We had a BLIZZARD!

[Freedom]

Yesterday morning, we got up, all was fine. But the forecast warned it wouldn't stay that way long. The day progressed with heavy clouds moving in, then the snow started, and the winds picked up.

By 3 PM we had reached blizzard conditions: consistent winds of 35 mph or more, snow, and visibility at 1/4 mile or less, all this for 3 hours or more.

The blizzard conditions continued through noon today.

We didn't get too much snow, 10 inches. But the WIND! It was like someone was throwing snowballs at the house!

We also had some thundersnow overnight. Thundersnow is rare around here. It is a snow storm with thunder and lightening.

View from INSIDE, family room


and OUTSIDE, a bedroom window


Back door


I need to trek out to these 2 bushes in the back yard and clear off the snow so they can go upright again.


With the wind, parts of my yard are barely covered while in other places, I have 2 foot high drifts. Thank goodness for self propelled snow throwers!

[Freedom]

Yesterday morning, we got up, all was fine. But the forecast warned it wouldn't stay that way long. The day progressed with heavy clouds moving in, then the snow started, and the winds picked up.

By 3 PM we had reached blizzard conditions: consistent winds of 35 mph or more, snow, and visibility at 1/4 mile or less, all this for 3 hours or more. We had gusts up to 65 mph. In a different time of year, this would have been a hurricane.

The blizzard conditions continued through noon today.

We didn't get too much snow, 10 inches. But the WIND! It was like someone was throwing snowballs at the house!

We also had some thundersnow overnight. Thundersnow is rare around here. It is a snow storm with thunder and lightening.

View from INSIDE, family room


and OUTSIDE, a bedroom window


Back door


I need to trek out to these 2 bushes in the back yard and clear off the snow so they can go upright again.



Front yard


With the wind, parts of my yard are barely covered while in other places, I have 2 foot high drifts. Thank goodness for self propelled snow throwers!

[jennielynn1970]

You're so lucky!!!

The forecast here was for 6", and we got a whopping 2" at the most. I was so bummed! The wind here is still wicked, and it's blowing the snow everywhere.

Stay warm!!

[cassiesmom]

It was on the 10 o'clock news last night that many flights from O'Hare to the Northeast were being canceled so people should call ahead. You guys be safe in that yucky weather!

[CountryWolf07]

I just got cold looking at your pictures! Definitely stay inside and stay warm.

[Grace]

I watched the road cams at the online ProJo last evening. Sometimes you couldn't see the roads because of the snow on the camera.

[Freedom]

I just got cold looking at your pictures! Definitely stay inside and stay warm.

The temp has been dropping all day, and will continue down to 10 overnight!

Then we warm up again. Glad I did the snow clearing while it was 28!

[Catty1]

I read that 'down east' was going to get hit badly with storms. As you said, it's not the amount of snow but the WIND that makes it horrid.

I hope everyone is safe and warm and there were no fatalities (ie people were smart enough to not drive in the weather, or do so at a crawl).

We have had a chinook for a few days - made for a Christmas with snow on the ground but sunshine and fairly mild temperatures. It even melted slightly.

Snow starting up again tomorrow...

Glad you are ok. Blizzards are nuts...and a thunder snow storm? Wow!

[neko1]

Us too- the wind is still horrible!

We got 2 feet of snow- no work, luckily.

[chocolatepuppy]

Oh my! Better you than me. I like snow, but not blizzards! Good to hear it's over.

[Pinot's Mom]

We got no snow - JUST WIND!! The snow was maybe (MAYBE) a half inch and is now all blown away. Wind warnings up until 9pm.

[cassiesmom]

Quick question... what do the fluffs think about going outside in the snow? Do they mind it?

[Karen]

We got - and are still getting plenty of wind. We also got a ton of snow - but with all that wind, I hav no idea how much - over a foot, anyway. There were spots in my yard where the wind had removed so much of the snow that you could see grass, and the front stairs were buried so that you couldn't even see that there were stairs anymore. At least 18 inches on the sidewalk, which is somewhat sheltered. The driveway was the most amazing - I shoveled for a couple hours last night, came in a 11:30 or so. this morning, there was a bare strip down the middle of the driveway, where the wind had scoured it clean. The edges, though, were 20+ inches deep. There was a gorgeous parabolic curve of snow over the wall in front.

We had thundersnow a lot last night, I guess it's relatively rare in most of the world, but we get it several times a winter, it seems. And the most amazing sight last night was watching the snow swirl off the neighbor's roof - he had the light on in the backyard, and you could see the wind whip the snow into eddies and twists and fascinating patterns off the roof.

[Laura's Babies]

I could not live up there where all of you are that are getting that.. I can NOT handle the cold or the snow and don't even want to talk about blizzards.... That wind would cut to my bones and leave me completely useless! They showed about that thunder snow on the news this evening and I was stunned! Actually showed it lightening and you could hear the thunder.

I feel so sorry for all those people who are stuck at airports, train and bus stations or on the highways..

[phesina]

This snowstorm has been all over the news here. Holy s**t.. SUCH a wallop for you all! (Of course, I notice the news there closely because I lived in New England for so long.)

Atlantic Canada is also getting pummeled. (I listen to the CBC station from Windsor a whole lot, too.)

Sandie, those are COLOR photographs, right? They look like old black-and-white or sepia-toned photos!

We're doing just fine here.. and usually the nasties go west to east, and we get them a day or two before New England does.

Please keep safe and warm, all you folks getting hit by this!