Just to set the record straight - 2 feet of snow is a BIG deal

[NutmegYankee]

There seems to be some posters who are down playing receiving 2 feet of snow, saying "we've had 2 feet before". Yes, you have. But only 4 times since record keeping began has it exceeded 24 inches at Logan. These are big events and the wind element for this one makes it quite dangerous. The blizzard of 1978 claimed approximately 100 lives, surpassing that of most hurricanes striking the US. Not making a big deal about a storm can kill, as was shown in 1938 and 1978.

If you are annoyed that it seems to get hyped, think back to all the people who were without gasoline after Sandy. Many did not prepare adequately for the storm, no doubt a legacy of Hurricane Irene sparing NY city and smashing Conn, RI, Mass, and VT instead. Weather forecasters want you to take action so that you can ride out the storm safely and have the supplies needed for the aftermath. My concern tonight? Power outages.

[div style="display:inline; background-color:#CCFF99;"]Records from Boston Logan International Airport
1. February 17-18, 2003 27.5 inches
2. February 6-7, 1978 27.1 inches
3. February 24-27, 1969 26.3 inches
4. March 31-April 1, 1997 25.4 inches
5. January 22-23, 2005 22.5 inches
6. January 20-21, 1978 21.4 inches
7. March 3-5, 1960 19.8 inches
8. February 16-17, 1958 19.4 inches
9. February 8-10, 1994 18.7 inches
10. January 7-8, 1996 18.2 inches
10. December 20-22, 1975 18.2 inches
10. December 26-27, 2010 18.2 inches

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/gallery/12272010_biggest_blizzards/

[div style="display:inline; background-color:#FF6666;"]Hartford
1-Day Snowfall Date
24.0 1/12/2011
21.9 2/12/2006
17.7 12/29/1945
17.2 2/20/1934
16.7 12/19/1945

2-Day Snowfall Ending Date
24.0 1/13/2011
24.0 1/12/2011
21.9 2/13/2006
21.9 2/12/2006
21.0 2/12/1983

[div style="display:inline; background-color:#99CCFF;"]Providence
1-Day Snowfall Date
20.8 1/8/1996
18.3 2/4/1961
18.0 2/6/1978
16.4 1/23/2005
14.8 1/28/1943

2-Day Snowfall Ending Date
28.6 2/7/1978
23.4 1/23/2005
22.8 1/8/1996
20.8 1/9/1996
18.3 2/5/1961

Stay off the roads and stay safe!

[Bluzmann57]

1. We've had two feet of snow before

Couldn't leave the damn house for two days, which cost me a lot of money, not to mention having cabin fever. Yes, it is a big deal. Stay safe and warm out there.

[hrmjustin]

2. Here in Brooklyn we now have snow falling.

Sleet is mixed in and icing everything up. @ feet is punishment on those who have to shovel it.,
Stay safe everyone!

[JaneyVee]

10. Yeah, same here in Manhattan. It's seriously HEAVY snow, not that fluffy stuff.

[hrmjustin]

13. We still have sleet mixed in and the ground is full of ice.

[narnian60]

26. Thanks for the update.

My daughter lives in Brooklyn. I know she's safe at home but must be sleeping since she's not answering my texts.

[PotatoChip]

3. Two feet? Meh.

Teasing, of course.

Interesting stats. Thanks.

[NutmegYankee]

4. You're welcome.

It appears the Hartford 2 day total stats are messed up. I'll have to go run that NOAA query again later.

[malaise]

5. They downplay everything

Tropical Storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and snow storms.

If 3,000 canceled flights isn't serious - WTF is?

Stay safe

[oberliner]

6. Are you in CT?

If so, what part and how do things look?

[NutmegYankee]

7. Yes, I'm about 6 miles west of Norwich, CT

The snow has been light (maybe 2.5 inches so far) but the wind has started to pick up. The trees are starting to sway now.

[SheilaT]

8. How awful a particular amount of snowfall is

depends on such variables as: how quickly did it come down; are you in the middle of a big city, a small city, suburbs, out in the country; how good a job of snow removal is done; how long it stays cold.

I've lived in a number of different places, and have seen half an inch bring the DC area to a standstill, but three feet just barely slow down Golden, CO.

As someone pointed out in a different thread, in a city you don't just plow, you've got to pick up all the snow and dump it somewhere. Out in the country, you can just plow.

Here in Santa Fe, among the reasons they do such a crappy job of clearing the streets when it snows is that not only do we not often get more than a couple of inches, but usually the sun will come out within hours, or at least the next day, and the bright sunshine at this altitude will melt the snow on the city streets, even when the air temperature stays below freezing.

When I lived in Overland Park, KS, I was down the street two blocks from an elementary school. By street got sanded and chemicalled early and often.

[matt819]

9. Boston, Hartford, Providence are only three towns in New England

Sure, it's a big deal, but it's more of a pain - a pain we've lived through before. Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan. I hate the snow. But we deal with it. It's certainly easier to deal with 6" or 12", but we've also dealt with 24", thankfully not as frequently. So I guess "big deal" is relative.

All of that said, check with me at this time tomorrow and see if I'm still as nonchalant about it.

[NutmegYankee]

11. I was limited to who keeps official records (e.g. Airports)

[matt819]

14. I figured.

Just wanted to add my 2 cents.

That said, it's now 5:23 pm and we have not much accumulation but some nasty winds and blowing snow in southwestern NH. Thoroughly unpleasant.

[NutmegYankee]

16. I'll give you an update -

I can no longer see the houses across the street and the snow is sticking to the house. And I can start to hear the wind roar.

It's going to be a long night!

[PasadenaTrudy]

15. 2" would be too much for me n/t

[Sheldon Cooper]

17. Yes, it is a big deal.

I've shoveled my way out of a couple of two-footers, and it sucks. Power outages are the biggest concern - without a generator or a wood-burning device, no power means no heat. That leads to fatalities due to hypothermia and improperly vented makeshift heaters releasing too much CO. Stay safe, everyone.

[lpbk2713]

18. Here's a realtime web cam.

Nantasket Beach, a few miles SE of Boston.

The cam is mounted above a restaurant. You should normally be seeing a roadway, some parking spaces, the sidewalk, a seawall with a railing and then the beach and the surf in the distance. At this writing it is a mix of fog and snow and that's all.

[lynne]

19. We had 32 inches in No. Virginia, Feb 2010, "Snowmageddon" -

- and if Northern Virginia can handle that much, I'm sure our northern brothers and sisters will be fine. The key is to be prepared with food, Water, Water, and more WATER and a heat source to last about 5 days. Might not take other places that long to get dug out but we don't have a lot of snow equipment here. Plan on being without electricity. If you don't have the resources to get through 5 days with no power, go stay somewhere else before the snow hits.

That's what we did. Brought daughter and granddaughter to our place as we have a wood stove. Sure enough, power was lost. We hunkered down in one big room to stay warm. I cooked on the wood stove and on camping equipment. Put the contents of our fridge in laundry baskets and set them in the snow to stay cold.

We smelled bad and were tired of being with each other by the time life got back to normal but we managed. You have to plan ahead, stay inside, be smart. Do that and you'll be fine.

Best of luck to our northern friends!

[Riftaxe]

20. Depends on your frame of reference

It is an inconvenience in a city, but if you live north it just means the skiing just got better

My suggestion is turn off the TV and ignore the hype, and shovel as soon as the first foot is on the ground.

[smirkymonkey]

21. We''ll see. So far, so good.

Boston is holding up. However it remains to be seen how this goes over the evening.

[magical thyme]

22. especially when its heavy and wet, and then freezes...

The heavy wet stuff is what gives people heart attacks shoveling.

And the heavy wet and freezing stuff brings down power lines. I was stuck in my driveway one morning during a nor'easter when I was in clinical training. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When I was finally able to get on the road, it was daylight. There were power lines down on the winding, unlit back road I would have been traveling down in the dark. I could well have ended up tangled up in them Don't assume the tires will insulate you. The snow was deep, so the lines could have come in direct contact with my car. And the tires are wet and the electricity can travel up the water around them...

[gollygee]

23. 2 feet of snow is a lot

I'm in Michigan and we get that sometimes but it is a great deal of snow.

[BumRushDaShow]

24. Welcome to the Philly club

http://philadelphiaweather.blogspot.com/2010/02/epic-part-2.html

[Posteritatis]

25. Once you're past 30cm it definitely starts edging towards sucktown

My town got a meter overnight a few years ago. That was not optimal.

We're "only" expecting half of that tonight, but that's, well, also not optimal...