Seattle shut down.

[390Nut]

Literally. Traffic on I-5 in downtown seattle has been at a stand still for over 6 hours. Over 200 transit buses (JUST in King County alone) are stuck. People are running out of gas on the freeways, and/or pulling to the curb lane and camping in their cars. People abandoning their cars everywhere. People downtown (one couple admitted it) trying to drive THREE FRIGGIN BLOCKS to get an espresso, and being stuck in traffic for over two hours.

All because of a few inches of snow over some ice.

This happens nearly every year. You would think people would learn. A weeks worth of snow warnings. You would think they would put winter tires on their cars/trucks.

I've got relatively new, regular passenger car tires, barely able to carry a Mud&snow rating looking at the tread pattern, and I had no issues getting around today.

[HayHauler]

YIKES I'll remember that next time I complain about the Texas heat!

[HayHauler]

It was about 85 here today.

[Mancar1]

IN MY YOUNGER DO CRAZY THINGS DAYS.

In 73 - 78 I was stationed on the Higbee (DD808), home port Seattle pier 91. We bought a 78 Fiesta when they first came out. I think it was the winter of 77-78. Loaded up the wife and kids and headed 600 miles south to see the folks for a weekend. Left Fri. evening, had to be back to the ship 0600 Monday. Wouldn't you know it, worst snow-storm Portland area had seen in years. Only vehicles running on I-5 was 4X4s and that little front wheel drive car of ours. I-5 looked like a giant car lot, everyone was pulled off the freeway. (My 1st time with a front wheel drive, handled snow with no problem.) Got to Grants Pass Oregon and chains were required. Trooper wouldn't let me put them on the front even after I showed him it was front wheel drive. (He kept telling me that there are no front wheel drive cars, guess he didn't know about the Torrnado). Since he had the gun I put em on the back, drove out of site and stopped and put them on the front. Didn't want a ticket. After 4 or 5 miles of bumpy driving, pulled over and took them off. Heck the snow was much worse at Portland. That little Fiesta was a lot of fun to Alas never should have bought it, to many kids. Traded it in for a big boat of a cursed 76 Chevy that the wife wanted at the time.(Something about no more road trips in a shoebox with 5 kids. Yes it can and has been done.) That only lasted a few months, and I got her in another ride. Holly catfish Batman, I'm doing the dreaded Flowmaster Drone. Tune in next week for another exciting adventure.

[GSequoia]

Yikes. I'll have to remember not to go to our new Seattle office around this time of year!

[jzjames]

A weeks worth of snow warnings.

I dont remember hearing one forecast about this storm!

[Happy_Camper]

I had an awesome experience in Kansas City, MO one time.
Crazy snow storm, and people are getting stuck all over the streets. I'm in a rental car with a Nav system, and the dum-B that I am have no paper maps.
GPS doesn't work when the antenna is buried under snow, and the snow is dumping like like an igloo cooler on a football coach. So 4 miles from the hotel, and I'm quartering the city like a good hunting dog. Up and down hills, over sidewalks, around park benches. Anything I could do to keep the Taurus going mostly forward.
Probably the most fun I've had driving in the snow...
Made it to the hotel just in time for Happy hour. I was ready for a good drink, and a great time talking to other's about their adventures
Us California city boys aren't used to weather under 50*F

Then another time, I fly into some city up north a little after midnight. Asked one of the helpful folk where the Rental car counter is, and with the most serious look I've seen in a long time, he say's... "you're not thinking of driving tonight are you?". It was one pickup truck and myself on the freeway (think it may have been closed, but no police stupid enough to be outdoors). I played bumper pool bouncing from one snow bank to the other for about 6 miles before making it to the hotel. Good thing I took out the full coverage insurance, because snow banks can do some body damage.
I figured, if they're crazy enough to let me drive out of the parking lot, I'm crazy enough to do it.
They probably thought, if that idiot is crazy enough to try and drive tonight, we'll let him.

man I love winter!

[fordman]

you would think they would know how to drive in that kind of weather by now. slow and easy is the only way to driv eon ice covered by snow or not.

[GSequoia]

you would think they would know how to drive in that kind of weather by now. slow and easy is the only way to driv eon ice covered by snow or not.

No way man! Their SUV have four wheel drive! They can stop, turn, and speed up with no problem on that ice!

[rjewkes]

Yeah i have seen some dumb driving on ice and snow here. i have noticed that Joplin.mo closes down a bit with real bed snow/ice storms.

[GSequoia]

Yeah i have seen some dumb driving on ice and snow here. i have noticed that Joplin.mo closes down a bit with real bed snow/ice storms.

All those ConWay drivers just can't handle it, eh?

[Oren09]

HAHAHA


There have been several wrecks here too. This whole state is covered in snow from November through March and people still run off the road or hit other vehicles (I excuse them when they hit a deer, elk, or bear on a snow covered highway). The storm sirens, which are used to call out the entirely voluntary fire departments and ambulance services, have gone off numerous times in the past week- one of which was four blasts, the most serious.

[390Nut]

A weeks worth of snow warnings.

I dont remember hearing one forecast about this storm!

I saw it on the news last Tuesday that they were expecting snow Sunday, and below freezing temps for several days. Actually, Tuesday they had said snow would be here Saturday, then on Wednesday they changed it to Sunday.

[1971ford]

What is probably going on in those cars
Oh no, Ice on the ground!
SLAM ON THE BRAKES!!!!
Wait, were not stopping at all, push harder on the brakes!

[mk]

With the temps we get here in the winter, salt doesn't work and sometimes it's so cold that sand won't even stick to the ice. Rolled out at -35 this morning but some temps in the area were close to -40. One weather site apparently labelled this area as the coldest on the planet outside of Antartica last night. Warmer air is back now as we were up to 0 by noon and since I've been home from work it's climbed all the way to 10.


mike