It is truly amazing how news agencies and the Weather Channel hype up a 6" snowfall in southern New England and the NYC metro area. Not much on TV tonight, so I watched some TWC and they have "live team coverage" of closed-down airports, highway headaches, etc etc "way down south" in CT, RI, MA, and the NYC area. Now I lived down there until 2005 when I got fed up with the traffic,people,the drive to get to the mtns taking 2-4hours,etc and moved to VT. I'm not a ski bum - I work and go riding on the weekends. But when they hype up a storm so much when it dumps a whopping 6", closes airports, and mass panic, its amazing. After all, a 6" snowfall in VT is looked upon in the same atmosphere as a day of rain. Yes, it slows down traffic, and the plows/sanders come out, but it doesn't throw in the "mass chaos" that down south has. Heck, a 1-2 foot snowfall here doesn't even get a mention on TWC, unless Jim Cantore is on and talking about the NE Kingdom, Lyndon, and WR Jct.

So while I may not be a "native" Vermonter, I no longer consider myself a flatlander (though some will disagree). I work. I currently rent and am trying to work towards buying my first house. I support the local economy. And I have fun on the weekends at my favorite mountain (the Bush, of course). No 6" snowstorm will get me down. Though what really bugs me is the "natives" who hate winter, yet continue to bear with it and count down the days to mud season. Personally, when the mountain closes, my countdown to the next season begins. My co-workers hate winter as they have no wintertime activity/sport to engage in. Perhaps if they liked the mtns as much as we all do, they wouldn't mind the winter. Driving on frozen dirt roads is better for me than driving on 2' deep mud ruts on the same roads come April. As long as the work truck doesn't go off the road, I'm happy.

And now with heat working in my personal rig once again for the first time in 3 weeks, let us continue to have another 2 1/2 (or so) months of winter left.

I completely agree with you that every little storm down here is hyped to death (I'm near Boston). It gets pretty ridiculous. However, you have to realize that the volume on the roads is much higher down here. Therefore, a little snow to slow down traffic causes mass mayhem. On the other hand, traffic in VT is defined by cows hanging out in the middle of the road. 89 hardly has any volume so slowing down does not have nearly the same effect.
I'm right there with you about the people that bitch about winter. If you don't like winter then move to Florida. It snows in New England - embrace it and quit complaining. The worst is the weathermen that say how awesome it is when it's 50 in the dead of winter - it makes me want to throw stuff at my TV.

[/end rant]

VT is not immune to traffic backups or delays. In fact during the snow yesterday afternoon coming home from Williston on 89, there were several accidents in both directions between there and Richmond, including tractor trailers off the roads, collisions, etc. The volume of traffic however 99% of the time doesn't compare to down south (thank god) and I laugh when my collegues say that traffic is getting bad, because there are 10 cars on 89 on the way to work.

On a different note, I just got home from Mt Ellen with another bluebird day, some great snow, and hardly anyone there (for a holiday weekend). I can't imagine the crowds at L/P. Still it doesn't compare to how a resort like Mt Snow, Kmart, or Okemo must be doing this wknd, being them easy resorts for day-trippers from yesterday's storm.

shadyjay wrote:

VT is not immune to traffic backups or delays. In fact during the snow yesterday afternoon coming home from Williston on 89, there were several accidents in both directions between there and Richmond, including tractor trailers off the roads, collisions, etc.

So then imagine those accidents on 93 in MA and you can see why the roads are a mess when we get 6" of snow. As for Logan, there is no way to compare that to Burlington, which has maybe 1/50 of the planes flying out. And I would probably rather have a delay than try to land on a snowy runway.

skibum1321 wrote:

shadyjay wrote: VT is not immune to traffic backups or delays. In fact during the snow yesterday afternoon coming home from Williston on 89, there were several accidents in both directions between there and Richmond, including tractor trailers off the roads, collisions, etc. So then imagine those accidents on 93 in MA and you can see why the roads are a mess when we get 6" of snow. As for Logan, there is no way to compare that to Burlington, which has maybe 1/50 of the planes flying out. And I would probably rather have a delay than try to land on a snowy runway.

They should try throwing some Blizzaks on the on the landing gear.