Warm Temps and First Snow

December 1, 2020 was odd in that it was 60* at 3:30 in the morning. Although it did not get warmer thru the day, the temp stayed in the high 50's.

Later that morning, the news said we were the warmest place - I know it was snowing in NC and TN during that time.

However, by the next day, we were back in the 30's and 40's. Yesterday (12/5/20), we got our first measurable snow. It was a very wet, heavy snow. My place got about 4" before it started to rain (fun fact, it was snowing whilte the temps were 34-36*, then started raining when the temp lowered). The road plow went by right around when it changed to rain, so I went out to snow blow. The stuff was so heavy that I ended up dong most of the driveway berm and at the mailbox with a shovel.

Pic taken after it had been raining for an hour so a lot of the snow had dropped off and the stuff on the ground had compacted

It is amazing the amount of traffic my driveway gets that is not mine. For some reason it is a great place to turn around if you find yourself going down the wrong road after turning off 149. One would think they could take that cross road that is RIGHT FREAKING THERE not 10-15' further, and then take that next street to end up back at 149. But, no, that would be too easy for, in this case, a huge flatbed truck hauling a full size truck frame and cab (no bed) that had to do a 5 point turn.

Note that part of that turn went off the driveway. Although the driveway looks large in this picture, I assure you the paved part is just wide enough for the Explorer - so the two lane roads are more than twice as wide as my driveway.

After snapping that 1st picture - the truck drove by again, with the truck still on the bed. Then he sat at the stop sign and offloaded the truck frame (I watched it drive off). And I don't know how the driver got all confused, but he turned onto 149, then somehow came back down my street AGAIN! This time he did take that road and turned right at the next block down.

Oh, and earlier that morning, before it even started with any sort of precipitation, I noticed red flashing lights when I went into the living room from my office.

The vehicle closest to the house is a Heavy Rescue squad, and the one head-on, at the side road is a smaller rescue vehicle. I don't know what towns, but if I had to guess the smaller vehicle was from Deering and they were handing off to the Hillsborough Rescue.

There were two vehicles parked behind the Rescue Squad (no, there wasn't a wreck there). I could hear the people talking to the rescue/ambulance so I think they were giving background. The smaller vehicle left first, then the larger, then the two cars.

Comments

[Cop Car]

They use your driveway for turn-arounds because you are religious about clearing it of snow? That's my guess. You had quite a bit of excitement for such a small street.

Temperature inversions do funny things - such as your receiving rain when the outside ambient temperature was below freezing.

[bogie]

The street was as clear as my driveway and has much more room (two 90* turns as to a literal 5-point turn would be much easier) - and that would not explain why it happens on a regular basis in the spring, summer and fall. Seriously, at least once a week I catch someone using it as a turn around and they will do it as I am getting mail or watering the front gardens. And I was seeing this even before I was working from home.

If there wasn't a road RIGHT THERE that will do the same job, it wouldn't irk me so much.

[Cop Car]

I failed to get that you were unhappy about the turn-around use. It's funny what bothers each of us. It sometimes bothers us that our long, straight stretch of (country) curbing is used as a parking lot by commercial vehicles and visitors to neighbors. That our wide, long, straight stretch of driveway seems inviting to those who need to turn around doesn't get so much attention from us since they are soon away.

Sending you a 2"D steel tubing constructed, hand-clapping motion, radio-controlled gate to put across the exit end of your drive - NOT. (The thought is what counts?)