Ice Could Be The Big Story
This week's storm map has been updated this afternoon. At this time we think up to 16 inches of snow is expected in northern Pennsylvania.
Forecast Map Dec. 13, 2005
I was just looking at all of our feature maps for the day and it strikes me that ICE is shown on 17 out of 21 maps. Freezing rain could indeed be the big story with this storm. The graphic at right details the potential damage area Thursday and Friday:
Forecast Dec. 13, 2005
Having lived in North Carolina, where ice storms are more common than snow, I've seen some brutal ones. A tiny coating of ice can render even a Yankee town helpless and send high-and-mighty SUV's twirling like ice skaters.
I remember one whopper of an ice storm at Christmas... 1983 (?) when my parents and I were trying to drive back to my parent's house from a family reunion. The really evil thing about ice is how it slips up on you. Being a budding meteorologist of course, I knew that conditions were ripe for ice -- drizzle and temperatures in the low 30's. Plus it had gotten dark so it was hard to judge by nearby houses or trees. Neither I nor my Dad, who was driving, knew exactly when the road had iced over -- until I saw (in the rear-view mirror) the guy's headlights behind me suddenly swerve and disappear over a bridge embankment.
I yelled for Dad and we pulled over at the next driveway, my Dad got out and, after a lot of slipping and scrambling, made his way to the creek where the driver's car had ended up. The driver was OK, just a little shaken up. We managed to get half a mile down the road before the tractor trailer in front of us started sliding, then jacknifed over both lanes of the road. We pulled off the highway and sat there (easting assorted Christmas candy) for hours until the state's salt truck finally came by, rendering the road driveable again. All told, our 2-hour trip took about 6 hours to complete.
During another ice storm in the mid 1980's (1984 I'm pretty sure), I awoke to what I thought was frequent gunshots (we did have hunters in the woods, after all). But when I looked out the window, I realized it was just branches snapping off trees. Later that day, my mom and I walked through the woods and found several wooden swords shed from the trees buried deep in the ground, amongst piles of branches.
Here's hoping none of you have such stories to tell by the end of the week.
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