Winter getting a good early start.

[911 Rod]

I'm renting a place on a major street with a sidewalk. Snowplow goes by leaving a huge bank at the end of the driveway. Then the sidewalk plow goes by and makes it bigger and makes another one up the driveway. Both turn into ice blocks.
I try to stay on top of cleaning it, but they come by multiple times a day.
When I come home after work I swear I'm going to rip the front parts off of my Tundra.

[greglepore]

2 hrs with a 1500 w heater under the hood and it fired up. But it took me 3+ hours to clear around a 700 ft driveway, its not snow with ice on top, its more or less solid, not ice but solid frozen snow. Couldn't push at all, had to dig, reverse, dump, dig. I wish I had hydro, clutch tractor. Wore me out.

Talked to my s-i-l that runs heavy equipment, he tells me that above Mason Dixon diesel gets blended with up to 50% kero in the winter to prevent gelling, but nothing below MD. That's why I had gel issues for the first time ever. Going to run out to get some Diesel 911 today.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

When I come home after work I swear I'm going to rip the front parts off of my Tundra.

Park in the street and use a narrow square steel shovel?

Vertical chops into small bits.
Or resort to the pick axe.

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

I'm renting a place on a major street with a sidewalk. Snowplow goes by leaving a huge bank at the end of the driveway.

Leave it to Canada to figure it out.


https://youtube.com/shorts/N_r9SkBl0bE?si=Agi1i2j0euOwwDu5

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by john70t

Park in the street and use a narrow square steel shovel?

Vertical chops into small bits.
Or resort to the pick axe.

Or just hit the 4X4 button.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I think we are just getting 'paid back' for the last 4 or 5 winters that have been milder than normal.

They had brief wintry streaks, but this winter has been mostly 'non stop'....in this area anyways.

Indeed. I've already burned through two tons of pellets keeping the house at 68F.

There's another storm brewing that is predicted to come up the East coast. The various models are of course giving different tracks and it looks like an East to West variance of 150 miles will make a YUGE difference in snow totals.
I am officially out of space for more "easy" snow removal. The piles are too high for me to throw over so I'll need to carry each shovelful farther.

[john70t]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Indeed. I've already burned through two tons of pellets keeping the house at 68F.

Or do 60-65 if possible.
I've been hearing of $2,000/mo heating bills on the upper east coast.
(Some Japanese still live in unheated houses. Warm clothes. Lots of warm tea. Space heaters in a small room.)

This is a perfect time to do your own energy audit..which normally costs hundreds or thousands.

If you have a thermal camera and recording, that is best.

Else, use a $30 infrared thermometer.
(Maybe even a candle for breeze. A foot of insulation is useless next to an open window.)
Draw a basic blueprint for each room.
Floors, ceilings, around windows and doors especially. Find heat loss.
Insulation is cheap compared to decades of wasted money

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by john70t

Or do 60-65 if possible.
I've been hearing of $2,000/mo heating bills on the upper east coast.
(Some Japanese still live in unheated houses. Warm clothes. Lots of warm tea. Space heaters in a small room.)

This is a perfect time to do your own energy audit..which normally costs hundreds or thousands.

If you have a thermal camera and recording, that is best.

Else, use a $30 infrared thermometer.
(Maybe even a candle for breeze. A foot of insulation is useless next to an open window.)
Draw a basic blueprint for each room.
Floors, ceilings, around windows and doors especially. Find heat loss.
Insulation is cheap compared to decades of wasted money

Thanks for the input John. I know my house is leaky and I have been addressing the issue over time. A big part of the problem is the attic. I've insulated much of it but the attic floor itself is a big problem and will require serious structural work to fix it.

I do run around inside wearing a hoodie

[GH85Carrera]

We made it to a local mom and pop restaurant for their tasty burger basket. Cheeseburger and fries for $8.99 each. Fast friendly service.

The roads are totally passable.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by masraum

I,,,. We also got some "snow pellets" which is what my family has always called it when it snows, but instead of flakes they come down as tiny, lightweight, white balls, so not snow, not hail, not sleet.
....

That's called 'Graupel'

[masraum]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Leave it to Canada to figure it out.


https://youtube.com/shorts/N_r9SkBl0bE?si=Agi1i2j0euOwwDu5

That's fargin' bada55!

When we lived in Japan the second time when I was a teen, I was the designated shoveller. Sometimes they used snow blowers, and that wasn't so bad, but when they used plows it sucked. For a bit, we had a driveway that would get hit with the heavy, hard ridge of ice kicked off the side of the plow. Then we moved where the parents parallel parked on the side of the road, and that sucked as bad or worse.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by 911 Rod

Or just hit the 4X4 button.

When we lived in Japan (my experience with lots of snow and driving), my dad drove the Japanese version of a Jeep, and that's what he did. We often had to install chains. They plowed, but they did not apply salt or anything to the roads so there were times that the roads would be covered in hard packed snow and/or ice for weeks, so everyone had snow tires and carried chains if needed.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Bill Verburg

That's called 'Graupel'

Someone posted that earlier in this thread which was the first time that I'd seen or heard the term. Back in the late 70s and mid 80s we used the term "snow pellets".

It seems that the term graupel was originally used in meteorological circles and eventually found it's way out into the general public.

Interesting: "The word graupel is Germanic in origin; it is the diminutive of Graupe, meaning "pearl barley." According to etymologists, there does seem to be a grain of truth in the assumption that the word grew from the Slavic word krupa, which has the same meaning. Graupel was first seen in an 1889 weather report and has been whirling around in the meteorology field ever since to describe "pellets of snow" or "soft hail" (the latter phrase is an actual synonym of graupel)."

[stevej37]

I think it was in the 80's or so when I first heard it. We had a nerdy weatherman on tv that used it.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by masraum

Someone posted that earlier in this thread which was the first time that I'd seen or heard the term. Back in the late 70s and mid 80s we used the term "snow pellets".

It seems that the term graupel was originally used in meteorological circles and eventually found it's way out into the general public.

Interesting: "The word graupel is Germanic in origin; it is the diminutive of Graupe, meaning "pearl barley." According to etymologists, there does seem to be a grain of truth in the assumption that the word grew from the Slavic word krupa, which has the same meaning. Graupel was first seen in an 1889 weather report and has been whirling around in the meteorology field ever since to describe "pellets of snow" or "soft hail" (the latter phrase is an actual synonym of graupel)."

Live in the North East and you will hear it a lot, The further north you go the more you hear subtly different words for different kinds of snow. I hear the Innuits have hundreds of different words for it.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Leave it to Canada to figure it out.


https://youtube.com/shorts/N_r9SkBl0bE?si=Agi1i2j0euOwwDu5

That would be great! That berm at the end of my driveway is always the worst part.

I just saw the forecast for tonight....it's going to be cold enough for the dew point to be -4F...

[Brian 162]

I feel bad for the areas that normally don’t get snow/ice and cold weather and are dealing with power outages.
Up here at least we’re prepared for the snow and cold. We just like to complain about it.

[stevej37]

^^^True that.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by Brian 162

I feel bad for the areas that normally don’t get snow/ice and cold weather and are dealing with power outages.
Up here at least we’re prepared for the snow and cold. We just like to complain about it.

I don’t feel bad for them. They think we’re idiots. Trouble is, they’re right!