Calm before the first snow storm, running through the check list

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wetwood

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Dec 3, 2009
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Weather predictions for Monday and Tuesday, 8 to 12+ inches of snow with 45 mph winds causing whiteout conditions. Yesterday was 57 degrees with not a breath of wind moving. Made good use of the day building another stack of oak by the house and finding a wood box to set beside the stove. Sunday is suppose to be 60 degrees. That gives me time to get through the rest of my check list before the first big snow storm of the season hits.

1. Fill up porch with firewood
2. Move more firewood up to the house and tarp it.
3. Clean chimney
4. Top off fuel tanks of tractor, skid steer, generator, and pickup
5. Make sure all gas cans full for generator and diesel cans full for tractor/skid steer
6. Put 3pt blade on tractor
7. Bring scoop shovel in house
8. Silicon spray boots
9. Anything else I can think of
 

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Look on the bright side; It'll be Christmas-y! :)

Here's my checklist:
1. Get a tractor, skid steer, generator, pickup and blade. :lol:

Actually, I might pick up a blade for the quad...
 
wetwood said:
Weather predictions for Monday and Tuesday, 8 to 12+ inches of snow with 45 mph winds causing whiteout conditions. Yesterday was 57 degrees with not a breath of wind moving. Made good use of the day building another stack of oak by the house and finding a wood box to set beside the stove. Sunday is suppose to be 60 degrees. That gives me time to get through the rest of my check list before the first big snow storm of the season hits.

1. Fill up porch with firewood
2. Move more firewood up to the house and tarp it.
3. Clean chimney
4. Top off fuel tanks of tractor, skid steer, generator, and pickup
5. Make sure all gas cans full for generator and diesel cans full for tractor/skid steer
6. Put 3pt blade on tractor
7. Bring scoop shovel in house
8. Silicon spray boots
9. Anything else I can think of
Click to expand...


Flashlights & batteries
Food & Water

gibir
 
yeah theres something else....

send some of it down to CT !!
 
CTguy9230 said:
yeah theres something else....

send some of it down to CT !!
Click to expand...
+1.....I got my Wife to release the funds for an Ariens Deluxe 30 Snowblower....now I need the snow to justify it...PLEASE !!
 
A couple years ago, a friend of mine bought a brand new snow-blower and that whole winter he only used it a couple of times. He complained that by buying a new snow-blower, of course, that winter hardly any snow.I asked him, if that is the case, could he buy another one for next winter too?
 
colin.p said:
A couple years ago, a friend of mine bought a brand new snow-blower and that whole winter he only used it a couple of times. He complained that by buying a new snow-blower, of course, that winter hardly any snow.I asked him, if that is the case, could he buy another one for next winter too?
Click to expand...

I bought a new truck and snowplow this year, quietly I hope it comes with no snow. Last winters' heavy snow killed my old plow and truck and me!!
 
I'd fire up the generator just to make sure there's nothing other than fuel levels that might prevent it from running, unless it's been run within the last week or so.

Also, silicon spray boots? What does that do?
 
wetwood it sounds like you are getting prepared. 8-12" of snow is a pretty good amount but I'm betting in your area that really blows around a lot so you have more of a drifting problem out there. Good luck and may that storm blow itself out before it gets past Kansas.
 
Don't always get a couple really nice days to prepare for a blizzard but we are ready. Moved as much firewood up by the house as we could and it is all covered. Everything full of fuel and the generator is ready. Wife took care of food, water, batteries, and beer (we are loaded with flashlights, candles, and oil lamps). blade on the tractor. Silicon sprayed boots (they are insulated and gor-tex lined but they still get really cold if the leather starts soaking up water as the snow melts). Truck w/snow plow would be handy in these storms. Sorry guys, if there was anyway I could send this storm to CT I would gladly do it. Thank you Mr. Savage. They are still calling for 8-12" with 45 mph gusts. Since I have to work there is a good chance I will be snowed out of my house. The boys are home from collage for xmas break so I will not have to worry about my wife being snowed in alone, although she is quite capable of taking care of herself in that situation. The winds that come in with these storms are just relentless. Drifting is a major problem. This year the drought was so bad the USDA allowed CRP grass to be bailed for cattle feed. In years past those fields were holding back a lot of snow, but now they are bare so it will be interesting to see where all that snow ends up. The last time we were snowed in we got 20" of snow with 50 mph winds and it was 10 days before the county opened our road.
 
Adabiviak said:
I'd fire up the generator
Click to expand...

AGREED!

fire up everything, make sure it runs and batteries are topped off! probably good to fire up the sump pump too to make sure it is good to go for when the melt happens.

And althought it should be done by now, have clean gutters going into the storm.
 
Beer Belly said:
CTguy9230 said:
yeah theres something else....

send some of it down to CT !!
Click to expand...
+1.....I got my Wife to release the funds for an Ariens Deluxe 30 Snowblower....now I need the snow to justify it...PLEASE !!
Click to expand...

same story here, after the freak 24 inches in October, didn't take much to convince her. got to test out the blower on a small 4" snow storm in early November. but haven't had a chance to give it a real test yet. I knew buying a new snow blower would mean no snow this winter
 
ColdNH said:
same story here, after the freak 24 inches in October, didn't take much to convince her. got to test out the blower on a small 4" snow storm in early November. but haven't had a chance to give it a real test yet. I knew buying a new snow blower would mean no snow this winter
Click to expand...

Told my wife in October that we would be getting a suntan Christmas day. She asked why. I told her because the generators and saws are serviced. The snowed in power outage provisions are put up and the blade is mounted on the garden tractor.

It was 52 today going to 60 Wednesday.
 
The only weather we are supposed to get in the next few days is a bunch of rain.

This thread did hit on something I've been thinking about before winter sets in. I need to make a list to make sure we're prepared for winter weather. From checking batteries in flashlights to making sure the generator is ready to go, to picking up any emergency supplies for the house and my truck.

Not sure why, but I have a gut feeling I'm gong to need to be ready this year. Maybe its the new baby in the house, who knows.

-SF
 
The storm is about over here and I have to report all my hard work paid off.... We got 40 mph winds with a whapping 2" of snow. :p The largest drifts I saw were only a couple feet high. On the bright side it was a good practice run and winter is just about to start so we are ready if we do get a big snow. Gary, I am east of Dodge, Hope your son is doing OK in this storm as Garden City got about 10" of snow that closed US Highways 50/400 and 83 because of drifting. Matter of fact most of the highways are closed west of here.
 
Not in a very snowy area but have gotten the snow shovel in from the shed ready, and found my snow boots, and put a pair of wellies/blanket in the car just in case.

Fifi
 
The whole buying a snow blower so it doesn't snow thing didn't work for me last year. I bought my old tractor with a front blade and snow thrower. I was sure it would never snow. We had weekly snow storms from the day after Christmas through to February! The was snow on the ground from December until March. I can't remember that ever happening before in the 40 winters of my life in the Lower Hudson Valley. Preparation is alays a good idea.
 
and the bleeding thing is on its way here:

Winchester - Newington
3:13 PM EST Tuesday 20 December 2011
Freezing rain warning for
Winchester - Newington issued

Freezing rain beginning Wednesday morning.

A low pressure system originating in Texas is forecast to track over Lake Ontario Wednesday evening. Precipitation ahead of this low will spread into Southern Ontario early Wednesday morning and reach the National Capital Region by Wednesday noon.

The precipitation will encounter colder air in Eastern Ontario and will likely begin as snow or freezing rain. The precipitation is expected to change over to rain after a few hours over regions near the Kawarthas and Haliburton Highlands. However regions near the Ottawa River could experience an extended period of freezing rain of 6 hours or more.

Freezing rain amounts will likely be a few to possibly 5 millimetres. The precipitation is expected to taper off in Eastern Ontario late Wednesday evening.
 
Beer Belly said:
CTguy9230 said:
yeah theres something else....

send some of it down to CT !!
Click to expand...
+1.....I got my Wife to release the funds for an Ariens Deluxe 30 Snowblower....now I need the snow to justify it...PLEASE !!
Click to expand...

HAHA Same thing here but I went with the 28 Deluxe- Can't wait to use it!
 
I hadda do some re-hab on the 10-year-old Sears 8hp x 26 swath
snowblower after beating the crap out of it last season...
It was so freekin cold here last winter that one of the crusher-run
stones from the driveway got thrown THRU my directional (plastic)
chute & ya can't just buy the upper section...Also, when I started it
for the last of the 10-11 storms, the pull cord snapped. I manages to
keep it running for that particular job & ordered the part immediately.
Of course I waited until the first threat of snow this year to replace
everything, instead of being smart & working in the summer weather,
but I got er done. The chute replacement was a piece of cake, but the
pull starter was just a TAD more involved than the directions show.
There was some minor disassembly required along with drilling & stuff,
but she fired on the first pull & as much as I hate to jinx myself, I'm
ready, Mr. Hawk, so BRING IT ON!
 
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