We just heard the forcast has upped the snow prediction here in NYC for 18-28 inches, YIKES.

Time to find the knee high boots, somewhere in the back of the closet, have not needed those for a while.

Hope you are all faring well, and stay warm.

Checking in from NE Wis where our situation just about mimics placeu2 near Chicago. A foot and a half drift at the end of our 100-foot driveway, so we're snowed in till the neighbor fires up the plow. The 8-10 inches from last nite/this morning comes on top of another 8 inches in the previous 24 hours.

Have y'all tended to the birdies before hunkering down with the Baileys? They're so grateful for our attentions to them!

Just got done shoveling about 8 inches out here in the Fox Valley, 40 miles west of Chicago. I'd love to settle in by the fireplace for the rest of the day, but I now have to drive into downtown Chicago to help out someone who is exhibiting at the Cubs Convention. I'm hoping the predicted lake effect snows hold off until later this evening (doubtful from the radar images), or its going to be a long trip home.

GBelle, -6 here on the upper North Shore this morning. We have all the libations and foodstuffs needed for this little bitty storm. Hope the Bruins win--just kidding-- to bad the season is kaput for the B's. Goooo Pats!!!

I don't know what it is about the media here on the east coast. We just cannot deal with snow. You all in the Midwest and Buffalo must think we're pathetic the way we shut down with a dusting of snow. If any snow is predicated, the grocery stores will be a mess, as if we will buried in feet of snow and unable to leave the house for days.

The news coverage drives me nuts. On a day like today, there better not be anything newsworthy, b/c we'll never hear about it. I already know what the first 15 mins. of the news cast is going to be today:

"Hi. This is Action News. We're here in center city PHL where it's snowing. Let's go to Reporter X who is in Plymouth Twp...

Reporter X: I'm standing (outside) in Plymouth Twp., where it's snowing. Look all the cars driving really slowly on the road. Oh, look, there goes a snow plow! Now let's go to Bucks County, to Reporter Y:

Reporter Y: Here in Bucks County, it's snowing.

Repeat above, showing it snowing in several other surrounding areas. (It's newsworthy that it's snowing in one area, and in another area only 15 miles apart?!) Then report on the lines at the grocerys stores and at Home Depot.

Since the Eagles are in the play-offs, the rest of the news coverage will be dedicated to the Eagles. It wouldn't be so bad if they actually discussed something sports-like. Like about the team, or strategy. Instead they go to various sports bars and seem to find the drunkest fans screaming Go Eagles! or singing really, really off-key.

Yeah, we have really insightful news coverage here in PHL.

Hehe, a life threatening weather situation? I think we had that last night here but I didn't really notice, I was out having a few drinks with some friends and when we stepped out onto the street someone commented "oh hey, it's snowing" ;)

Of course by the time I got home, I was completely covered in snow. It isn't stopping me from going downtown today either.

Oh, and that lake affect snow downtown is currently happening (from what I can see outside my window, I only live about 2 1/2 miles from the lake).

<i>&quot;Yeah, we have really insightful news coverage here in PHL.</i>

Is it my imagination, or is the news coverage more inane here than anywhere else?

I can practically predict the shots that we'll see in the news tonight--people stocking up last minute at the Grocery store, people (or buses) trying to get up the hill in Manayunk, the Penn DOT salt heaps and snowplows, and an interview with a physician telling us the correct way to shovel snow.

Thank heaven for the Iggles element, which at least gives us a little variety. Otherwise, they might as well just play old newscasts from previous year's storms. Philadelphia news is so trite and tedious. My TV's staying off today.

(btw, it's been snowing since 10 a.m. or so, a bit earlier than predicted)

jor,msgo,placeu2 and others really made me laugh. The older I get the more I am amazed at media especially and these snow storms. Good to report so many can stay off the roads, but then it is enough already.

I'm going to sound like Abraham Lincoln, but honest to God from the ages I was 7 to 14 years old I would walk about 1.1 miles each way to school (Catholic and in a skirted uniform) and then walk home for lunch and then walk back to school and then walk back home at 4pm. (Total at least 5 miles.) And we would take a sled to the store to get groceries, even in the middle of Chicago. And the snow would never &quot;go away&quot; from Dec. to March- it just kept coming in waves. And as jor says, we are 20 to 30 degrees colder than east coast for each and every same storm. I remember standing by the door eating my hot cheese sandwich with all my clothes on as I had no time to undress. And belief it or not, we kids LOVED it. After school, I was happy to be able to put a pair of slacks on my blue legs, put three pairs of socks on and my skates over all that and then clink down to the park as I walked with my skates on right over the mounds and streets. Then I skated until my face/ lips turned blue and I couldn't feel my feet or hands, then clinked home again. We had snow forts we made over Christmas vacation that lasted until St. Patrick's day. Oftentimes we would go out after dinner to dig out cars, put on their electric blankets or take their batteries in, as no one had garages. Even now in 2005, a bigger snow store usually starts off a block party and people do help people where I am. I'm very glad the winters are milder now, as I have an open road drive/commute. But don't count me out on helping to build the block snow family on the weekends.

Love an adventure, that's one of things that puts spice on the meal of life.

Oh yes, just as Vittrad just said, we have about 8 to 10 inches right now and it is blizzarding again sideways and tonight eight of us over-the-hill bunch are going to a new Japanese in far S.suburbs of Chicago. No one has called to cancel yet. They won't.

You all, I'm laughing at your descriptions of your news coverage because you know what...it's identical to the news coverage here in FL when a hurricane is approaching anywhere near the state. Non-stop coverage, shots of the interior of grocery stores, shots (instead of your salt piles) of the Home Depot or Lowe's plywood supplies. Shots of people boarding up windows, and then by George, when the effects of the actual hurricane begin to be felt, inevitably we'll have some reporter doing their report as they stand IN the water at the beach, and whether it's raining at the moment or not, they'll be in full foul weather gear, and hoods up. LOL You've got yours in the snow, faces to the wind I'm sure, plows running behind them.

JJ5--we did the same thing here in MA from grade 1-12. My folks didn't have a car until I was 16, but I still walked to school. No backpacks in those days-just bookbags, but we didn't use them after 9th grade-too dorky!:) At the slightest mention of snow the bloody storm centers, storm centrals, etc. are interrupting programs to give the latest claptrap. We are getting flurries now, so guess we'll go to 4pm Mass instead of 5.

..idiots~ I just watched the Weather Channel. Poor guy looks miserable giving the forecast where the football game is going to be played tomorrow, where's that? Pittsburg? He's saying how the crew is serious about getting the stadium cleared for the game, sends it over to the gal in NYC, who quips, &quot;they're serious about getting the job done, but you're having fun, right?&quot; or some nonsense close to that. He looked pissed. Then they cut to the gal in NYC, who is all smiles talking about how hard it is to make a good snowball.

I rely on the national weather service, I don't have time or the stomach for that tv circus. I'd rather watch a movie :)

If those poor fools are not standing out in a snowstorm, they are standing out in a hurricane.
I sort of long for those old days when my parents watched the news. No pictures, just a guy sitting at a desk and reading the news. No dork hanging onto a street sign trying not to blow away or up to his neck in snow!

San Diego's a great place to be this weekend, except the Chargers aren't playing. We have the same dorky news reports when it rains, every time it rains. Shots of the rain falling on the sidewalk, piles of sandbags ready to be filled and shots of the piles of sand too. If it snows in our mountains, we get shots of a bunch of people taking a day off work/school and playing in the snow. Many reports of the hundreds of fender benders because we forget that the pavement is very slick after months of no rain.Then you get the statistics. We need rain out here, and there have been some very sad events recently, but the initial news reports are funny.

Patrick, I feel your pain!

JJ5 you brought back a bunch of great memories:)

As kids we did the same thing. On Long Island we used to get more snow too...and we LOVED it (still do). My brother and I could n ot wait to get home from school so we could play with our friends outside in our forts that we made. We would stay out so long that my parents would put on the otside lights for us so we could play well into the night. We loved going to the supermartket via my dad pulling us on a sled...bologna sandwiches never tasted so good.

I still enjoy stocking up on treats and firewood and my husband and I always go out and play in the snow...we always make a snowman and have snowball fights. Even though I dream of living of a place without cold and snow...well I don't think I can do it.

Report from DC!

It's really coming down now, a novelty for us as we moved here from Hawaii! I just put on piles of clothes on to take a walk and only lasted about 5 minutes outside, I guess I am a big wimp.

Apparently it is a DC tradition to have mass hysteria as a snowstorm approaches! The grocery store was jammed last night, just like being in Hawaii with a hurricane on the way!

OK, yesterday the weather prediction was 1&quot; in the Buffalo, but I woke up this morning to a newscaset that said we'll have a foot of it by tonight!

One inch, one foot, whatever........

JJ5 - I too walked to school and back home for lunch in my wool catholic school jumper!! But it was only a few blocks.

Thanks for the reports...

Here in NJ, we've got about 2&quot; of the predicted 18-22 so far.

I'm watching the Food Network, which is killing me with delicious recipe after recipe. My grocery list is getting longer and longer and I'm hungry! Will have to venture out shortly.

Although the media does make these storms &quot;epic&quot;, we are enjoying the snow...and hopefully going sledding with neice &amp; nephew tomorrow too!

Enjoy, everyone!

Here in Columbus we received around 4 inches. They were predicting 4-8&quot;. Went out this morning, roads are fine, slushy in some places. I also stocked up at Trader Joe's. The place was packed yesterday. Planning on going sledding later. I found a sled in an antique shop with the runners like we had when we were kids. Much better to sled with IMO than those plastic thingies. Keep warm. :-)

One of my pet peeves about so called ?blizzards&quot; (aside from having to shovel all the snow!) is the major local networks feeling the need to give continuous coverage of the storm. It's bad enough we have to sit through the real thing, but do we really have to keep seeing how bad things are on the TV? This is the time we need entertainment!