The Northeast Blizzard of 2005 Discussion Thread

[ChileMass]

Northboro, MA - Had probably 8" on the ground last night at 11PM, I just went out to get the newspaper (not there) and we have about 20" with 3-4 foot drifts all over the place. Still snowing and blowing hard, but this should end by noon.....

 

[riverc0il]

Given that the last blizzard was BS (before skiing) for me, I was wondering about how this dump will affect local conditions over the next several weeks. Will there be plenty of powder to be had for a while?

no, but at least ski areas will have good packed powder conditions and the scraped areas will be refreshed for a little while. also, we'll get some good bumps out of this too. but the powder will be gone at most areas within a day or two.

 

[riverc0il]

No doubt about it, this is a Blizzard. It doesn't happen but once in a decade tops.

blizzards happen more often than once every ten years, likely at least once a year. three things are needed for a blizzard: 1/4 mile visibility, sustained winds at 35+, and lots of snow with no change over. generally i recall an average of one blizzard a year or so.

 

[hammer]

no, but at least ski areas will have good packed powder conditions and the scraped areas will be refreshed for a little while. also, we'll get some good bumps out of this too. but the powder will be gone at most areas within a day or two.

This still sounds much better than what we've been dealing with so far this season. Bumps are good....

It would be nice to be able to take tomorrow off and find out what powder skiing is like.

 

[riverc0il]

just saw that they shut down a section of route 128 in gloucester, just east of where i am. damn, i can't even imagine what that road is like, glad i stayed put this morning even though i want powder bad!

 

[ChileMass]

Yeah - this is definitely a blizzard. If possible, the wind has picked up since 8AM. Haven't seen on of these in several years, myself. Probably the last one was the April Fool's Day storm in '97, ayuh.....

 

[Powderqueen]

Windy

The blizzard may lay down a lot of snow which is well-needed, however, there will still be exposed icy spots due to the wind.

I skied saturday in 10" of fresh new powder at Greek Peak. Drifts were thigh deep, but there were bare icy spots that would take you by surprise when you emerged from the drifts. At 3-4ish, when the light was flat, these spots would take you by surprise. They turned the lights on at 4 and you could see them much easier. Night skiing was awesome. I woulda stayed until 10pm if my cohort didn't need to get hom to his family at 8. Roads were dicey, but here in central upstate ny they kept them plowed and the drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. Definitely worth the extra time on the road for a whole day and evening of powder shots and fresh turns.

Today its windier than yesterday. I think I'll avoid the chairlifts. I'm sure they groomed it all out anyway at our local hill. Time to break trail on our land. We'll have some good skiing here for a while. It's a winter wonderland.

If you want to read my report from yesterday, you will find it at
http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=548

 

[Zand]

The storm is over here in Leicester, MA. The average depth is about 2', but there are a few huge drifts that amount to as high as 6'. I bet some get even higher.

 

[beswift]

Gotta make this quick as the power went out a few hours ago, and I want to do some cooking before it happens again. I have gas heat which seems to stay on without electricity, but the gas range doesn't. This is some storm. I was able to get out on my snowshoes and put in about a mile of trugging around. The winds are still howling. I didn't wear goggles, but used wrap around sunglasses. They fogged so the next time I'll use a defogger like Cat Crap. A tree fell across the road into my property. Since it's a dead end (actually another infernal New England circle), the won't plow until it's removed. I used a hand saw to cut as much as I could, but the chain saw is needed. It's just too nasty out to get a chainsaw going. The snow is incredibly deep in the drifts and woods. Until somekind of track is put down, snowshoeing is the best way to get around. None of the side streets here on the Cape have seen a plow since last night. I talked to a guy who was insane enough to go out plowing and he said he had gotten stuck four times. He definitely couldn't get into the access road to my development. I'll be using the new snowshoes (such an improvement over the old) for a few days, no doubt. Let's hope the power doesn't go out during the middle of the Pat's game. It was a blessing in disguise that Pittsburgh beat them in regular season play. Otherwise there wouldn't be a game today for sure.

 

[beswift]

No doubt about it, this is a Blizzard. It doesn't happen but once in a decade tops.

blizzards happen more often than once every ten years, likely at least once a year. three things are needed for a blizzard: 1/4 mile visibility, sustained winds at 35+, and lots of snow with no change over. generally i recall an average of one blizzard a year or so.

Maybe that is some kind of official government classification for a blizzard, but I discount most storms that fit that qualification. My definition of a blizzard is a snowstorm which I can remember after that year passes. I know it is subjective, but it seems to work since I have seen so much snow.

 

[riverc0il]

agreed with the subjectiveness, some storms qualify for blizzard status that are pretty minor by official standards. this is definitely one for the record books, though i think last years december storm was worse since the snow wasn't as light and fluffy. we definitely got more this time around though and in a quicker period of time.

i just dug out my car. but i am still not going skiing any time soon.

 

[beswift]

agreed with the subjectiveness, some storms qualify for blizzard status that are pretty minor by official standards. this is definitely one for the record books, though i think last years december storm was worse since the snow wasn't as light and fluffy. we definitely got more this time around though and in a quicker period of time.

i just dug out my car. but i am still not going skiing any time soon.

Certainly for the Cape this storm beats last December's storm. By Boston standards, last December's storm wasn't like the December storm a few years previous, either. Both of them, saw serious melting in the aftermath in the city, so they soon faded from memory. It's like the Blizzard of '78 which was memorable but didn't make for a bad winter in comparison to the next year's winter (January, espcially). Whatever, I wouldn't be too disapointed by missing skiing today. The snow is heavy and the drifting/wind has packed it down too much. It isn't a very good powder to ski at all. The swirling winds here, are brutal. I wore Gortex head to toe. A hooded back-country shell with a wrap around chin protector. Under that I had a wool and gortex head band. Goggles would have been better than sunglasses. Even then the driving force of the snow was biting the exposed skin. It was too warm for a full face cover, too. Life just isn't easy even when you are doing something you like to do. :beer:

 

[crombie]

Where to go skiing tomorrow? I want some powdery woods!

 

[crombie]

sorry, should have mentioned that i live in Boston and don't wanna go very far.

 

[swade2469]

Well, I am definately a newbie, and will probably get shot down on this, but I went to Crotched Sat morning before the storm and it looked like there were plenty of small between the trees areas. PLus, it wasnt crowded, and seems to have the feel that it usually isn't. Again, I could be wrong. Give it a shot ! :beer:

 

[beswift]

The State Governments are asking people to stay off the roads and highways tomorrow in Ma. and R.I. It's still snowing here on the Cape and in some places in my yard there is waist deep drifts. We had 78 m.p.h. winds which qualifies as hurricane force. On Ch. 10 in R.I. they are saying that this is the fifth worse storm to hit N.E. in the last 100 years. My suggestion would be to take up cross-country skiing if you haven't already done so. You can find great track in Boston after this kind of a storm. I used to ski regularly out of Davis Sq., Sommerville on the rail trail to Arlington.

 

[crombie]

that's a good point, i'm definitely going to check out the road conditions tomorrow before i head out. hopefully things will be cleared by then.

 

[Jay Levitt]

The State Governments are asking people to stay off the roads and highways tomorrow in Ma. and R.I.

Where are you hearing that? www.state.ma.us says something similar, but dated yesterday - i.e., don't drive Saturday or Sunday. Monday's a day off for nonessential employees, but they're not asking people not to drive as far as I can see.

 

[swade2469]

Crombie - Don't listen to this crap - you want to ski or what? Just use your best judgement and go for it. I am telling you. They got 24" !!!!!!! It is EPIC!!!!

 

[rotorite86]

Well, i am glad you all got to see a historic blizzard, because I was terribly disappointed. Got a total of about 10-12" here in Hamden CT - and it snowed until 7 am. It was blizzard like conditions out there, but once again, the weather guys overestimated the snowfall greatly. My roomate up in Stoughton MA says he got 24". Wish I got to see that. :\ Still can't ski the next few days though, even though school has be postponed until at least Tuesday now.