The End Is Near, Snow Shoveling 101, Slow Warming

I'm not going to go over the meteorology that created this Historic Snow Event, except to say as we approach the 3 PM hour, the end is in sight.  As the Gulf surface low moves farther to our south and east, the back edge of the snow line on radar has cleared Lafayette and should reach us after 5 PM.  That will not be the end of our misery (fun if you're a child ) as road travel will stay impossible through much of tomorrow.  Most doctor appointments before noon probably will have to be rescheduled since roads will remain icy.  Some melting will occur during the afternoon hours, but the melt will quickly refreeze after dark.  Here's the satellite & radar.

 

So with 2-3 hours to go, we could get another 1-2".  I did get to go measure what was outside my back door...by the hardest.

As you can see, I'm just short of 8".  My mistake was I figured I could wait until the snow ended before I went to clear the walk for Bailey to go make "yellow snow".  Being from Yankee land, I learned it is far better/easier to go shovel the snow several times, instead of waiting till it ends and then trying to move the white stuff.  But nooo, I waited (because I don't have a snow shovel!) and then tried to use my heavy broom.  He-He, what a joke!  Doggie going to have to learn to go do do in da deep stuff!

Worse yet, my lone garden shovel is in my back shed that has a snow drift blocking the door!  Must admit, freshly fallen snow is very beautiful IF you have no place to go.  

I will make my 4 PM cocktail hour vodka tonic and sit and enjoy the view.  Our concern overnight will focus on protecting our pipes.  Here is my advice.  We know the Pipe Rule.

That was designed mainly for our overnight hours when we're sleeping and not using any water.  We trickle a small stream just to keep some water moving.  That rule is not nearly as important during the day even if we're below 28 degrees.  Let me explain why.

During the day we are constantly using water.  We wash our clothes, wash our dishes, flush the toilets etc.  The water never stays still long enough to become an issue.  It's only overnight that problems develop.  So I am NOT dripping water right now.  I'll probably wait until the actual air temp drops to 25 or lower. Certainly, I'll start dripping before I go to sleep.  But let's not be stupid and use so much water that pressures get so low that our firefighters have no water to fight fires, or we end up with a boil water advisory.  Make no mistake, this is a hard freeze night for BOTH sides of Lake Pontchartrain and full precautions will be required.  But let's try to use some common sense too.

As our 7-day shows, tomorrow could get into the single digits on the North Shore and upper teens away from Lake P. south.  Roads will remain icy through at least midday on Wednesday so only travel if necessary.  Arctic air is hard to move out and, with snow on the ground, the warm-up will take several days before we reach the weekend when the 60s return.  

Here are my 2 cars.  We have no snow brush/ice scraper Gang.  All you snow geeks, be happy and I don't want to hear you whining about "It never snows in NOLA"!  This is why I live in the South.  To avoid this crap!!  Stay warm, stay safe, & stay tuned!