Wow - they closed the interstates in PA!

[PaulaSue]

They closed all the roads in JAn of 96 for 3 days....

Love living in PA!

 

[JenSop]

They closed all the roads in JAn of 96 for 3 days....

Love living in PA!

I remember that year! I was home on winter break and the plows didn't come down my parents road until day 3 of the event. I didn't realize other roads were closed too!

This is insane! We're going out for another round of shoveling in the hopes that it will make tomorrow easier. *crossing fingers*

And I thought it WAS a state of emergency already, isn't it?

 

[mrodgers]

To my fellow PA'ers, can anyone remember that ever happening before?

I live 6 miles from I-80 old exit 5 (yeah, how long has it been and I still don't know the new exit numbers....)

They close I-80 all the time. Can I remember it ever happening? At least 3-4 times a year in the winter.

There's also unfortunate reasons for the interstates to close. There's a 2 dozen car pileup resulting in 1 death near Clearfield reported at 4:44 pm.

 

[padisneyfan]

I also remember in 1996 with the interstates being closed. That storm the plows didn't do my street either for 3 days. I think it is going to be the same with this one. We aren't even going to attempt to clean out our driveway until tomorrow AM. The hospital I work at asked people to stay over if possible and 4 wheel drives picked some people up. They were trying to discharge as many a possible prior to the storm.

Nancy

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

Ever since the Valentine's Day tabacle on I-78 in 2007 they have a new action plan for closing the major roads when they are too dangerous for travel. The roadways themselves were pretty clear this morning, but conditions went from bad to worse before lunchtime, especially on the ramps to get on/off. By 2pm I-78, 83 and part of 81 (MD to I80) were closed. Shortly thereafter I76(non-turnpike section), 476 and 676 in Phila. were closed, as was I176 between Reading and the PA Turnpike.

 

[jwfla422]

I've been watching on the internet and tv about all of this crazy snowfall. I just keep thanking myself over and over for moving to FL from PA many years ago!!

Ironically I had thought the last time I remembered that much snow in the Philly/SE PA area was back in 2/83 also!! Believe it or not I was a student at Kutztown University and I remember some of the kids jumping out of the 2nd and 3rd floor windows of the dorms into the snowbanks!!

Good luck to you all. Hope the end is soon to all this snow!! Sure does make us in South Fl seem like were in a heatwave at 50 degrees LOL!!

I remember the interstates being closed in Feb 1983. I was 9 month pregnant and snowed in. My neighbor kept calling me to make sure I wasn't in labor. When the snow finally stopped, everyone in my neighboorhood came over with their snowblowers to clear out our driveway. I was also stuck March 1993 at the Ramada Inn in Allentown for a hockey tournament and the interstates were closed then.

Nancy

 

[TheDisneyGirl02]

Ironically I had thought the last time I remembered that much snow in the Philly/SE PA area was back in 2/83 also!! Believe it or not I was a student at Kutztown University and I remember some of the kids jumping out of the 2nd and 3rd floor windows of the dorms into the snowbanks!!

During the snowstorm in 1983, my poor mom was in the hosptial and my dad was at home with my twin and me - we were three at the time! LOL Needless to say, my mom received many phone calls from my dad in the middle of the night! My poor mom!

I went to Kutztown too! They were closed today and are closed tomorrow! I think we only closed one time when I was going there...being snowed in at the dorms is interesting to say the least!

 

[LuvOrlando]

Uggh, if you can do it I say avoid PA for a day or so.

I'm in the Lehigh Valley and we are absolutely buried in snow. The thing of it is too, our municipalities are kind of small compared to NJ and they do goofy stuff like waiting until AFTER the snow falls to try and plow.

I can't remember if it was last year or the year before when a bunch of motorists got stuck on Route 78 for days because our snow removal protocols are so awful. Today they ran plows ONCE at around 2pm down the snow emergency routes and I haven't seen one since. My school district called school off for tomorrow because even the school officials know the roads won't be close to ok by tomorrow morning.

 

[JOCAmom]

Lehigh Valley here, too.

We actually live on a major road here and the plows have been by. A couple of times and the road is clear. But I don't even want to think about what the side streets all look like.

But even though our street is cleared right here, once you cross over city/township/municipality lines, you have no guarantee that the street will be clear.

I remember the Blizzard on 96 when everything was closed. We lived on a small side street and knew we wouldn't be seeing a plow for quite a while. I was 8 months pregnant and got a craving for some mint chocolate chip ice cream. Those were a miserable couple of days.

 

[mrs_hower726]

Lehigh Valley here, too.


I remember the Blizzard on 96 when everything was closed. We lived on a small side street and knew we wouldn't be seeing a plow for quite a while. I was 8 months pregnant and got a craving for some mint chocolate chip ice cream. Those were a miserable couple of days.

I live in Wilmington, DE and we've had a state of emergency since early this morning making it illegal for anybody but essential personnel on the street. During a broadcast on CBS, there was a man running in the snow and they got him to do a live interview.

The reason he was out: getting his pregnant wife some ginger ale!

 

[sunnyday123]

Still a state of emergency in Pa, De, MD and NJ I believe. We really got hammered with all this snow! They've called in the National Guard to get people off the roads ( who aren't supposed to be there in the first place ) so the police, fire and ambulance workers don't have to deal with them, and can handle true emergencies.

 

[Silent1CB]

Some go in before the storm starts or when it's still okay enough to get there and will stay until they can leave. Some will be picked up by people who have 4 wheel drive.

Here in MD they are sending the National Guard and/or snowplows with emergency vehicles.

Our governor is getting a tad irratated with people now. First there are the idiots who have no good reason for being out who either have accidents or get stuck and need to be rescued. Then there are the people who are whining about the fact that they aren't plowing down to pavement, not that their street hasn't been done at all, just that they can't see the pavement.

Blizzard of 78 the gov of RI & MA banned ALL vehicles from roads for the week so they could clean up. If they caught you, they arrested you & confiscated your vehicle. Especially if you were a truck with a snowplow, so they could use your truck to help clean the roads.

 

[locolala]

I have got cravings like mad over here, but luckily.. I can deal for now. They're saying we won't see a plow in this part of the county until Friday. Ugh.

If the sidewalks were clear I'd make DH walk to the gas station, but I don't think they're open lol.

 

[disneymarie]

The snow is so bad here in PA that they closed the interstate highways. The local news said that 78, 80, and 81 are closed!

To my fellow PA'ers, can anyone remember that ever happening before?

This storm is crazy - the worst in years for us here in the Lehigh Valley area.

I 80 had a 20+ vehicle pile up. Mostly tractor trailers. Snow plow slid off the interstate and is trying to be pulled out with heavy equipment.

THE VALENTINES STORM, was it 2007? Every Interstate in NE PA and Phila area was stand still. Hundreds had to be evacuated and stayed in shelters.

A month later a repeat was on St. Patricks Day another 14 inches, low and behold the following month, a week after Easter, another foot plus of snow April 7th or so....

We really lucked out on big storms this season, El Nino pushed them south,. So so good this time, the patterns shifted. Many DISers right on the heaviest belt of it in Skukyll, Carbon county. Clearfield really got hammered with 2 ft.
I am so ready for spring and warmth,

 

[diz4ever]

I live out in the country in York county, PA. Driveway is 350 feet long. DH and I are so tired of snowblowing the driveway. Don't know what the main road looks like. My refrigerator broke during the first storm and a new one was going to be delivered today (don't think that's happening!). We have been living out of a cooler on the back porch. DD is in Philly and is doing a rotation at an ER in NJ. Yesterday was her day off . Don't think she's making it there today either (1 1/2 hr drive for her on a good day). I think my van is under the snow somewhere out there but I really couldn't identify it. We are tired of snow . Please someone send some warmer weather and sun.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

My husband is in DE and is supposed to drive home to Pittsburgh tomorrow. He has been there for 3 weeks on business.

So is he going to make it?

 

[disneymarie]

My husband is in DE and is supposed to drive home to Pittsburgh tomorrow. He has been there for 3 weeks on business.

So is he going to make it?

He may be on his way by now, it is mostly patchy in our area I- 80W. The on and off ramps are terrible. I think if the turnpike goes West to your area is better then Interstate I 80 W. This area is still pretty rough going. As the day goes on it may improve.
BUT< the lower area were the west turnpike runs through Harrisburg got a ton more snow. Calling 511 will give him the most updated info. I know all interstates were closed in our area until this morning, not sure about Harrisburg area roads.
Reduced speed limit to 45 mph through the area too.

 

[TaraPA]

I78 is still closed in PA - they're hoping to re-open by noon today. No school, no work again!

 

[marcyinPA]

Wasn't it just last year that people were stuck for many hours on 78 and it was closed....I seem to recall 12-18 hours??

I think it was Valentine's Weekend, 2007. I think that's what I heard on Channel 69 yesterday.

There is a lot of snow out there, but not more than the Blizzard of 96. OMG....that one was a doozie! I don't remember if they closed highways or not...I just remember that our street was not plowed for a week, and people in our neighborhood had to walk everywhere! My oldest (now 14) was 7 months old and we carried him around in a baby backpack to the store!

 

[padisneyfan]

We have our driveway cleaned out and the cars can now be seen again since the snow is off them. Took us 2 1/2 hrs to do it and we have a snowblower. My street has not been plowed and even though we have a 4x4 truck it is to deep for the truck to even go down the street.

I am tired of preparing meals. Hopefully sometime today the plow will go through and we can get out.

Nancy