Band website hostingQuantcast

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Snow Day?

I grew up in central Missouri until I graduated from high school. We had a number of "snow days" which usually came in the form of ice covered with a slick but puny layer of snow.
Tonight in Minneapolis, it is snowing about an inch every hour from midnight through to 6am. We're expected to have falling temperatures (12 degrees F) with winds gusting to 25 mph. The wind will drive snow up into the air making visibility difficult during rush hours (6-9am). It will continue to snow all day Wednesday. Black ice is a phenomena at intersections where car exhausts melt snow and it quickly re-freezes into a polished surface that is treacherously slippery. Black ice was already forming last night at 10pm.
On Minnesota days when there is a great deal of snow (like now), Snow Emergency streets have no parking until the snow is removed. Then cities, each on their own separate and conflicting schedules, restrict parking on certain sides of the street starting at different times of the day and night and this will continue until all of the snow is cleared. With snow coming down steadily for 36 hours, it will be difficult to keep Snow Emergency streets clean and so we can expect surface streets to remain snow-clogged for another day.
With all of this wrasslin' and hastlin', it is almost a sure thing that there will be now "snow day" called in Minneapolis. Everyone will get to work 10-15 minutes late and will complain bitterly about the cold and the traffic. The snow will be third on the list of complaints.
A gallery of photos submitted as evidence
In Missouri, were it is also raining/snowing tonight, I will expect that schools and businesses are closed.
And in Missouri: heavy ice

Anyone want to bet?