It looks like a good day to just give up


Snow is coming down somewhat heavily right now, and the temperature is -10°C. It’s supposed to let up soon, but tomorrow through Thursday is the big storm, with this threat of “Heavy snow with total snow accumulations of 12 to 18 inches possible. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph late Wednesday into Thursday.”

Today is also the day I have to start teaching an additional class on top of my usual course load, and I foolishly volunteered to participate in a session for visiting prospective students. The administration accepted my offer! What were they thinking? I’m going to be showing high schoolers and their parents a room full of spiders! If attendance declines next year, it may be my fault.

I teach labs on Tuesday and Thursday. I’m already planning accommodations for all those students who’d rather not step out into a blinding blizzard.

Mary is in Wisconsin, and planning to drive across the state before the storm hits and the roads become impassable tomorrow. I get to spend the day in a state of anxiety.

Can we just cancel the whole week? All in favor say “aye.”

Comments

  1. Jazzlet says

    I hope Mary gets home safely first, then Aye! I have an appointment to replace a dental crown on Wednesday I’d be happy to miss.

  2. birgerjohansson says

    The Swedish west coast got “A Storm Named Otto” this weekend.

    But if the week brings more legal trouble for Fox, we should prolong the week indefinitely! I have waited three decades for the bastards to get their comeuppance. This is the one time shadenfreude is OK.

  3. StevoR says

    Here In Adelaide South Oz it was 35 degrees today – Celsius.(Types into : https://www.metric-conversions.org/temperature/celsius-to-fahrenheit.htm )

    So.. that’s 95 F in American, sorry Fahrenheit.

    Rest of this week here is forecast, well , tomorrow 35 (95), Weds 38 (100), Thurs 39 (102), Fri 38.. with tiotal fire bans and avery high fuel load of yellowed off dry vegetation posinga serious bushfire risk.

    Opposite hemispheres, same verdict here. Wil be trying to hide from heat inside, keep my garden alive and stay cool and hoping there’s no repeat of major devastatiing bushfires here – the worst thing about living in the hills near the bush which is otherwise so wonderful here.

    Stay safe, wish for moderate conditions eschewing the extremes and clear skies y’all.

  4. hemidactylus says

    Florida is supposed to get kinda hot this week, maybe from all the hot air blowing out of Desantis as he becomes even more authoritarian. Or maybe it’s convergence of hot air streams coming together from Tallahassee and Mar A Lago.

  5. StevoR says

    @ ^ hemidactylus : Y’know, there’s a pretty big difference between hot temperature ~wise & other and vile stench that woud make Tarkin in the toilet embarrassed by the foulness of it, yeah? 5

  6. Samuel Vimes says

    To each their own. I see -10C and fresh snowfall as perfect cross-country skiing weather. Minus 10 isn’t that bad, after all.

  7. says

    The -10 part doesn’t bother me much — it’s when it’s hovering indecisively around 0 and you get slush that refreezes every night that I hate. Make up your mind, weather!

    Also, fresh snowfall isn’t so great when it covers your driveway and you’ve got to get it cleared before your wife gets home.

  8. birgerjohansson says

    Clearing the driveway? If I had four north Swedish actors, I would redo the “four Yourkshiremen” sketch about it.

    ‘Traditional-value’ American: “clearing the driveway is what the ****** and ******* are for”.

    Ted Cruz:”I’ll just go to Mexico until it thaws. Too bad if the voters want to meet me”.

  9. says

    PZ we really hope you and Mary stay safe! You are probably used to weather like this, but it is always a danger. The quote: ‘Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get’ is usually attributed to Heinlein. But, we in N. Scarizona are seeing weather/climate swings that are absurd recently: 62F high and sunny one day, then 42F and snow the next day. Tracking temp. avgs. over the past decade, we see that ‘climate’ is no longer stable.

    OT: N. Scarizona catholic corporation hospital system in Prescott no longer can accept Blue Cross insur. leaving tens of thousands without recourse.

    Also, one of the ‘trackbacks’ found below comments in some posts runs a script which may be benign, but Don’t Trust Scripts. There is much too much spyware and surveillance everywhere.

  10. says

    Oh, and snow is a problem! We constantly get a ‘snow job’ from crapitallist corporate powers, religious freaks and politicians all year.

  11. brightmoon says

    NYC is having crazy weather 60F (springlike) one day then 30F ( freezing) the next . Today was nice though but I was too lazy to go outside .

  12. Scott Simmons says

    High temperature today here in Arlington, Texas is 88 F / 31 C.
    I didn’t notice any snow in the forecast, but I can double check.
    (I’d offer to trade weather with you, but I don’t want to.)