Mother Talkers

Blizzard '08

by 1plain1peanut

Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 09:44:08 AM PDT


It's the Blizzard of Aught-Eight here in Central Ohio!  The weatherman says we haven't actually met the criteria for a true blizzard (less than 1/4 mile visibility, 35mph+ sustained winds for 3 hours), but it will still be considered a blizzard.  Everything's closed, including malls, colleges, libraries, and other businesses.  The airport is struggling to stay open.  Our county is under a Level 3 Snow Emergency, which means that you aren't allowed to drive... only emergency vehicles and snow plows should out.
Here's DH blowing the snow near our walkway:

Here's Grant and a friend on their play area:

Madeline trying to walk in the front yard:

So far, we have around 15" of white stuff out there, according to the local news channel.  It's really hard to tell as there are so many so drifts creating hills and valleys.  

Anyone else in the path of the Blizzard?  Post your photos here!

Tags: Blizzard 08, snow (all tags)

Permalink | 39 comments

  • ahh, i miss the weather (0 / 0)

    i'll bet i am in the minority but your pictures tugged on my heart a bit.  i loved being snowed in when i lived in NJ.  i particularly loved to look out at midnight on freshly fallen snow.

    my last memory of snow was shoveling it while nearly 9 months pregnant.  even then i loved it.  mother nature is an exciting show imo.

    great pictures and what a pretty neighborhood!

    by parentalunit1 on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 09:59:06 AM PDT

  • Buried here (0 / 0)

    I'll try to post photos but am very lame at it. We're in Cincy - southwest of 1plain1peanut and we are under blizzard watch and level 3 snow emergency as well. Day two of being housebound is really getting on my nerves. Luckily, DH made it home safe and sound last night, but we were supposed to go to KY today for my niece's birthday party (and to drop off my mother down there - she's in town visiting) and couldn't make it.

    The wind id howling right now and the snow is flying! Crazy.

    by GiGi on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 10:36:33 AM PDT

    • I hear you... (0 / 0)

      I have major cabin fever.  We had a week recently with all of us sick with the flu.  Then, we got 2" of rain.  And now a few days later we are stuck in the house w/the blizzard.  

      Can I tell you how much I'm looking forward to spring break next week????  We are off to sunny Florida and now I can't wait.  I've had enough of winter already!

      "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

      by 1plain1peanut on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 11:03:20 AM PDT

      [ Parent ]

  • wow (0 / 0)

    Wow!  I think we're getting the same storm here, but it's just rain, tons and tons of it.  Flooding and all that fun stuff.

    Awesome pics, the houses are very cute!

    by NJmom on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 10:48:19 AM PDT

  • It's been snowing here since yesterday (0 / 0)

    afternoon and we've probably had about 8 inches.  Normally I don't object to getting eight inches....I'm sorry...

    "Nothing worth having comes without some kind of fight. Gotta kick at the darkness til it bleeds daylight"

    by lonestar canuck on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 10:55:34 AM PDT

  • amateurs (0 / 0)

    We've had over 109 inches of snow this winter - roofs are collapsing over the state to the poitn that the local abc affiliate has an itneractive map of roof collapses - the latest one was across from my office.  We had three storms in the last 10 days alone.

    15 inches? hah.  ;-)

    by MKatherine1966 on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 01:16:24 PM PDT

    • I forgot to say (0 / 0)

      that if those photos were of NH you would not be able to see any of the windows in the first floor of any house.

      by MKatherine1966 on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 01:17:23 PM PDT

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    • Do (0 / 0)

      Do people shovel their roof?

      My dad used to live in Canada, and they had some guy come and shovel their roof during the winter.

      by NJmom on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 06:36:46 AM PDT

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    • 109? That'a all?! (0 / 0)

      Some might call that amateurish.  My area usually gets somewhere around 150 inches during a typical winter.  An area just north of us was in the national news when they were blasted for about two weeks straight last year.  200 inches or more isn't uncommon up there and they know how to handle it but they got so much at once that even they had problems with roof collapses.

      By the way, have the Amish/Mennonites showed up yet.   Last winter a bunch of them descended upon the area up north and shoveled roofs of people in need as some sort of service outreach.  Apparently they work really fast.  People around here who are used to that sort of thing were amazed by how well and quickly they worked.  The could clear large barns in about 10 minutes.

      by music teacher on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 06:02:12 PM PDT

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  • what great pics! (0 / 0)

    I grew up back East and went to a boarding school in Maine where it wasn't unusual to have 40 foot snow banks on the side of the streets after the plows had been through.

    My roommates and I loved to leave our windows open enough to let snow come in and have small drifts on the floor in the morning...I loved living in the wild weather, but I love living in California now.  Both are great.

    When I was back East recently during December it snowed several times and I was drawn in my mind to so many memories of the smells, sights and beauty of winter.  Lovely.

    Now I would have to say I'm glad to not deal with the details of snowstorms...but those pics sure look gorgeous and fun.

    karen

    by karen m on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 01:42:40 PM PDT

  • yeah, (0 / 0)

    We used to say if you could still find your car it wasn't that bad a storm.  But then I moved to Baltimore, where predictions of flurries caused all supermarkets to sell out of bread, milk, and toilet paper, and the roads were far more dangerous because nobody had a clue how to drive in the stuff.  So it's all relative.

    Now I live in CA, where if I want snow I can get in the car and drive for an hour.  Snow on my terms, when I want it, and not something to scrape off my windshield.  Miss the weather?  Not on your life!

    by lyn on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 01:54:58 PM PDT

    • They are so silly in Baltimore (0 / 0)

      I lived there during graduate school and it was such a culture shock as I live just outside of Syracuse which is usually the snowiest city in NY state.  It's either Buffalo, Rochester or Syracuse. The scary thing about Baltimore was that all of the drivers would freak out so I was actually more worried about driving in less snow there with all of the crazies.

      by music teacher on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 06:05:09 PM PDT

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      • I went to school in Rochester (0 / 0)

        Tons and tons and tons of snow.  But aside from occasionally falling off the walkway and sinking in hip deep (unplowed shortcuts would raise up as snow packed down), I don't remember anybody considering it any big deal.  

        by lyn on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 11:29:05 PM PDT

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  • More photos (0 / 0)

    My mom sent me these.  She's about 10 minutes southwest of me.

    Here's her patio:

    And her two Scottish Terriers, who are usually black:

    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

    by 1plain1peanut on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 03:23:02 PM PDT

    • These are fantastic (0 / 0)

      Snow means work, but I love the beauty of it - there's nothing like that blanket of silence that happens when out while it's snowing...oh, and the funny creaking noise that sometimes happens underfoot.

      The picture of your Mom's dogs is wonderful.  Are they just thinking "could you open the damn door and let us back in already?"

      karen

      by karen m on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 05:51:09 PM PDT

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      • Dogs (0 / 0)

        "could you open the damn door and let us back in already?"

        Exactly!  They have short legs and they couldn't make it through the snow w/o my mom digging a path for them.  This is their first winter up north as my mom just moved up from Florida last July.  

        "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

        by 1plain1peanut on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 09:24:40 AM PDT

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    • looks like spring (0 / 0)

      from here... ;-)
      the snow on my deck comes up over halfway up my sliders.  I can't open them again until May probably.

      by MKatherine1966 on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 06:19:34 PM PDT

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    • Her dogs (0 / 0)

      Her dogs are so cute!

      We have a Scottie mix.

      by NJmom on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 06:37:39 AM PDT

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  • sigh... (0 / 0)

    I know, I know. Snow sucks. I remember losing power for a week at a time and having to bury our freezer contents in a snow drift. I remember all the crappy stuff. But you know what? I really miss it. And I can't believe that my kids will never have a snow day in their lives. I'm feeling really homesick right now. And you'd think I'd be over that after ten years!

    Lucky I'm visiting Rachel in July. Ski fields, here I come!

    by aussieyank on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 03:42:31 PM PDT

    • I lived in Florida (0 / 0)

      for a few years and never missed it.  That said, I lived in Chicago before that, which gets a lot of snow.  

      I don't mind it living in the Columbus area, because we don't get a ton of it here.  So, this is record breaking for us.  I just found out our UU Church, among other churches, cancelled their services tomorrow.  The whole city has shut down for the weekend!

      "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

      by 1plain1peanut on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 03:57:22 PM PDT

      [ Parent ]

      • You know what I think it is? (0 / 0)

        It's the whole cultural thing. There is a large percentage of this state that has never seen snow or ice. And never will. Their entire lives. So they really don't understand...you get comments from kids like "I would tie bags around my feet and go sliding on the snow!". Ummmm...not quite.

        So it's just another manifestation of culture shock for me. They don't understand. They never will. And my kids will at least see snow...but they'll never really live with it. So it's another part of my childhood and life that will always be a bit foreign and weird to them.

        by aussieyank on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 05:08:13 PM PDT

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  • One more neat photo (0 / 0)

    from my mom's patio....

    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

    by 1plain1peanut on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 03:58:10 PM PDT

  • check out this slide show (0 / 0)

    on our local news affiliate website-- scroll down the page to 'big snow slideshow"

    now THAT's snow my friend :-)

    snow slideshow

    note also the 'interactive pothole map'  - ah NH

    by MKatherine1966 on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 06:22:28 PM PDT

    • Yup. (0 / 0)

      That did it. Not homesick anymore. Now I remember just how depressing March was. Dark. Dreary. Cold. Can't go anywhere.

      I'm going to the beach now for the annual "Sculpture by the Sea". We're having fish and chips and a swim and we'll watch the sun set. I'll leave the snow to you.

      by aussieyank on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 06:32:59 PM PDT

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    • Whoa... (0 / 0)

      The first picture is something else with the guy diggin out his front door.  That's some serious snow!

      "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

      by 1plain1peanut on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 09:21:13 AM PDT

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  • Oy. (0 / 0)

    We went to the beach yesterday. Not to swim, just to enjoy the sunshine and collect some seashells. Maya suddenly announced she wanted the beach and we realized...holy crap, we CAN just up and decide to go! So we did.

    I can handle snow on vacations, and that's about it. Despite living through 4 Boston winters, I'm a wimpy Californian, through and through.

    Snow sure is pretty, though. :-)

    by Erika on Sat Mar 08, 2008 at 08:24:45 PM PDT

  • Bet the kids love it (0 / 0)

    I wouldn't mind something like that, say once a year.  The trouble with Minnesota is you get little bits in December...and January...and February...and March...and sometimes April.  And I hate it!  It's snowing right now - very pretty - but it's supposed to be in the 40s this week and I am so EXCITED!  And we haven't had a really good snow day yet, so that would be OK as well.

    by cynmill on Sun Mar 09, 2008 at 12:16:43 PM PDT

  • Record Setting (0 / 0)

    We ended up with about 24" out where I am between Friday and Saturday's storm.  Out at the airport where they keep the official records for Columbus, they got 20.4 inches breaking the old record (12.2 on 4/4/87) for a 24 hour snowfall.  Many school districts are cancelled today (not ours) as we all continue to dig out.  This is just way more snow than we are used to here!

    My aunt, who lives just north of the Waterloo/Kitchener area in Canada got the same storm.  Here's her backyard:

    Snow up to the top of the fence:

    Those two photos remind me of my childhood in the Chicago suburbs.  I remember the Blizzard of '78 when the snow was measured in feet.  Our town looked a lot like those photos Katie linked to in NH.

    "We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of the dream..."

    by 1plain1peanut on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 05:49:53 AM PDT

  • My mom in Ohio (0 / 0)

    noted that the forecast for Saturday was "chance of snow."

    How's that for an understatement?

    by minnmom on Mon Mar 10, 2008 at 06:47:33 AM PDT

Permalink | 39 comments