Winter storm Ion

I'm sorry.... I've been on this subject the last couple days, but I'm keeping a record of what is happening here with this winter storm.

4:00 pm.... The storm has arrived. Light snow started falling early this morning and has picked up intensity all day. Our local Emergency Management reports the status may be revised this evening to a blizzard warning.

The streets in town are very slippery and people are being told to stay home and off the roads. Snowfall so far was measured at 5.4" of new snow so far.

<< This is not my picture. We aren't leaving the house. I took this from one of our local TV station's FB posts.


The temperature hasn't been bad yet, but it's made some very wet, heavy snow.

Bob was just out front knocking some snow from the branches of our pine tree. They're getting so heavy, they're touching the ground and putting tension on the phone line. He doesn't want to see the line ripped from the house or breaking off the limbs.

9:30 pm... the storm continues. We've gotten another 6" of snow (+/-), making the total around 12", and the temperature is dropping fast. The wind is picking up. It's up to 22 mph and the wind chill is now 7°.

Our sheriff and local EMA has issued a snow emergency. That means NO vehicles on the roads or be arrested. City streets are to be clear so all emergency vehicles and plows can get through. To our west, a blizzard warning has been issued. Dominion Gas called all customers, including us, this afternoon to tell us to keep our gas thermostats down to just a comfortable level and lower the water heater temp, so they can maintain flow to residential customers. I've never known them to ever do that.

Bob and I kept busy this afternoon before the snow got heavy. We took down the Christmas tree and the decorations. Not because we wanted something to do, but because the tree was sitting near the fireplace.

Our neighbor  up the street came by earlier with his snow blower and cleaned our front walks. He said he was trying to keep ahead of it. He has a large blower so one pass is enough. Bob has found phone numbers of a couple guys that hire out their plow. When this blows over, he can try to get one down here to plow out our big driveway. Bob can't do it with his small blower, especially when the temperature drops down to -35!!

All evening there's been updates of the closings, schools, factories and offices, for tomorrow running across the bottom of the TV screen.

I checked with our daughters and they're stocked up and hunkered down to ride out the storm.

Bob filled the kerosene lamps and I made sure the flashlights were working and put in handy places.

That's all to report now.
Sorry, I know I'm boring you.
If this storm is reaching your area, I hope you stay warm and safe. The next couple days are going to be horribly cold. The good news... by Friday the temperature is going to be up around 50°!!!!

Until later...........