Does snow stay longer than a few days in NOVA? (Richmond: schools, live)

[NW2NOVA]

I know Washington is colder than Seattle, but I think the snowfall is about the same. Does the snow hang around and be a nuisance? Are the counties in the area quick to plow/sand roads?

[blueva]

Originally Posted by NW2NOVA

I know Washington is colder than Seattle, but I think the snowfall is about the same. Does the snow hang around and be a nuisance? Are the counties in the area quick to plow/sand roads?

Washington is a humid Sub Tropical climate, and is WARMER than Seattle. In general, some winters there is no snow in DC or VA for that matter. We have had deep snows but the snow is not on the ground for any extended period of time. Usually if theres a light dusting of snow even, everything shuts down.

[NW2NOVA]

Originally Posted by blueva

Washington is a humid Sub Tropical climate, and is WARMER than Seattle..

Yeah but Seattle is warmer during the winter, lows under 35 are rare -
Thanks for the comment though, kind of what I expected

So schools get canceled there when there's snow? The city I grew up in doesn't even have one snowplow for 500,000

[ArizonaBear]

Originally Posted by NW2NOVA

Yeah but Seattle is warmer during the winter, lows under 35 are rare -
Thanks for the comment though, kind of what I expected

So schools get canceled there when there's snow? The city I grew up in doesn't even have one snowplow for 500,000

And you are correct there:

I lived in Springfield Or in 1990 and saw palm trees there--------that alone indicates that the PNW winters are milder than NoVa and points north.

Too; very little snow or ice..........road salt was not used and there was many 1960's cars/trucks still in daily use when I was in Oregon.

In 1978 (when I left DC); most 1974 down cars and trucks in daily use were already showing signs of severe rust---------several in-service Arlington County Police Department 1972 Ply Fury's were already rusting away in their 1/4 panels behind the rear wheels. We are discussing marked street patrol units here.

We had a few snow days when the schools were shut down...........

[blueva]

I grew up in Loudoun County, VA and never saw rust on cars. Ever. However, license plates from New York State of Mass. certainly did have that. DC is not in the rustbelt. Compare DC to cities up in the Northeast . Cars last much longer there in DC. DC is really a Mid-Atlantic city- some call it the Gateway to the South.

Palm Trees in Springfield? No. But Palm Trees certainly in Southeast Virginia . Spanish Moss too.

[NW2NOVA]

Originally Posted by blueva

I grew up in Loudoun County, VA and never saw rust on cars. Ever. However, license plates from New York State of Mass. certainly did have that. DC is not in the rustbelt. Compare DC to cities up in the Northeast . Cars last much longer there in DC. DC is really a Mid-Atlantic city- some call it the Gateway to the South.

Palm Trees in Springfield? No. But Palm Trees certainly in Southeast Virginia . Spanish Moss too.

Actually in the Pacific NW there are palm trees as far North as Vancouver, Canada. The species is called Washingtonia, however they don't grow wild, people put palms in their yards because they can.

[blueva]

Originally Posted by NW2NOVA

Actually in the Pacific NW there are palm trees as far North as Vancouver, Canada. The species is called Washingtonia, however they don't grow wild, people put palms in their yards because they can.

I just find it hard to believe that Palm Trees could even thrive for a little while in the PNW.

In Southeast VA is where I heard is the furthest north they can thrive. We have some in Richmond and they work okay here.

DC is definitely colder than say- um, Mississippi. But believe me its NOTHING like the cold hard Northeast winters. I was visiting friends in Upstate New York and saw snow on the ground - IN APRIL!!

[NW2NOVA]

Originally Posted by blueva

I just find it hard to believe that Palm Trees could even thrive for a little while in the PNW.

In Southeast VA is where I heard is the furthest north they can thrive. We have some in Richmond and they work okay here.

DC is definitely colder than say- um, Mississippi. But believe me its NOTHING like the cold hard Northeast winters. I was visiting friends in Upstate New York and saw snow on the ground - IN APRIL!!

Here's a site I found with some Seattle palms: Palm Trees in Seattle 47.6 N Latitude, 122.3 W Longitude Photo Gallery by Alain Lucier at pbase.com

Seattle is remarkably warm for its latitude thanks to the Pacific Ocean. The Pacific is the reason why the West coast doesn't get snow.

[Fallout Zone]

The DC area averages between 15-20" of snow per winter, though it is highly variable. Just in the past 10 years there has been 40" and less than an inch.

As far as snow staying, in my four years of experience, mostly it just melts within a few days and is off the roads even sooner. Thinking back to Feb '06, there was 8-12" of snow in the Arlington area overnight, and by noontime the sun was shining and the roads were wet. On the other hand, the sleetstorm in '07 was tougher, and the ice was on the sides of the roads, parking lots, and sidewalks for a week.

Comparing to my hometown in Minnesota, there are far more school days canceled here, though it varies depending on how far away from the immediate downtown you are. They tend to cancel for just about anything.

[tgbwc]

I don't think the schools cancel as quickly as they did years ago. Yes, they will probably close with a few inches on the ground, but that isn't a definite anymore. 15 years ago, they would easily close if snow was predicted. It isn't like that anymore.