plumtreeblossom: (winter)
plumtreeblossom ([personal profile] plumtreeblossom) wrote2008-12-18 02:52 pm

Let It Snow (fercrissake)

So who can tell me about this "storm" supposedly coming? The weather on Boston.com simply described it as ordinary snow, nothing to get worked up about. But everyone at work is all "the storm, the STORM!"

What don't I know?

[identity profile] xiphias.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Just that it's mainly going to drop during rush hour tomorrow.

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, I see. I ask because I'm taking the Amtrak to Rochester NY on Saturday. But it takes a lot of snow to stop the Amtrak from running.

[identity profile] buxom-bey.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Weather.com has light snow beginning at noon, and heavy snow with a a severe weather warning starting around 3pm.
mizarchivist: (boston)

[personal profile] mizarchivist 2008-12-18 08:24 pm (UTC)(link)
IMO, our little metropolis is REALLY good at being hysterical about the weather. Yeah, sometimes we get an ice storm, but then there's every other time. It's why there won't be any bread or milk in the grocery store by tomorrow night. There must be some group consciousness about the blizzard of '78 that just doesn't go away.

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
There is always hype...definitely. However, those of us with cars or who had to deal with Commuter Rail last year during the snow storm that dumped a lot of snow very fast in just a few hours do not relish the idea of spending 5 hours to get from MIT to Salem or waiting 2-3hrs for a Commuter train that will get us where we need to go.
mizarchivist: (Bookworm hides)

[personal profile] mizarchivist 2008-12-18 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
No doubt! Sometimes the snow is, in fact, a menace. However, I think that it's often the city's collective reaction that causes more trouble than the actual snow.

Good luck on this week's precipitation

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, of course. implied impending doom causes anxiety and chaos in a population that can't seem to drive normally, less so in the rain and especially when these alien, white crystalline structures start their float of doom upon the poor souls of Our Fair Citytm.

[identity profile] kencf0618.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
My girlfriend, a Bostonian who currently resides in Portland, Oregon, would whole-heartedly agree.

[identity profile] vibrantabyss.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:45 pm (UTC)(link)
No kidding. I was driving to Union this morning. It took me 10 minutes to crawl from the Maaco to the Marketbasket. When I finally got close, I could see that people were so desperate to get in there that there were two cars from the opposing direction blocking the road side-by-side, no way for them to enter the lot at all as it was fully backed up. And when it did start to move those two drivers jockeyed and beeped and fought with eachother to see who would be left blocking traffic....

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:13 pm (UTC)(link)
I remember after Y2K New Years when nothing bad happened, there were people who were seriously disappointed that that there was no apocalypse. Because what were they going to do with 10 years worth of canned goods and a water purifier? :-)

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)
I stay away from media outlets and go straight to the EasternUSWX.com Forums that's where most of the NWS Forecasters and the volunteer Skywarn spotters (aka Weather NEEEEERRRRRDDDDSSSS) like myself hang out reading, translating and prognostigating over models.

Also, pay attention to what the BOS NWS Forecasters are actually saying. They try not to hype.

Anyway, they are a bit more candid and ponderous on the Forums....

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:32 pm (UTC)(link)
So what would you say are my chances of my Amtrak trip (departing noon on Saturday) being more or less unaffected by this snow?

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, that's encouraging. I switched from flying to taking the train for this annual trip a few years ago to avoid the psychotic bullshit at Logan. The ride takes a whole day but its so worth it for avoiding stress.

[identity profile] vanguardcdk.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Even when the weather is good Amtrak is much less stressful than Logan..add high winds and snow..no contest.

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
In theory, you're right. The rails do pretty well when it snows. But you're going into the great snowy North. Might be a good idea to keep an eye on the Upstate NY thread for this storm, or of that is far too much noise maybe a post to the ne.transportation or misc.transport.rail.americas Usenet groups.

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Lulz. That Upstate NY thread is so funny. They're totally excited for the snow and are celebrating. :-) And Upstate NY is exactly where I'm going!

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Most Weather geeks and the forecasters get very excited by weather events. A lot of them/us are Stormchasers as well.

[identity profile] lillibet.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Has [livejournal.com profile] audioboy told you about his hurricane-expert pal? Sounds like the two of you would have a lot of fun together.

[identity profile] vanguardcdk.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:25 pm (UTC)(link)
As stated a lot of it is the timing and people remembering the snowstorm-commute from heck last year.

Also I think part of it is just the first big snow-storm of the season has everybody gabbing about it.

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
That was really awful. The one day my wife had to take the car in so she could drop something at the office. We should have just left it and taken the train home but we had no way of knowing what we'd be in for when the State and City let everyone out at the same time.
bex77: (Default)

[personal profile] bex77 2008-12-18 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
It's very important to make it sound awful, so the boss will let us out early! :)

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, as [livejournal.com profile] tikva tweeted, the Governor us considering making all non-essential personnel stay home and asking businesses to let workers stay home as well - an early warning that he will make such a call at 5am tomorrow at the latest.

[identity profile] taura-g.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, that would be lovely.

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Squeee, I get to work from home tomorrow!
bex77: (Default)

[personal profile] bex77 2008-12-18 09:26 pm (UTC)(link)
Did you hear that Boston has cancelled school? Joyeous just posted...she's a teacher.

[identity profile] bkdelong.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Yup. So has Arlington/Lexington, Salem, Danvers and many other places. Taking into account the several schools already closed due to the ice storm still, WCVB now lists 117 closings.

[identity profile] preraphaelite.livejournal.com 2008-12-19 12:37 am (UTC)(link)
But ARE THE COURTS CLOSED?????

[identity profile] oakenguy.livejournal.com 2008-12-19 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
The day AFTER my trial ends??!?

Oh, there will be profanity. There WILL be profanity.

[identity profile] dajt.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
I blame it on the fact that a lot of us haven't yet recovered from the ice storm. OTOH, after that, there probably aren't any more tree limbs left to come down on power lines. Around here, anyway.

[identity profile] majes.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:14 pm (UTC)(link)
The storm was talking trash about you, and sayin how it was going to be all up in your face and be like "Want some snow? How about now? How about now?" Snow storms are such jerks.

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
But the storm can bite me. I get to work from home tomorrow!

[identity profile] komos.livejournal.com 2008-12-18 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
According to the buzz in my office, a lot of it has to do with the state's not having fully recovered from the recent ice storm.

[identity profile] daisytells.livejournal.com 2008-12-19 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
I remember the Blizzard of '78. Seems the forecasters underestimated it, failed to predict that it just might be the Storm of the Century. Ever since then if there is a storm cloud on the horizon they habitually OVER-estimate it, throwing us all into a panic, causing a run on grocery stores and various closings, such as schools. Kids love it. Adults worry about driving in it. Most of the time it turns out to be just a boogyman, nothing much to get worked up about. Weathermen are just terrified at the thought that they might underestimate another Big One.
The only really big snow we had last year happened on the first day for Suffolk University classes to begin in January. It gave us a day off, an opportunity to go sledding on the Common for the kids, and a wonderful group of photo-ops for me. If you want to see what I am talking about here, I will post those pics on my LJ, if you request it.

[identity profile] plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com 2008-12-19 04:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I'd love to see the snow pictures!

[identity profile] billie0.livejournal.com 2008-12-19 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
But...I'm having a party tomorrow night. The weather won't dare interfere with that!

I should add I'm in Southern Ontario.
Edited 2008-12-19 03:58 (UTC)