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basically it is when it is not cold enough to snow, but it is cold enough to sleet and have freezing rain. So it sleets and sleets and then over night you will get a thick (think a 1/2 inch to an inch) of ice covering everything that is outside. The roads are slick, the trees are hanging over, and people just stay inside! The downside to the ice storms is that the ice causes the power lines (most are not underground but above ground) to break, along with telephone, etc.
When we had our last ice storm that was big (1999) we were out of power for about 4 days.
The other thing that happens here, is if it does snow, often there is a layer of ice under the snow, which makes travel difficult. Anyhow, it doesn't happen often but when it does people tend to complain about the "lack of snow plows" and "lack of preparedness" in the triangle for this type of weather. But the fact that we can all remember the "last big storm" should help people realize that it doesn't happen that often!
Leigh
Here in Milwaukee, they could hear of a snowstorm, warning and actually SEE the bilzzard coming down for at least 2 or 3 hours, with no sign of stopping in sight and they still won't let us off until about 4:00 wow!! a whole hour earlier! and then they figure, oh well, you'll just have to leave home earlier. One time we had a major snow storm and my Pastor called me and told me don't you dare get out there in that car with those kids! my brakes needed a little repair so she made sure she called me earlier that morning. But I'm leaving this wretche place in 3 weeks, I can't wait!!
Thank you for the photo's. My goodness.. I had no idea these storms were so dramatic. The photo's of the chain link fence covered in ice are awesome. Mother nature can be a beast.
If you've never experienced a real ice storm, it's really amazing, scary and beautiful all at the same time!
I can tell you I was home alone with two children and an infant during the big ice storm. I've been in hurricanes and tornados and I'd put that particular ice storm in the same category as far as how scared I was!
It's eerily quiet, pitch black outside, seeing hearing transformers blow every 5 minutes and the sounds of trees snapping all around your house which you can't SEE is the most frightening part. You cannot see a thing but you can hear these trees snapping and massive limbs cracking off all around you and you have no idea where they are going to land. You KNOW something huge just snapped and fell and you WANT to go out and look but you're too scared to go out in case one of those suckers comes down while you are standing there. It was liek BOMBS going off everywhere!
The next day we found tree limbs that had snapped off stuck in the ground like daggers 6 inches deep all around the house. SOme fell with such force they were literally stuck in the ground! You could hear cars being crushed by trees but you couldn't see them! I was PETRIFIED that night!
Then the next day, besides looking at all the DAMAGE, it's like a crystal wonderland outside. EVERYTHING completely encased in sparkly crystal ice. It's really a sight....
The ice storm in 2002 was VERY unusual. We probably will not see another storm like that in the next 20 years. So I wouldn't worry about the descriptions you're hearing of falling trees and crushed cars. :-)
lol... this stuff doesn't scare me. i had heard people mention them in other threads and i couldn't relate, now i can. tornadoes are what scare the beejeezus out of me. earthquakes don't phase me but tornadoes sound like a heaping dose of pure heck.
Thank you all for the descriptions. An ice storm seems to be like nothing I've experienced and sounds quite dangerous and damaging.
Well - if you haven't driven in one before, that's for sure.
Don't oversteer, don't overbrake, or just don't (drive). Assume everything takes long to happen. It's a bit like driving a boatL you need to stop turning a little before you're pointing in the right direction, since you're not going to stop on a dime. From the little I've seen, these parts aren't really geared up to handle it, so you're just taking your life in your own hands when you take that chance. Even if you were crazy enough/skilled enough to arrive at your destination - you'd likely be the only one there....
Do like the rest of us - sleep in, or work from home for those days.!
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