Boatnerd Discussion Forum

Here in the metro Detroit area we have had 68 + inches of snow this winter. We usually get about 46 inches. My wife gives me funny looks all the time as I'm spending more time with my snow blower than I am with her !

I must be starting to get used to the cold again. I went out this morning to start my wife's car to warm it up for her before she headed off to H&R Block for another day of preparing tax returns. Decided it was not too bad out there, and did not need a hat or ear warmers. Came back inside to check the temperatures. We are just about 2 miles due north of the Waukegan Airport. The NWS website for the airport was registering 9 Degree above. My polar bear must be kicking in.

Oh, and 2 to 4 more inches of snow tonight, all coming up from the Gulf. Good for Lake Michigan, the rest of us, not sure. Going through gas from my snow blower at a good rate.

I too am very tired of this winter and am ready for warmer weather and spring to come.I can't really say I'm tired of all the snow because I grew up along the banks of the Saginaw River and I am used to all of the snow, but the thing I am tired of is the prolonged period of bitter cold. I now live in the Indianapolis Indiana where I've lived for going on five year's now and just told my wife that I've never seen it this cold for such and extended period period of time. This Polar Vortex is something else. Just recently schools were closed for a few days not because of the snow but because of the temps. We have seen temps barley reaching the teens for maney days this winter with windchill readings regularly between-20 to -40. We have had one winter storm after another hitting us down here. All of the surrounding area's around us including Indianapolis have went threw there salt supplies and have had to get more deliverys of salt. One community just North of us couldn't wait for there next delivery of salt and sent it's own trucks up to St.Joseph Michigan to get salt. As of right now there are atleast two more major winter storms on the horizon to hit my area with one comeing in on this Tuesday and the other is comeing next weekend. As I told my wife the bright side is Spring Training for Major league baseball baseball begins down in Florida and Arizona in a couple weeks, a sure sign spring really isn't all to far off. I hope everyone is haveing a very safe winter.
Dan McNeil

Well if anyone didn't hear the news already as if you almost knew that is, Groundhog Phil didn't help out our winter situation today as he added "more fuel to the already enraging fire!" Instead of the usual 6 more weeks of winter or sometimes I say 6 months, with this year's winter the way it has been I am calling his usual prediction "6 more years of winter LOL!" Happy Groundhog Day!

To answer your question Timerover 51, I do not drive in the winter and therefore will not be getting out to check on things anytime soon with this type of winter and all this snow. I usually travel up along the St. Clair River anyway from Port Huron South all the way to Marine City and vice versa. Unless we get a major warm up or what they call "Global Warming in the next two months, I will not see the St. Clair River or any ships now until Spring!" There is just too many things that could go wrong with trying to drive up on the river right now and I can't afford to chance and risk things at this time. Thank Goodness for boatnerd and all the reporters and the contributors and photographers out there as I don't know where we would be without you all. 3 Long and 2 Short to you all!

Denny, how badly is the area between Lake Huron and Lake Erie iced up? Sounds like it is pretty solid.

You have your potholes filled by July? Surely you jest.

The Polar Express Part 3 is to hit the Detroit area and surrounding burbs overnight tonight and last for the next two days. They have issued a "Wind Chill Warning or Advisory for our area also for the next few days as well." The roads here in the Detroit area are also very bad and dangerous for driving on as well. Slightly off topic but, Detroit news stations are reporting that many communities are strapped for cash right now with all the salt on the roads and many summer projects may even be cancelled. Warning to drivers though may see potholes this year as late as July believe it or not!

Here in the Detroit area and surrounding suburbs we are supposed to be getting the same Arctic air that you all in the Chicago area are getting as well. We just got dumped with another 1-3 inches of snow last night and are supposed to be getting another round of 1-3 additional inches overnight tonight into Sunday followed by the Artic Chill next week as well. I have shoveled so much snow so far this winter, that my arms ache and are so sore that I think I may need "a double arm transplant if the snow doesn't stop very soon!" We are also well above our average snowfall for January at 29.2 inches last I saw and the record is 29.6 inches that was set back in the winter of 1978. It sure has been a crazy winter and I don't remember it being like this since I was a young kid and I used to build snow forts in the winter time. I keep telling people that I am no longer complaining about the summer and how hot it gets as I can't wait now until Spring and Summer if it gets here!

Tom Skilling of WGN is reporting on his weather blog that January is the third consecutive month of below normal temperatures, with this January shaping up as one of the coldest in Chicago history. Looks like we will be below Zero Fahrenheit from Sunday night until Wednesday. Lows to 18 below zero with the HIGH on Monday a minus 5 and on Tuesday a minus 4.

My greatest respect to the Coast Guardsmen manning the ice breakers, both US and Canadian. Thank you so much.

Looking at the Ice Coverage charts and thicknesses on here:http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/glcfs/.

Looks like the lakes are really getting frozen over.

It is going to be about the same here near Chicago. This is great for the lakes, especially as most of our snow around here has been moisture from the Gulf, but it is a bit hard on the land dwellers.

The cold weather is coming back- and it looks like it will be staying.highs in the teens with lows dropping into low singles and subzero temps. Expect this kind of weather for ~2 weeks in Detroit area. Further north will be worse.