WHITE CHRISTMAS: SAT NOON UPDATE

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY 6PM FOR ACA.


(UPDATE @1:50P: Just got off the phone with Chris and from time to time there have been a number of cars breached sideways in the road, with some hitting trees,  etc., down approximate to his mail box.  He advises that no one be trying to negotiate our mountain until it gets plowed/salted, and even then it will be tricky.  I have no idea about particulars, but it is Christmas Day and plowers are few to begin with...have patience and just know that for the moment weather is shutting travel down for now.)

Working on 4" now and just got an update from GSP office on this storm....and they're concerned storm totals will be even higher for our area.  The last 18-hours before this storm hit, the NAM and GFS came into more agreement with more agressive amounts for ACA (8-10").  If the driving low of this storm continues to track farther west as it curls up the coast, it could put us in the 12"+ category for a storm total...nightmares of last year, eh?


Spoke with Chris Martin earlier, and he said the road is extremely dangerous...he saw several close calls with accidents, and only one vehicle crawling up.  At the moment I have canceled any effort of mine to make it down to pick up company, which as I write is still well east of Statesville.  It looks pretty obvious we'll all be hunkering down for a few days.


Here is a helpful link that you can snoop around on and find out general highway conditions in NC:
NC DOT LINK 
You can select a region, a particular highway, etc., and it color codes road conditions in real time, including working accidents, construction, etc.  The 3 traffic cams just east of ACA haven't been working for quite some time, though. You can pan, zoom, do just about anything with the gridded map.
  
Anyway, travel out of here in almost any direction looks to be a HUGE problem, with heavier snow toward the TN line and increased snow totals into the Upstate of SC, which is I-26 and I-85.  Horrible driving conditions that will only get worse here the next couple of days.  


Updating from an earlier post, I have had excellent opportunity to use my new 36" wide Manplow pusher shovel, and it is by far the best $90 I've spent in a looooong time.  Can't sing it's praises enough, and it has significantly speeded up keeping the driveway cleared...well, truth to be told, just two wide tire tracks as there is too much driveway to clear!


Updates as I get 'em.  Stay warm and safe, y'all.

Bob (and Molly and Mercy)