing temperatures, it also forms when regular ice or snow melts, and the resulting water rolls dofreezes as a thin sheet on top of pavement. These are indistinguishable and are equally bad. Most falls happen on such patches of ice because people think it is just bare pavement. Yes, the off-white ice is bad, too, but folks generally see the threat and avoid it.
I stopped by the grocery store last night on my way home from work and it was a madhouse. Every cart was taken, the lines snaked to the edges of the store, shelves were being picked clean. Six inches of snow. A one day storm.
I had made pizza dough that morning and needed cheese so soldiered on. Thanks to a fast moving self-check line, it was probably only about 30 minutes.
I still had some time to load some fire wood into the garage. We are expecting winds up to 45mph and that means no power.
We hit two stores yesterday, partially to stock up but really mostly regular shopping that hadn’t happened yet.
Picked clean. Last gallon of milk at one, had to go to the second to find onions. Still need to get meat and cat food this morning.
Wow… Glad we hit Costco on Wednesday.
Tips for people who are new to snow and ice, immigrants from warm climates, or clueless young people far from Mom and Dad who find themselves flailing about helplessly:
1 - if you have no ice scraper, a credit card will do. Don’t use your driver’s license. If it breaks it will be a PITA to replace. Better yet, try a sturdy plastic spatula. Even better, get one of those cars that has a remote starter, so you can sit inside with a cup of coffee, start your car from a distance, and watch the ice melt off the windshield because you cleverly left the air system blasting on defrost the night before.
2 - No snow shovel? Find a dust pan. Use a broom to get the snow off the roof of your car. Make sure the snow is off the roof of your car!
3 - Afraid your car will get stuck? Have some flushable kitty litter handy. Toss it down by your tires and keep your wheel straight to try to get out of an icy fix. Kitty litter gives you traction. Mulch would work well too but it doesn’t come in handy buckets from the grocery store.
4 - Best idea of all? Stay put. If you must travel, do a bit of internet research to find the best way. Yes, google maps says that road is open, but the state DOT web site may tell you it’s only open to vehicles with chains on their tires. 511 works everywhere to give you road info.
One more big one - If you do head out, dress and carry gear as if you will be walking home in the snow. When things go truly sideways driving stops being an option.
I’m at work in Bellevue. A few hardy souls in the office (more than M & T this week), but pretty sparse. Just got an email that they are closing our building at 2 pm. We deployed a new product this week and might get our first contract this week — probably will arrive around 2 pm. today @-) And we have system issues we need to fix by tonight.
Sitting on an Alaska flight to SFO right now, fingers crossed we get out before they have to de-ice or it starts snowing. Seattle airport ops is so wimpy they have a hard time handling that. I have another backup flight booked on Delta later, and my ultimate backup is a jumpseat on company aircraft later tonight that I am dead certain will go, no matter the weather. If it’s legal, we go. I flew on Monday and it was ridiculous, all the delays.
Glad to be getting outta here! The grocery store environment was hilarious last night. QFC shelves were depleted of water and vegetables, everyone was in a panic like they were stocking up for a hurricane. I loaded up on coffee and wine for my husband, because who needs LETTUCE in a snowstorm?
Started snowing right before takeoff, but we made it off the ground! Whew!
I could probably survive for a few days without everything except cat food. GOOD GOD, the wailing and gnashing of teeth would drive me insane.
Safe travels, bus!! Our friends flew to SFO today, and the TSA lines at 6 am were a ZOO. Then they sat on the plane for a while because there was something in sfo… yikes.
It is snowing here downtown, and I am lucky I got a seat on the bus. Looks awful already. Got my homework to do and will keep my fingers crossed. VPN - you better behave!!!
Well kid picked up from high school and fridge full (I went on Wednesday to avoid the madness…Walgreens worked for milk today in case anyone needs any). The facebook pics of grocery stores from neighbors were insane…hour long lines and empty shelves. So harassed hubby when the snow started (and boy did it start) and he is enroute to the big hill (QA)from Bellevue…couldn’t convince him to work at home today. I was worried high winds later might cause issues with getting across floating bridges as well as the usual snow madness. Hopefully he can get up the hill or I am stuck for a while solo with a surly teenager. Cliff Mass weather blog today hinted at second storm…I m shuddering. We moved from East Coast years ago and did not expect to have this stuff in Seattle. It’s fun for a while…like anywhere.
Trying to nag Mr. to get the heck out of Hell. He thinks he and his X are invincible. Ha… My bus finally made it to the freeway… took less than an hour.
D1 moved to Seattle last July and was told “Oh, it hardly ever snows here.” Ha ha, so much for that!
She lives 10 minutes from her job, so hopefully her commute isn’t too bad. And I don’t think she has hills to traverse to get home. Hope not, anyway.
Why don’t more people in that part of the country own whole house generators? My friends just moved to Seattle and they have had two 24+ hour power outages in 6 months.
I just talked to my friends and they said people in the grocery stores were fighting over things they don’t even want. lol