Winter Is Here...

[randissimo]

As many of you know I live in west Michigan, an area that gets lots of snow complete with lake effect and white outs.. Today dumped about 4 inches here and it will continue on and off until tomorrow night.. Anybody have a connection for a cruise ship gig in the Caribbean?

[7/4]

I'm not looking forward to this at all. It was below 30F for a few nights last week.

Brrr....

dB

Edited November 24, 2008 by 7/4

[Joe G]

I'm tellin' you Randy: cross-country skis!!!!! Once you get the hang of it, it's every bit as fun as biking and kayaking.

Edit: you can even hit the trails with Uncle Skid.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Joe G

[Chuck Nessa]

Glad I finally broke down and bought a snow blower.

[jazzbo]

Winter?

Perfect day here in Austin!

[JSngry]

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

A few flurries of early snow here yesterday. And it's bloody cold! The wind is perishin'!

Government gave us pensioners an extra fifty quid to help with heating this winter - oil's gone down, but electricity prices haven't fallen. Quel surprise!

MG

[sal]

Any of our Oregon board members have any thoughts to share about the winters up there? I was there about 6 years ago for NYE and it was 60! I know its not like that all the time, but are they somewhat mild? Im considering a move there next year.

[Jazzmoose]

I just moved here in January, so I haven't seen a complete one yet, but I wouldn't call them mild. Last winter was my first experience driving in snow and I'm not looking forward to furthering my education...

It was in the twenties last night, but clear. There's been a bit of snow on the surrounding mountains, but not here in the valley yet.

Of course, hopefully you're thinking of the Portland area, or along the coast rather than here in the middle of nowhere; different weather patterns there, I'm sure.

Edited November 24, 2008 by Jazzmoose

[sal]

Thanks! Yeah, I was planning on somewhere around Portland or just in that coastal range.

[Quincy]

Thanks! Yeah, I was planning on somewhere around Portland or just in that coastal range.

The southern Oregon coast around Brookings is known as the banana belt.

From Portland on down the Willamette Valley we'll occasionally get snow in the winter but usually not much. (Actually for the past few years it seems like Portland has had more days of snow than usual - still not much compared to other northern places.) Head about 60 miles east from the valley from Salem/Eugene and you hit places to ski in the Cascades.

Where the Moose be is whole 'nother place comparatively. They get real winters out there!

It's a big crazy state Oregon - something for just about everyone.

[Tim McG]

Well, we Californians sure as hell hope the winter is a long one....and with plenty of rain.

Third year of a drought here.

[Tom Storer]

complete with lake effect and white outs

Wow, I don't even know what those are.

[Tom Storer]

complete with lake effect and white outs

Wow, I don't even know what those are.

[Dan Gould]

Lake effect snow is a snow storm brought about by the moisture that a lake provides the atmosphere, as opposed to a snowstorm that forms along a frontal boundary. Cities like Buffalo can end up with a hundred inches + of snow per year due to lake effect storms.

A white out is a snow storm of such great intensity that visibility is zero or nearly zero.

[sal]

Thanks! Yeah, I was planning on somewhere around Portland or just in that coastal range.

It's a big crazy state Oregon - something for just about everyone.

I hear ya! I spent a few weeks out there about 5 years ago, and fell in love with the place, particularly the Eugene area. Its been my goal to move out there ever since, and Im hoping to make that come true in the next year.

[AllenLowe]

"If you marry a Jew you'll never go skiing again. Jews hate cold weather and never do outdoor winter sports."

-Paul Sorvino to his daughter in Made for Each Other

[AndrewHill]

We've had snow (including today) for about two weeks now. We barely had a 'fall' this year.

[robviti]

the old farmer's almanac predicts that new england will get less-than-average precipitation this winter and enjoy higher-than-average temperatures from mid-december to mid-february. i don't know have much faith in long-term forecasts, but i don't have the heart to tell that to these nice folks.

[catesta]

We've had snow (including today) for about two weeks now. We barely had a 'fall' this year.

My parents just hi-tailed it out of there this morning. I checked the road conditions for them before they left and looks like they're safe if they take it slow. I'm not crazy about them making the drive but they insisted and would not allow me to come get them.

[Quincy]

Thanks! Yeah, I was planning on somewhere around Portland or just in that coastal range.

It's a big crazy state Oregon - something for just about everyone.

I hear ya! I spent a few weeks out there about 5 years ago, and fell in love with the place, particularly the Eugene area. Its been my goal to move out there ever since, and Im hoping to make that come true in the next year.

Eugene eh? Yes, I rather like it too. Came here 22 years (from IL, though a different stop on the CB&Q than you) ago for grad school and decided to stick around.

Tough place to find employment - having an in at the university or a government agency helps as they seem to be the only ones who don't lay people off. But what you don't get in $ is more than made up for in surroundings. Er, not architectural (this is one ugly town buildingwise), but rather in natural beauty in the area.

Feel free to contact me if you need hints about neighborhoods etc., where to buy CDs, and so on when you dream gets closer.

[sidewinder]

oil's gone down, but electricity prices haven't fallen. Quel surprise!

But our intrepid "Chancellor" has been threatening to force them to pass on cuts as part of his rose-tinted 'Pre-Budget'.

Don't hold your breath !

Edited November 25, 2008 by sidewinder

[sidewinder]

Cities like Buffalo can end up with a hundred inches + of snow per year due to lake effect storms.

Biggest snow dumps I ever saw in my life were in that general area. Toronto down to Buffalo and Detroit. Only time I have had to dig my car out of a ditch.

Oh - hang on, there was another time. The Donner Pass.

[Free For All]

Cities like Buffalo can end up with a hundred inches + of snow per year due to lake effect storms.

Biggest snow dumps I ever saw in my life were in that general area. Toronto down to Buffalo and Detroit. Only time I have had to dig my car out of a ditch.

Oh - hang on, there was another time. The Donner Pass.

Hope you brought a snack.....

[sidewinder]

Cities like Buffalo can end up with a hundred inches + of snow per year due to lake effect storms.

Biggest snow dumps I ever saw in my life were in that general area. Toronto down to Buffalo and Detroit. Only time I have had to dig my car out of a ditch.

Oh - hang on, there was another time. The Donner Pass.

Hope you brought a snack.....

I was skiing nearby at Squaw Valley. Ended up after that being snowed in for a couple of days and watching back-to-back Monty Python on TV, a so-called 'Pythonathon' on PBS ( ) . The days after that were some of the best ski conditions I've ever seen in my life - and empty pistes !