We had a warm spell (40°) Wednesday and most of Thursday but it wasn't enough to get rid of all of last weekend's snow.

Thursday night and all day Friday we had snow/sleet/rain/sleet/snow and now it's come off cold (14°) so I have 6 inches of frozen shit everywhere that a shovel won't even touch. Chopping through it with a spud is a lot of work.

I have the Cabota plugged in and warming up, but I'm sure the blower will just skate across the top of this crap. Might be able to bust it up some with the front end loader.

Fuck.

We got freezing rain and sleet most of the day Thursday then it turned to snow and we got 8” overnight into Friday. Using the snowblower was an effort in futility for the most part.

Yup, my blower just rode up on top of it yesterday.

I'm going to try and scrape some with my bucket today. Not expecting too much success.

I like winter...up until February. Then I'm done with it and ready for spring projects.

Not unlike summer. I like it...up until August. Then I'm done with it and ready for fall.

quote:

Originally posted by Gibb:
Yup, my blower just rode up on top of it yesterday.

I'm going to try and scrape some with my bucket today. Not expecting too much success.

Yeesh...

I knew I was in trouble when I backed out of the barn and the ENTIRE TRACTOR rode up on top of the snow!

I did manage to break the snowplow berm at the end of the drive way and scrape down to ice-covered gravel from the road to the garage and partway up to the house. Use the loader to bust up and scrape for 10 feet, turn around and use the blower to blow it off to the side, rinse, repeat...

The rest will have to wait for things to warm up a little.

I didn't used to mind winter so much when winter would become winter and stay winter until spring, but this swinging back and forth between winter and something that's almost entirely nothing like winter, then back to winter again, then... over and over all "winter" long got old a long time ago.

When I saw the forecast for my area, day before yesterday, I knew there'd be this window, after the rain changed to snow and before the temperature dropped too far, where I'd have to get out there and get the white slush up before it froze. I timed it just about right.

I think we do it right around here. Most of the winter is cold without being bitterly cold, interspersed with occasional warmer days so you can do outdoorsy stuff. And we get several inches of snow a few times per year, with a larger dump every few years, but none of it tends to stick around for more than 3ish days in a row.

Just enough winter to appreciate it, without getting sick of it.

I was in the truck plowing from 5:30 yesterday morning until around one in the afternoon. Then 30 miles one way to pick up grandkids. Enjoying the lazy boy today.

I'm odd. I love Winter and despise Summer.
I don't really like ice or freezing rain, which I got a few days ago, but I like snow.
Woke up this morning to 10° and I'm enjoying it.

Just left the Northeast for Florida 6 months ago. I always liked Maryland winters but I have to admit my friends pictures of this winter while I was in shorts sipping a cocktail on my patio has made me rethink that opinion. I used to live (stationed) in Maine. Those winters I could do without.

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
I used to live (stationed) in Maine. Those winters I could do without.

Where were you in Maine? Loring? Bath/Brunswick?

I just did a little math.

With the loader, full load of fuel, loaded tires and the blower, the tractor weighs something over 4000 pounds.

Pretty solid crust when two tons won't break through it...

Kind of cool here today. 61° F. Might need a light sweater when I go out to run some errands. Not wearing shorts today. Brrrrrr.

Consecutive weeks we had snow for all or parts of a day. Partial thaw then a refreeze that left everything a frozen hell. Three warm days plus rain melted it all and turned everything into a muddy disaster and now we’re back to below freezing temps so all the ruts are frozen. I usually don’t mind winter but I’m over this shit for the year.

This is the first winter we have spent in Montana since we retired 7 years ago. We are selling our home here and relocating to a warmer climate. Yes, it sucks. I only partially disliked winter when I was working my 9-5 but now it just sucks. I lucky to have a Kubota tractor with a front mount snowblower so snow removal is easy. Looking out the window over my computer monitor at all of that white crap - sucks.

Winter's still around here, although it's a bit warmer today:

Yup, it's like concrete out there!

I might have to resign myself to just driving on it for a while but, first I need to get into the car(s) which are currently kinda' encapsulated before I can do anything here. Once the sun is shining on them, I'm planning on warming them up (slowly, as I cracked a windshield blowing hot air on a frozen/ice encapsulated car in the past) in the hope I can at least move the cars around.

This was one of those perfect storms where nothing could be done (unless you had a heat pump feeding a radiant heat system under your driveway!) to avoid the impossibly frozen, concrete like coating that's out there. It's about 3-4 inches thick here and resulted from a few hours of freezing, followed by alternating sleet & freezing rain conditions over several more hours. I had NO chance of mitigating this and knew we were screwed when I went outside to assess the situation yesterday PM when it was a balmy 25 degrees!

I was working a 10-hour shift yesterday, getting out at 4:30. It took me 20 minutes to scrape off the windshield until it was safe to drive. Got home to the 3"-4" frozen mess in the driveway. No way was I gonna attack that issue yesterday. Next Tuesday it will be above freezing and I have a day off, so I'll tackle it then! In northern NH, they got upwards of 20" of snow, no freezing rain.
oh, well!!

If I can't scrape it, I'll have to break down and hire a guy to sand the drive until it softens enough.

I told my wife we should have bought that 3 point sander when I saw one listed for under $500!

February weather sucks doesn’t it, yesterday afternoon.