Octavia, anyone? It's been sleeting at my house for 7 hours!!!

Woe is me. Winter Storm Octavia (what is this new thing about naming snowstorms?) ...has been dumping sleet/freezing rain in my area since 2pm today! Anybody else being pummeled with this? I live in the south, so yes I got my bread and milk - I guess in case I want to make a milk sandwich? Not really sure, but I think it's a requirement to buy those two items prior to inclement weather.

Were it fluffy snow, we'd have about 10 inches now. Instead, we're going to have solid ice everywhere. Bleh! It's cold, dark, I have cabin fever already, and I'm home alone (except for my 2 dogs.)

I'm thankful the electricity is still on. I'm praying the trees around my house, and their respective limbs stay right where they are.

Anybody care to commiserate?


I'm in the purple part. Since 2pm today. Yeesh!

a reply to: new_here

I was going to say be thankful you don't live in Boston, but really, ice is much more dangerous than mountains of snow. I live up north so I'm used to getting a lot of snow, but when we get freezing rain in the winter, it can get pretty treacherous. At least with snow, you can get some traction and don't have to worry about slipping on sidewalks and cracking your head open.

Stay inside, curl up with your dogs and be safe!

It's been snowing all day here. We're supposed to get about 18 inches. It's already past ankle deep. It filled the wheel barrow I use to haul wood up earlier around 4 and I was just out an hour ago and it was full again. This is a big wheel barrow.

originally posted by: WeRpeons
a reply to: new_here

I was going to say be thankful you don't live in Boston, but really, ice is much more dangerous than mountains of snow. I live up north so I'm used to getting a lot of snow, but when we get freezing rain in the winter, it can get pretty treacherous. At least with snow, you can get some traction and don't have to worry about slipping on sidewalks and cracking your head open.

Stay inside, curl up with your dogs and be safe!

You bet! I am inside for the duration. You know we southerners have no clue how to drive in this stuff, haha!

originally posted by: Skid Mark
It's been snowing all day here. We're supposed to get about 18 inches. It's already past ankle deep. It filled the wheel barrow I use to haul wood up earlier around 4 and I was just out an hour ago and it was full again. This is a big wheel barrow.

Wow, you are undoubtedly north of me. I'm in the swath of ice. South of me- all rain. I can't fathom that much snow. But I'd like to trade you for this ice!

a reply to: new_here

Had thunder sleet here last night. But it quickly melted in today's sun.

I do not envy you! I live in western new york, and I'll just keep our two feet of snow (drifts and plow hills up to the sky!). I hope you don't end up with 2 inches of ice over everything. That sucks!

it was a recent decision to start naming all strong storms rather then only hurricanes. because its more sensationalist that way. helps keep the fear going which makes climate change an easier sell.

a reply to: new_here

I'm in West Virginia, down in a hollar. Nobody here is going anywhere. The mountain road that we have to get on is snowed in.
No thanks. Snow is bad enough. I wish it was summer. I miss it so much now lol.

I'm getting old, and I'm getting tired of northern winters. Sick of snow, sick of cold. I'm tired of hard starting cars/snow blowers. Had enough of gas bills in the multiple hundreds.

My plan was to move to the Carolina's, guess you blew that idea for me

Stay warm down there!

a reply to: new_here

Oh girl, I sure do feel for you. I survived the long ice storm of '98 with huge pines and maples falling right behind my house with saddening regularity until only eight trees remained in the forest. Transformers blew up after falling wires all over the place and lit up the night sky in blues and greens. Someone came to my door on a snowmobile and told me to evacuate to a shelter about 3/4 of a mile away (through ice and fallen live wires.) With those huge grid transmission line pylons collapsed, I merely smiled at his well-meaning naivety and climbed back into my sleeping bag. Our area "fun" lasted for several weeks. When the army came in and copters landed not fifty feet from my front door, it sounded like a war zone and that scared me so much even though it meant help was arriving.

I have since then purchased a cheap drugstore windup radio that I find comforting to have on hand, and so invaluable to keep up with happenings should the power go out again.

So chin up there, New Here. I send you lots of sympathy. It's currently too cold for me to get my car going (-35 wind chill) so I'm out of milk and bread. (I fantasize about hot chocolate and buttered toast, or French toast, or hot soup and bread or baking scones. Have some for me, will you?)

Dogs are good cuddlers and sources of heat should you need it, so that's a positive thing, huh? I hope things improve down your way soon without any unpleasant consequences for anyone. Stay safe.

originally posted by: ItCameFromOuterSpace
a reply to: new_here

Had thunder sleet here last night. But it quickly melted in today's sun.

Hah! I just learned that even existed. Saw a video of a meteorologist going bananas over thunder-snow--Too funny!

originally posted by: Hushabye
I do not envy you! I live in western new york, and I'll just keep our two feet of snow (drifts and plow hills up to the sky!). I hope you don't end up with 2 inches of ice over everything. That sucks!

I would love to experience that much snow once in my life. I think I'd build an igloo.

originally posted by: pryingopen3rdeye
it was a recent decision to start naming all strong storms rather then only hurricanes. because its more sensationalist that way. helps keep the fear going which makes climate change an easier sell.

I see your point... definitely makes sense.

originally posted by: caterpillage
I'm getting old, and I'm getting tired of northern winters. Sick of snow, sick of cold. I'm tired of hard starting cars/snow blowers. Had enough of gas bills in the multiple hundreds.

My plan was to move to the Carolina's, guess you blew that idea for me

Stay warm down there!

Haha... honestly, this is the only frozen precip we've had all winter. We unusually get one or two baby-snows (dusting-to-2 inches) per winter.) Further south of me and there's even less chance. So... come on down! I'll fix ya some grits, lol.

a reply to: aboutface

OMIGOSH, aboutface... your experience sounds like a horror flick!!! I feel like such a baby now, by comparison, lol.

So yeah, hot chocolate & buttered toast in your honor and I'd email you some if I could!

I hate freezing rain or sleet in the winter. I would rather get three feet of that fluffy stuff than four inches of that kind of stuff that turns to ice on the roads. I can imagine that insurance rates will be increasing next year again because of how widespread the snow cover is. We are used to getting lots of snow up here, I have an 80 inch wide snowblower on my tractor. I do not use a small snowblower, A snow scoop works great in conjunction with my big snowblower. The tractor also has a front end loader on it.

a reply to: new_here

Ice storms can be a horror story, but I was among the lucky ones. I had a nice fireplace (btw, if you burn potato peels in your fireplace, it keeps the chimney free of creosote) and a cat and dog that cuddled and kept reminding me that it was important to eat, lol. The ones I truly felt sorry for were the farmers who had no generators to run their milking machines, so they tried to do it manually, a really dangerous situation for the cows on farms with larger herds.

Thanks for the toast and hot chocolate. If it ever warms up enough for me to get my car running, I'll return the favor.

We still have power!!! Thankfully! But, I did fall and bust my butt around noon. I had just told my husband that it wasn't so bad yet, and if he needed to run to town then he needed to go. Went to grab something out of my van, stepped onto the steps and bam! So glad I didn't bust my head on the concrete.
But, like I said, still have power,.. And a nice bruise too!
Stay warm!

a reply to: rickymouse

...I have an 80 inch wide snowblower on my tractor.

Well, rickymouse, you'd need an 80 inch wide ICE SCAPER for this mess!!! I agree: much prefer the fluffy stuff.