Snowed in at work - UPDATED

[JESW]

We are in SE MA and the schools must be real happy with themselves as they got all the kids home before the roads got too bad - ds got out at 11:30 and dd got out at 12:10..snow started here around 12. Dh had a con-call this afternoon that he could do at home so he was here before 1:00 and he had a tough commute even at that time. I was able to get to the p.o. this morning to mail 2 packages and got home before the snow and before the kids. Looking at the news it looks like a mess all around....hope everyone gets home ok!

This is waaaaaay too early for this kind of snow! I just booked a june Disney trip and now I am worried that the kids will still be in school then due to snow days...

Jill

 

[D&R love Disney]

I left Milton, Ma at 2:50 and I got home 4:10 going 14 miles. Luckily I was able to put my car in the garage at work and took home the company SUV.

DH is out plowing and it's been a mess on the state roads.

 

[Crankyshank]

I am still at work. Still waiting on the plows to come - people can't leave the parking lot because of all of the snow. I am so angry and disgusted with state officials for yet another serious cluster regarding traffic. People have been stuck on the hwys for 6+ hours trying to get home in a small amount of snow! A fire truck was stuck on the on ramp for an hour without being able to move - that's just disgusting.

And people need to stop driving in the breakdown lanes!!!!!!!

 

[Crankyshank]

We are in SE MA and the schools must be real happy with themselves as they got all the kids home before the roads got too bad - ds got out at 11:30 and dd got out at 12:10..snow started here around 12. Dh had a con-call this afternoon that he could do at home so he was here before 1:00 and he had a tough commute even at that time. I was able to get to the p.o. this morning to mail 2 packages and got home before the snow and before the kids. Looking at the news it looks like a mess all around....hope everyone gets home ok!

Schools are part of the problem here - all of the schools were released at the same time when the snow started. Traffic backed up because the roads were so bad. Plows can't get through because all roads are parking lots. And our governor is in Iraq

 

[debster812]

My 40 minute commute took me 4 hours. I'm not too far from Jenn either.

I spent 2 hours on Rt 138 in Canton today, and went a mile and 2/10ths. Finally was able to turn around, go the long way, and finally made it home.

Jenn--you were the smart one. I have a couple of co-workers who are still holed up at work. They think they're going to spend the night at the office. There is a 99 Restaurant that they're going to walk to for dinner, and then head back.

 

[flipturngirl]

wow.. i am sorry about the bad weather+

 

[WILDTREEGAIL]

My daughter-in-law left work at 1:00 this afternoon fron Pawtucket. Made it as far as Charles St. in Providence by 5:00 when the car quit. She was stuck in the car with my 5 month old grandson until family finally made it to them at 6:30. She called 911 and they refused to help. Told her to stop and get a coffee until the traffic cleared up. Her Dad had to walk from Atwood to Charles St. to rescue her. I just got the phone call that everybody has made it home safe at 7:30. Buddy's on TV playing Mon morning quarterback about what I would have done better had I still been mayor!!

 

[ekball]

I am still at work. Still waiting on the plows to come - people can't leave the parking lot because of all of the snow. I am so angry and disgusted with state officials for yet another serious cluster regarding traffic. People have been stuck on the hwys for 6+ hours trying to get home in a small amount of snow! A fire truck was stuck on the on ramp for an hour without being able to move - that's just disgusting.

And people need to stop driving in the breakdown lanes!!!!!!!

I hear ya! I'm in CT and the roads were a MESS today! I left work at 11:15 (thank God!) and they were a mess already. My usual 45 minute drive took 2.5+ hours. Highways were actually shut down (traffic actually stopped where it was) so that plows could get through to clear the roads. Tractor trailers have been banned from CT highways (can't remember the last time that happened). A mess....but it sure is pretty!!! Hang in there and drive safe when you can get out!!

 

[StrollPatrolMom]

"Supposedly" as of this morning here in southern NH we were only getting 1-3 inches. Unh-huh

I had my mom drive down to babysit for a doctor's appointment and my 20 minute drive took an hour and a half. They had basically closed a major road that goes from southern ME into NH because some ding dong went off of the road on a steep hill and the 20 or so cars behind her who had to stop (well, the ones that didn't have 4wd) could not get up the hill and had to be towed one by one. Good times.

My dad had a cardio appointment in Boston and on the way back it took him 3 hours just to get to Newburyport

We seriously have at least 8 inches....8 inches..one inch. Totally the same thing....

 

[mudnuri]

2 years ago I waited at school for almost 2 hours after an early dismissal with one of my students and her sisters. Her parents were stuck 45 minutes away from school. Luckily I live really close by, so it wasn't a long drive home for me. Today wasn't too bad. We had a 12:45 early dismissal, and most of my parent pick up kids were gone by 1:00. The roads her are horrible- we're supposed to get 12" by the time the storm is over

how does your district deal with early releases for snow? here, our highway department has the mindset that it's better to keep the busses parked, to give them time to clear the roads- we have tons of dirt roads here that they can't dump salt on....but anyway- how do they notify the parents? I saw some on the news this morning- so they'd know ahead of time, but if it's decided during the day- does someone have to call every parent or emergency contact? I can't imagine how it works

Brandy

 

[debster812]

how does your district deal with early releases for snow? here, our highway department has the mindset that it's better to keep the busses parked, to give them time to clear the roads- we have tons of dirt roads here that they can't dump salt on....but anyway- how do they notify the parents? I saw some on the news this morning- so they'd know ahead of time, but if it's decided during the day- does someone have to call every parent or emergency contact? I can't imagine how it works

Brandy

Our school system has a "Reverse 911" system. An automated message gets sent to every primary contact, and then it runs through the secondary, and tertiary (geez, when do you EVER get to use that word?) contact.

We did not have early dismissal today, but in the past, I've gotten messages at home, on my cell, and on DH's cell.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Mudnuri...TV, radio, and online. One TV channel is keeping info running at the bottom.

Just before 8 PM, it was on the news that there are still Providence kids stuck on busses trying to get home!! Can you imagine?? And they must have to go to the bathroom at some point! Do you just let them out on the roads?? Ugh!

DH called after 7:30...they left at 5:00 PM for a 5 mile drive to the restaurant for their Christmas party and had just arrived. Some other employees hadn't arrived yet, but the ones who did are so hungry they're going to start without them. I hope he gets home tonight!

Jen, I don't know how much snow we've gotten, but it is above the dog's belly, and he's a German Shepherd.

Hope you can get home tonight! Stay safe.

 

[paras4ri]

I am still at work. Still waiting on the plows to come - people can't leave the parking lot because of all of the snow. I am so angry and disgusted with state officials for yet another serious cluster regarding traffic. People have been stuck on the hwys for 6+ hours trying to get home in a small amount of snow! A fire truck was stuck on the on ramp for an hour without being able to move - that's just disgusting.

And people need to stop driving in the breakdown lanes!!!!!!!

Just wondering if you've made it home yet. Gotta love our great state. A week ago, when it was raining more than snowing they had tons of sand on the roads. Today people can't even move on the highways - I can't believe they're still jammed at this hour.

 

[ZPT1022]

It just started snowing here in southern Maine about half an hour ago, and the roads are really slippery. I just got home with my groceries. My husband was supposed to travel to Connecticut tonight, but the place of business he was going to has shut down for the day. Guess it's bad down there.

CT is/was a nightmare today.

Mare, it's the ijoy massager from Linens N Things with the massaging ottoman.
I'm glad your DD got the flat before the snow started. There are breakdowns everywhere around here. Providence is a mess - co-worker's husband literally just arrived to get her and he left Lincoln @ 1:00

I wonder if the bar next door is still open and selling food

Did you ever get home? If not, I hope you went to the bar and tied one on

I hear ya! I'm in CT and the roads were a MESS today! I left work at 11:15 (thank God!) and they were a mess already. My usual 45 minute drive took 2.5+ hours. Highways were actually shut down (traffic actually stopped where it was) so that plows could get through to clear the roads. Tractor trailers have been banned from CT highways (can't remember the last time that happened). A mess....but it sure is pretty!!! Hang in there and drive safe when you can get out!!

Were you stuck on I-84 too? I went to Trader Joes in West Hartford, normally a 15-20 minute trip. It took me FOUR HOURS to get home. I was cursing the CT River the whole time because if it weren't for crossing the river I wouldn't have needed the backroads. Sure enough, get off the highway and things are actually moving, not like the parking lot 84 was.

Just before 8 PM, it was on the news that there are still Providence kids stuck on busses trying to get home!! Can you imagine?? And they must have to go to the bathroom at some point! Do you just let them out on the roads?? Ugh!

That's crazy!! my 15-20 minute trip home took 4 hours this morning into afternoon and I am so thankful that I made my two six year olds go potty before we left the store. They complained but I made them "try" and TG they both went because they were dying to go by the time we finally got home. I was sincerely hoping that they would be able to make it, or at least last til I got off the highway and could pull into a parking lot somewhere

 

[Beth76]

OMG! This is just all so crazy. Especially the kids who were still on the busses so late. Has it at least stopped snowing now?

I just checked our forecast and it looks like we're supposed to get a few inches on Saturday. At least we won't have to worry about going anywhere. But I have to get snow pants for my kids and make sure thier boots from last year fit.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Jen, did you get home??

Some kids in Providence got home at 11 PM! Spent HOURS on the bus. I'm sure there's a whole lot of fingerpointing in Providence today. AND...there's school in Providence today; I think there was an hour delay. Most towns around here (RI, southeastern MA) have school, with a delayed start.

More bad weather this weekend and next. I better get my Christmas shopping done when the weather's good.

 

[Crankyshank]

I left work at 10pm when the plow FINALLY showed up. The head of DOT was on the radio saying the major roads were all clear. He needs an English dictionary so he knows the correct definition of "clear". 95N onramp by the mall was blocked off. I got on the 6-10 and had to weave around abandoned cars in the middle of the hwy.

Seriously, it was like "The Stand" with all of the abandoned vehicles.

The Mayor had to be told there was still kids on buses. He didn't know! No one in charge knew about 60 missing buses until after 6pm. The head of DOT said there was only 10 accidents yesterday. A state police LT said there was 75 accidents they dealt with by 6pm.

12:40am N Providence cop comes to my door (and everyone on my street) waking everyone up to move their cars for the plows. Plows didn't come until my street until 12:45am.
This morning roads were clear UNTIL I got to the Providence line. You need 4wd to get around the STATE CAPITAL, especially to the hospitals. All for under a foot of snow. The Governor in Iraq and no one stepping up to be in charge. Can you imagine if this was a terrorist attack? Holy crap!!!

 

[Heidict]

Wow, Jenn, I am shocked and that big ole cluster** that Providence became yesterday!! I can't believe that the Providence was that bad off!!! Missing school buses. I'm even surprised I didn't hear all of you guys yelling down here in CT, because i'm sure you were all making a very loud recus about that. Wonder who's heads are going to roll when the gov gets back?

I left work yesterday at noon, drove for an hour, got my DD at the in-laws, made my way to to grocery store and then home. All told, I made it home at 1.30. Not to bad, considering how quickly it was coming down and how quickly the roads became and absolute mess. A couple of hours later and our highways were barely moving at all.

Here's hoping for warm temps and sun to melt all this white stuff!!

 

[Crankyshank]

It was a CF of epic proportions. I am embarrassed for the state and city officials, and angry over the absolute blatant lies the Mayor, and the head of DOT have been saying about how prepared they were for the storm.

I can't imagine how scary it must have been for the poor Providence school children on the busses having to use a wastebasket for a toliet. Too make matters worse, I found this quote in the paper :"Providence Emergency Management Agency Director Leo Messier said that the school bus situation is inconvenient, but that children have cell phones to call their parents and they will get home eventually"

 

[Sir Ron]

Now, do they pay you for being trapped? lol Man I would have taken the day off if I could! haha