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I am looking at the forecast for next weekend and seeing rain and snow forecast for Saturday and I am having a daytime party on Sunday. Since I have only been here for one episode of "wintry weather" (last year's rain/sleet storm which had me unable to get out of my own hilly driveway for five days), I thought I'd ask about...
1) Ice melt: I used to use calcium chloride in NJ, but it looks like here there is rock salt or a blend. Why is this? Is the salt easier on concrete driveways? (I have one.) I want to be sure people can walk up the driveway if it goes over into Sunday.
2) Realistically, with a rain/snow mix, how bad are the roads likely to be? I want to be able to get from SW Durham up to the Costco on N. Pointe Drive to pick up some platters and I'm debating whether to pick them up on Friday instead. I have a Toyota Corolla -- front wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, but it's not an SUV.
3) Has anyone ever used a screened porch to store party foods overnight if the temperature is going to be below 40 degrees? Would a cooler box be sufficient to stop possible critters from clawing their way in?
No way to guess this early. Pay attention to the forecast as it gets closer.
If snow/ice is called for park at the bottom of your hilly drive before the weather event.
Borrow coolers and keep the food proper cold, don't give your guest food poisoning.
If the roads are too icy for you to get to the store they will be too icy for your guests to
come to your house.
Plus, results will vary wildly in terms of who among your guests are willing to venture out with even the slimmest possibility of wintry weather conditions.
I'm in the way too early to think about it camp. If it's really a rain/snow mix and the temp is above freezing the whole time your party is happening you're probably okay, but chances are it may just be rain. No way to know right now. If it's going to get below freezing that night/late Sunday afternoon you may have guests who don't want to risk black ice.
Depends on the platters whether the porch would be appropriate. If it's meat I'd say no unless it's as cold as your fridge. If it's veggies and fruit should be fine.
2) Realistically, with a rain/snow mix, how bad are the roads likely to be? I want to be able to get from SW Durham up to the Costco on N. Pointe Drive to pick up some platters and I'm debating whether to pick them up on Friday instead. I have a Toyota Corolla -- front wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, but it's not an SUV.
3) Has anyone ever used a screened porch to store party foods overnight if the temperature is going to be below 40 degrees? Would a cooler box be sufficient to stop possible critters from clawing their way in?
#2 - If it's ice, stay off the roads. Front wheel / all wheel / 4 wheel drive vehicles are useless on ice. Snow is different. Then the only thing you have to worry about are drivers who don't know how to drive on snow.
#3 - I've kept stuff on my porch in a covered container. As long as you limit scents you're OK.
All that being said, all the forecasts on the upcoming weekend are merely guesses. I don't trust a forecast here more than 3 days out, if that.
I follow a local weather guy on twitter...he really only tweets when some big weather event might happen or is happening locally. He tweeted this morning that the models are not in any agreement and he's sorting thru details to figure out what might happen when, but it's still too early. He is seeing time frames from Thursday night to Sunday/Monday....so no consensus yet.
Personally think leaving stuff on the porch is dicey, you have to make sure the temp doesn't go above 40* or below 32*, no sun hits it, etc etc. Seems like more trouble than it's worth.
I never understand why people think an SUV is best in winter weather - those are generally the vehicles you see overturned on the side of the road....If you have front wheel driver you are fine, unless it is icy, then stay off the road.
Pay particular attention to how the storm develops. If the moisture is coming from the Gulf of Mexico, while cold air is pushing down from Canada, that's the typical scenario when the Triangle usually gets its most threatening Winter weather. If Winter weather is forecasted because of a band of sleet/snow is moving in from the West, you can usually bet that nothing (or nothing significant) will come of it.
As for food, I'd store cold drinks outside to make room for food in the fridge before I'd consider putting the food itself outside. But, if I still didn't have room, I'd certainly go the cooler route but I'd still put ice in it because the closed cooler might insulate the food inside from the cold air outside and defeat your strategy.
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