Winter In The Panhandle

[santaman2000]

We usually get some cold weather here. But rarely do we get sveral nights of freezing and days that don't allow a thaw. However, this week was an exception, we got all that plus sleet and snow. Almost every major road and bridge in the panhandle was closed last night with only a few opening today. Those that did open, were re-closed by nightfall. Tonight's foecast low is 17*f (-8.3*c)

The schools have been closed since Tuesday and probably won't re-open until Friday. Likewise for most county and state government offices and the military bases have closed all non-mission critical functions for a similar time.

Some local pix from a few local sources:

Icicles on a Blue Angels jet

Over 200miles of Interstate 10 closed

A post from Facebook

 

[John Fenna]

That looks pretty cool

 

[Badger74]

Yay, It's not just the UK that struggles . (That's not a dig by the way)

 

[Mesquite]

Looks like a pretty bitter ice storm you've got there

 

[santaman2000]

Looks like a pretty bitter ice storm you've got there

Yeah. And being in the Gulf South, we're obviously not used to it. But it's worse in Georgia; in Atlanta they weren't expecting it to hit them directly and didn't close the schools early enough. That left the faculty and 200 students stranded in one school overnight. At least they had heat and food. The teachers even set up a movie after supper to keep the students occuppied.

 

[mrcharly]

I have a friend in Louisiana who hasn't been able to travel for 2 days; she's just started radiotherapy for cancer so it's a bit a blow.

 

[santaman2000]

I have a friend in Louisiana who hasn't been able to travel for 2 days; she's just started radiotherapy for cancer so it's a bit a blow.

Yeah, this storm came from west to east, like most of our weather does. But it's starting to thaw today so traffic should be getting back to normal soon. I hope your friend fares well.

 

[Tony]

If it only lasts a few days it can be an adventure It's something that's hard to prepare for if it's not really supposed to happen, and there's us over here with more rain than for the alt 100 years...

 

[crosslandkelly]

We have this at the moment, and more expected. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25944823

 

[santaman2000]

If it only lasts a few days it can be an adventure It's something that's hard to prepare for if it's not really supposed to happen, and there's us over here with more rain than for the alt 100 years...

That's how I look at it as well. But there have been loads of traffic accidents. Fortunately I haven't heard of any fatalities yet. Nor any from the cold itself, even though some areas have lost electrcity (and heat) temporarily due to ice on the power lines themselves or on tree limbs above the power lines.



I know, they're wearing t-shirts. But the pick was originally drawn after hurricane season, not winter.

 

[santaman2000]

Here's a couple of pix from earlier today

This one just east a few miles in Walton County