We had an unexpected snowstorm yesterday. Dropped five inches of snow in Sherwood and anywhere from one to five inches of snow in the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington metro areas.
I am of the opinion that we should ban weathermen and weather women from television in Oregon. They are clueless. Two or three weeks back there was a winter storm warning here for freezing rain. Scared everyone. Everyone left work early, got some videos, stayed home and popped popcorn. The winter storm never happened. Turned out to be one of the nicest days of the winter so far. Yesterday there wasn't any winter storm warning. The weather doofuses predicted sunny with a little rain. That little rain turned out to be a major snowstorm that caught everyone by surprise. Turned out to be on the worst traffic jams in history. Sometimes taking people seven hours to get home from downtown Portland. You can read about the storm here:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/unexpected_snow_storm_slows_we.html
I am a really good driver in the snow. I won't try the ice. But on snow I never have any trouble. Mom spent her second night alone last night. I went in there at five this morning to get her newspaper and set out her breakfast. On the way over there I saw several abandon cars. Yup that happens here during a winter storm. It doesn't snow here enough for people to be used to enough to know how to drive in the snow. They get in crawling traffic or they get stuck. They get tired of it and leave their car whereever they are and walk home, take the bus, or catch a ride with a four wheeler. Doesn't matter if the car is in the middle of a freeway or in a traffic lane. It is the heck with this shit I don't give a damn about my car, I am out of here. They value their bodies more than their cars. Now if they would just value everyone else's life that they endanger by leaving their car in traffic lanes things might get better. Read about the locals winter storm game plan here:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/12/authorities_to_motorists_retri.html
Would you ever abandon your car during the middle of a snowstorm? Would you at least push it out of a traffic lane? Should we change that famous Shakespearean quote "kill all the lawyers" to "kill all the weathermen"?
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14 comments:
Yay for your mother for continuing to embrace growth and change!
As for snow, well, I'm from the snowy midwest. A few inches of snow would NOT result in abandonment of my car and I find the concept shocking.
Hi Ellen
I am really proud of my Mom!
You aren't the only one that is shocked by the cars being abandon. When I first moved here I just couldn't believe it.
Bill
They abandon their cars here too, I've lived here all my life and I still can't believe it. I never would, I know how to drive in the snow, and I'll just take my car home with me, thanks.
The biggest snowstorms we've had here are the ones the weatherpeople missed. In general, if they get all hysterical about a winter storm, I feel pretty safe knowing it's unlikely to happen.
Hi Mary
I would never abandon my car either. It really isn't that hard to drive in the snow.
And it is the same here, they tell you a big storm is coming you just yawn. They always miss the big ones.
Bill
Since I live in SoCA, the weather people get hysterical about a few drops of rain. "StormWatch 2009!" with appropriately ominous music. Sheesh.
For once, some predicted rain actually materialized today. I haven't had TV on, but I'm sure they are all excited, even though it's more of a drizzle.
I drove in snow the one year I lived in Utah, and never abandoned my car. Nor would I, except in the most extreme of circumstances, if then.
Oh, and PS: Good on your mom! Keep the encouragement going. And maybe you can not appear before 6:00 a.m. next time. {G}
Good for your mom! I'll bet she's feeling darned good about herself and so she should. Give her a congratulations hug for me.
As to the weathermen... ours are about as accurate as yours. A friend near you in Portland sent me pix of her yard and street. She had 5". I check WX most mornings, primarily to get a feel for temps for the day, especially if I'm going to be out and about. I'll read the weather advisories. Mostly, though, I rely on a combination of what I see and "feel" in the air and Himself's monitoring of the radar maps and such. He's a lot more reliable (g).
Lived in IL, MN and AK until I was forty-plus. Don't mind driving on snow, if others are sensible. Avoid ice. In MN, black ice (the invisible kind from exhaust hitting roadways) was the worst. Only abandoned my car once. There was a huge pile up right ahead of me on the freeway and choice was become an accordian or ditch the car. Since I knew the road, I knew the ditch was shallow and there was enough snow to cushion my landing. That, btw, was part of defensive driving technique/ lessons up there. You do NOT leave your car on the road. However, if conditions are such cars are every which way and you're pretty sure the folks behind you can't stop, your best option was to head for the ditch. I did stay with the car, however. Fortunately, in MN, there were usually cops, sanding trucks, plows and a fleet of tow trucks on the scene of such a mess in short order. Down here, they're simply not prepared or equipped to handle snow nor ice (although we get more of the latter than the former) and people here have no clue how to handle either. If either condition prevails, I tend to just stay home, if at all possible.
Hi Pat
I remember those LA weather rain days fondly! Must be hard to be a weather person when it is sunny all the time.
If I had to abandon the car I would at least get it way off of the road!
I get up at five every day so going into mom's is no big deal. Nephew is there tonight so he can bring the paper in!
Bill
Hi DR
Mom gives you a hug back and thanks you.
I usually do the weather channel for warnings but never listen to the locals, they are clueless. I have no doubt that Himself is more reliable.
That is part of the problem driving in the snow here, other people. We also have black ice and when there is warnings about it, I stay home.
Any reasonable person would know you didn't leave the car in the road.
Bill
Bill, you said, "Must be hard to be a weather person when it is sunny all the time." That reminds me of the other beef I have with the weatherpersons. It'll be 90 degrees plus and choked with smog, and they will enthuse about what a wonderful day it is. Yuck!
Hi Pat
They sometimes do that here. It is so cold your teeth are chattering but just because the sun is out they will say, it is a beautiful day!
Bill
Speaking of weather (wry g), today was overcast, predicted to be cloudy, possibility of some rain tomorrow, possible precipitation Friday or Saturday. I am currently looking at an inch of snow on the upper "terrace", half an inch on the lawn and freezing rain currently coating all of that, as well as the shrubs and holly outside my office. At least there's no wind so far. At least the RV is parked twenty feet from the main door. GOod job I did groceries today. Himself is currently checking radar.
Hi DR
Hope the freezing rain has thawed by now.
Gosh the weather people are just so accurate lately. scoff.
Bill
DR
I forgot during the snowstorm even as the inches of snow were piling up the weather folks were still saying this is just a little storm that will plass quickly and change to rain in an hour or so.
Yeah, right.
Bill
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