Getting ready for the snow storm........

[CathyA]

Here it is, March 23, and we're supposed to get 6-10" of snow here in central Indiana tonight and tomorrow. At least it won't stay too long......hopefully.

I've collected firewood, and have plenty of food. The bigger wood I got from the woodshed, but collected all the kindling from the front yard. haha.....reminds me of when I had a friend from work who called and asked how to keep her fires from getting so smokey. I told her to be sure and preheat the chimney with a really good hot kindling fire first. She asked "where do I get kindling?" I said "just walk around your yard/neighborhood and pick it up." She acted a little confused.
Later, she had a party at her condo, and I realized that she lived in a really upscale condo neighborhood.....with nary a broken branch anywhere to be found on the perfectly manicured lawns. haha
We only have to go about 20 feet to get all the kindling we ever need!

Anyone else expecting a big snow storm?

[Tradd]

I'm 4-5 hours NW of you. Right now they're only forecasting maybe 3" at the most for us, but if the storm track moves north we could get more. The only thing I have to do is fill up my gas tank when I'm out later today. That's it. I keep a good stock of non-perishables (and other emergency supplies) on hand, and so unlike many folks I know, I don't run around before a storm

[CathyA]

I just hope the snow isn't too heavy for the power lines, since we're all electric.......heat, stove, and water too. Its fun to be snowed in with power, but not much fun if we lose it.
I usually save lots of water too. Fortunately, we have a fire place, but its all so open that its not much use for heat, unless you're right up next to it. Our lane is close to 1/4 mile long, so it might be a challenge even getting out anytime soon.

[peggy]

Same here Cathy, our drive is long, and shaded by woods on one side, so snow on our drive stays a long time!
Yes, we are predicted to get between 6-8 inches. This really sucks on sooo many levels! First, as you mentioned, it's the 23rd of March! It should be in the upper 50's, lower 60's now. We should be out cutting down cattails and cleaning up beds in preparation. Instead I was out getting wood and kindling for the fireplace. OK, I must confess I do like a cozy fire on a Saturday night, but it's nearly April for gods sake!
Second, I just got 2 figs in the mail, ready to plant. Thankfully they are potted, so I can put this off for a bit, but I'm ready to get started. My day lilies are poking up and the silver maple has bloomed already. Even the mallards on the pond are ready for love! (We have had several pairs hanging around and I'm hoping for babies! yea!)

[Alan]

It's been beautiful here in S/W Ohio today, 50's and sunny. I've been cleaning up the kindling (as Cathy calls it) in the backyard and created quite a nice bonfire in my fire pit. But, we're expecting the temps to drop overnight and snow to come in early morning. This really sucks!

Next weekend we're scheduled to go out of town for a week during spring break. Our plan was to head into West Virginia & Virginia in the motorhome and then spend 4 or 5 days exploring the countryside on the motorcycle. That's still the plan although I'm not feeling very good about it right now. If the weather doesn't break, we may switch to Tennessee and Georgia and hope for the best.

[RosieTR]

Here in northern CO we got 6" overnight and into the day today! Which is GREAT!!!! Last weekend we had our first major wildfire of the season including evacuations for some families and the state park that burned will be closed for about a month.:( Just Thurs or Friday they were talking about how much like 2002 the season was starting out, which was the worst fire season before 2012 so the fire/drought was way forefront of my mind. The weather folks are notoriously inaccurate so as little as 30 min before we were supposed to meet some friends for a snowshoe trip the trip was still on. But then the roads were bad and the friend cancelled so we've had a nice snow day today. And I'm also glad we didn't try to go b/c there were LOTS of accidents on the highways, some of which have been closed for hours due to the problems. Other than the people directly affected, though, I'm pretty sure everyone here is pretty darn happy about the snow!

[iris lily]

We are supposed to get some snow here, too. I think it will be fun, I love March-April snowfalls! They are always wet and heavy and pretty, and I don't bother to shovel becuase htey melt right away.

I am so happy that we aren't having the early spring that we had last year. Here is it Daffodil Society show next weekend and I will have nothing to show, but only because I've got nothing in bloom yet. Last year the show was cancelled because everything was bloomed out.

[Fawn]

They are predicting 8-10" here. I am home, with a mostly full pantry. Kids are out sledding down a favorite hill a few miles form here.

I just hope nobody asks for hot chocolate. After the (eeww) Aldi powdered mix sat in the cabinet for 6 months...I made chocolate tapioca, as recommended here, with it. No hot chocolate in this house....unless someone saunters down to Walgreens, 2 blocks away, and buys some that I can melt in the coconut milk......

DS#3 cancelled the Improve Troupe for this afternoon. But I think that was because he wanted to go sledding. I would have shoveled off the porch for the kids. Really, I would have.

[Gregg]

Just a glancing blow from this storm for our part of Nebraska. Three days ago they were saying 6" to 10". Then it just kept dropping to less and less. Ok with me! We ended up with only 1" to maybe 2". It's cold today, but 1/2 the snow is already gone. We're supposed to be in the 60's later in the week. After 3 straight weeks of being 20* below average we're all ready for that!!!

[Tradd]

Few flakes here in NE IL this morning, but that's it so far. Don't think we'll get much of anything now.

[CathyA]

Its like a blizzard here. We've gotten several inches and the wind is really blowing. I took our SUV down our lane several times, but it will be covered again in an hour or 2. Plus, it was really hard to see.
DH is sick and not going in to work tomorrow, so it comes at a good time. Hopefully the roads will be cleared by Tuesday.
I gave the chicken extra food and water, in case I can't get out there. I keep meaning to get snowshoes, but haven't yet.

[peggy]

We've gotten several inches. It's still coming down, though very fine and pretty wet. Not sticking where we have shoveled already. We'll be able to get out tomorrow, but it will be messy. They have predicted warmer temps later for the week so I don't think this will stick around for long. Just a mess really. But..more water for the ponds and property I suppose, as we are still trying to make up for last year.
I still saw the mallards on the back fen today, in all the snow, so I'm hoping this means they really mean to stay and raise their families. I hope!

[Fawn]

We got 18.5", a record for us this time of year. DD and I shoveled the drive and by 9am things were starting to melt.

Kids went to the park for a mega snowball fight and built a luge for the sleds complete with tunnel.

[CathyA]

Wow Fawn! That's alot of snow! Its a good thing its spring, or you might have it for a long time. It was the wettest snow I've ever seen. We got about 8-9", and alot of it started melting immediately. I could even get out of my 1/4 mile drive today.