Deadly Snowstorm Heads Toward Northeast

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By ROGER PETTERSON : Associated Press Writer Dec 25, 2002 : 12:35 am ET

A snowstorm blamed for at least 13 deaths blew out of the Plains and headed for New England on Tuesday, promising to give many parts of the country a rare white Christmas while making a mess out of holiday travel.

By Christmas night, the storm is expected to have painted a broad streak of snow from the mountains of Arizona, across the Midwest and all the way to Maine. The forecast was for 10 to 20 inches around Albany, N.Y., which has not had snow on the ground on Christmas since 1985.

"All those people who wanted a white Christmas -- we are going to give it to them," said National Weather Service meteorologist Chuck Tingley in Buffalo, N.Y., where up to 11 inches was forecast.

Temperatures Tuesday morning were in the teens as far south as the Texas Panhandle.

Since Monday, the weather has been blamed for six deaths in Missouri, three in Oklahoma, three in Kansas and one in New Mexico, all in motor vehicle crashes.

Wind-blown snow produced near-whiteout conditions Tuesday morning in the hilly Ozarks of Missouri and piled up in drifts. In some places, thick ice formed on top of the snow, making roads treacherous.

New York state's Thruway Authority had trucks and plows ready and urged Christmas Eve travelers to get to where they were going before the snow started falling during the night.

"We have lined up our cots. If necessary we will have sleeping areas for people," said Doug Myers, a spokesman at the Albany airport.

"It won't ruin Christmas at all," said Matthew Cutrone, 23, of Kingston, N.Y., as he waited at the Albany airport for his girlfriend to arrive from North Carolina. "She's never had a white Christmas."

On the West Coast, the Los Angeles airport reported delays of more than an hour Tuesday for flights headed to storm-affected cities such as St. Louis.

On the Plains, 15 inches of snow had fallen on parts of Kansas by the time the storm ended Tuesday morning.

"You really don't want to be out in it," said Jerry Appel, working at a filling station in Garden City, Kan. "But it's good! It means a white Christmas."

Wichita has had an inch or more of snow on the ground for Christmas only 11 times since 1888, the weather service said.

With up to a foot of snow on Monday, parts of Oklahoma were getting their first white Christmas since 1975.

Part of a roof collapsed at a Hobby Lobby store in Tulsa, Okla., apparently from the weight of snow, but none of the 25 people inside were injured, a police dispatcher said.

The weather system also spun off thunderstorms and tornadoes that battered parts of Georgia and Alabama on Tuesday morning. At least nine people were injured. Waist-deep water stalled cars in Georgia.

"The fact that it's Christmas Eve makes it doubly bad," Ty Bettis said as he helped a neighbor clean up after a tornado in Leesburg, Ga.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002

Answers

A dusting of snow when I got up, but now it has stopped for a while. We are still expecting a foot, so it will be very busy here later this afternoon through tonight. There are a few emergency supplies I should probably lay out in case I lose power.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002

We've got pretty gusty winds and power has been knocked out in a couple of areas. I think we'll be okay but you never know.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002

Right now (2pm), the deadly northeast storm is drizzle. Hope this is a Good Thing, that we don't end up with ice under tons of snow.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002

debating turning on the a/c. it's getting close to 80 here.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002

Barefoot . . . BOP!

My area of Cols has received less than an inch so far. Right now, all the slush that accumulated on untreated roads has melted, and there are dry spots in the treated areas. I consider us extrememly fortunate -- SAR has posted some snow pix of her yard on the Storm in Central OH threat over on TB2K. She lives farther north than I and frequently gets lake effect snows -- that was the case in this storm, and it's still snowing in her area -- 8+ inches is a good possibility.

The winds are picking up here, but unless someone messes with the grid, I don't expect to lose power -- it hasn't been a significant storm in this area of the state.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002



The plows are finally out. There was a period of thunder. The cats are "cooped" up with me in the living/dining/kitchen area with the wood stove. It's the first time I have really tried it out. It must be right at freezing outside or we would have had much more snow by now. So far, very toasty. The main furnace is "on", but set at a lower temperature, and the common area has stayed about 70 degrees, and much more comfortable than it usually seems to be at this temperature.

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002

Winds still gusting up to 30 but we (obviously) have power, despite a few blinks now and then. All the surge suppressors are in place (I have them on just about everything). If we lose it tonight, no problem--we still have those gas logs and plenty of quilts and stuff. It will be much easier to drag the air mattresses into the living room than to get the emergency foam out of the bloody freezing attic. Due to go to 33 tonight.

I love flannel sheets!

-- Anonymous, December 25, 2002


About 8 heavy inches, underlain by ice which has bent over all the small trees and shrubs and will prevent me from cleaning them off. Never quite lost power, although I had the kitties on call for bedwarming duty.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002

Did you end up going to work, Brooks? I figured the kitties would want you to stay home.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002

Yup, I'm at work.

I have a new plowman, a good buddy of a neighbor. I arranged it through the neighbor and this was the test storm so I wasn't sure what to expect, in particular when he would take care of my driveway. I got up at 5 am to peruse the damage, in time to see that the driveway had already been plowed and the neighbor was finishing up on the shoveling. So, I took the time to shovel off the rear deck and set out peanuts and bird seed, and still made it in to work near my regular time.

Very few people at work this week, which means there is noone to delegate to. Also, a lot going on here. After the slowdown in September when we wondered who would be laid off next, it is a welcome change.

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002



congrats on the plowman! Hope he continues to do that early enough for you, and at the same time I hope he isn't needed too often!

I'll have to suffer thru having to wear my sunglasses on my drive to work as that bright golden org is quite prominent in the sky today. If it hits 70 today I'm turning on the a/c. heh heh

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002


Someone please throttle Barefoot.

Good to hear there's plenty of work BrookS ;-)

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002


Miami : 69°F
Partly Cloudy

Almost!

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002


Barefoot, please think about this: do you really, really want us Northerners to to throw up our hands and move to your area? Brooks with her cats and me with my mega yards of wire antennas?

Just wait 'til the next 'cane that's aiming for your area. I'll get my revenge. (evil smile!)

-- Anonymous, December 26, 2002


it helps some to know that not all of the planet has been sent to the Ice Age.

If I sound smug reporting that, well, it's because I am. LOL

Besides, it's normally hot and humid around here so when it gets nice and cool I just have to share.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2002



Meemur, I for one feel very sorry for our mailman. :-( He has to water his stupid plants yearround! I do so enjoy a period of frigid dormancy. Well, almost...

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2002

One word: ANDREW.

-- Anonymous, December 27, 2002

Like I water plants. LOL

It's fun setting the sprinklers out, but with the water conservation crap in force I can't water in the daytime when it's fun to watch.

And I bought some pretty sprinklers, too.

We used to sit for a couple hours at a time, drinking beer and watching the sprinklers. Now I just sit at the computer.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2002


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