The 'dreadful' weather... seriously (New York, Buffalo: transplants, home, calculated)

[HeadedWest]

Originally Posted by I'minformed2

ah yes...but you apparently "forgot" to include the other part in your quote...that it is actually extreme HEAT that kills more people in America than any other weather related event.

I've spent lots of time in the southwestern deserts in mid-summer. I know how to cope. Thanks for your concern, though.

[UpstaterInBklyn]

We're heading back to tomorrow to visit for the holidays.

I've heard from family and friends in Orchard Park and my tenant in Blasdell about the amount of snow on the ground from the weekend lake effect. It will be fun to see the huge snow piles again, and a relief to leave them behind on Sunday.

I hear its going to rain on Christmas Eve - watch out for collapsing roofs

As for the "dreadful" characterization, I'm sorry to say I agree. Generally, snowy weather patterns are depressing. Of course, freshly fallen snow on a meadow in the country resembling a Currier and Ives print is beautiful, but the reality of living in the snow means cloudy skies, wind chills, slush, wet feet, slippery ice etc.

FedUp - I couldn't agree more about the news stations and their "weather panic" mentality. I noticed that before I left and they definitely do it here in NYC as well. Extreme weather simply makes good television. Put the reporter out there in the blowing snow and you've got a great picture. Look at how the cable news operations cover hurricanes. They love those live shots of the reporter hanging onto a tree for dear life.

I think it is hilarious when a big nasty storm is predicted but never materializes and they send the reporters out for the live shots and they are standing there in an inch of snow, with traffic zooming by on clear pavement behind them, trying to make a story out of it. "This snow could turn into black ice later so be careful"

Oh - and that November 2000 storm - wow. The only time I had to sleep at the office, but we had a great time. I owned a business in Williamsville at that time my office was at 5500 Main Street (the building with the big clock). From my office window, I watched the traffic on Main Street literally stopped for hours, so I didn't even try to go home, and I convinced my staff not to try either. We ended up getting pretty drunk at the Glen Park Tavern across the street!

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by UpstaterInBklyn

FedUp - I couldn't agree more about the news stations and their "weather panic" mentality. I noticed that before I left and they definitely do it here in NYC as well. Extreme weather simply makes good television. Put the reporter out there in the blowing snow and you've got a great picture. Look at how the cable news operations cover hurricanes. They love those live shots of the reporter hanging onto a tree for dear life.

Upstater, I lost count of the number of times the news channels posted "weather warnings" last winter only to find 2 inches of snow on the ground.

The problem with creating a panic with minor, yet normal "flurries" of our area is due, in part, to the corporate of our local news stations. Hardly any of the anchors/reporters actually grew up in our Buffalo conditions, so when they see 3 flakes (of snow)..... it's a "storm" for them to report on. I'm on the Lake, we got about a foot of snow from yesterday, drifts upto two feet. The plows came out over night, people shoveled out this morning. 20 years ago, locals would have been saying "big wow, 2 feet" and rushed off to see their kids sledding from atop a hill. The biggest worry we grew up with was seeing the windchill reach a -10. Then our sleds couldn't leave the basement.

I saw too many times last winter of crying wolf with reports of "extreme storm on the horizon" only to have it miss the area. Though, I liked your thought of a Currier & Ives print. Buffalo really is beautiful. (Taken Sunday, 12/21/08)

[MarineFromBuffalo]

Originally Posted by FedupWNY

Upstater, I lost count of the number of times the news channels posted "weather warnings" last winter only to find 2 inches of snow on the ground.

The problem with creating a panic with minor, yet normal "flurries" of our area is due, in part, to the corporate of our local news stations. Hardly any of the anchors/reporters actually grew up in our Buffalo conditions, so when they see 3 flakes (of snow)..... it's a "storm" for them to report on. I'm on the Lake, we got about a foot of snow from yesterday, drifts upto two feet. The plows came out over night, people shoveled out this morning. 20 years ago, locals would have been saying "big wow, 2 feet" and rushed off to see their kids sledding from atop a hill. The biggest worry we grew up with was seeing the windchill reach a -10. Then our sleds couldn't leave the basement.

I saw too many times last winter of crying wolf with reports of "extreme storm on the horizon" only to have it miss the area. Though, I liked your thought of a Currier & Ives print. Buffalo really is beautiful. (Taken Sunday, 12/21/08)

I remember when I was in high school they had canceled school because of 'storms' and then nothing happened, and when a storm actually hit we didnt have any snow days left and they had to cut into our Winter and/or Spring vacation to make up for those days.

[accbqjx]

Interesting thought about the catch 22 situation. The village of Sloan for example pays extremely high taxes. Their streets however are always clean and their garbage is always picked up. For those of us that need to access the secondary streets to earn a living, walking or taking a bus may not be an option. I'm not to sure how many employers are sympathetic to the Plowing woes in the city of Buffalo.

[FedupWNY]

Originally Posted by accbqjx

Interesting thought about the catch 22 situation. The village of Sloan for example pays extremely high taxes. Their streets however are always clean and their garbage is always picked up. For those of us that need to access the secondary streets to earn a living, walking or taking a bus may not be an option. I'm not to sure how many employers are sympathetic to the Plowing woes in the city of Buffalo.

Sloan, for example, is also much smalled than Buffalo. With a great number of streets more, Buffalo can't possibly get to every single street immediately after snow fall. Plows, drivers and money are all limited, and there's a pattern in which the DPW follows in clearing the streets in the city. Secondary streets also carries the concern of parked cars.

Though, if your street has been untouched by the city plows since the last week Thursday, (if you're in the City of Buffalo) from a land-line phone, not a cell, you can call citizen services during regular business hours by dialing 3-1-1 to file a serious complaint about your street, if it is as bad as you say it is. They generally clear up matters within a few days of a filed complaint. HTH.

[MarineFromBuffalo]

Originally Posted by HeadedWest

I've spent lots of time in the southwestern deserts in mid-summer. I know how to cope. Thanks for your concern, though.

I have also spent 9 months in the last 2 years in the deserts in Africa, Iraq, and Kuwuit, I can cope too... it doesn't mean I want to be there. I would rather spend 6 months in the snow then 1 week in that heat!

[I'minformed2]

In Rochester currently at midnight in late december...the temperature is 58 degrees.

[VegasRocks]

Originally Posted by MarineFromBuffalo

I have also spent 9 months in the last 2 years in the deserts in Africa, Iraq, and Kuwuit, I can cope too... it doesn't mean I want to be there. I would rather spend 6 months in the snow then 1 week in that heat!

Maybe you don't, but most of the population likes the sunny dry weather. plus
business's also like the dry climate because they don't have to worry about delays or
interuptions in their communcation's & distrubtions centers.

Arizona, Nevada, & Utah are still the top fastest growing states and
WNY continues to lose population. WNY already has lost more than half it's population.

[I'minformed2]

where did you get that figure from? WNY has definitely not lost half of its population and Vegas is a JOKE...it had an economy based mostly on the real estate market and construction...both of which are dead. They took up a much bigger chunk of the economy in Vegas in recent years than Manufacturing made up the WNY economy...and it got hit WAY harder than manufacturing. Not to mention its in the middle of a barren desert.

The part of the vegas economy not based on construction and real estate...high-end entertainment. Yeah, I'm sure that is EXACTLY what people are going to be spending their money on now in the depths of a recession.

Atleast MOST of the people who leave upstate NY head to places with semi-resilient non-bubble economies (not to mention natural water supplies) like larger cities in the Northeast or in high-tech areas of the south like North Carolina or Atlanta.