Blazers... Snow... Portland...AARRGGHHH!

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We had flood warnings last night - I think same storm system but warmer. I am out of flood zone but garden is saturated.
 
We had flood warnings last night - I think same storm system but warmer. I am out of flood zone but garden is saturated.

There is a ton of snow at higher elevations. Plus tons of snow has been piling up for weeks in the lower elevations east of the mountains. All the way up both the Columbia and Snake River systems.

If we get a warm spell that includes rain, I’m building an ark.

This picture was taken at my cave in Idaho a couple of days after Christmas. And it has been too cold to melt any of it. It has snowed more since then. I figure about 3’ of snow is piled up there. With a lot more than 3’ a short drive up the road at higher elevations.

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shit man, it was like 10 below zero a few days ago here, and is gonna be like 50 degrees tomorrow. Chernobyl warming.
 
There is a ton of snow at higher elevations. Plus tons of snow has been piling up for weeks in the lower elevations east of the mountains. All the way up both the Columbia and Snake River systems.

If we get a warm spell that includes rain, I’m building an ark.

This picture was taken at my cave in Idaho a couple of days after Christmas. And it has been too cold to melt any of it. It has snowed more since then. I figure about 3’ of snow is piled up there. With a lot more than 3’ a short drive up the road at higher elevations.

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Normally I'd just point out that size doesn't matter, but that is pretty impressive.
 
well yeah, even when they are prepared, theres just not a lot of places to put 12" of snow in major cities. but as far as commuting i can speak on boston, they can get a foot in the morning and by the drive home the highway will be pretty much cleaned up. most of the major roads as well. i think they dump a bunch the snow in the river and harbor.

They salt like a mo fo.
They rarely use asphalt. Most east coast roads and highways are concrete so they can salt.
I lived in upstate NY and it would dump 3' in 36 hours, but the next day the roads were not only clear, but DRY. (there it never thaws and freezes, thaws and freezes to create our type of ice) the salt just eats that powder up.
NY has the second largest DOT next to CALI, and they do not F around in NY.
 
well yeah, even when they are prepared, theres just not a lot of places to put 12" of snow in major cities. but as far as commuting i can speak on boston, they can get a foot in the morning and by the drive home the highway will be pretty much cleaned up. most of the major roads as well. i think they dump a bunch the snow in the river and harbor.
In CHI, I was driving last year on lakeshore drive in the winter and was startled by 30' snow piles all in a line up by the beach. Crazy sight. And that stuff doesn't thaw/melt til mid March usually.
 
yeah, in places where it stays freezing all year the snow is fucking gross, all brown and nasty as shit
 
They salt like a mo fo.
They rarely use asphalt. Most east coast roads and highways are concrete so they can salt.
I lived in upstate NY and it would dump 3' in 36 hours, but the next day the roads were not only clear, but DRY. (there it never thaws and freezes, thaws and freezes to create our type of ice) the salt just eats that powder up.
NY has the second largest DOT next to CALI, and they do not F around in NY.

How does asphalt play a role in whether or not you can use salt (or should)?
 
How does asphalt play a role in whether or not you can use salt (or should)?

not related, its early and I mixed my thoughts up. lol. highways are concrete so they can plow more.
Asphalt tears up really quick with plows. Concrete holds up much better so plowing day and night is not an issue.
 
not related, its early and I mixed my thoughts up. lol. highways are concrete so they can plow more.
Asphalt tears up really quick with plows. Concrete holds up much better so plowing day and night is not an issue.
It's really more of a freeze/thaw issue (not due to snow plows). Water gets into asphalt pores. When it freezes (expands) and thaws (contracts), you start having potholes and the asphalt starts to fall apart.
Concrete is more expensive, but can hold up to the weather better. Water doesn't really penetrate the concrete surface - mitigating the freeze/thaw cycles.
 
It's really more of a freeze/thaw issue (not due to snow plows). Water gets into asphalt pores. When it freezes (expands) and thaws (contracts), you start having potholes and the asphalt starts to fall apart.
Concrete is more expensive, but can hold up to the weather better. Water doesn't really penetrate the concrete surface - mitigating the freeze/thaw cycles.

So spend a little more when making the road or an endless amount of money repairing it in the long run. Love the short term thinking..... :banghead2:
 
It's really more of a freeze/thaw issue (not due to snow plows). Water gets into asphalt pores. When it freezes (expands) and thaws (contracts), you start having potholes and the asphalt starts to fall apart.
Concrete is more expensive, but can hold up to the weather better. Water doesn't really penetrate the concrete surface - mitigating the freeze/thaw cycles.

1005 correct. i just didnt elaborate enough. The frozen water cracks up the asphault and thus the plows rip it to hell.

So spend a little more when making the road or an endless amount of money repairing it in the long run. Love the short term thinking..... :banghead2:

All relative to geography, and DOT preference based on what commuters would want.
Meaning our weather pattern here is much different than on the east coast. Geographical areas where water is more rampant causing such things as sinkholes and mudslides happen, asphalt seems to be the preference because it is much more patch able and easier to work with.
Then you have the uppity West coast, all clean and pristine and not used to rust and grit like the old timers back east.
We don't want salt corroding our cars and bus stops and everything else. Plus, concrete is ALOT noisier than asphalt, costs alot more and is much more difficult to repair/replace.

Basically there are upsides and downsides to both, but the main reasons each are used where they are is because of two things. How each responds to the wear of the region and how much the citizens desire comfort over expediency.
 
not related, its early and I mixed my thoughts up. lol. highways are concrete so they can plow more.
Asphalt tears up really quick with plows. Concrete holds up much better so plowing day and night is not an issue.

Gotcha. I knew that asphalt doesn't like plows, I just didn't know if salt created a corrosive issue with it too.
 
I agree more roads should be done with concrete (unless someone has invented a higher quality asphalt).

Also, since we're talking about preventative measures, power lines should be buried. They should be trying to do that whenever they dig up the roads.
 
I agree more roads should be done with concrete (unless someone has invented a higher quality asphalt).

Also, since we're talking about preventative measures, power lines should be buried. They should be trying to do that whenever they dig up the roads.

Working with Comcast and doing all types of installs from residential to mainline, the worst by far is backyard aerial easement. Trees grow through the lines and the squirrels chew everything up. Much of the outer east side is all like this and its a pain in the ass to replace, repair, or turn on and off.
Ground has its flaws too. Conduits often become filled with water and cause corrosion. Earth movement(quakes are not the only time the earth moves) can snap conduits and possibly the lines in them and it is much more costly to replace. Much messier and takes longer.
Buried is the way to go overall, because of the aesthetics factor and we are on the West coast. :)
 
The liquid salt solution is known as “panther piss” in Idaho. Panther piss is only used on hills and dangerous curves in my area. They try to limit its use because of the corrosive/rust damage it causes to vehicles.

The best plan is to start removing the snow as soon as it starts to fall. Never let it become packed ice, which is very difficult to remove. That is what they do in my area, and much of E. WA. The result is clean dry pavement not long after it stops snowing.

However, having driven in E. OR which gets plenty of snow, they do not appear to know what a snow plow is. They generally wait until it stops snowing to plow, if they plow at all. By then, the job is much more difficult, and often leaves a sheet of black ice. I find the roads to be much more dangerous in E. OR, than in E. WA. & Idaho.
 
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ahhhaa, didn't know that. I still find it crazy how unprepared Portland is for this type of weather.

We weren't prepared because the weathermen under-estimated and got surprise readings about this. And it hasn't happened since '08...
 
However, having driven in E. OR which gets plenty of snow, they do not appear to know what a snow plow is. They generally wait until it stops snowing to plow, if they plow at all. By then, the job is much more difficult, and often leaves a sheet of black ice. I find the roads to be much more dangerous in E. OR, than in E. WA. & Idaho.

apparently the rule here is there needs to be 4" of new accumulation before they will send the plows out.
 

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