On a day like today, how could you talk about anything but snow? After yesterday, I’m sure just about everyone has a story. I’m sure mine pales in comparison to those stuck on the interstate. But for what it is worth here it is. City snow updates at the end of the post.
I went to work at 9:00 yesterday and parked my car on Willy Street. One by one, my 5 meetings got canceled and I just stayed at work. After all, I was already there, people were still calling and walking in (yes, as late as 4:15 someone came in for a housing list), and I had someone there working on my database. Slowly, my car was getting buried deeper and deeper under the snow. This was my car around 2:00.
Around 5:30 I decided it was time to go home, or at least start. I had been plowed in on one side, the snowblower blew snow on top of my car on the other side and a car had been parked behind me and the snow had blown in behind my car. The snow was up to my knees in the best places and as deep as my mid-thigh in others. The snow was over the tires and I couldn’t open the door without moving some snow.
And of course, there was at least a foot of snow covering my entire car.
At that point, the smarter (and safer) thing to do would have been to just give up and walk home the 10 blocks to my house. But, ahem, I couldn’t do that cuz I was parked on the wrong side of the street for alternate side parking and this morning my car would have been towed because it was in the “commuter lane” on Williamson St. So, I had to move it.
Many strangers and some familiar faces stopped to ask me if I needed help. Being stubborn and not about to let some guy rescue me, I refused all the help. After all, I grew up a Wisconsin farm girl and no snow was going to defeat me. I got the shovel from the Social Justice Center and after I knocked all the snow off my car, proceeded to shovel (between dodging cars on Williamson St.) my way out. It only took me about 20 minutes to do a good enough job to free my car from the pile of snow.
So, I put the shovel away, locked the door to the Social Justice Center and got in my (running) car to see what was going to happen. After rocking my car back and forth a bit and after about 4 attempts I broke free. And proceeded down Willy Street. As I drove by, some of the pedestrians that offered help gave me a big wave and huge smile and thumbs up.
Now that my car was moving, I really, really didn’t want to stop. I knew I had a small shovel in my trunk just in case . . . or was it still in there? Anyways, I made it the 6 blocks down Williamson Street, managed not to stop at the corner of Willy and Blair by MG&E and made it to the stop lights at Blair and E. Washington Ave. I then had had to turn left and go one block up the hill where the Madison Metro bus (or buses) had been stuck. I was one block from my house but due to the one way streets, I am forced to go the long way around.
Unfortunately, at this point some car had gotten stuck and I was forced to stop and subsequently got stuck myself. After about 3 cycles of the stoplights, the two cars in front of me had made it through the lights and I was next! I rocked my car back and forth in anticipation of the light turning green and when my turn came I was able to get my car to move forward and navigate my way through the large intersection and across three lanes of traffic so I could immediately turn right on N Franklin.
With a block and a half left to go, I was in the clear. One block down N Franklin, no need to stop at the stop sign, turn the corner and voila! drive in the driveway which my boyfriend had cleared! (His car was parked on the street on the correct side and he left the driveway for me!) Thank goodness I didn’t have to circle the blocks looking for a place to shovel a parking space for myself cuz I don’t think I could have made it up the hill on E Mifflin St. to get my car into the parking ramp.
Rob had stayed home yesterday as his place of employment ended up closing so he spent over an hour shoveling our 33 feet of sidewalk and the driveway yesterday. I’m so glad I didn’t have to do that as well!
I wonder how many people moved their cars last night and where they moved them to? And I wonder if we got our streets plowed even if people did move their cars? I wonder how long it will take me to get to work this morning? Should I walk or drive? Will I need my car? Will my meetings be canceled? Will my employees show up? Ah, I just love Wisconsin! We’re about 2 inches away from breaking the record of the biggest snowfall for Madison. What an honor. Can we be done now? I have snow fatigue.
Here’s the snow update from the Streets Department
13.3″ of snow. 2nd highest single storm event total ever in Madison. (Highest was 17.1″ on Dec. 3, 1990)
In 1990, it took us 3 days to completely get the City plowed and 11 days before the cleanup was complete.
We are at 75.1′ for the year which is only 1″ below the all time record of 76.1″ set in the winter of 1978-79.
More snow predicted for Sat. and Sun.
Does anyone see a pattern for this winter?
Trying to move 13.3″ of snow takes a lot of extra time. Our crews have to take extra cuts to get the snow back as far as possible. There were a lot of vehicles stranded on streets during the evening and overnight hours. We have had a great deal of difficulty plowing many streets because of these stranded cars. Our vehicles were getting stuck as well trying to push the snow off the roads. There is a lot of work to be done yet with regards to cleaning up the corners and the intersections but for the most part I am very pleased with the snow plowing effort. About 12 hours after a storm of this magnitude ended, the majority of our streets have had plows on them and traffic is able to get around.
We will be continuing with the cleanup today and tonight. We will be applying salt on the salt routes this morning. All available crews will again be assigned to the snow cleanup. We will be suspending Large Item collecton today and maybe further. Refuse and Recycling collection will take place as scheduled. There is still a lot of work to be done.
Snow removal will begin tonight as well as the alternate side plowing during the second night of the snow emergency.
