A horrible storm to start the season...

[buckwheat_la]

So we had our first snow fall of the season this week, and boy oh boy was it crazy. Got about a foot of heavy snow monday night/tuesday morning. Called all the crew in at about 3 am to get started to find that our city has not plowed anything, absolutely NOTHING!!! dozens of stranded cars in the middle of major road ways. Half my guys had a hard time getting in at all, and I had to go pull 3 of my guys out of ditches, we don't get out of the shop until 5:30 am. We are already behind and the westside of our city is closed off to us because both ways up the hill are closed off. Through out the day we help busses stuck down town, pulled out so many different people it wasn't funny, I probably pulled out people from my own crew a couple of times each, and I ended up buying a crap load more snow blowers too.

i would have to say that in the last 13 years, this storm would be in my top 5 worst events, and definetly the worst "first" snowfall i have ever experienced. Anyone else have a first storm bad experience they wish to share

[Banksy]

[cod8825]

Bass:

That's kind of harsh.

During the winter season of 2009 to 2010 the fist storm of the season in KC was also the biggest of that season. It started snowing around 6 pm on christmas eve. We have several churches that we service so we are out clearing those. It gets snowing hard and windy so after the one churches 9 P.M. service we call it a day. My boss calls and states that we will be going out at 2 in the morning on christmas day. I am like ok. We live in the country and when I left the house it was the middle of a blizzard. I drive through are small town and as I get to a major four lane highway to go into Kansas City I see three MODOT trucks just parked in a commuter parking lot with lights going and just sitting there.

I get into town and it looks like a war zone. There are cars all over the place by this time it is three the first car I come to got high centered on a island median for a right turn going onto the on ramp for the four lane highway I just came off. It was a smart car, no mind you there is already four inches on the ground no crews out at all clearing. I go over to the guy and ask if he is all right he is trying to get to the airport to pick up his wife. The airport is an hour from where we where at.

I could not believe how many people were out at gas stations getting beer and going home from parties in beetles, prius' and other rear wheel drive and small cars. All I know is that tow trucks had a great day that day.

Matt

[buckwheat_la]

Originally Posted by cod8825

Bass:

That's kind of harsh.

During the winter season of 2009 to 2010 the fist storm of the season in KC was also the biggest of that season. It started snowing around 6 pm on christmas eve. We have several churches that we service so we are out clearing those. It gets snowing hard and windy so after the one churches 9 P.M. service we call it a day. My boss calls and states that we will be going out at 2 in the morning on christmas day. I am like ok. We live in the country and when I left the house it was the middle of a blizzard. I drive through are small town and as I get to a major four lane highway to go into Kansas City I see three MODOT trucks just parked in a commuter parking lot with lights going and just sitting there.

I get into town and it looks like a war zone. There are cars all over the place by this time it is three the first car I come to got high centered on a island median for a right turn going onto the on ramp for the four lane highway I just came off. It was a smart car, no mind you there is already four inches on the ground no crews out at all clearing. I go over to the guy and ask if he is all right he is trying to get to the airport to pick up his wife. The airport is an hour from where we where at.

I could not believe how many people were out at gas stations getting beer and going home from parties in beetles, prius' and other rear wheel drive and small cars. All I know is that tow trucks had a great day that day.

Matt

At one time we had 3 busses stuck within 4 blocks of each other downtown, and my brother was stuck down one street when he tried to turn around with a 3/4 ton and trailer with a skid on it, had to bring the loader to pull him out...

[buckwheat_la]

Originally Posted by Banksy

I am a ******* because I didn't take any pictures, I was too busy trying to keep all my stuff from going to hell. I managed 4.5 hrs sleep over 60 hrs, and I totally didn't think to take pics

[Banksy]

I'm just busting your chops.

[buckwheat_la]

Originally Posted by Banksy

I'm just busting your chops.

Oh I know you are, I wish I could have taken pictures on the hill with a bunch of cars abandon on it.....it was pretty crazy.

[Chace]

What part of Alberta are you from? PM me if u ever need a hand could use some more work, Calgary here

[dfd9]

Figured you were busy, BC Handyman posted a couple pics when he was picking up a plow by you.

I hate first storms like that.

[buckwheat_la]

Sure Chace, I am from Lethbridge, but work for the Calgary area is always seems to find its way to me...


I will have to look up those pic dfd9,where about did he put them?

[forbidden]

I wonder why that is.... still have not heard on my contract closing yet.

[WIPensFan]

Originally Posted by buckwheat_la

So we had our first snow fall of the season this week, and boy oh boy was it crazy. Got about a foot of heavy snow monday night/tuesday morning. Called all the crew in at about 3 am to get started to find that our city has not plowed anything, absolutely NOTHING!!! dozens of stranded cars in the middle of major road ways. Half my guys had a hard time getting in at all, and I had to go pull 3 of my guys out of ditches, we don't get out of the shop until 5:30 am. We are already behind and the westside of our city is closed off to us because both ways up the hill are closed off. Through out the day we help busses stuck down town, pulled out so many different people it wasn't funny, I probably pulled out people from my own crew a couple of times each, and I ended up buying a crap load more snow blowers too.

i would have to say that in the last 13 years, this storm would be in my top 5 worst events, and definetly the worst "first" snowfall i have ever experienced. Anyone else have a first storm bad experience they wish to share

Damn Buckwheat, that is not good! Hope you made some $$$ at least. Prolly spent it on snow blowers though. I've done the thing where I have to go get guys, it's a bad start to a bad day! Good news is the next one will seem like a cake walk...hopefully.

[Brian Young]

Can honestly say I don't remember having a first storm that we weren't prepared for. Doesn't your city watch the weather channel, lol. Usually the weather guys say the sky is falling and 8 times out of 10 they're wrong, its the times they aren't calling for much and then we pounded.

[BC Handyman]

There is a few pics of the lethbridge snowstorm I got in the storm pics forum "its snowing in the east kootenays. I didnt get many pics of the worst of the storm cause like buckwheat said it was such a mess, I couldnt/didnt want to even walk around. The city did drop the ball on that storm, I knew it was coming, so did the city, they just failed to do anything about it. The pic with the bridge in background, that hill was impassable! I watched & tried to help dozens of people by pushing(didnt have my truck cause it was getting plow on) but in most cases it was a park it scenerio.
I feel for you Buckwheat! My hotels contractor even failed to show & walkways were a b@*#h to walk on so I volenteered to shovel, since it was unatural for snow to be falling & me not to be removing it. Even the highway out of town(#3) was a nightmare.

[cj7plowing]

A foot of snow crippled the city?? you live in canada you guys are born in a foot of snow!!!! Just imagine a day after christmas on a holiday weekend( '10) and getting 3ft of snow in 18 hours. we were crippled for a week!

curious to know why your trucks were getting stuck? an average plow truck with snow tires and wieght front and rear usaully hve good traction


kudos for helping out public transportation and people out. that is good karma .

[xtreem3d]

I would imagine if the streets weren't plowed you didn't really catch hell because no one could get anywhere anyway ?

[forbidden]

This storm sucked blue whale. We were on the northern end of it and still landed 8". Drove into it just west of Calgary on the way home from Vancouver Island, a nice 17 hour drive. Got home at 10pm and the roads were a mess, not one plow had been out. By 1am we were ready to go save for some sleep. 6am out the door and it stayed snowing until noon. Roads were all a packed down ice sheet by then. Got my routes cleared by 10pm that night, missed one subcontract job but sleep was more important.

I can only imagine that hill going through the river bottom on hwy 3, must have been a bloody nightmare.

[BC Handyman]

So I see on the news you guys are getting it again right now, well good luck & enjoy the early start!

[buckwheat_la]

Originally Posted by BC Handyman

So I see on the news you guys are getting it again right now, well good luck & enjoy the early start!

It stayed warm enough here that it didnt amount to anything, just lots of rain...


Forbidden, the hill was so damn dangerous it wasn't funny, I wouldnt let my guys drive it with the skid steer loaded, until it saw its first plow.

[forbidden]

At least you got rain to wash the snow away, we are still stuck in a deep freeze here. 2-4cm overnight again.