<p>It’s pretty incredible here (Chicago). I am watching my neighbor snowblow and it seems rather pointless --by the time he finishes, the parts he’s done are covered in a fresh layer. </p>
<p>I’m supposed to be going to Cleveland tomorrow for business but don’t think it’s happening.</p>
<p>Wow, you guys in the Chicago area definitely have it worse than we do. We are home again for a snow day, and I have lost track of how many there have been…</p>
<p>As to Newark Airport and Continental, of course check your carrier, but Continental has a habit of flying if they can get out, and I have landed in Newark in very nasty weather. One time the cab couldn’t make it up to our house which was in a neighborhood on a “mountain” (really a big hill to anyone who is from a mountainous area). We got out a couple of blocks lower than our street and walked in the snow with our carry on bags (luckily we only had carry on bags) at 2 am. The problem may be that he gets into Newark and is stuck there, which I hope is not the case for him. It is supposed to get better around here this afternoon, so keep your fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Well, Teriwitt, better you H than you, is what I say. ;)</p>
<p>Gloworm, H actually stayed downtown at the W last night so he could get to work, today.</p>
<p>I’m really grateful we have power, too. It was the one thing I couldn’t “buy” at home deopt yesterday.</p>
<p>Watching the snow come down! Listening to H talking to co-workers on a conference call, he stayed home from work, I stayed home from work. </p>
<p>I am very grateful knowing we have a generator ready to go if we should lose our power.
Others are not so lucky.</p>
<p>The roads were shut down in Boston back in the storm of the late 1970s. Even the subway system was shut down. Just emergency vehicles. It was neat seeing people going to and fro just walking down the middle of the street along with the occasional person on skis.</p>
<p>Finished with my snow work around 11:30 last night. It’s supposed to snow until around midnight here with some breaks. I may run out for coffee as it has stopped snowing. I need to get back doing the roof later on. Everyone is working from home today in my group - no surprise.</p>
<p>The fellow across the street plowed his property, only to get stuck at the end of his driveway in his big SUV because… no plows. What was he thinking?</p>
<p>We got freezing rain and moderate snow, instead of the massive snow amounts they were predicting. I don’t really understand how we got freezing rain, as the temperatures have been well below freezing (Well, at least here at the surface!) When I went to let the dog out this morning, I could barely get my door open. Hard, crunchy snow was blocking the door. It’s a level 3 here, too, so only emergency personel are allowed on the roads.</p>
<p>H’s plant put people up in hotels last night so they wouldn’t have to shut down today.</p>
<p>In southern Wisconsin: [Mammoth</a> storm paralyzes Madison area](<a href=“http://host.madison.com/ct/weather/article_7614fc42-2ec6-11e0-8974-001cc4c03286.html]Mammoth”>http://host.madison.com/ct/weather/article_7614fc42-2ec6-11e0-8974-001cc4c03286.html). And, btw, the University is NOT closed. Classes are called off, but the rest of us are expected to report to work. The buses aren’t running so I walked in this morning, one of the many benefits of living downtown. It wasn’t bitterly cold, but the winds, up to 30+ miles an hour, made it unpleasant.</p>
<p>Looking ahead for us, I see a storm on Saturday and more snow for next Tuesday and Wednesday.</p>
<p>I was expecting a package to leave WI yesterday. UPS sent a note saying adverse weather conditions would delay all shipments from the area. It is a valentines package for D + BF. Luckily I planned early.</p>
<p>tsdad-- because people who work in the college offices have magic carpets, right?</p>
<p>sunny, my nephew works nights at UPS in the Quad Cities - he’s going to have two days off due to this weather. They actually closed some Chicago area highways this AM, so we can’t get to where we ordinarily would go even if we wanted to. I think digging out the doors and drive will be a multi-pass affair - I just tried digging out the back door (won’t open past a few inches) by sticking out a toy shovel with one hand, and got nowhere. Big sub-freezing freeze tonight, so I begin to have a sense of urgency. Stay safe everyone!</p>
<p>so much freezing rain! and then 4-6 inches of snow on top! the snow is deep on my deck and up against my patio door. had to go out the back of the house to shovel it off–frozen snow doesn’t shovel well at all! made a little path for the dog and cleared access to the door.</p>
<p>driveway? snowblower worked fairly well on that, but only on the surface snow. tried to do the sidewalks, no luck at all. just layers of ice and snow! i normally run the snowblower around the whole block just so all of us dog lovers have a nice path–but can’t do that today. i think we’re stuck with it until it melts–which won’t be any time soon at all. my poor dog. poor me–i actually like the walks almost as much as he does. rain or shine, sleet, snow, heat, whatever–the time outside always clears my mind and re-energizes me, too!</p>
<p>Garland:</p>
<p>Food service workers, custodians, medical, and public safety employees are deemed essential and are expected to be on campus regardless of the weather so I though it was the least I could do was to show up. Alas though, no magic carpet. Non-essential employees, like me, either show up or have to take leave.</p>
<p>The weather is so bad I thought I was back in NJ.</p>
<p>As an aside, the highlight of my Federal career was in the Clinton administration, during one and the endless furloughs caused by the fights between the president and congress over the budget, was when I was not allowed to go home when we ran out of money because I was deemed essential. It only happened once and it made my father proud.</p>
<p>Cleared the car off and moved it and shoveled the driveway. The snow is pretty heavy or at least a layer of it is heavy. A fair amount of wind too - I put on chemistry lab goggles to keep the blowing snow out of my eyes. I found a pair of mismatched gloves as my regular pair was soaked from cleaning the roof last night. That pair is drying in the house now. I’m going to wait a while before doing a little more work out there.</p>
<p>Northwestern canceled classes as of 5PM last night. Daughter had a dance class at 4:30 but decided not to go, wonder who showed up? The wind was just too much, she’d be blown away!</p>
<p>I’m so bored I might clean out the “gift” closet. We’re stuck in inches of ice on top of the snow. Too bad, snow’s much more fun. Little dog (10 lbs) likes it though, she can walk on top of the mounds of snow because they’re covered with ice. Big dog (100 lbs) still breaks through in most places but he doesn’t seem to mind. I’m so bored I spoke to my oldest sister for almost 1 1/2 hours! Younger daughter is so bored she’s working out in the gym, very happy about that.</p>
<p>Husband stayed in the city last night, might tonight as well depending on how the roads are this evening. I so wish we still lived in the city. Maybe I’ll take a nap…</p>
<p>I hesitate to say this…but I think the precipitation has stopped here. There is snow to clear but the icing is MUCH MUCH less than the weather gurus predicted…and so is the snow from last night. It’s slick, but I think it’s done.</p>
<p>My kids (hs seniors) are building what they describe as an epic snow fort. It’s really cute to watch. Might as well enjoy the snow day!</p>
<p>The guy who is plowing our driveway keeps showing up and having to leave to do an accident tow. I told him to come back tonight, I really don’t intend to be the one out there being towed, so no hurry.</p>
<p>We’ve had so much snow in my area (Central MA) that this new stuff is just adding more misery. Right now, there’s not really snow anymore, it’s mostly sleety stuff coming down-- which makes shoveling harder. I just got done clearing off my upstairs deck. I had roofing guys come out and shovel my (mostly flat) roof last week and I’m glad I did.</p>