2017-18 Winter Storm thread

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:45 am

Skylar - A modified version of Tyler merged with the word sky.
...
Wilbur - Mr. Ed’s owner in the TV show about a talking horse.

I'm glad they're taking this seriously.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:47 am

Aiden - Denver, October 9th

LawBeefaroni · Post by **LawBeefaroni** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:50 am

That's like the attendance list from my youngest's swim class.

Seriously, we know kids named at least half of those. They're just using a baby name list from a few years ago.

Post by **ImLawBoy** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 3:56 pm

It's bad enough we're naming snow showers, do we have to give them fucking millennial children's names?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 4:58 pm

Aiden broke the Top 100 in 2003, Top 20 in 2008 and remains there
Benjamin (Benji) has been a Top 30 contender since before 2000
Chloe has been a Top 40 contender since before 2000
Dylan has been a Top 40 contender since before 2000
Ethan has been a Top 10 since before 2002
Frank (Frankie) is a solid 200-400 performer since 2000
Grayson broke the Top 50 in 2015
Hunter has been in the Top 100 since before 2000
Inga is a dark horse
Jaxon broke the Top 50 in 2013
Kalani broke onto the scene in 2015, with a 170 point rise to 2016
Liam has been #2 since 2014
Mateo broke into the Top 100 in 2015
Noah flooded into #1 in 2013
Oliver cracked the Top 20 in 2015
Polly is a dark horse
Quinn is a solid 200-400 performer since 2000
Riley has been in the Top 50 since 2008
Skylar has been in the Top 50 since 2014
Toby has been on the decline into the 700s.
Uma is a dark horse
Violet sprouted into the Top 50 in 2015
Wilbur and Xanto are not on the radar
Yvonne disappeared in 2003.
Zoey has been Top 30 since 2011.

Blackhawk · Post by **Blackhawk** » Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:18 pm

Damned Gen Z'ers!

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Wed Nov 01, 2017 8:15 am

I'm down with cursing hipster weather patterns. Just feels right that Aiden is pissing down rain.

Kelric · Post by **Kelric** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:13 pm

It was 75 and humid in New England two days ago. What's winter?

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:24 pm

Today: Your kid's popular name is about to become a winter storm

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Sun Nov 05, 2017 9:50 pm

I'm still not a fan of naming winter storms. I like when names just happen. Like when Snowzilla hit the DC area a few years back.

Picked up this nice shirt too -

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Fri Dec 08, 2017 12:20 pm

Benji

Winter Storm Benji has already delivered a rare snow event to parts of south and coastal Texas, and will blanket a 2,000 mile-long swath from the Deep South and Northeast into this weekend with the season's first snow, for many.
...
The southern extent of the snow swath right now is something not often seen, extending from Deep South and coastal Texas into Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, north Georgia, and the southern Appalachians.
...
Snow has fallen as far south as Brownsville, Texas. Thundersnow with 1 inch-per-hour snowfall rates was observed in Corpus Christi, Texas, early Friday morning, their first measurable snow event since the infamous Christmas 2004 event. Up to 4 inches of snow had been measured on elevated surfaces in parts of the city.
...
Rare winter storm warnings have been issued for parts of Deep South Texas, as well as parts of Mississippi, Alabama, north Georgia, and western North Carolina. This includes the cities of Corpus Christi, Texas, Jackson, Mississippi, and parts of the Atlanta metro area.

In the South, the National Weather Service has issued winter weather advisories stretching from coastal Texas to Virginia, including the cities of Houston, Birmingham, Alabama, and Greensboro, North Carolina.

In the Northeast, a winter storm watch has been issued for southern New Jersey and also for a part of eastern Maine.

Winter weather advisories have been issued for a swath of the I-95 corridor from Massachusetts to northern Virginia, including the entire Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington D.C. metro areas.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Fri Dec 08, 2017 12:41 pm

Benji, huh?

We're expecting 3-5" on Saturday. Statistically, our first accumulation of at least an inch occurs on 12/10, so this is right on schedule.

Not real happy about confining my Miata to the garage until it melts, but that's a choice I made when I decided not to replace my summer tires.

Baroquen · Post by **Baroquen** » Sat Dec 09, 2017 1:17 am

Yeah, I'm still not a fan of winter storm names either. Now get off my lawn, whippersnappers.

Expected 2-4 inches here, but I'm expecting less, as the air's been pretty dry, and I don't trust the models. But hey... IMO a little snow is better than no snow. At least it'll feel like Christmas is coming soon.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:00 am

I don't mind them naming potentially historical storms -- it's a better shorthand than "The Blizzard of '78" or "The April Fool's Day Storm." And I get that this one is unusual in the South. It's just hard to take seriously when they seem to be naming every average snowfall that comes along. "Benji? I'll never forget Benji. We got 4" of snow, and I had to shovel!"

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:33 am

LawBeefaroni wrote: ↑Tue Oct 31, 2017 10:50 am That's like the attendance list from my youngest's swim class.

Seriously, we know kids named at least half of those. They're just using a baby name list from a few years ago.

Holy crap, my first son's name is up there. Wasn't even in the top 100 when he was born, pretty sure.

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 4:51 pm

We're up to Grayson:

Winter Storm Grayson will spread a swath of snow and ice from north Florida tonight to New England into Thursday as a large, powerful low-pressure system intensifies off the East Coast.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:28 pm

Local forecast says this will be huge if it hits us directly, but it's currently expected to pass well out to sea. Current best guess is 8-12" with lots of blowing and drifting.

"This particular storm is going to intensify about as fast as any storm in this part of the world can during this time of year. Meteorologists call this rapid intensification “bombogenesis.” Because of the size and strength of the storm, a wobble of 50 miles east or west will change the forecast dramatically." says boston.com.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:48 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:00 am I don't mind them naming potentially historical storms -- it's a better shorthand than "The Blizzard of '78" or "The April Fool's Day Storm." And I get that this one is unusual in the South. It's just hard to take seriously when they seem to be naming every average snowfall that comes along. "Benji? I'll never forget Benji. We got 4" of snow, and I had to shovel!"

You don't understand. In the South no one has shovels.

Seriously, though. I was living in Birmingham in 1982 when we got an "ice storm of the century." Heavy ice formed very quickly and brought down power lines, and all the roads (Birmingham is hilly) were solid slicks.

The same storm would have been bad for a day or two in Boston, but in Birmingham we didn't have the snow infrastructure in place to do anything about it: few salt trucks, few plows. There was no power or hot water for a week, and my family slept by the fireplace. I remember Dad going out at 3 a.m. to chop more wood.

Z-Corn · Post by **Z-Corn** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 7:56 pm

Don't blame me, I voted for non-climate-change-deniers.

Also, my nickname in Grade 11 was "bombogenesis".

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:35 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:00 am I don't mind them naming potentially historical storms -- it's a better shorthand than "The Blizzard of '78" or "The April Fool's Day Storm." And I get that this one is unusual in the South. It's just hard to take seriously when they seem to be naming every average snowfall that comes along. "Benji? I'll never forget Benji. We got 4" of snow, and I had to shovel!"

Pop quiz: The Weather channel has been doing this for years. Without looking it up, what's was the names of the worst storms you've endured?

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:28 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 10:35 pm
Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Dec 09, 2017 3:00 am I don't mind them naming potentially historical storms -- it's a better shorthand than "The Blizzard of '78" or "The April Fool's Day Storm." And I get that this one is unusual in the South. It's just hard to take seriously when they seem to be naming every average snowfall that comes along. "Benji? I'll never forget Benji. We got 4" of snow, and I had to shovel!"
Pop quiz: The Weather channel has been doing this for years. Without looking it up, what's was the names of the worst storms you've endured?

The Blizzard of 78 and the April Fools Day storm come to mind.

YellowKing · Post by **YellowKing** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 12:45 am

You want ridiculousness from the South?

We have the "possibility" of 3 inches, which means they're putting my entire work on lockdown shelter-in-place. I have to go in at 1:00pm tomorrow and spend the night, unable to leave until conditions are deemed safe to travel.

So despite the fact I live 10 minutes from work and work from home twice a week, I have to spend the night there. For the 25% possibility of 3 inches of snow. Which is exactly the same percentage that we will get no snow at all.

Kelric · Post by **Kelric** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:46 am

Kelric wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:13 pm It was 75 and humid in New England two days ago. What's winter?

Oh. This. This is winter. The high on Saturday is going to be 2. THE HIGH! That does not count wind chill. It has been positively arctic here for about two weeks. I'm scared of my next heating bill - I'm thinking $500.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:18 am

Kelric wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:46 am
Kelric wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:13 pm It was 75 and humid in New England two days ago. What's winter?
Oh. This. This is winter. The high on Saturday is going to be 2. THE HIGH! That does not count wind chill. It has been positively arctic here for about two weeks. I'm scared of my next heating bill - I'm thinking $500.

Either you're using oil or you have a big drafty house. Our gas boiler is running almost continuously and I'm expecting $300+ for our little drafty house.

Our heating account built up a comfy surplus over the past few years. Then last month I raided those extra bucks for something else. Now they don't look as extra as they did then.

Kelric · Post by **Kelric** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:51 am

Kraken wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 3:18 am
Kelric wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:46 am
Kelric wrote: ↑Sun Nov 05, 2017 7:13 pm It was 75 and humid in New England two days ago. What's winter?
Oh. This. This is winter. The high on Saturday is going to be 2. THE HIGH! That does not count wind chill. It has been positively arctic here for about two weeks. I'm scared of my next heating bill - I'm thinking $500.
Either you're using oil or you have a big drafty house. Our gas boiler is running almost continuously and I'm expecting $300+ for our little drafty house.

Our heating account built up a comfy surplus over the past few years. Then last month I raided those extra bucks for something else. Now they don't look as extra as they did then.

Big and drafty, just like our nuclear buttons. The gas furnace is running continuously - it stops for a few minutes (maybe) unless I drastically cut the temperature. That is why I was asking in a previous thread about thermostats that would give me a range. I'd rather it run for two hours to go from 65-68 and then sit for an hour to go down to 65 and then run for two more to go back to 68 than to run all day every day with tiny intervals to keep it at 68. At best it saves some wear and tear. Having a newborn in an 1898 brick house during a coldsnap isn't really working out for me. Despite windows, furnace and roof all being replaced within the last five to seven years there is only so much that can be done when your insulation is two layers of brick, an air gap, and another layer of brick (with plaster and wallpaper on it! yay!). The first floor windows are very drafty and I can feel a constant breeze in the kitchen around every appliance.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:07 am

It's been positively chilly for the past two weeks or so. The windchill has been very high, even breaking some local records. We were visiting family in Ottawa for Christmas, and outdoor activities were officially cancelled on Parliament Hill due to an extreme cold weather advisory. My Niece and Nephew got new sledding gear and we went to a nice sledding hill near their house. It was so cold, we couldn't last more than 15 min before booking it to go buy some hot chocolate. Must have been about -30, and that's nothing to sneeze at. When we came back home from our Christmas trip, we came home to a frozen door that we had to unthaw with a hairdryer, and it was about 15 min before we could even get in. Thankfully seems to be warming up for a bit before going on for another cold spell. We get to blame this one on Russian Arctic air.

Could really do with some heated floors...

Isgrimnur · Post by **Isgrimnur** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:57 am

Kelric, time to get you an infrared thermometer, some weatherstripping, and caulk.

The Meal · Post by **The Meal** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:21 am

Rumpy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:07 am we came home to a frozen door that we had to unthaw with a hairdryer,

I think you “unthaw“ with a freezer.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:08 pm

Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:28 pm The Blizzard of 78 and the April Fools Day storm come to mind.

I'm talking the contrived TWC storm names. Wikipedia says they've been doing it since 2011. That year, we had a massive snow storm, but I don't think I ever knew what they called it and I've never heard of anyone referring to it as anything in particular.

pr0ner · Post by **pr0ner** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:19 pm

I guess we're not doing phrasing anymore.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:49 pm

Jeff V wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:08 pm
Kraken wrote: ↑Tue Jan 02, 2018 11:28 pm The Blizzard of 78 and the April Fools Day storm come to mind.
I'm talking the contrived TWC storm names. Wikipedia says they've been doing it since 2011. That year, we had a massive snow storm, but I don't think I ever knew what they called it and I've never heard of anyone referring to it as anything in particular.

I very rarely watch TWC so I would only ever hear a storm's name if it's right on top of me and my internet connection is down. If everybody else starts calling this one Grayson, then I will, too. If it's memorable it deserves some common name.

Latest forecast still says 8-12" within 24 hours with occasional blizzard conditions. That's fairly routine for New England and unlikely to earn it a name in popular parlance. My town is right on the edge of a small 10-15" pocket, but it's all still just model-driven at this point. If it tracks farther east we won't get as much, farther west and we could get hammered.

Jaymann · Post by **Jaymann** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 1:58 pm

Getting hammered is an option regardless.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:14 pm

Al Roker also parrots these storm names. I don't watch other networks so I don't know if any others do the same.

Rumpy · Post by **Rumpy** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 2:16 pm

The Meal wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:21 am
Rumpy wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:07 am we came home to a frozen door that we had to unthaw with a hairdryer,
I think you “unthaw“ with a freezer.

I suppose so. But it shows just how brutal the temps were. More to the point, the temps were like a freezer, in the sense that you wouldn't want to have any exposed skin for any length of time. It was that cold.

Kelric · Post by **Kelric** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 4:58 pm

Isgrimnur wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:57 am Kelric, time to get you an infrared thermometer, some weatherstripping, and caulk.

Yep. I've got new weatherstripping on the back door but it still leaks like a thing that leaks a lot. Plastic up on the worst windows, too, but they definitely need to be caulked.

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:29 pm

Philly is under competing forecasts of 1-3 inches and 5-7 inches, which means we'll get 2 inches.

They've just cancelled school for tomorrow.

Kraken · Post by **Kraken** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 12:36 pm

Well, it's snowing its ass off. Appliance repair guy showed up at 7:30 am to fix my oven and failed to wake us up (I'm never up before 8:30 and Wife's been sleeping in while on vacation for the past two weeks). By the time I got back to him at 9 it was already getting too nasty out there for a house call...so still no working oven for me, and that means emergency rations for dinner tonight. Spaghetti to the rescue!

Holman · Post by **Holman** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:03 pm

Holman wrote: ↑Wed Jan 03, 2018 9:29 pm Philly is under competing forecasts of 1-3 inches and 5-7 inches, which means we'll get 2 inches.

They've just cancelled school for tomorrow.

Welp, we're getting probably 4-5 inches before it's over today. Just enough to stay housebound.

Smoove_B · Post by **Smoove_B** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 1:08 pm

Attended a wake yesterday in the NJ shore area and all was fine. I left there around 8:30 last night and it's apparently turned into a snowpocalypse since then. The limo from the funeral home apparently came this morning to pick up my aunt and my parents (it was my uncle that died) at her house and according to my dad they had a real fun 1 mile ride to the church. After mass, they limo driver returned them home as the burial and luncheon was unsurprisingly cancelled. Now they're all snowed in down there until at least this afternoon but my dad is vocally clarifying that he's leaving at 3pm so he can get to work tomorrow. Anyway, stay safe out there affected OOers. It's windy and there's a bit of snow where I live, but nothing crazy. Looks like it's a big deal for far more people.

em2nought · Post by **em2nought** » Thu Jan 04, 2018 7:02 pm

Shoot, no snow below Orlando.