Voyager

I don't know. I either need a different job, or a different weather forum (probably both) but this is really getting hard to take anymore. And I just need to vent.

And it's not the cold as much as the duration of it. If we'd get a break every couple weeks, I could tolerate it, but as it is, I dread going to a job I generally and genuinely love, because it's so difficult (and hazardous) with the ice buildup, not to mention frozen equipment.

I know that every winter we get one or a couple of true arctic air masses, but it's been relentless this year. Usually at some point we moderate, but not this winter. Normal to slightly below is ok, but this stuff is harsh.

With that, I'm sorry to pee in everyone's Cheerios, but my mental state is precarious right now. I should have stayed in AZ after my mom passed, and let the chips fall where they would as far as the survival of my marriage.

1 hour ago, Itstrainingtime said:

MU ain't playing around with the wind threat:

NW winds of 20-40 mph with gusts up to 60 mph will buffet the region on Sat. In addition, temps will plunge into the teens Sat morning with wind chills as low as -15°F throughout the day and -20 to -25°F at night. Exposed skin could develop frostbite in just 10-15 minutes. Roadways may be littered with debris from the high winds, as well. Uninsulated/unprotected pipes may freeze or burst, and widespread power outages are also likely. Stock up on extra water, food, blankets, coats, flashlights and other supplies late this week. Make sure you have a backup generator too. In the event of a power outage, the internal temp of your house may drop to unsafe levels in just 12-24 hours. Finally, fill your vehicle's gas tank to prevent fuel lines from freezing.

Good Lord. This is NOT going to be a fun weekend.

30 minutes ago, canderson said:

This morning models have them lower but a good chuck of the Laurels and mountains north will have strong winds to 60 I’d guess. I think MdT sees multiple 50+ gusts overnight Friday thigh midday Saturday   

You'll see 75+

41 minutes ago, PhiEaglesfan712 said:

Thing is we have had several below average months in a row. At some point, it's got to regress to the mean. If I were betting on this, seasonal mid-February, warm March, and torch April is the way to go. Just look at 2015. The bottom fell out of the thermometer in February, March was below average (mostly due to the first week), but things turned warmer in April, and May was near record warm.

From your keyboard to God's ears...

This winter has completely stolen my soul. I don't mind the cold snaps if we can moderate periodically in between, but this year the cold has been relentless.

Some love it. I don't.

5 minutes ago, mahantango#1 said:

-7 this morning.

Wow! Only +4 here.

7 hours ago, Birds~69 said:

Cecily going kinda warm middle of the month (Valentines day). She's ruining everyone's mojo... 

32F/Sunny

Not mine...

2 minutes ago, canderson said:

I a gully looked and it was garbage. But maybe just a bad timing after the concrete storm 

A regular flat garden shovel works well, but it sounds like you want a bigger scoop. Those, however, are usually aluminum. You want steel if you're going to get into chopping and digging ice.

I had a nice "mild" overnight, but it seems like instead of the rapid after sunrise warm up that I get many mornings, we're going to slow roll to our high for today. 

55 minutes ago, Jns2183 said:

This doesn't even feel like jacket weather. Yesterday afternoon wearing anything but a heavy sweatshirt felt like overkill

Sent from my SM-S731U using Tapatalk
 

Shows how cold it's been when 20's and 30's actually feel warm...lol

22 this morning here. I can handle winter morning temps in this range. Single digits to near zero, not so much.

Just looked at my forecast. Another solid week of single digit lows. Enough...

This kind of cold is just too much for me. 

3 hours ago, pawatch said:

When I went to bed it was 10 degrees. When I got up this morning it was 17 degrees.

High of 30 yesterday, but it was pretty windy.

Voyager you need a factory job. Where your in the warm.

You're right, I do. But at 58 years old, and no skills other than landscaping and truck driving, I'm not sure anyone would hire me. 

4 minutes ago, mahantango#1 said:

Another cold night, already down to 7 here.

12 in Tamaqua, but 7 at work when I was handing the truck over to my night shift partner.

59 minutes ago, mahantango#1 said:

High today was 35.2 

30.9 here.

So this is my work environment. Unfortunately, ice that thick isn't going anywhere anytime soon...

9 hours ago, MAG5035 said:

This winter has been tracking similarly to the last real consistently cold winters that we had back in 13/14 and 14/15, especially the latter. Main drivers then were heavily Pac influenced with a strong and persistently negative EPO and WPO much like we’ve had most of this winter so far other than when we warmed up for a couple weeks in early January. That alignment directs a continental source of cold air from Canada with no Pacific modification. The 13-15 winters achieved that without much help from any -NAO/AO, something we actually have had a good bit of this winter, and currently. The result has been a lot of cold in the east, and a historicially bad winter snow-wise in some parts of the west to date. 

So with that said, I’ll offer at least a little bit of hope. Starting to eye the following week after this week for some kind of period of modification after we probably get whacked with a couple days of arctic air comparable to what we just had next weekend. Looking at teleconnection forecasts right now, there’s a pretty sizeable shift progged to occur in the Pac realm occurring around the timeframe of that clipper and ensuing arctic shot. EPO and WPO both reverse to positive, and the monster +PNA we have reverses to negative. That combo will almost certainly inject Pacific modified air into the CONUS to some degree. How much negative NAO holds will probably have a hand in how that works into our part of the country. Nothing really reverses the -NAO/AO but some ensembles neutralize a bit more than others. So there could be some resistance here, especially with a solid snowpack in the Northeast. Resistance could in fact end up breeding more snow/mix events in our neck of the woods. But I’m currently thinking we’re looking at a milder pattern overall during that timeframe either way. And you can see the op runs of the GFS/Euro in the longer range sort of reflecting that shift. 

This week prior to the clipper won’t be all that bad temp-wise either, at least during the day. We will continue to have very cold nighttime lows with a deep snowpack and mostly fair weather (other than maybe Wed for some). 

Thanks MAG.

I know most on this forum love cold and snow, so in reality, I don't belong here, but some of the most knowledgeable mets and hobbiests reside here, and I need good information and analysis. That being said, I have about as bad of a job as one could have when it's crazy cold.

That's why I need some warmer breaks periodically. The ice alone at the springs gets insufferable at times. The water mixes with the snow and creates an unavoidable 2-3 inch ice sheet that we have to try to walk and work on. 

It starts to get tiring and overwhelming over time.

2 hours ago, mahantango#1 said:

There's a scraper on Front street in the burg. The one by the UPMC hospital. Trouble is most trucks are too big height wise to fit under it.

Lol...

I did actually fit under it when I was driving the buses. 

52 minutes ago, TimB said:

You’ve been talking about divorcing your wife for years now. Just do it already.

In reality, I don't want to divorce my wife. If I did, I would have stayed in AZ after my mom passed away. The only reason it comes up is because it's the only way to move from PA. 

I mentioned the other day how if the place I was working at when I was caring for my mom wouldn't have closed, I'd have had a hard time leaving it as it was one of the best I'd ever had.

Her response? Well then, we'd be divorced right now. 

So you see, it's actually her refusal to move that brings it into the discussion.

Bumping this thread to keep the weather side clean, but how do I keep my sanity without just leaving my wife, quitting my job, getting a divorce, and moving to a warm climate?

Moving is what I need, because I'm very close to just flat out losing it. I simply cannot tolerate this level of cold for this long of a duration. And each winter my tolerance becomes less and less.

I am also growing increasingly bitter, and resentment is growing at her flat out refusal to even consider moving and giving me the one thing that would help save my sanity.

12 hours ago, psv88 said:

I’ll be in Florida 2/15 to 2/25. I’m sure we’ll get crushed then 

In my world, it seems that wherever I am, there too, shall the cold be. You want my to accompany you in Florida?

Recorded two of my higher gusts ever overnight. 18.6 mph last night, and 19.1 mph so far this morning.

Getting a bit breezy here in Tamaqua. Effects from the southern storm?

11 minutes ago, canderson said:

Don’t all truck stops have scrappers? If not, shame on them. I wish PA cops ticketed cars with roof snow, on trucks it is more of a safety issue. 

No. Some shippers do, but no truck stops that I know of have one. Instead of making laws for truckers to clean the roof, the law should have required scrapers in all truck stops, weigh stations, rest areas, and shippers and receivers.

Placing the responsibility of snow removal on car drivers is reasonable. For truckers it is not, because unless you can drive under a scraper, there isn't a safe way for a driver to remove the snow.

1 hour ago, canderson said:

It’s cool NYC has snow melting hot tub contraptions. I want one. 

It’s not cool the number of truckers that haven’t scraped the top of their trailers. The amount of ice chunks falling is scary.  

I want someone to tell me how I (or any of my fellow drivers) am/are supposed to safely climb up on a 13 ft high trailer, with no safety equipment, and clean it off. A trailer roof is made of either aluminum or fiberglass. Do you know how slippery they are with snow on them. Just try to stand on a snowy car hood or roof and see if you don't slide around.

Some warehouses have roof scrapers, but most do not. I've not yet seen a truck stop with one. Are we to grab a ladder (from God knows where) and climb up there with a shovel? Unrestrained? If a driver slips and falls, where do you think he's going end up?

34 minutes ago, Rd9108 said:

When's the last time the Northeast had a winter like this where DJF were all below average with a constant snow pack for weeks??

Average winter cold is fine. These repeated arctic blasts, however, are destroying me. I'm so stressed out that I've been frequently getting tightness and chest pains. It's beginning to affect my health. To those who might say that I should have stayed in AZ, or that I need to move, you are correct, I do....except said scenarios WOULD HAVE and WILL lead to divorce, because my stubborn wife will not leave PA.