Make Winter Great Again!

January 22, 2016 11:40 AM

The Weather Channel is calling it Winter Storm Jonas. The Washington Post is calling it Snowzilla. Can this be the place for us East Coast Mefites talk about the weather?

This is the place to check in, complain, celebrate, share pictures, and get snowed in together.

posted by peeedro to MetaFilter-Related at 11:40 AM (361 comments total)

Stay warm, y'all.
posted by cortex (staff) at 11:41 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I need to know what foods we're all laying in for the Great Eat-a-thon. We got some bakery goodies, thinking about making peanut butter cookies.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:42 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have three kinds of girl scout cookies and am hunkered down till Sunday!
posted by leesh at 11:45 AM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

I hope it's named Jonas, because that's the only way "My Name Is Jonas"/"Say It Ain't Snow" (I saw it here) works.
posted by supercres at 11:47 AM on January 22, 2016 [11 favorites]

We have a pork loin that will pass the day in the oven. There's beer and chips and salsa and a couple good books and the rest of "Downton Abbey."
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:48 AM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Inspired by a tweet from Greg Nog, I've been looking into recipes you can make using snow. This is one of the best links I've found so far, and includes Little House in the Big Woods-style syrup on snow (heat the syrup to 235°, put it on snow -- you don't really need much of a recipe). Good luck everyone!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:49 AM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Can this be the place for us East Coast Mefites talk about the weather?

Down here on the East Coast in Georgia, it's just rainy and slightly chilly.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:51 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I need to know what foods we're all laying in for the Great Eat-a-thon.

We got weird-flavored chips and weird-flavored Oreos. Also, marshmallows.

I dunno -- I try not to get too excited about the blizzard warnings because they're always ratcheting up the excitement and telling everyone how many tons of rock salt they have ready and calling it a "historic snowstorm" and so forth, and then when it's all over you look outside and see around four inches of snow, big whoop. It's sort of demoralizing, really.
posted by holborne at 11:52 AM on January 22, 2016

Also I'm super super incredibly psyched for this because I just love snow so much; I think it's basically the closest to magic we come in real life. It is pretty and it changes the world and I wish I were Elsa from Frozen or at least the White Witch from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe or some facsimile who makes it, like, always winter and sometimes Christmas.

Snow is beautiful and magical and powerful and out of our control and makes the world quiet and calm and lovely and a different place and I basically think snow is the product of a benevolent wizard. I know people don't agree and there are certainly problems with it but I just love snow so much and I am SO SO SO excited for the next couple of days! SNOW! SNOW SNOW SNOW! It's like a miracle!
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 11:52 AM on January 22, 2016 [29 favorites]

Louisville here. Cold as shit and snow above our ankles. Fuck this white stuff y'all.
posted by deezil at 11:53 AM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Stay safe and warm everyone! Here in Maine we are once again facing the odd spectacle of seeing a major storm pass to our south.

Remember to:

-Keep your feet warm! People always neglect their feet for some reason.
-Slow and steady with the shoveling! It's a big job, please don't put your back out or put yourself in danger.
-Drink lots of hot chocolate!
-Stay off the damn roads!
posted by selfnoise at 11:54 AM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I set up my iPad for a time-lapse video. I don't have a tripod, so it's a somewhat improvised solution. I'll share the video later tonight.
posted by peeedro at 11:55 AM on January 22, 2016 [7 favorites]

Good luck, folks. Those of us in Boston are rooting for you, but glad the storm is mostly avoiding us. We had enough snow last year.
posted by bondcliff at 12:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]

I need to know what foods we're all laying in for the Great Eat-a-thon.

I made two nice loaves of bread, nom.

Be safe out there, snow people!
posted by MonkeyToes at 12:07 PM on January 22, 2016

My current plan is to tromp over to Prospect Park at 6am on Sunday to make snow angels in the untouched white wonderland, before some pesky gaggle of kids gets there first.
posted by grumpybear69 at 12:11 PM on January 22, 2016

I've got three frozen pizzas, a slow cooker full of chicken thighs and Rudy's barbecue sauce, a movie backlog taller than me, and more hot cocoa mix than I can easily contemplate. Bring it on.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 12:12 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

I won't get to experience the storm, though my car will -- it is currently in the long term parking lot at BWI, and I'm supposed to arrive back late sunday night. When I put it there it was like 50 out. At least I'm traveling from Canada where they sell a wide variety of folding shovels I can bring in my luggage.
posted by advil at 12:17 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Down here on the East Coast in Georgia, it's just rainy and slightly chilly.

The headquarters branch of the company I work for is located in Atlanta, and they closed down early today due to weather concerns and so people can pick up their kids from the schools that closed early.

There's been some serious shade thrown their way today on our inter-office chatter from us folks in the Chicago office. Tauntaun and Ned Stark jpgs have been uploaded. It's getting pretty serious.
posted by phunniemee at 12:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [7 favorites]

me and tiny dog are going to live!
posted by skrozidile at 12:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [12 favorites]

I was in a hotel room a and because if there is a tv in the room I have to look at it bc I usually don't have broadcast TV at home. Then in a fit of what qualifies for me as humor I sent out some texts that the snow was coming to kill us all. These texts may not have been greatly enjoyed by my mother, who lives out west.
posted by angrycat at 12:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

We have plenty of peanut butter and wine and have a neighborhood post-holiday party (less than a half a block away) on Saturday to venture out to (with toddler; please pray for us on the toddler thing).
posted by Pax at 12:19 PM on January 22, 2016

I have about 40 gallons of delicious homebrewed beer in my basement here in DC, and a lot of local (walkable) restaurants are on Twitter saying they'll be open all weekend. 🍻
posted by exogenous at 12:21 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Gothamist prESENTS : NEW YORK CITY BLIZZARD BINGO

I am riding it the blizzard by being in another country
posted by The Whelk at 12:22 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

It's at least demi-semi-important to note that nobody should ever give a shit about what the Weather Channel is calling anything, ever.
posted by Wolfdog at 12:25 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Cat is alternating between batting at snowflakes through the window and snoozing, which is what I recommend for all of us.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:29 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]

ugh yeah if you want to hear an extended rant about the futility of the weather channel's stupid and ultimately harmful recent practice of naming winter storms wait until I've had a little more whiskey*

*traverse city cherry whiskey + vernors, a drink my pal calls "the ultimate michigan experience"
posted by everybody had matching towels at 12:33 PM on January 22, 2016 [12 favorites]

Philly checking in. We bought our first house back in August and it has a decent yard (for the city) so I'm looking forward to building our very first Philly snowman and possibly snowfort.
posted by Diskeater at 12:35 PM on January 22, 2016

Anyone know how crowded Fort Greene Park gets, and what the hills are like? I have a 5-year-old and a 3-year-old who I think are big enough for some hill sledding.
posted by Liesl at 12:38 PM on January 22, 2016

First of all, can I be really unattractive and say, I told you so?

I thought we'd be spared here in Atlanta, but this morning I headed out to the grocery store because SNOW! We were supposed to go out tonight to see Spartacus at the Strand Theater, but they're predicting ice on the roads, so boo!

I'm stocked up on food, I have cats, and as long as the electric stays on, I anticipate a weekend of movies and languor.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 12:38 PM on January 22, 2016

Baltimore-ish MD, here. It's definitely snowing! We've got about 30 beers chilling on the deck, I've got a litre of Maker's Mark, and I've made enough chicken soup with rice to last for approx. six meals. I was at the store this morning, 9 to be precise, and it was already packed. The liquor store was similarly filled. I'm anticipating a long weekend of watching the tube, drinking, and playing board games with the roomies. Luckily all of my friends and family don't have any reason to travel, so I'm looking forward to riding this out without much worry.
posted by codacorolla at 12:40 PM on January 22, 2016

Richmond, VA here (West End). I think we are getting more snow than we were expected to get. A friend in Charlottesville to me that they might get 3 feet.
posted by 4ster at 12:41 PM on January 22, 2016

Stay safe and warm all.
posted by Room 641-A at 12:46 PM on January 22, 2016

I've seen #snowtoriousBIG used on Twitter for this storm.

Coming down steady in Fredericksburg VA. We have beer, wine, liquor, and plenty of food. As long as the power stays on we are good.
posted by COD at 12:48 PM on January 22, 2016

DC here. Watching my car get gently buried by the hour. We're making lasagna tonight and having a couple of neighbors over.
posted by Thistledown at 12:57 PM on January 22, 2016

DC. I've got my little time lapse camera pointed out to the back alley since 1:00 pm today. Gonna let it run until Sunday!

Also our neighborhood bakery is open all weekend so we went there this morning for emergency cookies. Lots of them.
posted by Karaage at 1:02 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

DC here too. Bars are full, liquor stores growing emptier by the minute. Nachos for dinner!
posted by Bunny Boneyology at 1:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Near RTP in North Carolina. It's been ice pellets falling from the sky all day, although it was snow early in the morning. It's actually fascinating, these tiny beads of ice raining down from the sky. Car is encased in ice.

Forgot to stock up on bread and milk before the storm hit, so may be forced to make biscuits, and use condensed milk in my tea if I fail to free my car from its ice enclosure this weekend. Or I can eat my entire stash of special mooncakes that I got at this mooncake shop in Seoul - I've never seen this particular type of mooncake except at this place in Myeong-dong.

And there's always Waffle House.
posted by research monkey at 1:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

i went to magnolia for emergency blizzard cake and they DID NOT HAVE RED VELVET WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING and i am writing to my congressman immediately
posted by poffin boffin at 1:27 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]

so now i must eat red velvet with vanilla buttercream like a pleb
posted by poffin boffin at 1:29 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]

Hoping for a decent snowfall in Brooklyn but prepared for the usual disappointment.* Either way, I’m ready:

- spicy coriander old-fashioneds
- slow cooker pork shoulder for tacos with neighbors
- a cheap-ass sled for Prospect Park on Sunday afternoon

My five-year-old’s current favorite game is Frozen UNO. I think there’ll be a lot of that while we wait for the snow to let up.

* I pretty much never have to drive anywhere in winter weather & therefore can share Mrs. Pterodactyl’s eager appreciation of snow. I love it and it’s magical! And I feel lucky that for me it can be a delight and not a headache or worse.
posted by miles per flower at 1:31 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

NW Philly Burbs here. Hoping for the best, but prepared for the worst, living on a hill I get a LOT of wind. Electronics charged, flashlights checked and batteries changed, PECO app downloaded and set up. Bird feeders refilled, trash cans tied down, and flags brought in. And most importantly of all, I have procured a box of Girl Scout Shortbread cookies to dip in my hot chocolate tomorrow as I watch the storm.
posted by NoraCharles at 1:31 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Can someone explain to me what the impulse is for eggs/milk/bread during a snowstorm. I understand they're staples or if you're in a situation where you're snowed in for two weeks but we're talking a weekend here.
posted by Karaage at 1:32 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

when the ice giants come for the souls of man they can only be appeased by french toast
posted by poffin boffin at 1:33 PM on January 22, 2016 [53 favorites]

it is known
posted by poffin boffin at 1:34 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

And most importantly of all, I have procured a box of Girl Scout Shortbread cookies to dip in my hot chocolate tomorrow as I watch the storm.

I like these priorities!
posted by MonkeyToes at 1:35 PM on January 22, 2016

Stay warm and enjoy watching the big shown that David Snowie will put on for you. Hungry? This All American Beef Stew from Kenji at Serious Eats looks amazing.
posted by maudlin at 1:36 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

From the sound of things, Boston may be spared most of it. It's almost too bad; I could use an excuse to stay home and gorge on pickles and jams till my canning shelves are bare.
posted by tocts at 1:38 PM on January 22, 2016

Arlington, VA here.. I'm looking out the window and there are so many birds just flapping around like they're playing musical trees. They won't freeze to death right? I thought birds were supposed to migrate south. Wednesday night I saw a nearly black cloud of bird chit chattering away like they were having a family argument about what to do.
posted by driedmango at 1:40 PM on January 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

I can report from Durham, NC, that my pup Kenobi and his neighbourhood dog buddies are no less entranced and thrilled by these strange ice pellets as they are by fluffy snow. Ours has been a day of cuddling, reading, and hot tea interspersed sporadically by jaunts to the park across the street to romp and pounce and roll in the snow with the other pooches. Kenobi is having a downright delightful day, and seems not even a bit bothered that his pitiful longing looks out the window are seriously interrupting my ability to get any work done at all today.
posted by Dorinda at 1:41 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

Pittsburgh is supposed to get less than 5" of snow, but I'm making a big ol' pot of chicken and dumplings and hunkering down in solidarity.
posted by muddgirl at 1:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [5 favorites]

Richmond, VA here (North Side.) It's been coming down since around 10 this morning, and it's falling pretty heavily right now. Hasn't quite covered the cat door yet, so Oona has been out to investigate a few times. I'm pretty sure we have enough beer and wine, guac and chips for the next day or so.

A misguided but enterprising student came by the house earlier to offer to shovel our walk. Fat lot of good that would have done.
posted by emelenjr at 1:44 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Baltimore-ish MD, here. It's definitely snowing! We've got about 30 beers chilling on the deck, I've got a litre of Maker's Mark, and I've made enough chicken soup with rice to last for approx. six meals. I was at the store this morning, 9 to be precise, and it was already packed. The liquor store was similarly filled.

My sister lives in Baltimore, and she says at the grocery store last night they had exactly 3 pounds of ground beef left. She grabbed them all like it was the zombie apocalypse or something.
posted by chainsofreedom at 2:04 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Richmond, VA (Southside) checking in! Glad to see the city well-represented here. I went to the store last night for supplies and laughed at what was sold out and what was not, given the danger of power outages in the area. All the premade cookie dough and frozen pizzas in the world aren't going to do folks any good when the electricity doesn't work.

I agree that we're going to get a little more than anticipated. I'm already looking at three or so inches on my car and it's still coming down like gangbusters.
posted by zebra at 2:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

My goodness! Actual snowflakes in Atlanta!

Sure glad I'm home now; traffic is going to become even more of a mess than it already is, given the early school and business closures.
posted by metaquarry at 2:09 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

My roommate is over from Belgium, and this is her first nor'easter storm. She was talking about trying to go outside (in Brooklyn) and make a snowman tomorrow, during the storm. I've been telling her "you're going to want to wait until Sunday, I think."

fortunately (or not), we have been gifted with a sudden in-depth emergency house project, brought on by spotting a mouse in a corner of the pantry. She did some initial investigation and it looks like it just was driven in by the cold, and discovered a plastic tub of popping corn from the fancy deli that I thought had way more structural integrity. I've needed to do a massive pantry-and-cupboard deep-clean for a while anyway, so we've decided that that will be tomorrow's project - emptying all the cupboards, plugging all holes, scrubbing everything down and having a general Defense Against The Invading Mouse Hordes all-point assault. (We even have theme music.)

And that will naturally segue into the Victory Feast that will no doubt develop when a food historian and a foodie geek both pile all their pantry staples into one place and see "wait, when did we get a bottle of coconut curry soup mix?....Oh, hey, we have some bok choi in the fridge, let's cook this up so we can use some of this shit."

At some point her boyfriend may come over, and if the snow gets really bad he may be over for an extra night. I may give her a copy of Van Morrison's song on that topic.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

Lexington, KY here, maybe 10 inches or so and still snowing (mostly kind of sideways). About to go out for round 2 with the shovels, and planning for more tomorrow.
posted by dilettante at 2:14 PM on January 22, 2016

It's not a snowstorm, maaaaan. It's an Escobar!
posted by I-baLL at 2:15 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

in Pittsburgh today, planning on coming home early to Philly today, my SO came in the hotel room and said, "There are all these linemen out drinking coffee in the lobby. They're on the way to Philly."

And thinking he was talking about, I don't know, a name for a football player, I was all, "Uh-huh."

SO was all, "Yeah so it's good we're getting an early start."

And I said, "Wait what does a lineman do?"

"Fixes electrical lines if they blow over"

/3 hours later in the car

I say, "Oh! Wichita Lineman! That's what that song was about!"

SO: "What?"

"You know, that song, "Wichita Lineman?"

"No."

And then over the next three hours of the trip I would repeatedly try to call forth from my memory the song "Wichita Lineman" which was limited to an all-shouty caps "AND THE WICHITA LINEMAN."

I waited until there was an ominous silence on the drivers' side before I gave that up.
posted by angrycat at 2:31 PM on January 22, 2016 [35 favorites]

I have a ton of friends in NC posting excited statuses about the storm; meanwhile, all I can think of is this picture from Raleigh 2 years ago. Stay safe, y'all!
posted by damayanti at 2:32 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

I walked over to the local deli, they said they will be open as long as they can get the door open, and they have coffee and doughnuts, so that's sorted.
posted by carter at 2:34 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Someone grab me a pail of lacre, wouldja?

Hunkered down in Fulton, MD and looking forward to that nice cozy Hobbit feeling.
posted by anotherpanacea at 2:39 PM on January 22, 2016

I’m predicting the end of civilization, so I am going to start eating cake and ice cream now. I’m going out in style.
posted by bongo_x at 2:42 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Obligatory Witchita Lineman - we might as well, since now I'll have it in my head all weekend.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 2:43 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]

My favorite name for this storm is still SnOMG.

A friend and co-worker who lives near Reston has been texting me photos of snow as it piles up outside her building.
posted by rtha at 2:49 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Here in East Tennessee, our rain is a little lumpy. That's it so far.
posted by workerant at 2:54 PM on January 22, 2016

DC suburb here. Not too bad so far, we're all stocked up on the essentials (alcohol, coffee, cookies and the makings for Sauerbraten). Planning to hunker down for the next few days.
posted by jet_pack_in_a_can at 3:10 PM on January 22, 2016

Richmond East End here, which means we are now repping all four quadrants.

My flight got in at 1 AM last night; to celebrate that there is no other place where I'd rather be snowed in, I have laid in provisions to see out the storm Virginia-style: I've got a loaf of Sub Rosa bread, a six-pack of Devil's Backbone, an Appalachian cheese, some country ham, what is now sadly some of the last Edwards Surry sausage for who knows how long (alas, the Edwards smokehouse burnt down earlier this week), and a quart of Homestead Creamery in my freezer.

For this last item, hopefully the power doesn't go out, but if it does I guess one upside to this weather is that the back porch makes an acceptable backup freezer.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 3:17 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Karaage: Can someone explain to me what the impulse is for eggs/milk/bread during a snowstorm

I love talking to friends about this, because it's been the same in every snowy place I've lived. My favorite theory is that it's sympathetic magic: the WHITE STUFF is coming to kill us! Let us flock to the altar and buy WHITE STUFF to appease it!

I've also been sending people to this video today, BREAD AND MILK . Accurate picture of the people and stores I walked past on my way home from work today.

As for me, I have the ingredients for my favorite curried lentils (they taste much better than they might sound), and some nice bourbon my brother gave me, and some very dark chocolate. Tomorrow I shall unpack my boot spikes (from the last city I lived in, where we had proper winters) and tromp over to my mom's for a tasting of some new herbal liqueurs. For medicinal purposes of course.
posted by theatro at 3:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [10 favorites]

Jersey side of the Philadelphia suburbs here. This is the first snow in our new home and I'm terrified a tree is going to come crashing through our roof. Tomorrow we'll make a giant pot of chili. Three of my on-hold ebooks became available at the same time, so I won't be at a loss for things to do.

We are both fortunate enough to be off on weekends, so it'll be nice to enjoy a blizzard and not have to worry about getting to work.
posted by kimberussell at 3:27 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Baltimore here[1], snow's coming down quite prettily. People are putting furniture out in the streets, in some kind of mysterious ritual.

The last of the kids are off to college so now it's just steaks, beer and Skyrim for the next three days. Collected Short Stories of Jorge Luis Borges if the power goes out.

Everyone be safe!

[1] SNOmar Comin' Yo
posted by sidereal at 3:37 PM on January 22, 2016 [9 favorites]

We got eggs, milk, and bread because they combine easily with stuff we already have to make a variety of items. We got some ground beef and a big bag of potatoes so we can make meatloaf and mashed potatoes, french toast, egg salad sandwiches, meatloaf sandwiches with the leftovers, scrambled eggs and toast, whatever -- if we're going to be surviving on what we've got here for three days, those ingredients can be combined in ways that feel like a bunch of different foods even if we're just eating the same things over and over again. Also yeah, when it snows I want french toast.
posted by Mrs. Pterodactyl at 3:47 PM on January 22, 2016 [7 favorites]

'Tis rain here at the coast of NC, but it's a very cold rain. I'll be heading to work at 5:15 tomorrow morning and hope there's no freeze overnight. For now, I have on fluffy socks, a fluffy robe, and have a fluffy warm cat on my lap. Life is doing OK.
posted by mightshould at 3:52 PM on January 22, 2016

I forgot to get eggs, which has put a major dent in my baking plans. Recommended recipes for egg-less baked goods would be much appreciated!
posted by une_heure_pleine at 4:01 PM on January 22, 2016

AAANnnd the Witchita lineman is still on the L-l-l-l-l-l-iiiiinnnnnneeee!

Just back from the Mexican place next door to our complex. No snow yet, but wet from rain and temps dropping mean it will be an icy sheet in a couple of hours. So full of tamales and happy cats getting pets.

I forgot to get eggs, which has put a major dent in my baking plans. Recommended recipes for egg-less baked goods would be much appreciated!

You can substitute the oil and eggs called for in a recipe. Omit eggs and oil and use ONLY the same amount of Mayonnaise as oil called for in directions. You may need to add a dash of milk or other liquid.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:05 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

A friend set up a snow gauge outside his front door and pointed a webcam at it. I've been watching on and off all day from the opposite coast. I know blizzards are horrible for people who need or provide essential services, but even so I'm kind of envying all of you.
posted by tangerine at 4:06 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have friends who flew in to NYC last night to see tonight's performance of Hamilton.

I hope there is a performance of Hamilton.
posted by tzikeh at 4:17 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

It's snowing here, so it's game night. Just now in a Scrabble bout with the family, I played "flexagon" and had a moment of panic when my husband challenged me on it. My internal monologue went "Wait, it's a MeFite's user name, but OH GOD, WHAT IF IT'S NOT A REAL WORD?" before I remembered and said it was about shapes and geometry (and had to look it up to prove it). Thanks, Flexagon!
posted by MonkeyToes at 4:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

Remember to feed the birbs once the storm dies down.
posted by sidereal at 4:19 PM on January 22, 2016

Urgent Scrabble bulletin to MonkeyToes: you can prefix it with "hexa" or "tetra" and a few other varieties too.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 4:32 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]

Slate did a poll: "Make Winter Great Again!" came in 2nd to "DavidSnowie"!!! Although I like some of the other choices: "The Snow Awakens", "Snowden", "Snowverit", "Snowball Warming" and "SnowNino"... I'd also suggest "George R.R. Martin, We're Doing It ALL Without You".
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:32 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Eggless baking: try Wacky Cake (scroll down to "Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.") You might also try scoping out vegan baking sites.
posted by maudlin at 4:53 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

muddgirl: "Pittsburgh is supposed to get less than 5" of snow, but I'm making a big ol' pot of chicken and dumplings and hunkering down in solidarity."

Yeah but Pittsburgh drivers can manage to wreck their cars in 2" of snow, I'm going to try to stay home. I just made a huge pot of chicken, kale and gnocchi soup myself so we're good here.

I've never really decided if we're actually part of the east out here.
posted by octothorpe at 4:55 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I need to know what foods we're all laying in for the Great Eat-a-thon.

We're stocked up on beer, rum, and nacho fixings.

I've been crocheting wiener dog sweaters all day.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:08 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Tomorrow will indisputably be grilled cheese sandwich and hot tomato soup weather.
posted by sidereal at 5:11 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

All the premade cookie dough and frozen pizzas in the world aren't going to do folks any good when the electricity doesn't work.

We have a generator. :)
posted by Jacqueline at 5:14 PM on January 22, 2016

Bread, eggs and milk are all perishable and are thus the staples people are unlikely to keep in their pantries in great quantity. So that's what people get if they won't be able to go to the store soon.
posted by Karmakaze at 5:16 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Also if you have kids trapped in the house for a few days straight you're going to go through a shitload of all three. Lots of cereal, lots of sandwiches, somewhat less of baking but still a good amount.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 5:18 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Since reading this, it has always been the essence of my emergency preparedness procedures.

Went to a Walmart. The woman in front of me was buying 40 rolls of toilet paper and several dozen gallons of distilled water. I bought 3 cases of Mexican beer and one of those big Gordon Freeman no fucking around crowbars. Our eyes met, and I realized we were both thinking the same thing: "My hurricane preparation shopping list was incomplete."

Luckily it doesn't look to be more than a foot or so here though, but I bought an extra case of Dos Equis just in case.
posted by Drinky Die at 5:25 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]

And It's NBA 2k. It's almost as bad as an actual basketball game. Almost.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 5:27 PM on January 22, 2016

We lost power for a week during Sandy. You can light a gas stove with a match, and our gas water heater still worked. Also we have a generator ;)

For this, I (once again) have some Southern Tier Creme Brulee stout, but not apples and brie. I have halloumi and sweet potatoes, though possibly not for the same meal. And we have a basement pantry that could survive a zombie apocalypse. In the morning, I have been promised French Toast.
posted by Karmakaze at 5:28 PM on January 22, 2016

Wow, The Weather Channel dudes are starting to lose their minds live on the air. Their on-location reporter is shoveling a sidewalk like a maniac while the two back in the studio giggle hysterically.

Someone needs to cut off their caffeine supply.
posted by Jacqueline at 5:37 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

We are not expecting any snow here, just rain and cold. But I have baked a cake, to be on the safe side.
posted by mittens at 5:45 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

In northwestern Pennsylvania. Drove up from North Carolina yesterday, trying to time the trip to fit between the Wednesday and Friday storms. West Virginia was the worst part, route 19 wasn't as well maintained as the interstates and the snow from the day before hadn't been cleared off for most of the length. But about the worst to happen on the trip was the car got so covered in salt that I couldn't see out the side windows, and had to wash them down with paper towels and hot water from a rest stop men's room.

I'd say there was so much salt it turned the car a solid grey, but it came out of the factory that way so it's not as impressive as it sounds.
posted by ardgedee at 5:47 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

the essence of my emergency preparedness procedures

Guess I know who I'm prepping with next time.
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:48 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

Probably have close to 14 inches here. I made beef stew and am in the process of making mint chocolate chip cookies. Have supplies stocked in for Greek salad wraps on Sunday, which is about the time I will start longing for summer. It is very pretty, right now tho'. And more to come through tomorrow.....
posted by Gyre,Gimble,Wabe, Esq. at 6:03 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

update i have eaten all my emergency blizzard cake before even a single fucking snowflake touched the ground

sob
posted by poffin boffin at 6:03 PM on January 22, 2016 [16 favorites]

OK I am legit worried about the mental health of The Weather Channel reporter. Apparently he doesn't plan to sleep at all tonight just in case there's thundersnow?! He's already coming across as someone operating on too little sleep and too much caffeine...
posted by Jacqueline at 6:04 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

DC here - got back from cross-country sledding the completely empty Mount Pleasant streets with the kids about an hour ago, and it's still beautiful out. There is going to be some kick-ass sledding tomorrow by the looks of things.
posted by ryanshepard at 6:06 PM on January 22, 2016

Via Motherboard, Paul fucking Ryan, of all people, is livestreaming the view from the Capitol. Can't see much right now, honestly, but it may be worth taking a look at by the dawn's early light.

/runs away
posted by maudlin at 6:08 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Shouldn't this storm be called Immortan Snow?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:13 PM on January 22, 2016 [8 favorites]

Or Imperator Flurriosa?
posted by GenjiandProust at 6:14 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]

I'm apartment bound for 6 weeks with a foot in a cast. Storms like this are for drinking! And alas I'm not because who wants to fall over drunk in a cast? Anyway hopefully it clears out by Wednesday, that's the day I get my staples out.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 6:24 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

And the ice pellets continue falling! This is ridiculous, how could this be going on all day and all night?

I've been marathoning Darker than Black and eating some random Italian cookies that were on clearance at Cost Plus.

Send help if I report I am marathoning Gintama.
posted by research monkey at 6:26 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Coming down nicely here. I'm not sure about the heavy wet stuff - it's pretty powdery here. Maybe it will get soggier tomorrow.
posted by carter at 6:26 PM on January 22, 2016

We're getting freezing rain here (Central VA, between Lynchburg and Appomattox) now.
posted by Jacqueline at 6:32 PM on January 22, 2016

MD south of Annapolis--about 6 inches so far, and we're supposed to get 70 mph winds at some point, so we're expecting to lose power. wheeeeeeeee!
posted by a fiendish thingy at 6:42 PM on January 22, 2016

People like to complain about the federal government being hidebound and slow to react to changing circumstances, so let me just here say thank you to the feds for swiftly deciding to virtualize the meeting I was supposed to be at in DC Monday, allowing me to participate from my laptop here in relatively warm, sunny Wisconsin instead of trying to fly to National on Sunday afternoon.
posted by escabeche at 6:44 PM on January 22, 2016 [7 favorites]

Just outside DC here. Am I the only one who craves ice cream in the snow? Is that a New England thing or just me? Anyway, I'm almost out of my blizzard stock of ice cream so I hope that there's a slim chance that Safeway is open so that I can restock tomorrow. Stay safe (and warm) everyone.
posted by kaybdc at 6:46 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

This storm's gotten so much press I keep thinking I need to race to the store for grocery supplies ... Which I don't, it's going to be 32 and sunny all weekend.

I'm a tiny bit sad because snowstorms are awesome, but then I remember I'm an adult with a driveway and that makes it not fun anymore because I'd have to shovel that shit, so I'll just go get tacos instead.
posted by Eyebrows McGee (staff) at 6:54 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

I tried to see if it was snowing. But it's dark out. Husbunny went out to confirm. It are snow.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 7:08 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

In the Bronx here. It took some doing, but I ain't coming in tommorrow. There's a lot I'll do for my job, but I won't risk my life. I loaded up on booze, sancks and other neccessities on the way home. Hunkering down has begun.
posted by jonmc at 7:09 PM on January 22, 2016

Upstate NY. Our weather forecast has gone from no snow, to light flurries, to 10 inches and 12 inches, back to no snow. It's cold, but the stars are out, and it looks like SnOMG is giving us a pass...
posted by RedOrGreen at 7:10 PM on January 22, 2016

Recommended recipes for egg-less baked goods would be much appreciated!

I'd say research monkey's idea about making biscuits is very applicable to your situation. If you have white vinegar, you could even mix a cup of milk to a tablespoon of vinegar and use that to make a good substitute for buttermilk, but even regular milk biscuits I find much preferable to not having any biscuits.
posted by strangely stunted trees at 7:18 PM on January 22, 2016

Here's a kinda crappy time-lapse video out my window, 20 seconds, 50MB. Everything turns blue when the sun goes down.
posted by peeedro at 7:29 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

Frederick, MD - a good six or seven inches of snow so far, and still falling in that fine, fast and worrisome sort of snow. Very windy. We have the makings of green chile pork stew for cheaters (smoked, roasted pork shoulder in portions in the freezer, lots of tomatillo salsa, hominy, onions, chicken stock), pancakes and bacon, and two packages of Cinnamon Roll flavored Oreos. We carried home three accidental cases of wine on our slow drive home from Sullivan's Island on Monday, and on an average day our liquor cabinet would put most medium-sized bars to shame. A stack of unread books and two potential itineraries for an upcoming trip to India. We are *set*.
posted by ersatzkat at 7:38 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

Fairport New York reporting in. It's snowing here. We got half a foot earlier in the week, and it's the first real snow we've gotten all year. Unlike last year where I was shoveling every morning, noon and night. Seriously, like four times a day.

So this is easy-peasy. I feel sorry for the coast, I guess those guys are getting the worst of it. Pouring one out for hobgadling, enjoy that ventures bros.!

I'll probably pop into wegmans tomorrow, as I got a dentist appt., so, yeah. I actually wish we'd get like three feet.

We don't have a generator, but I got like every which way you can imagine to cook without gas or electricity. Watching Saxondale. Tippling brandy. Courage!
posted by valkane at 7:47 PM on January 22, 2016

the essence of my emergency preparedness procedures

Guess I know who I'm prepping with next time.

Just so you know, I'm not all mexican beer, toilet paper, and crowbars. I have a refined side too. We will start out with a really classy traditional cocktail hour.
posted by Drinky Die at 7:48 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

update i have eaten all my emergency blizzard cake before even a single fucking snowflake touched the ground

Stay calm. Sending help.
posted by bongo_x at 7:52 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

10:56 PM EST - everyone else in the house is asleep I've opened a bottle of fernet and the "Nikkatsu Noir" DVD box set, snow piling up on the window sills. If anyone is up for some Rock Creek Park sledding in DC tomorrow, we'll be at the end of Rosemont Ave. in Mt. Pleasant by noon, ready to cheat death.
posted by ryanshepard at 7:56 PM on January 22, 2016

The snow has begun in upper Manhattan! I made a quick run down to Fairway (it was completely gonzo, like the day before Thanksgiving levels, when I drove past after work) and it was much quieter just before closing. There were two older* people in either side of me on line at checkout harrumphing that "it was just snow" and "this wouldn't be happening if somebody else was mayor" (huge slam on di Blasio out of nowhere!), but I didn't care because I had chocolate and salsa and canned tomatoes and yeast. So excite!

*when I say older, in this case I mean people who have lost all sense of wonder and fun
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 8:03 PM on January 22, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was at a meeting in DC on Weds. When I originally made my reservations, I said "Hey I should stay a few extra days, see the sights..." I realized by the time I got there that my flight Friday was likely to be cancelled so I tried to cancel it earlier and make other plans but the airline basically won't give you a refund unless THEY cancel it, which they finally did last night. Meanwhile I'd splurged on an Amtrak ticket. Which I'd bought for the wrong day. So I arrived at the train station today for my 10 am train and had to buy a second ticket, but the train station was mellow, relatively speaking. I took the train back to Providence (quiet car!!) and then commuter rail to Providence airport where my car was. The airport was sort of deserted but there was a nice tv lady looking for people to talk about "weather travel!" (even though there was no weather at all in Rhode Island)

I looked like I was pretty well wrung out so I talked to her about DC and what my Lyft driver said and how I saw the bowling alley in the Eisenhower Executive Building and blablabla. Then I got to the garage, found out I'd lost my parking ticket thing so threw myself at the mercy of the garage guy "I just got back from DC!" and he did a little handwavey magic and wound up charging me about 50% of what I would have owed if I had HAD my ticket. Drove back to my dad's place via the Miss Cranston Diner and I have a freezer full of frozen pizzas and a decently stocked snack drawer (also generator, and firewood).

And hey I just saw myself on TV. This storm is great! I haven't seen a single snowflake. Stay warm and safe folks. DC people: remember it's now legal to sled on the Capitol Lawn!
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 8:08 PM on January 22, 2016 [14 favorites]

Philadelphia. I hate everything. Also, it's snowing really hard.
posted by lazaruslong at 8:45 PM on January 22, 2016 [2 favorites]

I've been crocheting wiener dog sweaters all day.

YOU CANNOT SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN FAIL TO POST PICTURES.

I need to know what foods we're all laying in for the Great Eat-a-thon.

Welp: here at Chez Callipygos we got a crapton of vegetables, several of which got turned into three quarts of vegetable stock this evening. I also just did one of my annual "Hit up the market in Sunset Park Chinatown" runs last week, so I have four different kinds of dumplings, three kinds of noodles, two kinds of mochi and a partr- er, I mean, a box of cookies that I bought solely because of the slogan "For Love Of Office Lady" printed on the side. And three different kinds of super-thin sliced meat so I can make pho or sukiyaki. And two packages of these funky things.

But we're probably going to unearth other things during the Great Mouse Battle tomorrow, like random teas and pudding mixes and such. I hit up Target on the way home today to pick up some more secure food-storage containers and some mouse-fighting implements, and actually made a whole Forth-Eorlingas type of speech upon entering the apartment, outlining the manner upon which we would defeat the Mouse Tribe and defend our food stores from further attack, and then Enjoy A Victory Feast Upon Our Successful Day's Endeavour.

(My roommate can deal with it; she admitted when she was first looking at the place that the whole reason she wanted to move in was because I seemed "peculiar".)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:54 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

We got about 8 inches here in west asheville and the power went out for a couple hours this afternoon. Maybe more snow tomorrow? I too have a broken foot - waves hello upthread to person with long username that I can't get to copy - so I couldn't go out for a snowy romp with the dogs. This made me sad - I love snow walks! I love snow! - but I took pictures from the porch and through the windows anyway, mostly of birds. Crazy lot of birds! And a small boring quiet video of falling snow speeded up a bit. Then I made brownies, read an Angela Thirkell book that made me giggle and drank some wine, so a very relaxing day. But not the wild snow party of my dreams, alas.
posted by mygothlaundry at 9:20 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

Well, day one went pretty well. No power outages, my veggie soup turned out well, and we drank ice cold beers and played board games and watched movies. Tomorrow we're officially snowed in all day, so we'll see how it goes. I can't see me moving my car any time soon, so I'm going to be housebound for a while. I'm going to have to get out and walk around the neighborhood tomorrow.
posted by codacorolla at 9:20 PM on January 22, 2016

Atlanta update; white stuff on the ground, seemed to be falling from the sky. Will investigate.
posted by bongo_x at 10:03 PM on January 22, 2016 [3 favorites]

Seven inches here (picture) as of midnight. I'm in the DC suburbs, on the southwest edge of Fairfax County.

My neighbor has a snowblower attached to his John Deere. I have about 25 gallons of homebrew on tap. I think we'll manage.
posted by peeedro at 10:05 PM on January 22, 2016

I grew up in the Southern US, far enough south that it does not snow, ever, so I was super thrilled when I moved to the Boston area and got to experience Real Winter and Legit Snow.

It lost a little bit of its appeal once I got a car and actually had to drive places and shovel and whatnot, but even 8 years later, I still got pretty excited every time it snowed. It is so magical and pretty.

But last winter... it broke me. There was so much snow. It just kept coming. There was nowhere to put the snow. I had to spend an hour or more each week digging out a spot on the curb for the recycling. Don't even get me started on our very long driveway.

Lanes on roads just kept disappearing. If you wanted to park at a meter, you either had to step over the 4 to 6 foot pile of ice snow and hope you don't sink all the way in, or walk all the way to the end of the block and come around to put money in the meter. And I didn't even have to deal with the T or public transportation which by all accounts was an utter nightmare.

It. Was. The. Worst.

So... yeah, I'm very relieved that the storm seems to be largely giving the Boston area a miss, because after the frigid week we've had, I'm just not ready for another round with old man winter yet.

I hope all the mefites in the storm's path stay safe and warm! I'm sure it will be Boston's turn again soon enough. *sob*
posted by litera scripta manet at 11:20 PM on January 22, 2016 [4 favorites]

Oh, also helpful tip + related anecdote:

When I was a college student in the Boston area, during my first winter with a car, I returned to campus after a visit to my family only to discover that my car was buried under a foot or more of snow.

That was the moment when I realized, "Shit, I totally should have procured some sort of snow clearing instrument before this." Oh, and this was over winter break, so the campus was pretty much entirely deserted.

After shaking my fist and cursing the winter gods, I hiked over to the quickie mart, which sadly didn't have a shovel, but they did have a super flimsy ice scraper. They also had booze, so it was more or less a successful trip.

Well, until I got back to my place and realized I didn't have a corkscrew because I usually just bought boxed wine since I was Classy like that. And broke. But after managing to use a knife to dislodge the cork, I was feeling pretty good about my survival skills, so I was like, what can I use to dig out my car?

The answer: a cookie sheet, which I just happened to have along with the other kitchen gadgets that I never use. Turns out that a cookie sheet actually makes a pretty decent substitute for a shovel, especially with fresh snow.

tl;dr: Buy 10 shovels and never leave home without one. But if you do find yourself snowed in and lacking a shovel, use a cookie sheet instead.
posted by litera scripta manet at 11:31 PM on January 22, 2016 [6 favorites]

Los Angeles here. No snow yet. Will sit on the balcony and drink until it shows up. Might be a while.
posted by Justinian at 12:33 AM on January 23, 2016 [11 favorites]

Eyebrows McGee: "I'm a tiny bit sad because snowstorms are awesome, "

Me too. We haven't had a decent nighttime snowfall here all winter and it's looking like we won't get one and I've been wanting to take a night picture of backlit snow for my daily photo project.
posted by Mitheral at 12:51 AM on January 23, 2016

I'm in CA, so I'm merely rained in in solidarity. No fun biking in the rain. So far we've had biscuits and soup and roasted carrots. Lots of Hulu and Netflix to top it off.
posted by ktkt at 1:00 AM on January 23, 2016

In the lowest part of Westchester County, NY, in the wee early hours of the morning, it is snowing steadily and sternly. I am currently pregnant and just less than two weeks from my due date and I'd like to think that my spawn has a bad sense of humor and will be taking advantage of the snow to make its debut but there are no rumblings at this point.

I'll be heading to work on Sunday morning where I will be, with permission from my slightly incredulous doctor, pushing a snowblower around to clear about a half mile of sidewalk. Folks, I have permission to use a push-style snowblower on flat surfaces at 38 weeks pregnant. Sadly, my snowpants do not fit. Other things he's allowed me to do: use a backpack blower.

Until then, I'd like to salute my coworkers and municipal workers everywhere who are out in the snow plowing, salting, shoveling, snowblowering and so on. Keep your hands and feet warm and dry and enjoy the bountiful time and a half on Saturday and double overtime on Sunday.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:00 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Woke up in Atlanta to maybe 1.5 inches of white stuff of some sort. (The cat reports that it is unsuitable for his toileting purposes.) We're also having some really scary wind that probably means we'll lose power soon. Made a big batch of spaghetti sauce last night. Was thinking about sausage biscuits this morning, but we'll see about the power thing. We have a gas stove, but electric ignition on the oven. So maybe pancakes if biscuits become impossible.

The good news is that the state of Georgia is completely closed for the foreseeable future, so nobody has to try to do anything anyway. Also, we live in Decatur, where several of the bars put their staff up in the hotel on the square when this happens, so that, assuming the sidewalks are not too icey to walk on, none of us will be deprived of fine Belgian beer or enchiladas as long as the bars have power.
posted by hydropsyche at 3:40 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

BALTIMORE
DAY 2

(pic) Still less than a foot. I was awakened by THUNDERSNOW. Haven't heard thunder in a snowstorm in a long time.

I think it'll go from Fun to Not Fun today when another foot falls amidst 40-50mph winds. That's when I expect the power to go out.

Until then, my Conjuration mage and her bestie buddy Annekke will attempt to defeat Miraak at the Summit of Apocrypha!
posted by sidereal at 3:42 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Eyebrows McGee: "I'm a tiny bit sad because snowstorms are awesome, "

Me too. We haven't had a decent nighttime snowfall here all winter and it's looking like we won't get one and I've been wanting to take a night picture of backlit snow for my daily photo project.

Oh yeah, you guys are missing out. I'm having an absolutely delightful time.
posted by Drinky Die at 3:46 AM on January 23, 2016 [6 favorites]

I'm sad. I want snow. Stupid east coast Australia. Our precipitation this weekend (oh hell, every weekend) was in the form of torrential rain and soul-sucking humidity.
posted by kitten magic at 4:17 AM on January 23, 2016

Drinky Die, that's so pretty!

(also I hear the Blinky Bill show theme song when I see your name. He was a dinky die bonza bloke, apparently)
posted by kitten magic at 4:20 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

We're in Fairfax, Virginia and there is so much beautiful snow! We took our 2 year old sledding yesterday and that is the most fun I've had in ages. Like a lot of other things, snow is fun again with a kid.

Stay safe and warm!
posted by Pardon Our Dust at 4:39 AM on January 23, 2016

i opened the blinds so that the cat could, as he does, jump on the desk and chitter for all the birds to jump out of the sky and into his mouth. So of course it's just buried cars and blowing snow and Jebus help all the little birdies.

I went from scratching the cat, who was bewildered at the view, to making coffee, and looked back and the cat had his eyes fixed on me like what did you humans fuck up now
posted by angrycat at 4:48 AM on January 23, 2016 [8 favorites]

NOTE TO READERS: The Washington Post is suspending its paywall on the Web through the weekend to provide readers unlimited access to weather coverage and important safety information.
posted by Carol Anne at 4:52 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

also I believe that my exposure to the Wichita Lineman was via Homer Simpson. So basically yesterday I was a less verbal version of this
posted by angrycat at 4:54 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

also the cat has gone from glaring at me to tearing up papers on my desk because snow is interfering with the murder in his heart. And the cat's name is SNOWBALL, no shit
posted by angrycat at 4:57 AM on January 23, 2016 [14 favorites]

In upper Manhattan here where a good amount of snow has fallen overnight and it's coming on down!

On today's (overly ambitious?) cooking/baking agenda:

蛋餅 (Taiwanese egg pancakes)
鳳梨酥 (Taiwanese pineapple cakes)
Cilantro chutney
Garlic pickle
Naan
Cauliflower, cashew and pea curry

Everything washed down with copious amounts of milky Assam tea and masala chai

(The last four I'm actually making from Meera Sodha's Made in India, which I highly recommend. And yes, you guessed it, I'm of Taiwanese descent but exploring Indian cooking this year. Obvious, right?)
posted by andrewesque at 5:06 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Morning update: Hard to tell snow depth in Baltimore with the current wind, but I'd estimate that I have 4-5 inches of snow, and about 2/3 of my box of wine left this morning. Should be able to survive the weekend.
posted by JannaK at 5:18 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I actually slept with my blinds open because "falling snow is pretty", even though I couldn't see anything, really.

It's about 8:30, and the wind patterns have left me with an inch-thick snowdrift on one windowsill, and a FIVE-inch-thick snowdrift on the other. I can see wind gusts making the snow blow horizontal in places, and at times even fall upward. I've been hearing plows since about midnight.

I'll be getting up for coffee in a few minutes, before making my first strike in the Great Mouse Battle with a disgorging of the contents of one cupboard and a good scrub down of its shelves before sealing cracks thereupon.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:22 AM on January 23, 2016

We have snows on our ground!!!! I have nothing clever to add! I'm going outside!
posted by mittens at 5:22 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Oh - and my friends who ask me to carsit for them when they go out of town decided to bring it over a couple days early and try to park under the expressway overpass, where it would be protected from the storm and wouldn't be snowed in. They couldn't find a place - but they DID find one on my block, just outside my front door, where I won't have to worry about moving it anyway until Thursday night, and if the snowdrifts are still messed up the city will even waive that.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:27 AM on January 23, 2016

Any longtime DC people here old enough (like me) to remember the February 1979 blizzard in DC?

Yes! It was so deep you could dig snow tunnels big enough to crawl through (if you were 8.)
posted by escabeche at 5:27 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Waking up to 25 inches on my deck!
posted by Karaage at 5:47 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

uh that might've been wishful thinking, I meant 15 inches. Up near Brookland.
posted by Karaage at 6:01 AM on January 23, 2016

Oh hey it's snowing again in Asheville. I am still in bed and think I will stay here.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:11 AM on January 23, 2016

Its very pretty, yet creepy how quiet everything is. It is blowing and drifting in some spots - I can see a dark patch of my driveway about 2 sq. feet, and then a few feet over, it is 14 inches of snow. It only seems to be heavy on evergreen trees or bushes; they're bending a lot.
The little birds were happy this morning that I filled the feeder - and my Digby cat as well because it's his television. I'm one of those kinds of people that really doesn't have a favorite season, I'm a fan of the change of seasons, so I don't complain when its too hot or if it is snowing - it should snow in winter. The only disappointment is that it is a weekend, and not a weekday so I can get a snow day.
posted by NoraCharles at 6:15 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

A while back I was asked to take my bird feeder down off my balcony, because the mess birds make was attracting mice (they fling seed all over the place.) Fair enough.

An hour ago I glanced out the big sliding glass door, and there was a row of about 30 song sparrows lined up on the railing, glaring in at me.

The feeder is back up for now; I don't think mice will be a problem for the next few days. It is a total bird mob scene out there now. I wish I could get a picture, but those sparrows have freaky good situational awareness. I just think about approaching the window and *poof* they're gone.
posted by sidereal at 6:17 AM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]

We were supposed to get lots of snow. Schools closed yesterday! A day later, I can still see the grass. I am very disappointed by this.
posted by cooker girl at 6:21 AM on January 23, 2016

i live with a big view of the parking lot of the apartment complex. There's one fool who, rather than use their shovel and shovel a parking space, is just using his car to repeatedly ram a space into being in a snowdrift. I dunno; I don't drive, so maybe this makes perfect sense, actually.

Being in a wheelchair and thus confined unless one of you brings me a sled with Huskies, I feel that I have a certain privilege in judging people's dubious actions while out and about.
posted by angrycat at 6:23 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Wow, that same guy is putting a blanket on his windshield. But he doesn't even have a hat on his head. Dumbass.
posted by angrycat at 6:24 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Only about three inches here in Pittsburgh but a friend who lives in the south eastern suburbs got 18 inches. Weird how localized it is.
posted by octothorpe at 6:33 AM on January 23, 2016

Cat frenzy documented
posted by angrycat at 6:41 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Our furnace died last night. The snow is coming down very heavily here, no roads have been plowed yet and there is no way it's getting fixed before the storm ends.

Meanwhile, my son has bronchitis. We will probably sleep at a neighbor tonight.

Been a long morning.
posted by zarq at 6:42 AM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Ugh I'm sorry to hear that Zarq. I presume you tried to reset it? Our boiler had a moment where it turned off mid heating despite it not reaching the temp we set it at. That was a terrifying few minutes until after the reset got it going again.
posted by Karaage at 6:49 AM on January 23, 2016

I got wine, fancy cheese, and a pecan bar. I am ready for anything!

All the usual Saturday morning DJs on WFMU have been replaced by DJs who live close to the station.

I recently adopted a new-to-me used dog, and I was wondering if he would like the snow. It turns out that he is skeptical. And he refused to poop.

On preview: best wishes, zarq and zarqson!
posted by moonmilk at 6:51 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Pecan and Blueberry buttermilk pancakes for breakfast this morning.

Light dusting of snow, windy. But fully electrical and watching Nightwatch On Demand.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:56 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Whiteout conditions in Bridgeport PA
posted by angrycat at 6:57 AM on January 23, 2016

There's a few flurries mixed with rain in Savannah, Ga. Hardly worth the effort of rolling over to look out the window.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 6:58 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

I was looking at the weather and saying "Huh it says there is a 95% chance of snow and where .... oh there it is!" curious to see how this plays out.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 7:15 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Looks like Planet Hoth outside in DC this morning where I live, with the sidewalks distinguishable from the roads mostly by the big car-shaped lumps of snow and little sign of snow removal. I'm glad I shoveled last night because there was about another foot to deal with on the sidewalk this morning.
posted by exogenous at 7:20 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Hampshire County, Massachusetts reporting in: not a single flake! But we're eating hearty anyway.
posted by languagehat at 7:25 AM on January 23, 2016

We have a whole lot of snow here, at least a foot. I shoveled a few times yesterday and that work is only lightly evident - lots of blowing around. It's up to the seats of the patio furniture, it's obscuring the cars still on the street (you can still see the nubs of the sideview mirrors though). They usually keep our street plowed pretty well and there's at least 4-5" on the street now. I saw one neighbor out with a snowblower and fully bundled in arctic gear, but otherwise nobody's out. Still coming down and blowing around good.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 7:27 AM on January 23, 2016

Here (south Boston suburbs) we have no snow but we do have some wind.

The streets are white, though, because the city put down about eight coats of saline pre-treatment water, our minimal accumulation forecast notwithstanding.

Snow spending was an issue in our mayoral race this fall... we got mailers saying the incumbent spent way too much on snow removal last winter, much more than surrounding or comparable towns. He won re-election. I think most people got that literature and said "Feh, clearly Salem's mayor is SOFT ON SNOW."
posted by pie ninja at 7:37 AM on January 23, 2016

Just came back from a walk up to the gardens where I work - really stunningly beautiful. If you like snow and it isn't too deep or too windy, get out there and enjoy the beauty before the plows, shoveling and cars turn it to slush but be careful.
posted by sciencegeek at 7:40 AM on January 23, 2016

At least a foot-and-a-half here, powdery and drifting, and more snow is falling with a will. Only thing moving on the road is a plow truck (locally contracted pick-up; not a state vehicle with a huge blade). The "neither rain nor snow nor glom of nit" mandate has been overtaken by good sense, and the regional postal system is shut down.
posted by MonkeyToes at 7:41 AM on January 23, 2016

Brooklyn- hard to say from my window what the accumulations are like, because the wind is crazy. Bout to drag myself out of bed and have some Baileys coffee.
posted by showbiz_liz at 7:44 AM on January 23, 2016

if anyone like me is on hold with an airline and cranky because the canceled flight isn't even during the storm, just watch this video on repeat: https://twitter.com/NationalZoo/status/690915532539838464
posted by advil at 7:47 AM on January 23, 2016 [11 favorites]

Hey, a Dark-Eyed Junco appeared at my feeder. Never seen one here before. Welcome, little fella! Tuck in!

ID courtesy of the Cornell Labs Merlin Bird ID app (previously), which you should get.
posted by sidereal at 7:52 AM on January 23, 2016 [8 favorites]

Something about the barometric pressure before some storms hit can mess with my reconstructed terminator skull and trigger a massive headache. I had to take Friday as a sick day due to the dread combo of the storm-headache plus IBS flare-up; so nauseated I could barely eat anything. The snow had just started falling here in Jersey City when I turned in for the night. Woke up to lots of accumulation (pics from window & balcony), my headache has lifted, and I've had two mugs of tea and a piece of toast with honey without any nausea, thank goodness. So today I'll be staying inside and eating as heartily as possible, so I can deal with digging the car out tomorrow.
posted by oh yeah! at 7:55 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

The last time January 23rd was a Saturday, I walked the whole length of the longest street in Brooklyn. Today I probably won't walk outside at all. I and my bum knee are grateful for the people I can see from my window working on the Sisyphean task of shoveling snow!
posted by ferret branca at 7:55 AM on January 23, 2016

I've been crocheting wiener dog sweaters all day.

YOU CANNOT SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THEN FAIL TO POST PICTURES.

I've tried taking pictures but my dogs are hyper and my camera is a potato so all I ever capture is a furry blur. :(
posted by Jacqueline at 7:59 AM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]

We are here! Probably at least 6 inches already (hard to tell, it blows around). Lots of home projects I could get to today, although at the moment I'm eyeing that recipe for syrup on snow....
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:01 AM on January 23, 2016

Cat frenzy documented
posted by angrycat at 9:41 AM on January 23 [2 favorites −] Favorite added! [!]

eponysterical
posted by Jacqueline at 8:06 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Morning report from bumfuck Central Virginia: It switched to freezing rain for a while sometime last night so we only had 8 inches of accumulation when I measured this morning, but it's still snowing so we'll see. Still have power.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:07 AM on January 23, 2016

Enjoying the snow-encrusted DC morning with Premier League and a beer. Winds are starting to really pick up, but hopefully we'll get a small lull so I can go tromp around outside, maybe stop at a bar and grab a tasty drink. Then back home for video games, making dinner, and trimming the cat's butt fur. (He's had, uh, stuff clinging to him as he exits the litter box and tracks it all over. He's indoor exclusively, and we won't take off too much, don't worry! The worst insult will be to his dignity.)
posted by Bunny Boneyology at 8:10 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

All is well at our home in the western DC suburbs (snowdrift against the screen door at my patio: two feet plus) but now I'm wishing I could do something for our unfortunate friends from Mrs. Fish's past life as a retail manager who are stuck manning convenience stores that nobody could possibly visit to buy anything at during this nonsense. Especially one who was the only person capable of reaching the building (she stayed at a nearby hotel) and therefore can't even sell herself breakfast.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:12 AM on January 23, 2016

Saymour Zamboni: Any longtime DC people here old enough (like me) to remember the February 1979 blizzard in DC?

That is quite literally one of my oldest memories! I was three years old. My folks cleared a path in the walk, and the snow was so deep that I could run back and forth along the path like a tiny, snowsuited Minotaur.

I'm out west. I just went out barefoot in a jacket to take the dog for a walk, strutting along to the sweet, sweet sound of Paul Ryan's BlizzardCam music. Sending warm thoughts.
posted by mochapickle at 8:18 AM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Snow candy fail.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:19 AM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]

Maybe the snow was too light and dry?
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:20 AM on January 23, 2016

In the past half hour, I just witnessed everything I hate about Baltimore drivers. A pickup got stuck in the snow in front of my apartment. Three guys hopped out (none wearing coats, gloves, hats, etc). They spent 15 minutes trying to push through the snow with tires spinning. They stopped to borrow a shovel and gloves - still no movement. They never once try putting the truck in reverse.

Then a plow comes up behind them. The truck driver and passengers ask the plow to push their car through the snow. This takes a few minutes and inevitably causes the bumper of the truck to fall off. The plow gets the truck through the snow after 5-10 minutes of pushing. The truck driver doesn't stop to say thank you, but picks up his bumper, screams a few obscenities about his paint job, flicks off the plow driver and continues on his way.
posted by JannaK at 8:24 AM on January 23, 2016 [8 favorites]

I got out of bed. Here's seven boring minutes of birds and snow!
posted by mygothlaundry at 8:28 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

View of the storm from astronaut twitter.
posted by oh yeah! at 8:38 AM on January 23, 2016

@JannaK - but that's everything I LOVE about Baltimore
posted by sidereal at 8:39 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Philly here - probably about a foot+ so far, but strong chill winds leading to hardly any accumulation in some places, and 1 ft to 2 ft drifts in places. Will head out for sledding with the kiddo later.
posted by carter at 8:52 AM on January 23, 2016

We are hunkered down in Arlington, VA with a foot+ of snow and more coming down. It is 28 F out and windy and the heat pump never makes our apartment super warm (and I am prone to be cold anyway due to medical stuff) so I am wearing long underwear, sock liners, alpaca wool socks, leg warmers, a turtleneck sweater that goes down to my knees, and LL Bean furry slippers. We are currently watching a documentary on The National Lampoon called Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead.

Both on diets so no indulgent food for us ... sigh ... (though Swiss Miss Sensible Sweets Light Hot Cocoa mix is surprisingly good with a bit of extra cocoa powder added.) We are periodically brushing off the windowsill and putting out peanuts for the birds to eat, and to serve as bird tv for the cat (who alternates between that and warming himself on the dvr).
posted by gudrun at 9:02 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

NoVA here. In my back yard this is 5" deeper than any prior blizzard measurement and it is still snowing like crazy. 28" deep.
posted by humanfont at 9:06 AM on January 23, 2016

Seen on the CWG page, this is about what our backyard looks like.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:15 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

We've reached the "I'm so bored I guess I'll bleach my hair and dye it gray," portion of the day. So another 10 minutes of bleach, then it's off to the shower!

I'll post a new profile pic when it's done.

I do have Nathans hot dogs for lunch, so there's that to look forward to!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 9:17 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

i have a key view onto dogs frolicking in the snow. Big dogs. If there are little dogs, they are under the snow, invisible.
posted by angrycat at 9:27 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Sausage biscuits were successful. When the sun finally came up, it was clear that at least in our part of Atlanta, we got snow but no ice, and the wind has mostly blown it off the roads. So I could do things if I wanted to. But I don't.
posted by hydropsyche at 9:28 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

View out the window in the Bronx.
posted by jonmc at 9:33 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Anyone else google "how much snow can my roof hold?"?
posted by NoraCharles at 9:37 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

So in not making that grocery run before the storm, I also failed to get flour, and so did not have enough flour this morning for a batch of biscuits. Instead made do with rice and kimchi. I have a Costco-size box of Pocky, and am halfway through Season 1 of Darker Than Black, with the OVAs and Season 2 still left, so I think I've still got a while before I'll be compelled to trek over to Waffle House.

Did I mention it's snowing?
posted by research monkey at 9:38 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

iT IS AMAZING OUTSIDE I FROLICKED LIKE A FAT LITTLE GOAT ALL SWADDLED IN DOWN

i tried not to skip too delightedly in front of all the supers and bodega guys shoveling grimly but when i got back from sbux my super was breaking out his fancy new snowblower to a chorus of latino glee and now all the supers on the block are waiting their turn to use it

also i lay down in the middle of greenwich avenue because WHY NOT WHO CAN STOP ME NO ONE THAT'S WHO and now my hair is wet
posted by poffin boffin at 9:54 AM on January 23, 2016 [35 favorites]

We just had French Toast in honor of french toast weather. Here in NJ we're about halfway through. Snow levels are at nope levels. It's supposed to stop sometime early Sunday morning, so I'll see about excavating myself tomorrow. There's so much wind that pre-digging trenches will just get filled in. There are many birds at the bird feeder, puffed up to maximum sphericalness, pinning my cat to the window.
posted by Karmakaze at 9:57 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

now im gonna eat a pound of bacon
posted by poffin boffin at 10:00 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just dug out nearly 2 feet of snow to clear a path on the sidewalk.

i am sorry my neighbors but this former californian can only do one snow shovel's width
posted by Karaage at 10:12 AM on January 23, 2016

I've read the news so much I'm psychologically snowed in.

Stay safe everyone!
posted by AlexiaSky at 10:21 AM on January 23, 2016

stay safe and warm, east coast peeps!!! stay off the roads and if you must go out remember to walk like a penguin!
posted by supermedusa at 10:29 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Only one storefront on my block has kept their chunk of the sidewalk free of snow. God bless the brave folks manning D&Y Liquor and Wines.
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:30 AM on January 23, 2016 [7 favorites]

Guys that penguin walking thing TOTALLY WORKS, google it!
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:31 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Best response yet: Tian Tian the panda at the National Zoo.
posted by gingerbeer at 10:32 AM on January 23, 2016 [16 favorites]

That is the cutest!
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 10:34 AM on January 23, 2016

Sorry for tzikeh's friends and all the other Hamilton ticketholders - all Broadway shows for today have been canceled, road travel ban in effect as of 2:30 and all above-ground MTA trains are shutting down due to ice conditions. (gothamist link).
posted by oh yeah! at 10:44 AM on January 23, 2016

I just read that all public transport in NYC is shut down and all Broadway shows are cancelled. What else is automatically cancelled by the city when transit is stopped?
posted by tzikeh at 10:45 AM on January 23, 2016

You are welcome Massachusetts! I bought a snowblower on tax free weekend back in August. So far after 3ish storms we've gotten mostly nothing. Who volunteers to buy the snowblower next year?
posted by Nanukthedog at 10:50 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just north of Boston, first flakes. Very light but it'll be nice to have some snow to paint over the dingy grayness. (omfg did I hex us all with a "little snow" comment, ten feet coming, get the milk and burrow in)
posted by sammyo at 10:52 AM on January 23, 2016

Just heard on TWC that there is a travel ban starting at 2:30pm in NYC at which point they will start arresting people for being out on the roads.
posted by Jacqueline at 10:56 AM on January 23, 2016

What else is automatically cancelled by the city when transit is stopped?

Schools, events in public places like parks, the zoos, all the libraries, and I imagine any sporting events too. They can't really force non-city places like temples to close but since prolly the only people going to services today are the super frum boro park crowd it's not like they're taking transit anyway.
posted by poffin boffin at 10:58 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I have 500 dumpling wrappers unfilled and eleven episodes of Jessica Jones unwatched. Here's hoping the power doesn't go out...

Also, had fun researching puttees and footwraps today.
posted by d. z. wang at 11:03 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Mod note: Couple comments deleted. Hi, let's not make arrest-the-Jews jokes, how about that.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:03 AM on January 23, 2016 [14 favorites]

I went outside around noon to dig out the cars, and it is a mess. The elevated portion of the 1 is still running, and it was announced all above-ground trains would cease operations at 4. The main roads visible from my windows (125th Street and Broadway) are plowed, but it is very slow going. The hill in front of my building is not passable, and cars were backing down, as seen from the roof.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 11:11 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Dad was supposed to fly into Newark from Tampa tomorrow morning; flight just got cancelled. Booooo!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 11:17 AM on January 23, 2016

I just saw a truck downhill from my house attempting to tow out a car that got stuck. The truck is now also stuck. Sideways blocking a street. Nice job, folks.
posted by jet_pack_in_a_can at 11:21 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

I just read that all public transport in NYC is shut down and all Broadway shows are cancelled. What else is automatically cancelled by the city when transit is stopped?

Anyway, all this SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING shit is fairly new in NYC, and is becoming worse and worse...
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 11:21 AM on January 23, 2016

The dog enjoyed his second outing much more than the first, and he pooped double. I made beef keema and chapatis and I'm washing them down with red wine and more tea.
posted by moonmilk at 11:23 AM on January 23, 2016 [6 favorites]

zarq, is your furnace exhaust pipe blocked by snow?
posted by futz at 11:24 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm in DC, hunkered down in my apartment with my two roommates and one roommate's girlfriend. We're doing okay and--dare I say--even enjoying ourselves so far. We figured out we could play Washington Post crosswords together using the Chromecast, which served as a good diversion. We've also been baking/cooking up a storm (peanut butter cookies, deviled eggs, two batches of chili, slow cooker caramelized onions, bacon pancakes, omelets) and watching movies (no, I'm not crying over Inside Out, YOU'RE crying). I got laundry done and cleaned out a couple closets. Currently watching street-parked cars get increasingly buried and crossing every finger and toe I have hoping our power doesn't go out because then we're screwed.
posted by capricorn at 11:37 AM on January 23, 2016

It turns out lots of people are attempting to determine what the hell is going on with the perplexing soundtrack behind Paul Ryan's live snow cam.
posted by mostly vowels at 11:42 AM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Anyway, all this SHUT DOWN EVERYTHING shit is fairly new in NYC, and is becoming worse and worse...

I mean, last year it was sort of jumping the gun, but for this storm, I think it would have been irresponsible not to shut it all down. Imagine getting stranded in a subway car in this shit.
posted by showbiz_liz at 11:45 AM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

I just read that all public transport in NYC is shut down

Not all, just most (above ground subways and busses are shut down but underground subways - which is most of them - are still running). The whole 'panic in the face of snow' thing is new in NYC, but there have been a handful of cases in prior years where the mayor's office was slammed for not doing enough for storms/not taking them seriously enough, so they may be overcompensating now.

(Not that that'll help much; bitching about DeBlasio is up there with baseball and avoiding Midtown like the plague as far as New York's favorite pastimes go)
posted by Itaxpica at 11:50 AM on January 23, 2016

(The "travel ban" applies specifically to cars; they're closing the roads, not imposing a curfew)
posted by Itaxpica at 11:51 AM on January 23, 2016

Update: The truck is free! It attempted to leave the neighborhood, but apparently thought better of it after nearly getting stuck a few more times. It finally returned from whence it came.
posted by jet_pack_in_a_can at 12:00 PM on January 23, 2016

Philadelphia here. Enjoying the opportunity to take a few minutes reprieve from my hype-intense school program to read, bake bread and cookies, make a kimchi frittata, and start a new knitting project. However, I'm still miffed that my clinical today (in the neuro ICU! With one of the best instructors in my program!) got cancelled and replaced with case studies to be done at home. This rotation is really short, and I wish my school could take the time to squeeze in a make-up hospital day later. (To be clear, I'm not disputing that it's unsafe/unfeasible to travel far today.) Future hospital patients; if I am your nurse on a neurology floor someday, and I screw up your care, blame stupid winter storm Jonas for cutting into my clinical time. That may not hold up in a court of law, but I stand by it.
posted by ActionPopulated at 12:03 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I used to have a job with snow days, and I really miss the delight of an unexpected day off. It's also kind of cool to have snow so deep you measure with a yardstick, but that delight pales rather quickly. Maine is unlikely to get anything from this storm, and that's fine by me. Last night's almost full moon on the existing snow was lovely and so bright. If you got unexpected snow, the moon is full tonight, and nearly full tomorrow night, and reading a book by moonlight reflected on snow is kind of cool.

Food? Forget milk & bread; make sure you have beer and other adult beverages.
posted by theora55 at 12:25 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best response yet: Tian Tian the panda at the National Zoo.

ahaha the way he's so excited he bites his foot, then brings it to his mouth again a second later and remembers he already bit that one
posted by desjardins at 12:32 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

The spouse and I have enjoyed several episodes of Season 2 of Twin Peaks today. Also I made myself a bit of stovetop popcorn with cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt, pepper, and sugar. We have about 70 more minutes till sunset here in NYC so maybe I'll use that grey light to help me do a bit of filing and closet-digging.

A Motherboard reader figured out what that song was on Paul Ryan's livestream. Sarah Jeong:

WHAT I REALLY WANT TO KNOW IS WHETHER THE #SNOWCAM LIVESTREAM IS A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WORK FOR PURPOSES OF THE COPYRIGHT ACT

posted by brainwane at 12:51 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

It started in Providence around 12:30, and, while it's steady, it's not very heavy. The news from a coworkers close to the coast is it's much heavier there. My cat is giving me funny looks. I don't think he approves of this weather. Last winter he was kind of upset at first. Maybe he's become jaded.
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:56 PM on January 23, 2016

Any longtime DC people here old enough (like me) to remember the February 1979 blizzard in DC?

Yes! I was 6 or so. I remember being SO EXCITED because the snow was level with the front porch. I walked straight off the porch and fell vertically downwards into the snow and it was awesome. Later I dug a snowcave.

I'm in London now, but thinking of everyone DC-side. Be safe. Dig snowcaves.
posted by Pallas Athena at 12:57 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I lived in South Jersey during the winter of '78/'79, and we built snow tunnels in our backyard after that storm. It was amazing.
posted by computech_apolloniajames at 1:04 PM on January 23, 2016

Update from New York: I am drinking a can of Heady Topper I've been saving for an emergency and making baked beans from scratch.
posted by Itaxpica at 1:05 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

stovetop popcorn with cumin, turmeric, cayenne, salt, pepper, and sugar

what sorcery is this
posted by sidereal at 1:09 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Fairport, New York: Still nothing, here. Just cold. The demarcation line seems to be just below our breastbone (if you consider western/upstate the head of New York), and even my old hometown in Kentucky is getting hit more than us. I'm feeling left out!

Still, Wegmans was swamped, as was Lisa's Liquor Barn. I'm on a first-name basis with the entire staff at Lisa's (as you can probably imagine) and I had this exchange with Amy:

"What the hell? Are we supposed to get a bunch of snow?"
"I know, right? We're supposed to get nothing, and these people are freaking out anyway!"

The good news is I found my gloves, which I had inadvertently left in a cart at Wegmans 2 days ago. Lost and Found had 'em, and the ladies behind the counter were tickled that I actually inquired and they delivered. So there's that.

Anyway, hope everyone stays warm and endures this latest in global warming extreme weather catastrophes. We'll probably get two feet in a week or two, when it's not newsworthy, and I will feel your pain. That's the way it usually works. Selah!
posted by valkane at 1:13 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

I think we've got over two feet here now. Electricity, heat, water and Internet are in good order. Human food supplies aren't as abundant or luxurious as I might wish, but cat food supplies are ample, and that's what really matters. If any kids with shovels come by tomorrow, I will give them lots of money.
posted by Faint of Butt at 1:17 PM on January 23, 2016

Current Brooklyn status
posted by showbiz_liz at 1:18 PM on January 23, 2016 [7 favorites]

My 1½-foot-tall dog cheerfully ran out the door onto the shoveled sidewalk, excitedly jumped into the 1½ feet of snow, bounded forward another 1½ feet, then had a clear “welp, fuck this” moment and ran back to the house and is now licking the hurty snow off of her widdle paws. What a wimp.

brb going to go comfort her
posted by Riki tiki at 1:24 PM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Apparently Guster played a set in the snow behind a dumpster in my neighborhood two hours ago. Wish I'd known about it.
posted by octothorpe at 1:28 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

I am making a manual for the television system and labeling the mystery foods in the baking drawer. Snow is pretty heavy here, started around 10:30 (a little southeast of Providence) but it seems to be coming in bands. Not as windy as I'd feared but I put out birdseed for the birds and they're on the ground glaring at me like "The fuck, lady? We can't fly in this shit!" and trying to get the fearless squirrels to spill some. not_on_display was going to come down from the Boston area but decided not to, roads are dicey looking.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 1:31 PM on January 23, 2016 [7 favorites]

View the DC storm from the roof of the Washington Post building.
posted by gudrun at 1:46 PM on January 23, 2016

I'm topping off my HooToo battery pack. God knows I'd go insane if I lost my phone's internet.
posted by 922257033c4a0f3cecdbd819a46d626999d1af4a at 1:54 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I made a joke on Twitter that the blizzard was being used as cover for the lizard people to take over and I'm worried that people thought I was serious.
posted by save alive nothing that breatheth at 2:06 PM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Mouse Attack Force Alpha began at approximately 9:30 am this morning, after an initial scouting effort to remove food from a couple of affected shelves. The roommate then offered to fortify the troops with some homemade buckwheat pancakes and apple/cranberry sauce, and then once refreshed, the war began in earnest.

The bad news is that we may be at a stalemate; after a thorough investigation of the terrain, I discovered that there were some parts of enemy territory in which no amount of surveillance could be conducted, and that it would be impossible to conduct an offensive strike (read: there is a big one-inch gap between the back wall of my kitchen cupboards and the wall of my kitchen proper, and it's very possible there's a hole in the wall way down in there where I can't see it, and won't be able to plug the gap without an entire blanket or something). Discovery of enemy scat inside my donabe pot renewed my intent to fight, though, so we switched to a defensive strategy, with a thorough cleaning of our perimeter, securing of foodstuffs in lockdown containers, and sealing up what cracks I did see. The accidental discovery of some silicone caulk left behind by the super lead to an enhanced strategic approach.

The war took about six hours in all, and after celebrating with a feast of nachos, we have both retired to separate pursuits - my roommate to working on a research grant proposal (and quietly singing songs from "Frozen" to herself as she works - this is only the 3rd time in her life she's seen snow of this magnitude) and me to the shower, to wash up a bit before relaxing with wine and cheese and later potentially taking a skype call from a flirtatious Parisian guy.

The snowdrifts on my windowsills are over one foot deep now.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:08 PM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

Current Brooklyn status

liz u giant nerd
posted by poffin boffin at 2:16 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm in Milwaukee and I have to admit I'm slightly jealous (although more than a foot is too much). But I'm privileged in that I can work from home, I don't have to shovel, and there's a soup place across the street in case I run out of food. I feel bad for y'all who live in places that don't normally deal with this type of thing.
posted by desjardins at 2:17 PM on January 23, 2016

Hunkered down in Tisbury. Started around noon. all mass transit and ferry service shut down. My workplace (big hotel) was on generator power. Bourbon and Svengoolie all night long. I know this is scary for some but I love this shit.
posted by vrakatar at 2:19 PM on January 23, 2016

liz u giant nerd

GUILTY
posted by showbiz_liz at 2:22 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm heading to DC and then Front Royal, VA (over by Winchester) on Friday. I'm counting on you all to be shoveled out by then!
posted by ChuraChura at 2:35 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

sidereal, I love a savory popcorn!

INDIAN-STYLE POPCORN

In a stockpot, dump, say, half a cup of popcorn kernels and a bit of vegetable oil, enough so that when you shake it around, every kernel gets coated. Add your spices, such as a not-quite-heaping teaspoon of cumin seeds, a heaping teaspoon of curry powder, a quarter-teaspoon of extra turmeric if you want a really bright color on the spiced popcorn (will stain your fingers), sugar and pepper and salt to taste (those you can add more of later, since it's not as important to bloom in the oil). Turn the burner on to high and leave the pot uncovered, shaking it and moving the pot around so different bits of the burner heat different parts of the stockpot's bottom. Once the first kernel pops, put the lid on. Keep shaking it around a bit as the popcorn pops. Once no kernels have popped for, like, 10 seconds, turn the heat off, add any more flavorings, shake/stir the whole pot, and pour it out into a bowl and eat hot!

If you have an air popper or you use the microwave-and-paper-bag method to pop your corn, you can heat up the oil and bloom the spices in it separately, then mix the popped corn with the oil and some sugar and salt. Then, for best results, pour the popcorn into a big paper bag and scrape the hot spicy oil into the bag, and shake vigorously.
posted by brainwane at 2:36 PM on January 23, 2016 [9 favorites]

Now I want popcorn and I'm not even snowed in.
posted by gingerbeer at 3:01 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Not snowing as hard now, but man it is some nice fluffy dense stuff, great skiing snow. I envy you folks living in the Vermont and NH ski country. I just went outside and grabbed the snow and rubbed it all over my face and smooshed some down the back of my own sweater. This snow is very good snow.
posted by vrakatar at 3:06 PM on January 23, 2016

Yeah, in Rhode Island, it's just some snow. The mister is making spaghetti and meatballs. I cleaned out my bureau and organized one of the bookcases, but I was going to do that anyway. I did wear my slippers while taking the dog out to pee, and that wasn't a great move. My highly scientific assessment of the snowfall here is that there's enough that one should not wear slippers outside.
posted by Ruki at 3:08 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Baltimore is closing streets to all non emergency vehicles at 6:30.
posted by AlexiaSky at 3:08 PM on January 23, 2016

Fuck, THREE reported deaths from shoveling snow in NYC alone!
posted by showbiz_liz at 3:10 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I too have 4 remotes, I'm thinking 2 shoulder holsters is overkill.
posted by clavdivs at 3:10 PM on January 23, 2016

tell the paris guy about the mouse
posted by shakespeherian at 3:17 PM on January 23, 2016

Snowing up here in Cape Ann, MA for about the last hour and a half. Not expecting much accumulation.
posted by Sheydem-tants at 3:37 PM on January 23, 2016

I think Paris guy fell asleep over there. Oh well, it's too cold for me to look sexy anyway, I can go back to getting into Jammie's and going for cozy instead. Am eating some homemade fried rice and listening to plows and watching snow while the roommate continues working on her proposal.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:37 PM on January 23, 2016

And the popcorn discussion is making me look pensively at the ras el hanout I scored in Paris as well....
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:40 PM on January 23, 2016

It may rain Tuesday. We're doomed
posted by humanfont at 3:42 PM on January 23, 2016

My deep thanks to everyone who expressed concern about me and my family.

We're fine. Here's why:

We rent our house. At noon, our doorbell started ringing frantically. I opened the door to find our landlords standing on our doorstep. We had spoken a couple of hours before, and agreed that they would try to come by with a repairman tomorrow or on Monday, when the roads cleared.

They live 20+ blocks away. When we got off the phone (after agreeing with us that nothing could be done today,) they tried calling a repairman/plumber. No one answered their phones. Then they went to dig their car out but the road was impassible. So they walked. 20+ blocks and up a big damned hill. With a bucket full of furnace parts and tools. In a blizzard/nor'easter.

All of this after we had agreed to just let it go til the storm was over.

So they show up at our door and we're shocked and we usher them in out of the cold and say, "What are you doing here?!" And the husband replies, "There's a storm and it's freezing out. Your son has been sick. I have to try."

I can't even type the words without tearing up.

We have heat tonight. Can't begin to express how grateful I am right now. Stay safe and warm and dry, everyone.
posted by zarq at 3:43 PM on January 23, 2016 [131 favorites]

welp i'm tearing up too now
posted by Jacqueline at 3:47 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

Is there a Yelp for landlords because I think he gets 5 stars
posted by desjardins at 3:49 PM on January 23, 2016 [14 favorites]

zarq post that again so I can favorite it again.
posted by vrakatar at 3:58 PM on January 23, 2016 [8 favorites]

ahaha the way he's so excited he bites his foot

Is this the panda version of "pinch me, I must be dreaming"?
posted by ktkt at 3:58 PM on January 23, 2016

My hair isn't quite gray, it's more platinum, although for some reason, my iPhone camera gives it a blondish cast. So I'm not posting, not yet.

And also I took a three hour nap.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 4:07 PM on January 23, 2016

We have heat tonight

POWERED BY THE HUMAN HEART

Thanks for checking back in, zarq.
posted by sidereal at 4:12 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

I HEART zarq's landlords.
posted by Ruki at 4:29 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

Gawker.com: Shovel Your Fucking Walk
posted by sidereal at 4:42 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

sidereal: "Gawker.com: Shovel Your Fucking Walk"

Yes please. The asshole landlord next door never bothers to shovel, I'm not sure why his tenants put up with it.
posted by octothorpe at 4:50 PM on January 23, 2016

the last snopocalypse I waited a few days until after the storm, hoping that the sidewalks were clear. i did some sort of maneuver where i got stuck on this long block in front of a store that hadn't shoveled its sidewalk. It was a high sidewalk and I"m in a wheelchair, so stepping around wasn't an option.

Then these very nice teenagers stopped to see if they could help me and they staggered their way, carrying me and my chair like I was a Game of Thrones character. I asked them to pause in front of the door of the offending store and wrote in chapstick on the window, shovel your fucking walk. I felt sort of bad later because I realized the store owners were immigrants who didn't really speak much of the language, and it's not like shovel your sidewalk norms i guess are a thing in every culture.

Storms like this really make the need for jetpacks clear. Also, a lot of teenage kids are really fucking sweet.
posted by angrycat at 4:57 PM on January 23, 2016 [18 favorites]

POWERED BY THE HUMAN HEART

Are you suggesting that zarq's problems were solved by human sacrifice and the darkest of sorceries? I mean, that may be the case, but I think that the landlord just fixed the furnace in a snow storm. No point in jumping to conclusions.
posted by GenjiandProust at 5:14 PM on January 23, 2016 [4 favorites]

Last week I asked about whether or not to buy some mukluks that I have wanted for years. I called Tuesday morning to order, figuring that quick shipping could beat this storm, and of course...they are back-ordered. *sad trombone*

Luckily, here in north-east Rhode Island, the wind is really blowing the snow around, but my Minnesota Weather Eye -- all mooshed up against the window glass -- makes it like maybe six inches deep out there. So now I plan to let the wind blow itself out overnight, and wait until morning to fire up the snow-blower.

Stay warm, everyone!
posted by wenestvedt at 5:25 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

We took a video of the cat watching the snow fall and showed it to him.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 5:32 PM on January 23, 2016 [10 favorites]

I don't know how many inches we got here in Brooklyn but it is a lot. Thankfully Canal Bar was open and I was able to have a proper Blizzard Beer.
posted by grumpybear69 at 5:33 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

The thing I have liked the most while hanging out indoors all day with our damn needy cats is all the people posting videos of their dogs flailing around in the snow going OMG IM A DOG THIS IS THE BEST. Also that cat video that everybody had matching towels just posted is pretty fantastic.
posted by bedhead at 5:36 PM on January 23, 2016

Man, hearing that NYC has got hit like this, I know you guys aren't used to this, I hope everything works out okay.
posted by valkane at 5:44 PM on January 23, 2016

Eh - we're not exactly UNused to it, we have a massive fleet of plows and salt trucks and all that stuff. This is the biggest snow in a long damn time but there was a pretty giant blizzard 5 years ago (20 inches), and we usually get one or two decent snowstorms a year.

View from my window right now.
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:47 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Any longtime DC people here old enough (like me) to remember the February 1979 blizzard in DC?


Yep! I was a kid from Minnesota, and we all came out to NYC and then drove up to DC on a family vacation for that blizzard. :7)

I was nine, and we really appreciated the way you made the place look like home. A lot like home, actually, when all the protesting famers showed up on their tractors, and helped pull stuck cars out of the snow.
posted by wenestvedt at 6:47 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

i went out for a frolic and to make snow hearts to txt to my ladyfrand who was doing the same for me 200 miles away because we are fucking adorable
posted by poffin boffin at 6:47 PM on January 23, 2016 [13 favorites]

Show's almost over except for the shoveling here in Baltimore - Doppler radar shows one more blob coming our way, clear skies after that.

I can imagine Baltimoreans staggering out of their homes tomorrow morning in the bright sunshine and looking at the devastation like some big, cinematic early-game reveal in a post-apocalyptic Bethesda game. [cue: symphonic reveal music]

Hang in there NYC, we're rooting for you.
posted by sidereal at 6:57 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

They've closed 35 miles of interstate - all of 270, from the Beltway to I-70.

If une_heure_pleine (or anyone else) is still looking for eggless cake recipes, this is an old favorite of mine. It's even better with strawberries, but I doubt there's a whole lot of those around the snowy areas this weekend.
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 7:02 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

I stayed in bed all day in solidarity.

And I want to send zarq's landlord a present. He is a very good egg.
posted by kitten magic at 7:32 PM on January 23, 2016 [2 favorites]

Nanukthedog, I bought a roof rake a couple months back, which is the talisman protecting Rhode Island this season.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:22 PM on January 23, 2016

....and here's my timelapse of Snowzilla from Bloomingdale
posted by Karaage at 8:45 PM on January 23, 2016 [5 favorites]

WE'RE NUMBER TWO! WE'RE NUMBER TWO!
posted by jason's_planet at 9:26 PM on January 23, 2016 [1 favorite]

We're in Baltimore and on day 23 of Whole 30 which is no alcohol no sugar no grains no dairy no legumes and oh did I mention no alcohol? This is the first snowstorm of my adult life for which I haven't been enjoying either junk food or some kind of booze and it blows. What I should be doing is drinking whiskey in my coffee and eating Tinderhook salted chocolate chip cookies for lunch like normal snowbound people but no instead I'm making kale and plantain chips and pomegranate habanero beef and Moroccan chicken stew and sweet potatoes and the cravings are raging because there's 2 feet of snow on the ground send help. And cookies.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 10:48 PM on January 23, 2016 [3 favorites]

The snow has stopped, the snow looks excitingly deep and I'll be out the door in the next hour or so to walk a half mile straight uphill to work.

I really wish my snowpants fit.
posted by sciencegeek at 2:09 AM on January 24, 2016

The big snow day where I live was 4 inches last year, so I have been taunting my kids with stories of snow tunnels and pictures from this thread.
We are in the middle of summer here, but you guys inspired me to start checking and organising my stuff for storms etc. which was a useful thing to do on a drizzly summer afternoon.
In the Southern Hemisphere we don't really have a tradition of drinking when snowed in. I suppose our equivalent is turning up to the pub if heavy rain is on the way in case you get flooded in and have to drink the bar dry.
Look after yourselves and keep warm!
posted by bystander at 2:51 AM on January 24, 2016

After much consideration and the use of a belt, I have made the snowpants functional enough that I should arrive at work with dry legs! And the dry legs phenomenon should last through use of a snowblower.

As yet to be determined: will pushing the snowblower through the snow require more force than is recommended by my doctor these days. Will the guys working overtime last night have gotten the ride on thing that removes the snow in the area that I'm thinking about applying a snowblower to this morning. Can I get up the darn hill.

Hope you all have a good day and don't over do it plowing, snowblowering, shoveling, making snow people, and otherwise frolicking in the snow.
posted by sciencegeek at 3:23 AM on January 24, 2016 [4 favorites]

Emerson NJ checking in. The roads outside look decent. We canceled church this morning so I'm in my pjs, feeling guilty that I'm enjoying Sunday morning like other people do.
posted by Stynxno at 4:26 AM on January 24, 2016

My roommate was at the kitchen table all night, directly next to the pantry where we'd seen the mouse; she did not report any sightings. So we have either vanquished the enemy or sent him into retreat. I will accept either outcome.

She is going to get out and do snow-day things today as a break from proposal writing, and I may do the same; I'll need to dig out my friends' car a little so I can use it, maybe.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:22 AM on January 24, 2016

National Airport messed up their official snow measurement according to Capital Weather gang. So we will not have an accurate comparison with other storms.
posted by humanfont at 6:11 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

My teen son is driving the snow blower for the first time ever and I am still inside, waiting for pumpkin bread to finish baking. Yessssssss!
posted by wenestvedt at 6:18 AM on January 24, 2016 [9 favorites]

My teen son is driving the snow blower for the first time ever and I am still inside

Congratulations!
posted by MonkeyToes at 6:56 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

Boo to National for giving data people the sads. This sure looks to me like the worst single storm we've had in the Baltimore-DC area since I moved here, and somehow I've managed to be here for every epic storm since the mid-90s despite a couple of interim moves outside the region. (I hate winter, and have come to believe that winter knows this and has it in for me.)
posted by EvaDestruction at 7:18 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

26.8 inches in central park apparently
posted by poffin boffin at 8:34 AM on January 24, 2016

Which is almost exactly the same total as the big blizzard of 96, right? I remember we had an ice storm like the day after so the entire woodland looked like it was encased in ice (and we ended up going to school til like, August cause there was a month of snow days)
posted by The Whelk at 8:38 AM on January 24, 2016

21-27 inches depending where I measure (that's excluding snow drifts) in Western Fairfax County, Virginia. It's a lot of snow for this area, and digging out is going to take some time. But, wow, the kids are going to have fun with this one for sure.
posted by forforf at 8:45 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

I finally have my driveway clear after getting started at 6:30 this morning. Whew.

Time-lapse video out the back window from 1pm Friday to 6pm Saturday.

That trampoline had two deer sleeping under it when I got up this morning.

And my two little helpers.
posted by peeedro at 9:51 AM on January 24, 2016 [25 favorites]

My parents posted this on my wall, I want a huge print of it to hang in my apartment honestly
posted by showbiz_liz at 10:15 AM on January 24, 2016 [23 favorites]

So, from Petworth (northwest DC): we seem to have gotten a minimum of 20", but with the wind and the drifting it's impossible to know how much more than 20" we got. We had 15" by 10:30 Saturday, I shoveled the walk, and then the wind was so bad that everything I shoveled yesterday had filled back up again to 20" depth by the time I shoveled again this morning. Some of the drifts were more than three feet deep. Friday night the skylight in our bathroom started dripping and we seem to have caught about a gallon of water in buckets, but last night it barely dripped anything.

Food wise, I prepped bread dough on Thursday, made a pork-and-turkey chili Friday, we had pasta yesterday, and we've had fresh bread every day. My one thing when buying groceries this week was that I knew I didn't just want protein and carbs all weekend, so I bought a huge thing of baby spinach (and some other stuff too, but). We've basically had spinach with every meal. And we've had whisky, hot buttered rum, sparkling wine, and red snappers. I think boozy hot chocolate is probably next.

We're partway through one puzzle, and we have another one on deck.
posted by fedward at 10:36 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

Campus is closed on Monday, I don't have anything scheduled for Tuesday (and can work from home without worry), but need to work on Wednesday. My car is currently buried for all intents and purposes, so I think I'm going to see how the melt and plowing goes before I start to extract it. This is one of those times working in academia has its bonuses.
posted by codacorolla at 11:02 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

If my neighbors and I used aluminum foil and cardboard to make mirrors and then focused the suns rays into a heat beam could we clear our street.
posted by humanfont at 11:06 AM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

You can tell we're in Takoma Park thanks to all the Prius-shaped mounds.
posted by drlith at 11:44 AM on January 24, 2016 [7 favorites]

(attempts to sell humanfont road salt )
posted by clavdivs at 12:33 PM on January 24, 2016

Got hit with 6 inches Wednesday night and snowed in since then, with around 10 inches total here in NE TN. Hoping to be able to drift the car down half a mile of driveway by Wednesday or so.

Kimchee fritatta sounds good; haven't touched my eggs yet. Only got around half of what I should have in groceries and have made do so far with a roast and split pea soup.
posted by joeyh at 1:14 PM on January 24, 2016

Oh yeah and I joined the polar bear club last night (brr!), and am planning a Herzog marathon this evening.
posted by joeyh at 1:16 PM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]

joeyh, your snow days sound like you have been waiting for an opportunity like this for a long time to bust out. :7) Enjoy!!
posted by wenestvedt at 1:18 PM on January 24, 2016

Yeah, I guard the unwatched portion of my Herzog collection jealously, but it's time to bust some of it out.
posted by joeyh at 1:21 PM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

750 btu's to melt a squarefoot of snow 8" deep. It is 24" deep on average. Thus I'll assume 2250btu's per square foot of street. Well calibrated reflectors can emit 5btus per sq foot per minute. Thus with an array of 50 10 square foot mirrors we can melt a square foot in about a minute. Clearing 10' x 300' path is 50 hours.
posted by humanfont at 1:26 PM on January 24, 2016 [5 favorites]

I took the five-year-old on his first hill sledding experience, and he had the best time ever. (Fort Greene Park is great, but by 11 am it was too crowded, and so we skedaddled for hot chocolates.) He needed one ride with me on the sled and then he was off on his own. Best snow day in a long time.
posted by Liesl at 2:08 PM on January 24, 2016 [4 favorites]

I went out at about 11 am to dig out my friends' car - they'd brought it to me to carsit while they go out of town, remember, but they haven't actually gone YET - they brought it by right before the storm so neither of us would have to worry about whether it'd be dug out in time for them to go, and to spare me having to drive it from their place to mine AFTER the snow.

But that just meant I had to be the one digging it out this morning. And after making a snide comment on my friends' facebook page (he posted a status about having fun watching his neighbors try to dig out, and I just said "thanks a LOT, dude"), I set out. They claimed to have a shovel in the car, but it turned out to be a really flimsy little thing, and so when a kid came by after only two minutes to hustle up some shoveling business, he didn't even finish asking "do you need any help?" before I was saying "YES."

He earned his 20 bucks, I tell you what - we were out there for 2 hours trying to sufficiently free the car, and he even lay down so he could shovel out UNDERNEATH it. Another guy was working on his own car right behind us, and the two little girls on the second floor of my building also came out to play and periodically would "help" by brushing snow off the roof of the car. I had to run up to the local bodega to get cash for the kid, and while I was there I got hot chocolate all around - for me, the kid, the two neighbor girls, and the other guy shoveling out by us. The shovel kid just blushed, the older of the two girls kept asking "you're really giving us this hot chocolate for free?" And the other shoveling neighbor just sighed, "you are a SAINT."

And then I had to scurry inside and clean up to go see a bizarre play about Thomas Merton, so the shoveling of the car was the extent of my snow day. I'm assuming there will still be enough snow on the ground next weekend to go to Central Park and check out the snow monkeys like I wanted to do.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:46 PM on January 24, 2016 [14 favorites]

Ditto, codacorolla. I teach Tuesday so I am waiting to see how the plows do before I get back out and attempt to dig out my car.

One downside to working in academia is a stunning lack of attention to details within my personal life (what personal life?), so I don't yet own a shovel - I recently moved to the North from the South and that is my excuse for this extreme oversight. I just got back in from "shoveling" my stoop using a dustpan. It worked surprisingly well. We got about 28 inches here and I actually think a dustpan made it easier to move around than a shovel would, but maybe I am just telling myself that.
posted by sockermom at 3:05 PM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]

Looks like Feds and DC gov is closed tomorrow.
posted by Karaage at 3:07 PM on January 24, 2016

They just finished plowing our street (and neighborhood) so the first order of business tomorrow is to get some enterprising teenagers out here (or guys from CASA) to shovel out our cars. School is cancelled, of course, and neither of us plan to go to the office, but it would be good to be abl to go somewhere if necessary.

Neighborhood weather spotter says we got 25", just north of Takoma Park, but there are spots on our front hill that are easily 30" deep. Made for some good sledding this afternoon, I'll tell you what.
posted by devinemissk at 3:18 PM on January 24, 2016

I had insanely good fortune with the amount of snow on my car. Like, when I laid eyes on it I doubted my sanity -- this is the before shot - the wind blew all of the snow off the roof and left side of the car. All I had to do was shovel out enough of the right side to climb in and back out a bit, so I could shovel off the windshield and move more of the snowpile on the right over into the empty area on the left of the car. I stayed out and helped my neighbors dig their cars for a while when I was done though, then walked around the neighborhood a little to see how we'd done. Here's my flickr album of the weekend.
posted by oh yeah! at 3:38 PM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]

Empress, tell me more about the play, please?

Also, serious points for buying a round of hot chocolate!
posted by wenestvedt at 4:50 PM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

I was not looking forward to this storm. Last year I bought my first snow blower at a yard sale. Of course it cost some bucks to get it running, but I've gotten sick of shoveling even if it's only a couple of times a year. But I never got to use it because the first storm we had was the 36 incher... which, of course, trapped it in the shed. This year, it's 60 degrees at Christmas, which lulled me into a false sense of security. I thought I was thinking ahead last week when I pulled it out of the shed and brought it up by the stoop. Sadly, didn't start. The repair guy said he could look it it in 2-3 weeks. Oh joy. So I grabbed the shovel and salt out of the shed and I'm as prepped as I ever am.

Then I saw my cardiologist Wednesday. He tells me "ABSOLUTELY NO SHOVELING... I'll give you a note."

I can't figure out what this note is for.

Do I wave it at the snow, and watch the power of modern medicine melt the snow away?

Tell the plow guy he can bill Blue Cross?

I got home from work at 3am, and surprisingly enough, the power of the note had not cleaned the driveway. But luckily, 22 inches of snow would not stop a Honda Element at ramming speed. So off to bed, gotta be back at work at 2pm.

I had been stupid enough to mention to my mother what the doc had said. Shoveling might give me a heart attack, but seeing my 80 year-old mom with balance issues outside trying to clean off the walk is almost a guarantee. Got her inside, got her a cup of coffee, she was asleep in 30 seconds.

I went out and did 5 minutes of shoveling, because I can tramp through snowdrifts, but my 15 pound dog can't. He looks out the door, and just stares at me like the snow was my fault. I wish I could train him to go in the shower during snowstorms, it'd be an easy cleanup.
posted by Marky at 5:29 PM on January 24, 2016 [8 favorites]

Geeze, Marky, that sucks. I would swing by -- what state are you in?
posted by wenestvedt at 5:37 PM on January 24, 2016 [3 favorites]

And now the plow is stuck right in front of my house. With a huge snow mountain in front of it.
posted by humanfont at 6:12 PM on January 24, 2016 [1 favorite]

Plow drivers have a really tough exhausting and often underappreciated job.I'd run out there with a snack and drink for them if I could.
posted by futz at 6:37 PM on January 24, 2016 [5 favorites]

Speaking of plows, here is a sweet map of which roads in DC have been plowed. Made by Mapbox's Tom Lee.

My neighborhood is probably not going to see much action for a while.
posted by everybody had matching towels at 7:53 PM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wenestvedt - it really wasn't that much ABOUT Merton as such, it was more like watching a John Bly men's encounter group combined with a frat group that was using Merton's 100th birthday as an excuse to party. It's called "Glory Of The World".
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:01 PM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]

I live in California, and I'm really jealous because I always loved blizzards when I was growing up (especially the blizzard of '96, which dumped so much snow on us that we dug tunnels through it). My family says they've gotten about 20 inches in DC, and about 30 in Maryland. My partner's family lives further north in Marlyand, and I think they got even more. My mom is really excited, as she is every time it snows. My poor dad is all alone in his building, but doing well. My baby nephew is not excited about his first blizzard, but he'll probably be more into them when he's old enough to get snow days at school.

My 30th birthday was yesterday and we decided to spend the weekend in the mountains. In solidarity with my family and with you guys, I managed to get the car stuck in a snowdrift for an hour in the middle of nowhere during a snowfall at 7000 feet on Friday. I was like "oh wow, it's an actual adventure situation," and then some CalTrans guys came and helped get us out.

Anyway, stay warm!
posted by teponaztli at 8:20 PM on January 24, 2016 [2 favorites]

Wenestvedt- Thanks very much! I'm out on Long Island. Luckily, my mom call me at work about 10pm to tell me someone plowed the driveway, she didn't know who. Maybe the note worked!
posted by Marky at 11:04 PM on January 24, 2016 [6 favorites]

Hello from the Hong Kong #frostpocalypse!

We're experiencing the coldest temperatures since the 1960s, and I was teaching on Sunday in a school with no heat or insulation and single pane windows, looking up the Labour Department's minimum workplace temperature standards on the classroom computer while my students were doing a writing assignment in hats and ski gloves and puffa jackets.

Wiser minds prevailed today and primary school here was cancelled, but yesterday 60 people were rescued by the Fire Services Department after going to the top of Tai Mo Shan, Hong Kong's highest peak, to see frost!

Obviously Hong Kong gets quite chilly at night during the period from early December to around the middle of February (I hesitate to call it winter - sometimes it's 20C!), but it's all relative - while a Cold Weather Warning is issued when the temperature dips below 12 degrees Celsius, which is not very cold in higher latitudes, the buildings here cannot keep the heat in at all and many people don't have any way to heat their house short of dodgy space heaters and tea.

Glad I'm not on Jeju, though!
posted by mdonley at 1:22 AM on January 25, 2016 [5 favorites]

Guys, I am FINALLY boarding my flight home to DCA! I have no idea how I'll get home from the airport, and I will be SO MAD if we don't get a snow day tomorrow too, but I am FINALLY going home! I've been stranded in Atlanta since Friday. It was fine - they have a Trader Vic's - but good god I am done with this.
posted by bowtiesarecool at 5:33 AM on January 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

My wife just took an uber to DCA from NW, so it's definitely doable.
posted by Karaage at 6:27 AM on January 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

I'm gonna take my car in to work here shortly, after it's been above freezing for a while. We have a couple inches of slush/ice on the side streets, but main arteries are mostly fine.
posted by Stewriffic at 6:36 AM on January 25, 2016

I got stuck, whoops. It was only because I was standing still. Going forward wasn't working. So the car behind me was able to move out of my way. I was able to move in reverse, so that's cool.
posted by Stewriffic at 7:44 AM on January 25, 2016

i live with the SO across the street from the police station here in Bridgeport, PA.

The SO and I are in discussions whether he will do my bidding of tossing me into the snow, an experience I haven't had since my paralysis.

We're also cognizant that po-po might get involved at the sight of a man plucking a woman from her wheelchair and tossing her into a five-foot snow drift, especially if they misinterpret squeals of delight as something else.
posted by angrycat at 7:51 AM on January 25, 2016 [10 favorites]

I excavated myself last night, so it did not occur to me to call in for a delayed opening or office closure. I arrived safe and on time to... a nearly empty parking lot. We didn't technically open until 10:30. Oops. Well, I guess I look dedicated.
posted by Karmakaze at 8:40 AM on January 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oof. What kind of surge pricing do they do for winter storms?

they bring a cooler and a shifty-looking surgeon and then you have to negotiate which organ they get
posted by poffin boffin at 8:54 AM on January 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

Uber capped surge pricing at 2.8x during the blizzard.
posted by octothorpe at 8:57 AM on January 25, 2016

Oof. What kind of surge pricing do they do for winter storms?

I can't speak to whether it's winter storm specific, but it was also at 6:30 am this morning so that adds into availability. The seven mile ride cost her company $40.
posted by Karaage at 9:07 AM on January 25, 2016

There are two people out of 40+ in my office today. We've divided the building in half. Sadly there will probably not be a snowball war.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:25 AM on January 25, 2016 [1 favorite]

(The DC metro is only running as a subway right now, so any route that takes you above ground -- including any route that takes you out of DC -- is a no-go. Only those of us with cars and plowed roads can even try to come in. Fun, right?)
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 9:27 AM on January 25, 2016

Welp, I got my car free. The plows put to gigantic mounds of snow on either side of it, and since I'm in a visitor spot I'm worried my spot is a goner as soon as I leave for work, but hey, at least I can go there.
posted by codacorolla at 10:03 AM on January 25, 2016

Time for you guys in deserted offices to go cruising for better chairs & office supplies -- and be certain to stash some of your ill-gotten gains in case there's attempted take-backs later in the week.
posted by wenestvedt at 10:19 AM on January 25, 2016 [4 favorites]

Yesterday there were tons of crews out shoveling, and today there are NONE. We can't find anyone to come help us dig our cars out and the sun is already going down. Looking at another day stuck at home with the kids. Despair is setting in.
posted by devinemissk at 11:52 AM on January 25, 2016

Make sure to wait at least another 4-6 hours before resorting to cannibalism.
posted by Justinian at 2:47 PM on January 25, 2016 [4 favorites]

We can't find anyone to come help us dig our cars out and the sun is already going down.

Not sure if it's gotten a lot of traction but Snowcrew might be able to help.
posted by jessamyn (retired) at 2:54 PM on January 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

We can't find anyone to come help us dig our cars out and the sun is already going down.

At night the ice weasels come.
posted by wenestvedt at 5:37 PM on January 25, 2016 [9 favorites]

My dog is refusing to poop. She will pee, but can't seem to bring herself to poop in the white stuff. Suggestions?
posted by humanfont at 7:09 PM on January 25, 2016

Shovel a couple of square feet down to the grass in a single spot, then walk her on a leash over to it and stand there with her while she does her business. I used to have the same problem with my akita.
posted by zarq at 7:35 PM on January 25, 2016 [2 favorites]

The blizzard blanketing the East Coast is a stunning giant in this view from space
posted by homunculus at 7:42 PM on January 25, 2016 [3 favorites]

(I tried that spiced popcorn thing and it was delicious)
posted by sidereal at 10:23 AM on January 26, 2016 [1 favorite]

@humanfront Try putting Vaseline on her pads right before taking her outside. It may provide enough insulation for her to do her business. Wipe it of when you get back, especially if you're on a street that got ice treatment.
posted by ChurchHatesTucker at 3:08 PM on January 26, 2016

I'm so glad, sidereal! What spices did you choose? I forgot to mention that I've taken to tossing some brown mustard seeds into the oil as well.
posted by brainwane at 7:00 PM on January 26, 2016

Shovel a couple of square feet down to the grass in a single spot, then walk her on a leash over to it and stand there with her while she does her business.

Just don't let the aliens see you doing it.
posted by fairmettle at 9:27 AM on January 27, 2016

@brainwane - chili powder, cumin, cayenne, salt, black pepper. Quite good.
posted by sidereal at 2:16 PM on January 27, 2016

Late to the party, but here in Baltimore our street never saw a plow (except for the small one that got stuck on Saturday trying to rescue a police car). The only reason our street is clear is that the neighbors worked together on Tuesday for about six hours. I just got the car out of the alley (which was never going to be plowed) last night. We're not the only ones.
posted by postel's law at 7:10 AM on January 28, 2016 [2 favorites]

Just got unstuck this afternoon, after 9 days snowbound. Hello world!
posted by joeyh at 2:12 PM on January 29, 2016 [3 favorites]

All the talk about El Nino led me to believe otherwise, but it looks the same as last year: epic snowstorms on the east coast, and its 90 degrees this week in LA in early February...
posted by thefoxgod at 3:19 PM on February 9, 2016