Any snow? | FerrariChat

Any snow?

Discussion in 'South Central - USA (TN, MS, AL, GA)' started by BT, Jan 29, 2014.

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  1. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 21, 2005
    15,291
    FL / GA
    Full Name:
    Bill Tracy
    We got some snow here in Canton yesterday. I heard it might have happened in other towns close to us. My daughter had a tough time driving home from school yesterday, took her 90 minutes when it normally is about a 10-15 minute ride.

    the snow is pretty though. We went out at around 3:00 yesterday to do some sledding and drink hot chocolate while we watched our neighbors try to make it up the hill into our neighborhood. One person succeeded, about 10 failed.

    Anyone else have any fun stories?

    :)
    BT
     
  2. andy308

    andy308 Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2005
    2,020
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Andy
    I picked my daughter up from school at 1pm and the roads were getting bad quickly. My wife's typical 15 minute commute took her over 2 hours but she was happy she made it. Windermere Parkway in Cumming is a mess of abandoned cars everywhere. It is just crazy around here today.
     
  3. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
    12,887
    Cumming, Georgia
    Full Name:
    Franklin E. Parker
    I pulled one of my daughters friend's rwd SUV out of the ditch with the winch on my Jeep. However, once it was back on the road, it still couldn't get enough traction to drive it home. So, I gave here a ride home in my Jeep...
     
  4. JWF360

    JWF360 Rookie

    Dec 1, 2012
    30
    I am glad I didn't take a chance to drive home yesterday. I am stuck here at the office. My manger drove 10 hours to get home and he left at 1PM from Perimeter to Crabapple. I had no chance at all.
     
  5. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,501
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro
    Well - Here in Mid town - Buckhead - the roads are totally still frozen over - last night we were helping people get their cars un stuck from the hill in front of our house - its only about a 4-5% grade but its completly frozen over.

    I live close to the Moores Mill /I-75 exit - and apparently its a parking lot there.. the State and City should really be ashamed of its totally inadequate preparation & response... Last night I had to help a city of Atlanta truck get un stuck - they were supposed to be helping others... it's a sad situation.

    I get it that we dont get a lot of snow - but its been forecasted for a week... so do some prep.... at least on the highways... or perhaps contract with some of the northern states for advice and support....
     
  6. gurslo

    gurslo Formula 3

    Feb 25, 2008
    1,524
    Connecticut
    Full Name:
    Peter
    Lol, I'm reading this with grin from ear to ear. It's crazy how such a small amount of snow and ice can cause so much havoc. I hope everyone is safe! We have heard of one couple having a baby while being stuck in traffic.
    I'm in CT. and even up North they don't always get it right. Once traffic gets congested DOT trucks are blocked making them ineffective. Ice is ice it's a loose, loose. Any momentum and you slide and can't stop, no momentum and you just spin the tires. If your moving and come upon ice the laws of physics take over. Try to turn and you can spin and momentum will carry you straight ahead, or if there is a low spot in the road you can slid toward the lowest point.

    With a weeks notice, DOT should have prepared, but so should have the public. Don't rely on Goverment.
     
  7. Inert

    Inert Karting

    Nov 8, 2004
    53
    BHM,Castro Valley
    Full Name:
    Inert
    3 inches here. Took 3 hours to gather kids then finally had to abandon truck and hump 2 miles home. BHM is a disaster. More people walking than driving.
     
  8. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,349
    The Cold North
    Full Name:
    Tom
    3 inches?? LOL. (sorry..yes I live in Canada). Just sounds like such a small amount to cause the amount of issues you guys are describing.;)
     
  9. shmark

    shmark F1 Rookie

    Oct 31, 2003
    2,968
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Yep 3 inches resulting in sheets of ice and ZERO road prep, and very little equipment to handle it - it's almost never needed. There's no such thing as snow tires down here, no chains, and not that many 4-wheel drive vehicles, despite the "southern" image. I don't care who you are or where you're from, it's impossible to drive in that situation. I've driven in Chicago at 11 below with wind and snow, and 60mph was a cakewalk because of the road prep and the vehicle I was in. But this stuff with the massive DOT fumble? Nobody goin' nowhere.
     
  10. andy308

    andy308 Formula 3

    Jan 16, 2005
    2,020
    Sarasota, FL
    Full Name:
    Andy
    #10 andy308, Jan 29, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  11. Inert

    Inert Karting

    Nov 8, 2004
    53
    BHM,Castro Valley
    Full Name:
    Inert
    As Mark said, ZERO road prep. ANY grade without AWD, 4WD and it's over.
     
  12. henryr

    henryr Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 10, 2003
    21,653
    Atlanta
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    Juan Sánchez Villa-L
    it went from snow to sheet of ice quicker than i have ever seen it..... and i grew up in MI.

    at least i found out the excursions lmt slip is no longing working and same for the auto lock hubs...
     
  13. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Jun 30, 2007
    91,702
    with all these abandoned cars, I'm guessing it's a great day to be a tow truck driver in ATL.
     
  14. gurslo

    gurslo Formula 3

    Feb 25, 2008
    1,524
    Connecticut
    Full Name:
    Peter
    With all of the walking and ice, hopefully there arent any falls and broken bones.
     
  15. rollsorferrari?

    rollsorferrari? F1 Veteran

    Jun 5, 2006
    9,984
    St. Louis
    Full Name:
    Scott
    We had about a foot in St. Louis 2 or 3 weeks ago. You can pre treat the roads all you want, but a foot of snow pretty much negates it.

    Atlanta traffic sucks. Atlanta traffic with snow multiplies the suckiness tenfold.
     
  16. tbakowsky

    tbakowsky F1 World Champ
    Consultant Professional Ferrari Technician

    Sep 18, 2002
    19,349
    The Cold North
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    Tom
    WOW!! That is crazy. Be safe out there..
     
  17. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
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    Tommy
    It isn't the snow. It's the ice. Sheets of it all over the roads. The snow is just decoration.

    It is really bad here in Birmingham. People spent the night in their cars on the interstates.
     
  18. Dr Tommy Cosgrove

    Dr Tommy Cosgrove Three Time F1 World Champ
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    May 4, 2001
    35,287
    Birmingham, AL
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    Tommy
    It isn't the snow. It's the ice. Sheets of it all over the roads. The snow is just decoration.

    It is really bad here in Birmingham. People spent the night in their cars on the interstates.
     
  19. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,924
    Georgia
    Full Name:
    Jim Pernikoff
    It took me 2-3/4 hours to get home from the plant yesterday, a trip that normally takes 20 minutes. That included about a 25-minute stop at a Waffle House, initially to use the bathroom, but as long as I was there, I sat down and had an order of bacon and orange juice! (This was around 2 PM, and most everyone in the place was eating breakfast food.)

    I was driving a rented Corolla, since my Civic is in the body shop repairing damage from a fender-bender a couple of weeks ago. The car has CVT, which is a little weird, and I had to look in the owner's manual to see the equivalent to low gear. There are two modes below "D" on the shifter; "S" is described as "Engine braking" and "B" is described as "Max engine braking", so they behave like second and first gear on a normal shifter. I kept it in "B" most of the way home.

    The traction control and anti-lock brakes worked like a charm, and I got part of the way up Blackjack Mountain on Barnes Mill Road. When I could go no further, I turned around, pulled over to the curb facing downhill, parked the car and walked the last 1/2 mile home, which was a bit uphill and then downhill. I had only seen two SUVs, probably with 4WD, make it all the way up, and while I was walking the rest of the way home, not a single vehicle went by.

    The only vehicle I saw in the subdivision today was a 4WD Ram truck, and even he was going downhill gingerly. I walked to my car in the sunshine to check on it and clean off the windows, and found that the road had been blocked by a 9-car pileup just about 150 feet above my car! Lucky it wasn't closer. None of the cars looked very damaged, so all the banging must have been at a very low speed. That might explain why Cobb County has yet to treat the road.

    Tomorrow? When the temp gets to 32, which should be around lunchtime, I'll walk back to the car and drive to work.
     
  20. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
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    Feb 27, 2004
    15,924
    Georgia
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    Jim Pernikoff
    #20 Gatorrari, Jan 29, 2014
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  21. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,501
    Atlanta
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    Tom Spiro
    I get that we dont use large snow ploughs etc.. alot but the city could invest into some ploughs that can be attached to pick up truck and salt spreaders for the back of them... and or rent some for the winter ... it seems every other year we get a couple of inches that cause all this ice ... the issue is to keep the roads clear before the snow gets compated and turns to ice.

    up north the same stuff happens, but either the roads are salted & scraped... or we get more snow ontop of the ice that alows more traction.

    I tried to get out of our area - and while I could move around- the road in shade was a complete sheet of ice... in both directions - nothing from the city has been done - which in my bankrupt home town i can understand but in the 9th largest metro area ... that points to idiots at the helm
     
  22. BT

    BT F1 World Champ
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    Mar 21, 2005
    15,291
    FL / GA
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    Bill Tracy
    On the news they said the tow companies were charging $125 to move cars out of the way for the salt trucks. I thought that was a pretty reasonable rate.

    :)
    BT
     
  23. Gatorrari

    Gatorrari F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 27, 2004
    15,924
    Georgia
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    Jim Pernikoff
    My subdivision on Long Island was usually plowed by a local resident with his own 4WD pickup; he'd go down to the local fire station to get a plow and put it on the front of the truck; when done he'd return the plow blade to the fire station so that someone else could use it. They were volunteers, much like the firemen they were borrowing the plow blades from.
     
  24. Robz328

    Robz328 F1 Veteran
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    Mar 16, 2009
    6,290
    ATL, Georgia
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    Rob Hemphill
    That's about far enough, right?
    :D
     
  25. Inert

    Inert Karting

    Nov 8, 2004
    53
    BHM,Castro Valley
    Full Name:
    Inert
    Beauty part, the airport delays have me getting colleagues to cover at least one shift out west. This has had far reaching effects.
     

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