Still snowing hard as I post this. What do you see? Post photos in the comments, if you’re so inclined. And please stay safe.
UPDATE: The snow has stopped, and the sun is even making an appearance! We are pretty well dug out, though not planning to go anywhere even though the travel ban expires at 4 p.m. I’d also like to take this opportunity to nominate Arthur Sicard, the guy who invented the snowblower, for the Nobel Prize.
Please share widely!
David says
check out the Red Mass Group thread about how the Governor’s opting to keep casual drivers off the roads last night and this morning is tantamount to tyranny. Perhaps this is what RMG’s Rob Eno was talking about when he insisted that citizens need to be able to own guns to keep a potentially tyrannical government in check?
sue-kennedy says
a driving ban during a blizzard.
Is this what the fiscal conservatives think we should be spending our tax money on?
John Tehan says
I never lost power, but my truck is buried in the driveway. My neighbors are digging out, I can hear the snowblower – it’s getting brighter too, I may go do a first pass on the driveway myself!
Hilarious thread at RMG – I’m on Rob’s email list, I saw it yesterday. Tyrrany!! One question for Rob – which amendment established the right to drive?
Mark L. Bail says
on his mailing list?
jjhalpin says
I went to uprate your comment and hit down by accident and it won’t let me undo it!!!
Christopher says
Meteorologists remind us that it is the wind component that makes a blizzard as opposed to simply a heavy snowstorm.
Jasiu says
I could hear it last night and again this morning when I started cleaning up.
The official definition of a blizzard is:
– Winds of 35mph+ sustained or frequent gusts
– blowing snow cutting visibility to 1/4 mile or less
– all of the above occurring for at least three hours
I don’t know if any locations got that, but I wouldn’t be surprised.
As a kid in Michigan, we once had an official blizzard without a cloud in the sky. The winds whipped up the previous day’s fluffy snow enough to meet the official definition.
ramuel-m-raagas says
I have not finished shoveling. Here is my Patch of Earth:
http://youtu.be/sT7XayLXYvM
John Tehan says
Why did you downrate my comment above? Are you offended that I’m on RMG’s mailing list, or offended that I ridiculed them? And no matter which case is true, why are you offended? I don’t get it.
Mark L. Bail says
reasonable! Here’s his analysis:
Just to be clear, as a Democratic activist I have a contract to run FEMAs concentration camp. So if anyone needs a job in the New World Order, you have my email address.
dan-p says
That fact that people like that poster are still part of the general conversation on the role of government in society is what keeps us from progressing.
dhammer says
I think it was probably meant as a joke… But I didn’t read the thread, so who knows.
dan-p says
I’m more like the hard-of-hearing Darth Vader
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3lScCvnkEQ
which phrase in the post is from Star Wars?
daves says
Governor Tarkin: The Imperial Senate will no longer be of any concern to us. I have just received word that the Emperor has dissolved the council permanently. The last remnants of the Old Republic have been swept away forever.
General Tagge: But that’s impossible! How will the Emperor maintain control without the bureaucracy?
Governor Tarkin: The regional governors now have direct control over their territories. Fear will keep the local systems in line. Fear of this battle station.
dan-p says
read the rest of the thread and draw you own conclusion. I would love it if I was being punked, but some of these people take Stephen Colbert’s persona seriously, so how can one tell?
Mark L. Bail says
Patrick always seems reasonable here. I hope it’s a joke I missed.
(I like Star Trek, not a Star Wars fan).
tblade says
The Star Wars reference went way over my head and I thought Patrick ad followed Eno into the abyss.
liveandletlive says
on the western edge of central MA. We have power and all the trees were well behaved. I’m a little worried about the snow/rain coming Monday on top of all this.
Christopher says
…we will have highs mid-30s to 40s for the next few days so the snow will begin to melt soon.
massmarrier says
Hyde Park, not Vermont. Our yardstick had 28 inches.
massmarrier says
The big one made our hot-weather seating less attractive.
massmarrier says
In just a few minutes, our visiting CA puppy switched from snow joy to pick-me-up-now.
danfromwaltham says
It seemed like the whole neighborhood got together today, people helping each other out and got the job done, everyone was shoveled out and everyone pitched in. In other words, we all worked together.
My intention was to snow blow out my elderly neighbor, but then the family across the street waived me over, then after that, the lady next door to him kept staring at me so I helped her, then the family across from her was struggling, so of course, I did their driveway and sidewalk as well. My dog hopped the fence due to the snow drift in the yard and a stranger calls us and walks the dog back home for us. Physically exhausted but a very pleasant day. There were others who had snow blowers helping those who either did not or had an inadequate blower.
Speaking of snow blowers David, you own a particular model or brand? I have a 70’s Craftsman Drift Breaker, it is massive compared to the ones sold today. I only bring it out on the big blizzards, a foot or more. Otherwise, I use a Toro from the mid 80’s, thing is like a piece of lead, very heavy for its small size, but gets the job done.
David says
at Home Depot about 10 years ago. “Yard Machines” is the brand, I think – something like that. Works great as long as I get it tuned up every couple of years.
chrismatth says
Made it through OK a mile from the beach but hearing a lot of damage by the water. I’m sure the news crews are reporting from here so you all probably know more than me – power out until Tuesday here.
Cell service went down this morning and came back up a couple of hours ago. My link to the outside world was my police scanner. Listening to the Scituate Police and Fire frequencies reminded me how lucky we are to have such great first responders. A lot of folks stayed in their houses and were getting rescued around 1 or 2 am as the ocean crept up to their front door. There wasn’t a mandatory evacuation so our first responders had to risk their lives to rescue hold outs. Without a mandatory driving ban, I would imagine similarly minded folks would have gone out on the roads and required more assistance from first responders. Kudos to the Governor for making the right call on the driving ban.
Mark L. Bail says
freedom loving libertarians off the road during a blizzard:
Jasiu says
Yes, according to the National Weather Service.
From email: