Snow...

[froggie]

The main problem on that Autobahn were near-hurricane force gusting (11 beaufort). If you plow the road, another snow dune will follow so quick you can't plow against that, especially in a sparsely populated area like northeastern Germany that doesn't have as much snowplows as central and southern Germany.

It's for similar reasons why you commonly see the Plains and Rockies states shut down Interstates during snowstorms.  Often, it's not that the plows can't keep up with the falling snow....instead, they can't keep up with the blowing snow.  All it takes is about 25 MPH or so of sustained wind to keep the snowdunes piling up.

[jgb191]

We're not seeing snow in South Texas (thank god), but here is what we are experiencing this long national holiday weekend.

[Stojko]

Still no significant amount of snow here... it's driving me insane.

[hm insulators]

Boy, northern Arizona got hammered with snow this week! Thursday night, ADOT had to close I-40 all the way between Kingman and Winslow, plus a good portion of I-17 between Phoenix and Flagstaff.

[Truvelo]

Wow, I didn't realize Arizona got so cold. Last February it was well into the 70's on one of the days I was there when I took this picture.



I assume northern parts of AZ must be at higher elevations then?

[Chris]

Flagstaff is at an elevation of 6,910 ft (2,106 m).

[J N Winkler]

Wow, I didn't realize Arizona got so cold. Last February it was well into the 70's on one of the days I was there when I took this picture.

If you didn't go north of the Mogollon Rim, you would have been fairly unlikely to encounter cold.  But in general weather in the interior of the continental US is highly variable in the winter and you have to watch both wind direction and the progression of weather fronts.  In Kansas just in the last two months, we had a few days with temperatures above 60° F. and a few days with temperatures below 0° F.  Old Kansas saying--"If you don't like the weather now, wait 10 minutes."

[Scott5114]

"Oklahoma has four seasons–frequently all in the same day."

[mightyace]

As I sit and write this, Tennessee is getting blanketed by snow at ice.  It looks like an inch or two at the moment and it's coming down steadily, albeit lightly.

[Bryant5493]

Many North Georgia Mountain counties are going to be letting a lot of their kids out of school early today, because of the chance of wintry precipitation.


Be well,

Bryant

[Scott5114]

I've had to miss two nights of work due to the ice yesterday and snow today. Fortunately I've kept power the whole time.

[rawmustard]

I've had to miss two nights of work due to the ice yesterday and snow today. Fortunately I've kept power the whole time.

No one absolutely has to miss work, unless the place of employment is closed or all the ways there become absolutely impassable. I don't think I've ever called in simply on account of weather.

[mightyace]

No one absolutely has to miss work, unless the place of employment is closed or all the ways there become absolutely impassable. I don't think I've ever called in simply on account of weather.

True.

Though, since my company gave me the option and I work a 2-11 shift, I worked from home today.  But, this is as much to stay away from Middle Tennesseans who aren't used to driving in such whether as anything else.

[bugo]

I've had to miss two nights of work due to the ice yesterday and snow today. Fortunately I've kept power the whole time.

No one absolutely has to miss work, unless the place of employment is closed or all the ways there become absolutely impassable. I don't think I've ever called in simply on account of weather.

If you can't get out of your driveway, you can't go anywhere.

[froggie]

No one absolutely has to miss work, unless the place of employment is closed or all the ways there become absolutely impassable. I don't think I've ever called in simply on account of weather.

You're also in an area where it snows more frequently...

[Chris]

Fortunately I've kept power the whole time.

It seems like the power lines are sensitive infrastructure in the United States. Power outages are quite uncommon in the Netherlands, if an area has no power for like 3 - 4 hours it's already nationwide news. Urban power utilities are always underground, only major power lines are above the ground between power plants and other facilities to distribute power. I can't even remember the last time we went off the grid for more than the blink of the eye.

I must add that we don't have as much natural disasters like in the U.S. Many people on this side of the pond forget that, we don't have ice storms, hurricanes, tornadoes and other extreme weather as much. Tornadoes over EF-1 are VERY rare in Europe.

[froggie]

Urban power utilities are always underground

Here's the crux of the matter.  The vast majority of power utilities are above ground in the US.  Very little of it is below ground.  Combine that with the weather you mentioned, and there's your answer.

[74/171FAN]

My area is getting snow right now and of course it happens after mid-terms and on the weekend.

[mightyace]

Here's the crux of the matter.  The vast majority of power utilities are above ground in the US.  Very little of it is below ground.  Combine that with the weather you mentioned, and there's your answer.

Part of it, as it often does, deals with the lower average population density of the US compared to Europe.  Also, here in TN, most rural power was built by and is still supplied by the TVA.  (which started in the FDR administration in the Great Depression)  The project gave electricity to most of the rural south but it was and is done on the cheap.

But, even in Nashville, power goes out a lot more than it did when I lived in Ohio, Pennsylvania or Maryland.  I never owned a UPS (battery backup) until a moved south.

________________

Changing gears, the snow changed to freezing rain overnight and everything outside my house is coated with about a half-inch of ice.  Even us northern expatriates try not to go out in this!

[agentsteel53]

how fast do those southern states clear snow?  I have to be in Virginia on Tuesday morning, and was planning leaving Florida tomorrow morning and driving back roads (mainly state and county highways).  I'm a pretty good snow/ice driver but I'd still like to know what to expect.

[mightyace]

how fast do those southern states clear snow?  I have to be in Virginia on Tuesday morning, and was planning leaving Florida tomorrow morning and driving back roads (mainly state and county highways).  I'm a pretty good snow/ice driver but I'd still like to know what to expect.

I can only really speak for TN, but my experience here is that Interstates and other major through routes tend to get the most work.  So, just be prepared to switch to the main roads, if necessary.  You won't clinch as many highways that way, but you will get there.

Also, the fact that the weather should be sunny and in the high 30s tomorrow and upper 40s Monday will clear up a lot.

[74/171FAN]

how fast do those southern states clear snow?  I have to be in Virginia on Tuesday morning, and was planning leaving Florida tomorrow morning and driving back roads (mainly state and county highways).  I'm a pretty good snow/ice driver but I'd still like to know what to expect.

VDOT says that all of the roads will be clear 48 hours after the snow stops but knowing VDOT I wouldn't bet on it.

[froggie]

VDOT typically gets the Interstates and principal arterials clear within a day or two.  The secondaries take a bit longer.  For Tuesday morning, my suggestion would be to stick to the primary routes within Virginia and avoid the secondaries.

[mightyace]

We got some melting here today.

I went out early this evening and the primaries are clear.  The secondaries and local roads range from mostly clear to mostly snow covered.  The high for tomorrow is supposed to be around 50, so things should get better.

[bugo]

We got about a half inch of ice on Thursday and about 6 inches of snow on Friday.  It hasn't gotten above freezing since so it's still a mess, although the main roads are mostly clear.