Yup! This one's headed our way. Anybody get a name for it yet? Just checked the 'Severe Weather Alert' posted on Yahoo! weather and they're saying to expect 6-12 inches of heavy, wet snow accompanied by strong 40-60 mph winds. With leaves still on the trees, they're saying power outages aren't just possible, they're nearly certain to happen. We've had so much rain this year, the ground is already saturated so there will be lots of downed trees as well. This could be a very messy one.

I'm glad my wood hoops down in the cellar are full, I've got 5 buckets filled with dry kindling ready to go and tomorrow morning I'll scoop all the old ashes out of the woodstove and build a fire. Might as well have one going when the power goes out instead of trying to build one in the dark. Flashlights & torches all have new batteries thanks to TS Irene. Car is backed inside the garage and the truck will go in tomorrow. I just got it back from the garage (replaced muffler + tailpipe + brake caliper...yikes!) so I drove it up to MA and put gas in the tank. Since $40 didn't fill it, I'm guessing it was pretty close to empty!

I'm not even tempted to start WS with the solstice over two months off. I might haul a bale of Fafard growers mix indoors, poke a few holes in jug bottoms, print a few plant marker labels. I snapped off a lot of Persicaria flower stems today and put them on a paper platter inside the garage to dry. Other than a few gaillardia/blanket flowers and the butterfly bushes, most all the seeds have been harvested for the year.

Guess I should put the snow shovel within reach outside the door & hope the wind doesn't blow it away... Brad, you and your mom stay warm! Let us know you're both okay when the storm blows through, okay?

Wow gardenweed! You've been busy too! Mom, dad and I will probably be shoveling tomorrow too. We'll be okay! I think I'll write out some labels too this weekend. I love snow but I'm not ready for all this at once. Guess it's hot chocolate for me this weekend lol.

I have all my seeds inside brown paper bags. They should dry fine there, shouldn't they?

Brad AKA Moonwolf

Brown paper bags are fine - leave the tops open for a bit of increased air circulation.

I've got to go check the weather forcast! Been really busy the last 2 days at work and hadn't turned anything (TV,radio) on to hear about this. I love snow but it seems so early!

Nancy

We got our first one already but only a few inches. The mountain towns got dumped on, naturally. Anyway, it will all melt by the weekend where we will be back near 60 degrees.
Hope you all don't get socked too hard! Stay warm and dry!

We are very fortunate up north that we only our first hard freeze just last night. It has been unusually warm here, and got cold suddenly just over the last few days. I planted out my last containers earlier this week, and have one left to do. Then I'll get around to putting my bulbs in and collecting a few sets of seeds that are still out there. I also have to bring in my over-winters, which I have substantially reduced this year. Still lots to do, but isn't that always the case? Stay warm!!

Hope all of you stay safe and warm up that way. We just been having rain, rather warm temps, but cooler this am 34 here at my place. I am located right between Monteagle Mtn and the Cumberland plateau, so when it does snow around here I always get it. We had 7 snows last yr but nothing over 8 inches which I know is nothing like you guys have up north. Praying you all safe and warm.
Tom

Ugh. Someone just shoot me now and put me out of my misery. ;)

I still have flashbacks about LAST winter. :(

February 2010 -

Deck, bird feeders, and compost bin somewhere back behind the trees, buried in snow.
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Winter sowing containers are buried under there somewhere.
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Good luck to all the Northerners! I was raised up there and only miss it occasionally.

Yes, I am glad to be living down here now watching the northern news, but am keeping my family and friends there in prayer. I agree that it's too early to start wintersowing there; you'll likely get a warm snap before solstice.

Goodness, I hope you all North of me stay safe and dry and warm. We're getting nothing but rain for now, but I hear there's some snow/rain mix expected tonight. Son, about 3 hours Northwest of us, is getting hammered now, and expects to get about a foot before it's all done this evening. He's a fruitcake though and loves this stuff, is probably out playing in it bare-foot as we speak. *shakes head in wonder*.

It's been snowing in York PA since I drove home from work, about 7 AM. Ugh. I tried to enjoy it, soaking in the hot tub, but it was just so sad. We hadn't even had a frost yet. My cannas and dahlias were still blooming...
{{gwi:442918}}From Around The Garden 2011

{{gwi:442919}}From Around The Garden 2011

And we had so much rain in August and September, one of my irises was going to rebloom...
{{gwi:442920}}From Around The Garden 2011

It's too early for this crap.

NOAA forecast is calling for 4"-8" with strong winds. I've got a fire started in the woodstove + both wood hoops & the wheelbarrow are full. Five buckets full of dry kindling are also ready to go. Snow shovel is inside near the back door. Car & truck both backed inside the garage. After last winter, I'm very familiar with the drill!

My front lawn January 2011 before the other 5 ft. of snow fell:
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We had rain at 5:30am. At 12 noon today.

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Don

It's actually STICKING here in the city! To the rooftops, at least.

The snow is falling at a pretty good clip, but hopefully it will all go away in the warmer temps tomorrow. I know it may not be quite so simple in some other areas, and I do feel for you.

Meanwhile, I've got a pot of sausage and kale soup going, the coffee's brewing and I've got about 4 more inches to finish a scarf I'm making for my brother. So I guess it's all good.

Did I mention that it is c-o-l-d!?

Be warm and safe, everyone.

PV

Well, this was certainly a surprise!

8 or more inches on the grass, although luckily only about 3 inches of slush on the roads.

Makes me wonder what will happen when winter officially gets here, LOL.

I heard 3 million are without power. Must be awful in the cold.

Karen

I cannot remember it snowing like this before Halloween, and I thought perhaps this had happened when I was a child, but Hubs, whose is two years older and remembers his youth far better than I remember mine, said that it never snowed like this before Halloween, even when we were young. The sun is strong, not a cloud in the sky and except for shady spots on the lawn and paths, the snow is mostly melted away. I had wanted to mow the lawn this weekend, do some yard cleanup too, but it will have to wait for next week when the weather could have temps in the sixties--this will be far better weather for putting away the patio tables and the canopy. My new bulbs are already in the ground except for the few that are already being digested in squirrel stomachs or stashed in their nests, sigh, they knew to be busy and gather their loot before the snow cam--I should have been watching them and realized that their furious pace meant something important was going to happen soon. Oh well, I took advantage of the snowy chilly day and made soup, packed seeds in front of the TV and watched several cheesy horror movies.

The snow itself wasn't so bad, but there are tons of branches down because of the weight of the snow on the trees that were still fully leafed out. The trees that have lost all or most of their leaves have fared well.

I have lost some huge branches on a big Silver maple, pin oak, and chinese elm. Fortunately, they fell mostly in the yard or on top of gardens and shrubbery, so there is no damage to any structures, wires, or cars. My neighbor's Silver maples also lost branches, and their cable wire got snapped, so their cable is out. No damage to their house or cars either, although they said a branch missed their son's car by inches.

We haven't lost power except for flicker, and the driveway will melt by tomorrow, so overall breathing a sigh of relief about this storm.

So glad to see the posts because I was just thinking of ya'll. Please keep us posted. Sending positive thoughts to all. Best, River

All is well here in SE MA. a 2 inch coating of sloppy wet snow that is melting as fast as it came. I only wonder how my plants that were not dormant at all will react to the cold shower they got.

I been wondering about gardenweed..She is in ct, and I hear that state got hit the hardest..notice she hasnt posted nor answered her email. Her power is probably out but I know she does have wood heat also
hope everyone is safe and can stay warm
Tom

Oh yeah, her power is probably out. There are so many towns around here without power, and branches and wires down, that school has been cancelled in most towns.

Imagine that - a snow day for school in October!!

I'm so glad to hear that y'all so far are safe. Saying prayers for Gardenweed, that she stay safe and warm... and is enjoying s'mores over her wood stove. :)

speediebean, I bet shes either getting more jugs ready or is sorting seed!

I am like Brad, I was tempted to WS my Columbines and Larkspur seeds. My lily bulbs are sitting on top of ground, I recently pulled them up to separate the bublets.

I hope all is well with everyone. It's too early for this!

Tomerrol, that sounds better than s'mores any day! Got 2/3 of my jugs prepped last weekend, will finish them up today, but won't start sowing yet, far too early for my zone.

Ladyrose65, I've got some Columbine seeds as well, plan to sow a few and share the rest... which reminds me, I've got sorting to do as well today so I can get in on the seed swap here! :)

Has anyone heard from gardenweed after the nor'easter? Do you think that she's still making s'mores, sorting seed & filling jugs by the the light of her wood stove? Hope that you are ok, gardenweed!

BTW link below mentions Westport, which is south CT on the coast & gardenweed is in the north almost to the MA line. A few customers still without power.

Here is a link that might be useful: 11/4/11: 266 CT customers still without power

hmmmm. I'm in Massachusetts and the local AM (WBZ) radio station today said that there were still 300,000 people without power in CT. Bit more than 266. This was a nasty storm.
Linda