17.8 Inches? You Gotta Be Kidding!
EmailABC's Tom Shine reports from Washington: After shoveling twice late Friday night and 4 more times on Saturday, I was shocked, dismayed, and depressed to turn on the t.v. and hear a local weatherman say, that according to the National Weather Service, the storm, which had just ended, was the fourth largest snow storm in Washington history measuring 17.8 inches. The Fourth Largest in history? Measuring a mere 17.8 inches? You gotta be kidding!
So you mean to tell me that i spent about 7 hours over two days shoveling, scraping, falling and all i have to show for it is 17.8 inches of snow? Is that what President Obama was talking about when he called Saturday's storm Snowmageddon? 17.8 inches?
Areas across the region measured 28 inches, 30 inches and one claimed nearly 40 inches but their totals don't matter to the National Weather Service, which has its observation station at Reagan National Airport, where the waters of the Potomac keep the snow amounts down. The National Weather Service said it was 17.8 inches and that's the official amount and that's the way it will be forever recorded.
Today DC and the surrounding areas are expected to get an additional 10 to 18 inches of snow and ice, which will probably be a mere dusting of 4 to 5 inches as measured by the National Weather service at Reagan National Airport!
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Memo to the media….it is winter. It does snow in the winter. Get over it.
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | February 9, 2010, 10:08 am 10:08 am
Maybe change the title up a bit.
Posted by: Huh | February 9, 2010, 10:12 am 10:12 am
By the way, everybody used to say that the Saints will win the Super Bowl when hell freezes over.
Now I know where hell is.
Posted by: ddg | February 9, 2010, 12:45 pm 12:45 pm
“17.8 Inches? You Gotta Be Kidding!”
That’s what SHE said!
Posted by: Aaron | February 9, 2010, 1:37 pm 1:37 pm
Quit whining. You could of gotten 30″ like everyone else.
Posted by: RmW | February 9, 2010, 2:23 pm 2:23 pm
As someone who grew up in Upper Michigan, I’ll never stop snickering at people and cities who lose their minds over a couple inches or even a couple feet of snow. 300+ inches of snow every winter is what i dealt with for 18 years while living there. Never a state of emergency. Never a budget issue. People didn’t stock up on water and basics. Stores didn’t close. We shoveled, we plowed, we went to work and we dealt without complaining. Ok, without MUCH complainin! Man up, East Coast! I’ll be schlepping to work in Manhattan tomorrow in my snow boots and winter coat and not making any excuses…
Posted by: Jodi | February 9, 2010, 2:32 pm 2:32 pm
Must be Global Warming!
Posted by: Karl | February 9, 2010, 2:36 pm 2:36 pm
Large quantities of snow and ice are routine across great swaths of the United States, and the people who deal with it year after year rarely if ever complain. In our nation’s capital, on the other hand, a relatively minor snow event has exposed the fact that those who “govern” this land are soft, whining, wimps — a different breed of American — who are literally unfit. While American citizens tough out hardship without a peep, the cries and moans of Washingtonians do very little to inspire faith in their mettle.
Posted by: Zeugitai | February 9, 2010, 2:44 pm 2:44 pm
I think its amazing that Washington DC is getting this huge amount of snow and across Maryland and the east coast. They usually do get it yearly. They need to send all their snow to the Olympics in B.C., they are importing the snow from Washington mountains to Whistler slopes for the runs for the Olympics. Too funny, but not. last year we got so much snow and this year being an El Nino year we have sun and dry weather. It’s lovely here in Western WA, very much warmer (50-60′s)and sunny. Global warming? ha…
Posted by: Sharon | February 9, 2010, 2:54 pm 2:54 pm
To all those who talk about “manning up” or brag about how much snow they get up north, and what wimps we Washingtonians are about it, Please keep in mind that you have experience with these types of snow falls and know what to do. Washingtonians do not have experience and have used past years budgets for snow to determine this years budget…which is why we fell short this year. This level of snowfall for us is normally unlikely and unexpected. I think we’re doing pretty well for people who haven’t had to deal with this every single year for generations. So stop your bragging and insults. No one cares that you schlep yourself to work in 10 feet of snow every day up north. If we were used to it, we would too, thank you very much!
Posted by: Carrie | February 9, 2010, 3:13 pm 3:13 pm
I grew up just south of National Airport, in the Mount Vernon area. In the 60s, and earlier than 1966 as is recorded for one of the top 10 snowfalls, we had a snowslide out of the 2nd floor master bedroom window at a friend’s house – we were really little, and just went out the window in our snowsuits and down the slide… we had one storm where my dad opened the front door and stood in the foyer to start shovelling, as we couldn’t go out on the porch. We had one snow where we lost the redwood lawn furniture. The official totals don’t jive with reality. Ask anyone who lived in the area back then.
Posted by: sheila | February 9, 2010, 3:22 pm 3:22 pm
Jodi: Don’t include New England in the East Coast comment, we know how to handle snow, and everything doesn’t shut down. They are just wimps in the Mid-Atlantic states.
Posted by: KJM1968 | February 9, 2010, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
Jodi: Don’t include New England in the East Coast comment, we know how to handle snow, and everything doesn’t shut down. They are just wimps in the Mid-Atlantic states.
Posted by: KJM1968 | February 9, 2010, 3:24 pm 3:24 pm
Climate — it’s all relative to where you live and what you’re accustomed to. People in the North who are used to lots of snow and brag about their ability to deal with it are no tougher than Texans who are used to extreme heat for long summers and are able to deal with that as well, or Floridians who are used to hurricanes, or Nebraskans who are used to tornadoes … etc., etc.
Posted by: em | February 9, 2010, 3:53 pm 3:53 pm
NAB: Point well-made! Thanks to your son for his bravery and I hope he comes home safely very very soon.
Posted by: Jodi | February 9, 2010, 3:56 pm 3:56 pm
Actually, this is a sign of global warming. The global warming puts more energy in the weather system and that results in more powerful storms year round.
Posted by: Greggw | February 9, 2010, 5:14 pm 5:14 pm
Jodi, I know you mean. My first job away from home was when I reached 17 and entered the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corp), and was sent to the Upper Peninsula. Our camp was near Lake Superior, and the snow was about 4 ft deep most of the six months I was there. We had two bulldozers that were used to help the local government keep the roads clear. We worked in the woods, plowing along up to just below our knees in snow, and when we happened to walk over a bush under the snow, we would usually sink down chest high in snow. No one thought much about it, as that is the way it was in Michigan.
Posted by: Lloyd Revalee | February 9, 2010, 5:22 pm 5:22 pm
Our 20 year old snowblower started right up!
Posted by: kay sieverding | February 9, 2010, 5:36 pm 5:36 pm
Now people are attacking each other here because of snow vs. snow. God, people, get a life or a hobby or an attitude adjustment. Go out to Happy Hour tonight, and if there is too much snow, have Happy Hour at home. There are real issues to deal with in this country, and I can’t believe we’ve been reduced to argung about winter’s weather.
Posted by: Jane Q. Citizen | February 9, 2010, 6:00 pm 6:00 pm
Aaron, that was funny without being offensive. Thanks for being a source of humour today.
Posted by: Jane Q. Citizen | February 9, 2010, 6:01 pm 6:01 pm
I am so sick of people who aren’t from DC saying how wimpy we are with the snow. You are soooo tough wherever it is that you’re from. First of all, we average 15 inches a year and many years get a lot less than that. We would be pretty dumb if we had all of the infrastructure for 2 feet of snow since we get it maybe once a decade. Secondly, talk to me in the summer when are complaining about how hot is and we sre just going about our business…..
Posted by: Jimmy | February 9, 2010, 7:15 pm 7:15 pm
Get ready for a few decades of thew weather reminiscent of the 70′s as the the ocean currents have reverted to an older pattern.
Posted by: Tom | February 9, 2010, 7:43 pm 7:43 pm
Snow? This is about snow? I’m so disapointed.
Posted by: Cassandra | February 9, 2010, 7:51 pm 7:51 pm
I live in DC and a few years back I was in Boston when they received 4 inches of snow and ice and Boston shut down. It’s the nature of the snow and the fact we don’t have snow removal equipment. We routinely see Denver and Chicago shut down for snow, so I like the fact that the U.P. of Michigan doesn’t shut down, but maybe that’s because you don’t have an economy in the first place. You don’t buy snow chains to use once every 10 years.
Posted by: vamick | February 10, 2010, 9:52 am 9:52 am
maybe Al Gore and his fellow enviromentalist control-freak ilk will come to DC to help shovel up the effects of the “global warming”!
Posted by: Ed | February 10, 2010, 11:46 am 11:46 am
What is with all this mad weather we’ve been getting? It’s so cold. All I can say is put on your Eskimo outfits, put some metal grip on your tires and go out and get a six pack of beer. Hek there’s nothing to do anyways, seriously though you don’t have to spend all day on the Xbox there is stuff you can do even in this weather. I found some ideas in this article… ####
Posted by: markmarksis | February 10, 2010, 7:31 pm 7:31 pm
maybe Al Gore and his fellow enviromentalist control-freak ilk will come to DC to help shovel up the effects of the “global warming”!
Posted by: Ed|Feb 10, 2010 11:46:03 AM
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perhaps while some of the idiots are snowed in they’ll take the time to read something educational and learn the difference between weather and climate.
Then maybe they won’t continue to fill up these threads with their “global warming” comments that serve no purpose other than to make them appear to be lacking in simple 7th grade intelligence…….Just a thought
Posted by: dk | February 11, 2010, 4:32 am 4:32 am
and by the way……..interesting how you fail to mention a winter of no snow in Vancouver while making your silly “global warming” comments. Convenience I suppose….
Posted by: dk | February 11, 2010, 4:34 am 4:34 am
So we are “wimps” because we can’t deal with the snow, huh? Did RmW ever consider why so many people from those snow states are moving to the East Coast. And by the way, I am willing to bet that most of those who complain are transplants from those very states.
No, we don’t care to drive in snow or ice… and ain’t nothing wrong with that.
By the way, the snow around here in Laurel MD, topped over 33 inches over teh weekend and about 17 inches on Tue/Wed.
Posted by: Mohamed Z. Rahaman | February 11, 2010, 7:58 pm 7:58 pm