I made it home ok, but then got stuck in the driveway.
Then the maintainer went past. I shoulda had him clear the driveway.
– insert witty saying here…
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Listeners write in about haunted pipes and building-science tomes, and they ask questions about roof venting and roof leaks.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
A few more pics. I've got the tractor plugged in. I'm going out to try to get the blade on it (take off the bale carrier) and then pull the pickup out and clear the driveway.
Ooops, forgot to resize Blizzard. Sorry.
It's windy, but at least it's only in the 20's and not around zero like a couple weeks ago.
Looks all to familiar to me. And makes me wish it would snow again here. We have a V-plow like that one for the front of our grader, but we've never used it. Since we have the snowblower I kinda doubt we will. .Seeing the snow makes me think - Last night Carl told me a lady got stuck in the street in front of our house a few days ago when it snowed. (I was out plowing snow at the time)Both my sons went out to push her out. She told 'em she'd already been stuck 3 times that day. And she couldn't figure out why the car got stuck so much. After all, it has "traction control".Then Carl laughed and said: "Heeeeeeeere's your sign"
A lady is one who never shows her underwear unintentionally. [Lillian Day]
born in Minnesota, then lived in Iowa, upstate NY (near the Canadian border) and northern Ohio.
i remember the Iowa winters as being the worst for all around misery
Then the maintainer went past. I shoulda had him clear the driveway.
He probably could have pulled the truck out onto the road, but what you gonna do then? Can't leave it in the road with monsters like that going by.
Is the driveway going to be too deep for the IH in the loafing-shed to plow?
jt8
"The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days."
--Robert Leighton
Edited 3/2/2007 1:16 pm by JohnT8
John
I answered your question about snow in another thread but obviously Farmdog has a different opinion!
Doug
"s the driveway going to be too deep for the IH in the loafing-shed to plow?"
Hell NO!
Typical city boy question.
(-:
Childhood is measured by sounds and smells and sights, before the dark hours of reason grows [John Betjeman]
we'll see if bigger guns are brought in.
:)
jt8
"The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days."--Robert Leighton
He might have a problem, since it's not a Deere.....
Cotton pickin #$%#@!
Well, I got out of the shed, but couldn't even get TO the blade. It's about 30' away. John: I don't know if the driveway is too deep to plow, since I didn't get that far. The ironic thing is that there are CARS going by on the road...
I threw in a picture from the last time I got the 706 stuck. That was in Feb. '04.
DougU: Sorry, I can't control the winds. We're even getting a bit more snow now.
BossHog: Sorry to disappoint. There is soft mud under the snow. I don't know if you can see it or not in the picture, but the tires kicked up mud when they spun.
John: Bigger guns are snowed in too. Dad says the snow plow hasn't even gone by his place yet, but it's been by our house several times. Go figure.
JonE: Deere? Don't even get me started... :)
- insert witty saying here...
From another former Iowan. It's been a few years since we had a good blizzard up there. I always kind of enjoyed the digging out. But it was more fun when I got a tractor big enough that the snow load the blade was draging didn't turn the tractor sideways. Also better when the tractor had a cab.
From Waterloo & Iowa City Area.
Well, since we're showing pics of the local snow here...
View Image
This is a pic I took yesterday.
We got over 15" dumped on us in less than 3 hours up here, the night before that. In total, we got a bit over two and a half feet in less than 48 hours.
When coming home that night, I was in almost total whiteout conditions. I could just BARELY see any of the road in front of my truck. Really creeped along for the last 10 miles or more.
It's still snowing here.
Even with the sun out. And the sun was out yesterday. If you look at the pic you can see that in about 6 weeks, I can expect that direct sunlight.... To actually touch my porch !! (I get maybe 3 months of direct sunlight, every year.)
H T R J
Edited 3/2/2007 3:56 pm by Luka
Cool picture Luka, whats your temps like.
We get the damn snow and then our temps stay below freezing so it makes for unpleasent times. I like snow when it sticks, nothing like making snowmen!
Doug
Temps get near 40 during the day. Under 30 at night.While the rest of the US has enjoyed a mild winter, We have had more cold and snow since the beginning of november, than I can remember ever having since moving to Washinton. With a couple of warmer stretches, so we could have floods as well. LOL I have gotten snow and cold temps even more than they have, who are only 30 miles away.
H T R J
While the rest of the US has enjoyed a mild winter,
Yeah, a couple weeks ago when it was -2, I couldn't help but think it sure felt mild out.
jt8
"The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days."--Robert Leighton
Go back 3, 4 or 5 weeks, ya lout !;o)
H T R J
.......ROTFLMAO.
.
.
., wer ist jetzt der Idiot ?
We got about a foot on friday . The boys went hard plwoing that up. I was making phone calls for other pieces of equipment to come out and give us a hand. Then Yesterday one of my sub contractors went of the road hauling snow and had most of his 38' dump trailer cross the road. I had to unhook my winch tractor from its trailer and pull him out. Had to put the backhoe on one side to keep him from tipping over. To much work for Sunday after sleeping maybe 4 hours since Friday morning.
You know, it's amazed me how much we spend in time, effort, equipment, fuel, etc. just for this white stuff called snow. I mean, it's so temporary. It's just a little frozen water, right? When it warms up a little, the stuff melts and generally doesn't leave a trace. But it's not like you can just sit around and wait for it to go away. You have to put all this effort into getting rid of or at least moving it. In my area, manufacturing, it's called a non-value added process. It's something you have to do, but it doesn't add any value to your core business. Well, unless moving snow IS your business ;>
- insert witty saying here...
Of course, once I got dug out by hand, the snowplow made it to Dad's area. He had already dug out a couple roads with the tractor when the snowplow arrived to finish the job. Seems odd to me that it wasn't until Sunday that it went by his place while it had been going by our place about twice a day for the last three days. We're only 5 miles apart.
Anyway, he pulled out my tractor without much effort and then we hauled some hay to the critters.
- insert witty saying here...
I like the IH tractors of that vintage. Is that a 1086?
Never trust your government, and always cherish your freedom. [Robert Novak]
"I like the IH tractors of that vintage. Is that a 1086?"
No, it's a 1973 1466. The stuck one is a '63 706 gasser. That vintage IH is like old Caprice Classics. Everyone had one and they were usually run until the wheels fell off.
- insert witty saying here...
<I like the IH tractors of that vintage. Is that a 1086?>
Wow - that's old!
I'm reading some English history, and that's only 20 years after the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
I guess that's why they're called International Harvesters
Forrest - it's all fitting together now!
Im amazed by the amount of money spent on it as well. Not that I'm complaining being a snow removal contractor. We do over a million dollars a year in snow removal. We also have close to that in equipment. We had 4 of my loaders out in this storm, 4 backhoes, 3 tractors, 2 skidsteers, 5 sidewalk machines. 4 pickups, 2 5 tons, and a tandem, and it still took us 2 days. But its nothing like we used to get.
What situations do you use a backhoe for snow removal?
I remember those "sidewalk machines" well from the college days. We always called them ice polishers. Those brushes on the front seemed to just make it worse by polishing the compacted snow/ice to a fine smooth surface.- insert witty saying here...
We have 12' blades that go on the backhoes. Occasionally we use the hoe during removal if snow was pushed into a fence or something. We don't have brooms on our sidewalk machines. We use a 5 foot blade and then salt. We gotta get those sidewalks pretty clean, tired of lawsuits.
Have you ever tried anything for snow melting other than salt? I've read where some universities have come up with a snow melter made out of corn, for example.
I would think anything would be better than salt because of the corrosion salt creates. My pickup had the rear brake disks and calipers pretty must rusted out because of road salt. I think I followed one of those state trucks spraying that pre-treatment stuff on the roads once also.
I suppose salt is the cheapest though. At least short term, if you don't consider the environmental, vehicular and road damage.
- insert witty saying here...
The salt isn't the cheapest but its the most effective. We get our lots and sidewalks completly bare by the time were finished. As for the sidewalks like I say if someone slips and falls a lot of them will sue. So we have to get those bare as possible. So we use straight salt. For the parking lots we use a salt and grit mix. The grit gives you traction until the ice melts and the salt melts the ice.
I'd be interested in this corn idea. Being a country boy myself I could be that real cheap. Whats the deal with the corn.
Good to know there are other SW Iowans on the board here. :)
I live close to Glenwood, but am originally from Tabor - HWY 275 into Tabor was drifted shut for several DAYS after the storm. Evidently had to bring in a blower from somewhere to get the road open.
I remember a lot of snows like this when I was younger...don't know if there really were more, or if I don't remember things the way they really were. :)
Jamie
Well, I can't resist. Omaha is the REAL Windy City. View outta my garage Thursday afternoon:
View Image
We got about a foot of snow, accompanied by 40MPH winds. Got a bit more Friday (maybe 1-2"), with the same winds. Thankfully, it'll probably all be gone by next weekend. Something to be said for March, I guess.
Jason
Edited 3/3/2007 2:51 am ET by JasonQ
Something to be said for snow that mostly just falls straight down, and doesn't get blown around afterward, as well.=0)Forecast says it's supposed to get up to 50 degrees tomorrow.We'll see... (The snow is still out there. Although I did notice the temp getting hotter in here the last couple hours, and the thermostat hasn't been changed...)
H T R J
Something to be said for snow that mostly just falls straight down, and doesn't get blown around afterward, as well.
Aye. Just checked outside, and the apron of my driveway has drifted halfway shut again. This since 9:00 last night. And that's without a snowplow coming by, even. Those guys come by, I'll be out there shoveling at 0530. Bleah.
Jason
Edited 3/3/2007 4:57 am ET by JasonQ
"Forecast says it's supposed to get up to 50 degrees tomorrow.We'll see... "Well, it's tomorrow.Almost 3 pm.Still hasn't even reached 40.So much for weather.com...
H T R J
Hey Jason, Can't really tell from the picture (a little fuzzy), but is that garage full of snow?"
Howdy...no, the garage doesn't have snow in it, but it was drifted right up against the door.
Amusing aside: My brother called Thursday morning to ask about the storm - he's in Des Moines, and was expecting the same. He asked how much snow we'd gotten, and I had to tell him I had no idea, since the snow had blown so fiercely that it actually covered the windows. Couldn't see a damm thing.
Jason
Jeffie, is that the river in the background?"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Yes.Our river turns emerald green in the winter.At least when it isn't being flooded and carrying all kinds of mud...
H T R J
Unhuh... and what was I saying again?????
View Image
:)
jt8
"The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days."--Robert Leighton
Edited 3/2/2007 4:23 pm by JohnT8
Well, I didn't know he didn't have the blade *ON* the tractor already. Totally different situation...
Marriage means commitment. Of course, so does insanity.
I don't know if snow under the mud is worse than frozen ground or not. At least with mud you have a little traction when the tires get down that far. Can you maybe get some log chains or rope, and pull the blade up to where it's clear enough to move the tractor around?
My Wife is always late. Her ancestors arrived on the Juneflower.
I would much rather have frozen ground beneath the snow. With mud you don't get any traction, you just throw mud around. I guess with ice underneath you don't get traction either, but at least you don't tear everything up. We're going to have big ruts when we have to haul hay in a few days. Those ruts then wash out and then you end up with gulleys. Plus, the mud gives way underneath and you get hung up, like I did.
Green, red, yellow, blue, whatever the paint color, I'd have gotten stuck. Whoever thinks a green tractor would do better has fallen for the typical green company marketing. We do have a JD combine. It works ok.
- insert witty saying here...
Farmdog
Well were getting more snow right now too so maybe we'll catch up with ya.
You wouldnt have gotten stuck if that tractor was green!
You know the saying, nothing runs like a deere!
Sorry bout the "deere" coment but I grew up in Tama Co and we didnt use anything but the big green machines.
Doug
Hey Doug... sorry to do this, but I thought I should post a picture of what it looks like around here these days.....
As you can see by the lack of bikinis it's pretty cold... probably down into the 60s when this photo was taken...
:-)" If I were a carpenter"
Yea Mark this winter is certainly different then the last three! But as odd as it sound, I miss this weather!
Doug
I miss the 'real' snows too. Seems like the last 5 years or so has just been panzy snow. It might bury everything for a day or two, but then melts away. Back when I was a kid, we'd have REAL snow! You'd get hit with a foot or more and it would stick around for weeks. And then you'd get new snow on the old snow.
We only had once decent snow this winter, and it was mostly gone in about a week.
jt8
"The flower that follows the sun does so even on cloudy days."--Robert Leighton
Edited 3/6/2007 12:46 am by JohnT8
"As you can see by the lack of bikinis it's pretty cold... probably down into the 60s when this photo was taken..."It got up to 50 here, today.I put on my bikini...
H T R J
Looks like you got a lot more snow then we did up here in the Iowa City area.
We have the same winds though so if you could do something about slowing them down a little I'd appreciate it.
Doug
Hey Farmdog. I am from Griswold... I got the z71 that I own ,stuck on a county road
friday morning...got out 6 hrs. later... your house looks familiar I am curious where
you live... send me a personal email and tell me where you live.if that is alright. Kelly
Weaver.
Here's a couple of pictures of the road to my house building project after a couple of days of melting.
Rip
View Image
View Image
Damn Rippy, you got a lot more snow then we do over here in the eastern part of the state.
Its been warm enough that a lot of our snow is melting away, not fast enough but it's going.
Doug
Doug,I'm a couple weeks late to the snow photo party...but the snow load caved in the roof of one of our local lumberyard buildings. Here is a photo of that and one of my house. We got about 2' of snow.
Bass
You'd think a lumber yard would have adequate trusses!
Everytime I see a pic of your house I like it more. That shot would make a good Christmas card.
Doug
I think a CMU wall gave out before the trusses...either way it's not good for business. Thinking about it--truss deflection must have pushed the walls out.I almost hung the Christmas wreath back up for the picture. ; )
Nice colors on your house!
Forrest - showing DW
I just said, "Why yes Dear, those colors will look fine."
Here's Iowa DOT website of snow in western IA.
Subject: Blizzard 2007