Friday, February 26, 2010

Aerie Afternoon Report, February 26, 2010

Total accumulation as of 10 AM this morning was in the neighborhood of 8 to 10 inches. It's difficult to be precise because the strong winds overnight caused some snow to be drifted to a depth of 18 inches in spots and scoured other areas down to 5 or 6 inches. I guessedimated from the sections that seemed least disturbed.

I got the driveway/parking area cleaned out with little problem. It just took time. I started at 10:15 and was walking behind the snow thrower almost continuously until 12:30. Luckily the town plow came up the street when I began so I could clear that along with the regular stuff. It was not snowing when I started. I could see clearly across the valley and even noticed what looked like sunshine on the distant fields. That sunshine never got here. It remained overcast as I worked and, just as I put the thrower away and started clearing off and shoveling around the truck, it started to snow. Hard.

I finished what I had to do and then headed to the post office for two days worth of mail (mostly junk, of course). As I drove down and back, the weatherman on the local radio station says, "Two to four inches this afternoon and another one to three overnight." If he's correct, that means as much as seven inches additional. At least I'll get my money's worth out of the snow thrower! Although, I'm beginning to wish I had bought a model with more horsepower. The banks of snow on the side of the driveway are getting too tall for the 5.5 hp engine on the one I've got to toss snow over from very far away.

As for that "If he's correct..." line, AccuHunch seems to agree with that forecast while weather.com is giving a wimpy 1 inch total for the rest of today and tonight. Since we already have received 1/2 inch or more since I got back from getting the mail, I'll go with the local guy and AccuHunch...this time.

Currently snow like the dickens again. (Interesting saying, that. When Dickens was writing there was a bit of a mini ice age going on. Hence all the snow in A Christmas Carol, published in 1843 and many of his other works.)

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