Who Is Ready For Some Snow This Weekend?

[sam_gordon]

no, direct flight thankfully, but still nervous.

I get it. Depending on where you plane and crew are coming from could also affect things. Hopefully you can leave before things get too bad.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

I just read yesterday we should cover/wrap our pipes/valves outside. We never did this. Did you buy something specific for the water spouts?

Hardware stores often sell insulated covers for things like spigots if you want something premade. The only issue is that if you're in an area expected to be impacted, many stores are already sold out. Still, it can't hurt to call around and check. There's a Whataburger cup hack that some people swear by but I've seen plumbers saying it's simply not enough. I know some people swear by using cut pool noodles. For something smaller like a an outside spout/spigot, the easiest route many take is wrapping it with a rag and then covering with a plastic bag (like a heavier duty garbage bag). Duct tape is the best way to secure both layers. It may be overkill, but I go with a number of fabric layers and then use mylar emergency blankets for my plastic wrap covering on the outside.

 

[lanejudy]

I'm not saying Disney has a policy for when people have hurricanes affecting their travel plans at home.

That isn't true. WDW's hurricane policy also goes into effect if a warning is issued for your place of residence, even if Orlando isn't anticipated to be impacted. I believe the PP was lamenting the fact that WDW does have the hurricane policy but not for other weather events. I can't say why but probably because snow and ice are such "regular" weather in much of the country, and WDW is typically very lenient on cancellations anyway.

For clean up? That is the worst possible scenario if it is just stopping Sunday morning. Being on the weekend is good for worse storms when it's a system that rolls in Friday night and leaves by Saturday morning latest Saturday afternoon. It allows enough time for the plows to go round the clock, 12 hour shifts multiple passes come in with pick up trucks for the cul-de-sacs, etc.

That sounds like your road crews aren't trying to clean up until after the storm ends. Wrong way to go about it. They need to be on top of things during, and even before, the storm.

 

[loves to dive]

We live in northeast Georgia (just north of Atlanta) and are expecting ice. We are as prepared as you can be. Hubby filled the two propane tanks for the grill. He made sure we had gas for the portable generator and that it started. Push comes to shove we can plug in the microwave or coffee pot and heat up things or plug in the fridge for a half hour every now and again to keep it cool. We have a kerosene heater and plenty of kerosene that we can set up in the living room. The few times we have had to use it we set it up on top of a multi folded sheet in front of the fireplace with the flew open for the fumes to escape out of. All portable charges are fully charged. We have 3 pretty strong puck lights that take triple A batteries and we have sat the extra box of batteries out next to them. We have two oil lamps full of oil. We have multiple flashlights with fresh batteries. We plan on rinsing out the tub tomorrow before the ice hits and filling it so we can flush toilets. I have a case of water in bottles that I keep at all times in my car so we have plenty of water. We will also fill up my filtered water pitcher and a few regular pitchers with water so we can have water for coffee etc. We have sandwich meat, plenty of bread and hubby is going to make a huge pot of chili that can either be heated in the microwave or out on the grill. We have canned goods that we always keep in the pantry. It is supposed to start warming up here on Monday so the only issue will be if the power goes out how long will it take the crews to restore it. All the lines in our neighborhood are underground but the lines leading into them are above ground. We have a lot of trees in our back yard that are old and fairly big but not as healthy as they could be. If the wind were coming at the right direction one or two could possibly fall on the house but it is what it is.

 

[firefly_ris]

If any of you happen to have water shutoff valves for your outside spigots I would do that.

Ours are shut off all winter. I assume down south this might not be a common thing to have. But just in case you do thought I would mention it.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

If any of you happen to have water shutoff valves for your outside spigots I would do that.

Ours are shut off all winter. I assume down south this might not be a common thing to have. But just in case you do thought I would mention it.

Definitely not the norm here. Most people who use shutoff methods here are forced for bleed their entire system (advised to have it done by a pro) and then shut off water completely until temps make it safe to turn the water back on for the entire house. Sounds like a nice feature to request if we were to do new construction.

 

[piglet1979]

The prediction here keeps changing. Our local meteorologist team that I watch is saying about 6-9 inches but have said this is most likely a low number and will most likely go up. I have see somewhere that says up to 18 inches of snow. They said it will be fluffy snow so hard to tell how much.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

That sounds like your road crews aren't trying to clean up until after the storm ends. Wrong way to go about it. They need to be on top of things during, and even before, the storm.

If you're talking about Missouri that is absolutely the case, roads don't often get plowed for days. They don't have the money to get more snow plows. If you're talking about the Kansas side that is not the case. However to understand that is to understand how they do it.

For my particular city (I'm on the Kansas side): The priority is main roads, then it's arterial roads (of which I have 1 in my main neighborhood), then it's smaller roads within neighborhoods and cul-de-sacs (of which is most of my neighborhood). You can follow the plows via GPS. In cul-de-sacs they often use pick up trucks with plows attached because the snow plows can't adequately get through them due to their size and turning radius. IF it is large enough snow they will use a snow plow to come through and make a pass that only does the middle of the cul-de-sac then pick up trucks come through and finish the job. Each storm they rotate the order so that someone's street isn't always the first to get done. They will come through during the snow system but the severity of it dictates the priority and frequency. Their main priority in a big major storm is not my street, it's the main roads so when the snow falls they will concentrate more on getting the main roads continuously cleared. A normal storm for us is not 9 inches it's 2-3 inches sometimes more than that. When it's high numbers it takes a lot.

Next is pre-treatment of roads including the beet-juice brine but pre-treatment is less effective at certain temps. With the temps we are getting this weekend it won't be as effective. The last major storm back in January 2025 it rained beforehand which wiped away most of the pre-treatment. That storm January 2025 they came through they plowed our street twice while it was snowing but didn't get back to it after it had stopped for a while (I think we got 10-11 inches that system).

I rarely have complaints about snow removal in my area but I cannot control the rest of my metro. I cannot control the multiple cities. For example the airport where my husband needs to go on Monday afternoon for his flight is located on the other side of the state line. We cannot control how MODOT does their roads but they are always worse than KDOT's way. KCMO for example just started pre-treating their roads several years ago and were shocked that it helped. It's very predictable that once you cross state lines there is all of a sudden more accidents. Indeed MODOT got raked through the coals with the only other storm we have had this season (it's been very mild) because they lied and said they pre-treated when they didn't actually pre-treat.

When I made my comment I was talking about THIS storm and it's predicted amount of snow for my area. Normal snow for us is not an issue with clearing the streets. This is not a normal snow for us. Neither was the January 2025 system which shut down the airport for 1 1/2 days.

 

[firefly_ris]

Definitely not the norm here. Most people who use shutoff methods here are forced for bleed their entire system (advised to have it done by a pro) and then shut off water completely until temps make it safe to turn the water back on for the entire house. Sounds like a nice feature to request if we were to do new construction.

Ouch, bummer. But I guess that makes sense. We installed shut offs all over the place. Spigots, the lines that feed the 2nd story bathroom plumbing, the furnace humidifier, etc. This way we can isolate anything if there happens to be an issue whether that is a frozen pipe or busted line.

I'm always amazed at my friend's house in Anaheim CA -- their hot water tank is outside!

 

[lanejudy]

If you're talking about Missouri that is absolutely the case

My reply was in regards to discussion about a storm on the weekend vs during the week, and you posted the opinion that a storm on the weekend takes longer to clear. I made a simple comment that waiting until the storm ends is not the best way to go about cleaning up streets. Especially if it's a larger-than-usual amount of snow.

 

[focusondisney]

Ouch, bummer. But I guess that makes sense. We installed shut offs all over the place. Spigots, the lines that feed the 2nd story bathroom plumbing, the furnace humidifier, etc. This way we can isolate anything if there happens to be an issue whether that is a frozen pipe or busted line.

I'm always amazed at my friend's house in Anaheim CA -- their hot water tank is outside!

We’re in Buffalo are too. Our house is 53 years old. My husband actually had all our shut off valves replaced over the last year. The original valves were wheel handles that were starting to corrode. He had ball valves installed everywhere, including the lines to the washer. I hadn’t even realized they would need replacing, so I’m really glad he was on it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

My reply was in regards to discussion about a storm on the weekend vs during the week, and you posted the opinion that a storm on the weekend takes longer to clear. I made a simple comment that waiting until the storm ends is not the best way to go about cleaning up streets. Especially if it's a larger-than-usual amount of snow.

No I didn't post that a weekend takes longer to clear The poster had said being on the weekend it would be better. I talked about how that's not universally the case. The length it takes to clear depends on each and every system. The ramifications of that also depends on each and every system. Assuming it being on the weekend means less effect is what I spoke about.

It now is potentially supposed to stop snowing between noon and 4pm on Sunday an even worse situation, the larger range of snow potential hinges on that second system Saturday night into Sunday. Because of when it is happening and stopping it means it will bleed into Monday potentially Tuesday depending on the areas and even into Wednesday (especially for the Missouri side). If it was a Friday to early Saturday event that means it allows for more time before the next work and school week to get cleaned up. Both on the weekend but ending early evening Sunday (or morning too) doesn't allow for as much time for people who have to get out on the roads the following week. Timing of the storm system matters a great deal than just saying it's on a weekend so it's better, that's what I was talking about. It doesn't take into consideration the workers who have to work and getting all the thousands of miles worked on. A weekend storm doesn't mean your next work/school week won't be impacted. If schools cancel Monday for the wind chill factors that will help on that part.

With all due respect you made a criticism towards something you made an assumption on. It might have seemed like a simple statement to you but my comments didn't indicate that what I was speaking about was the result of incompetent storm operations. I spoke about the reality of large storm systems here that tend to have a ripple effect for a while. Being between two states and having to pass through multiple cities all the time to get to places isn't as straightforward.

 

[#1hoosierfan]

I think we are supposed to get 12-15 inches of snow. The ice/sleet line is just south of us. I hope it doesn't creep up. Ice on top of that much snow would be very bad. Very cold through all of next week. Thankfully, we have a woodburning stove and two fireplaces, so we won't freeze if the power goes out. We did get a generator last year for peace of mind. Usually when power goes out for days at a time in our area it is due to high wind events.

 

[jo-jo]

We are looking at 4-8" of snow here in the Bangor area, Monday into Tuesday. We already have well over a foot on the ground. I'm so over winter, but I'll take snow any day rather than ice.

If you are stocking up on food, remember to consider your cooking options if the power is out. Eggs/french toast won't do you any good if there's no way to cook it. Some things I've learned is to have coolers ready; if the power goes out, move your fridge perishables to the coolers and set them outside. There is often enough insulation from the cooler to keep things like milk, cheese, and veggies from freezing. If you are on a well, fill your tubs with water so you can "flush" the toilet if the power goes out. Do your laundry, make sure there are no dirty dishes in the dishwasher. If you have a propane grill, remember that you can boil water on it and then make coffee via the old fashioned drip method. (Obviously you can use the grill for cooking, too.) We would have lost our minds if we couldn't make coffee during the week we were without power!

In the past , we have used a cement paver, cast iron pan, rack and sterno to cook indoors. I just put several 2 lt bottles with water outside. Let them freeze, if we lose power, toss them in the fridge to help a bit. I don't want to put food outside, cause every time we open the door, that's more heat lost. If we lose power, we lose everything. We do have a jackery 4 K, so enough to keep fridge/ freezer going for a while. But would only last a few hours with space heater. I plan to plug heating pad into jackery and hide under several blankets.

Now to the important stuff....coffee. Once the storm starts , I plan to make a thermos of coffee. We'll need the coffee to figure out how to make coffee without power. LOL

 

[easyas123]

Now to the important stuff....coffee. Once the storm starts , I plan to make a thermos of coffee. We'll need the coffee to figure out how to make coffee without power. LOL

Yes! Our plan is heating water over fire or on grill and using the french press. We have the major food groups so we are good to go - vodka, cheese, coffee, firewood, books and wine

Last I checked we are due a foot of snow then sleet & ice. I'm prepared but life goes on, I'm going out shopping tomorrow for some baby shower gifts I need. Considering going to the movies or out to lunch. Already touched base with the two first responders and once wheelchair bound neighbor since I have a tractor and can plow their driveways if we get measurable snow. Nothing left to do but wait to decide if I close the offices or not Monday, and I can't make that call until Sunday or Monday morning. Everyone has laptops and can work from home, well unless we have no internet or power. Nothing to be done if that's the case.

 

[crazy4wdw]

It appears the area where I live will now receive much less ice accumulation than was predicted. But the upper northeast portion of the state is going to be hit hard with an ice storm.

 

[lanejudy]

It being the weekend is actually not as good as people may think. You still have a ton of people who are expected to go to work especially retail and food and there's not much time to clean up before the following week.

No I didn't post that a weekend takes longer to clear

I'm not going to argue. I made a comment, that's all.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

Ouch, bummer. But I guess that makes sense. We installed shut offs all over the place. Spigots, the lines that feed the 2nd story bathroom plumbing, the furnace humidifier, etc. This way we can isolate anything if there happens to be an issue whether that is a frozen pipe or busted line.

I'm always amazed at my friend's house in Anaheim CA -- their hot water tank is outside!

It's funny but about an hour ago, my boss was just talking about a plan for his in-laws' house and how it's basically an all or nothing with plumbing here. Long story but the house is vacant, on the market, and it's either drain the entire system and shut off the water or leave it on a slow drip and pray nothing bursts or overflows while it's inaccessible due to iced over roads.

The norm here seems to be to put the hot water heater in the attic. It can be catastrophic if it leaks, but it's also insanely expensive if you have one die since they charge extra by the number of floors they have to climb for removal and installation.

 

[soccerdad72]

Younger son's college has already cancelled classes for Monday. I don't know if they would normally make that call so early, but it's the first day of classes and students are all travelling back this weekend. Our son is still planning to leave tomorrow morning to get settled in before the snow really starts coming on Saturday night.

 

[TiggerTrigger]

School districts here are all now canceling for Monday. I guess at least I don't have to worry about DD17 trying to drive to school.