snomg: How much more can we take?

UPDATE:

Here's what we think: MCPS waits until we post our snoWatch predictions to make their announcements about school. Honestly, the red text always shows up five minutes after a new snoWatch!

EMERGENCY MESSAGE:2/8/2010 at 12:10 PM
Montgomery County Public Schools and all administrative offices are closed Wednesday, February 10, Thursday, February 11 and Friday February 12, due to emergency weather conditions. All school and community activities in school buildings are canceled. A decision about administrative offices will be made at a later time.

See you next week Blazers and enjoy the snow!

- - - - -

Here's the latest news - the snow is never going to melt! That's right, we're going to be thrown into a massive snow age and we will never see the grass in our backyards ever again!

Just kidding. Sort of.

Seriously, though, as our trusty friends over at the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang put it - this is snoverkill. The winter of 2009-2010 seems like it will never stop. The storm headed our way will come in two shifts - the first around 1 p.m. today and the second tomorrow morning, which will bring with it heavy winds and and blizzard-like conditions. NOAA is predicting total accumulation of 10-17 inches from Tuesday to Wednesday. That means another fun day of shoveling while the snow is blowing into your eyes.

On the bright side, we may very well be approaching the Full Week Off of 2003. The added accumulation from this storm may make this winter the snowiest since the 1870s. There's also no way the sidewalks can be cleared this week. In their hurry to plow the roads and driveways, everyone dumped about a foot of additional snow on almost every sidewalk. No complaints here - except the occasional feeling of scrambling over the Himalayas to get to the grocery store.

Speaking of which - milk was readily available yesterday! Maybe residents in my area did the same thing as my neighbor - promptly pack a suitcase, throw it in the car and "get the heck out of here" when they heard another storm was coming.

But to the frozen chosen of Blazers - rejoice! Snow is coming just as sure as Sarah Palin is not running for president in 2012. But wait, oh no, I forgot to check the notes I had written on my hand. No worries - a quick look proves the only items I left out in this tirade were the maverick nature of this storm and the abundant opportunities it will provide for moose hunting.

Predictions - where we make up fake numbers based on actual facts

Wednesday
Chance of delayed opening: 80 percent
Chance of closing: 99 percent

There is still way too much snow outside to know what to do with and it is now increasingly probable we will be adding a big pile on top. The National Weather Service has also issued Winter Storm Warnings for today and Wednesday. And unless MCPS turns really cruel - I mean, beyond their usual silly antics - it's very unlikely they will make tiny children swim through the ice to get to school.

Thursday
Chance of delayed opening: 97 percent
Chance of closing: 83 percent

Chances are still high that we won't have school on Thursday. It all really depends on how much snow comes our way tomorrow, but we're confident that Mother Nature's got our backs. She'd better - I don't even remember what my schedule is. Trusted sources also tell us that their neighborhoods haven't even seen plows yet. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but plows are unlikely to come through until Thursday morning at the earliest.

In case the power goes out again because of the winds, here are a few must-have items to keep you comfortable.

1. Battery-powered flashlight or lamp.
2. Batteries for that flashlight or lamp (You think it's funny, but why was I stuck in the dark for two hours until we found the matchbox? You got it - no batteries).
3. Telephone numbers of your electric company, cable provider and nearby friends or relatives.
4. Firewood
5. Graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate - do you even have to ask?
6. Blankets or heat packs
7. Canned food (now is the time to explore the full range of Campbell's products!)
8. Car phone charger in case your cell phone runs out of batteries

What do you think about all this snow? Love it or tired of it? Any other preparedness tips? Let us know, or start a different conversation, with a comment below.