Snow Update - Monday

It was warmer today, above freezing. So the snow started to melt and turn into slush. No one came to clear out the parking lot until almost noon. Instead of a front end loader, there were 3 guys with shovels and snowblower. It was slow going.

Later, a guy stopped by to check on progress and realized that the something bigger was needed. So late in the afternoon, a backhoe arrived and spent the next couple hours clearing the lot.

Initially, some of the snow was dumped next to my car. But then they realized the pile obliterated two (2) parking spots. So, they had me move my car and then moved the pile.  I think it was nice that the building owner and the property manager both showed up and were shoveling and helping. And a bunch of us were moving cars and clearing slush.

After the backhoe left, several of us were out shoveling the snow away from our cars and some of our neighbors' cars so they could get out. Still, there are several cars that are literally buried under the snow. One woman bought some rock salt and spread it out in an attempt to minimize the ice (it is supposed to go down to 31F tonight).

At the finish-this evening.

They also cleared a proper path for the front walk and did the sidewalk. Almost back to normal.

 



Snow Update - Sunday

Woke up this morning to a beautiful blue sky. Did not plan to go out nor to shovel snow today but I did when I saw my retired neighbor outside trying to dig out her car (parked next to mine). Yesterday, I got part of it done but was too tired to finish. So I went out for another hour this afternoon and had a nice chat with her while we cleared the snow away from her car.  Below is what it looked like near the end of the day:

Sunday (2/10/13): My car is the Escape (L).

Note that the lot has still not been plowed. To the left of my car is an open area of snow:

Note the buried car to the right of the black car.

I also cleaned up the front walk, especially by the street where the plows had covered up the opening.

View from lobby looking toward S. Main.

As I was shoveling, one of my neighbors was heading out. He said he was walking up to the gym...if it was open. Trying to hold my temper and be cordial, I mentioned that if the gym was closed he was welcome to return and get a free workout by shoveling some snow (I noted that we had an extra shovel at the back entrance). He was not one of those that I had seen outside shoveling during the past two days. His cavalier attitude is the kind of me first characteristic that is bringing down our society.

Thankfully, we still have a few people that know to at least care about where they live. My neighbor at the end of the hall not only cleaned off his pickup truck, he also shoveled a path to the stairs down to the back door to the lobby. Yesterday, that door could not be opened due to the snow. Today it was passable. There are 2 apartments down there (plus our mailboxes).

Our "caring" property manager finally called and spoke to one of my neighbors at 1 p.m. and she passed the news to as many of us as she could find. The regular snow plow wasn't able to clear the snow because it is too high. So he contracted a front loader but the earliest it will be here is later tonight (but probably not until tomorrow).

The roof has not been cleared and freezing rain and sleet is forecast for tomorrow and Tuesday. Hope we make it (I live on the top floor).

The roller hockey rink was closed yesterday but opened today. Richard had a game this morning but there was no way for us to get there since our vehicles are snowed in (and the roads are not that great yet). Based on the score posted at the rink's website, it appears that Richard's team won by forfeit.

By late afternoon, the town reported that nearly all the roads are clear. However, school has been cancelled for tomorrow (Monday) since none of the sidewalks are clear and they don't want the kids walking in the roads (plus, I think the buses are snowed in too).

Historic Snow Storm

We had a whopper of a snow storm! It started yesterday (Friday) and finished this morning (Saturday). It was billed as an historic snow storm.2-3 feet of snow was forecast/predicted...and I think we got it. Below are some pictures I took so you could get an idea. I am posting them quickly in order to get it done since I am tired because I just got in from 5 hours of shoveling snow.

 

The snow started yesterday (Friday) morning ~ 9 a.m. Our town was pretty much shut down by mid-afternoon. They cancelled school for Friday on Thursday night. By Friday evening, we had about 8 inches of snow. This is how it looked on Friday evening when I went out to shovel the snow around my Ford Escape:

 

 

I spent a couple hours shoveling a path to my car, around my car, the front walk (to the sidewalk, and the mouth/apron of the drive at the street. But all was apparently for nought.

 

When I woke up Saturday morning, this is what I saw when I looked out the window at the building next to me:

 

 

Still tired from a couple hours of shoveling Friday evening, I was not in a rush to go outside on Saturday. I went out about noon and this is what I saw:

 

 

This is what the parking lot looked like:

 

There are cars under those piles of snow.

There are cars under those piles of snow.

My Escape.

 

 

This is what the front "walk" looked like as well as the front of the building (street view):

 

Looking from lobby to street.

 

 

This is the view of the parking lot after several of us spent several hours shoveling:

 

 

No word from the property manager about when they will clear the snow so we can get out. One of my neighbors and me shoveled a path from the front door to the street in case there is an emergency. May be snow bound for several days.