Winter storm watch, for Thursday, Jan. 17

[consularrider]

I put my studded tires and barmitts on my old rigid mtb a month ago and still haven’t had it out. Looks like I may give it a whirl tomorrow and Friday.

[Terpfan]

@PotomacCyclist 40698 wrote:

From the National Weather Service, via ARLnow:

WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH… WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.

* PRECIPITATION TYPE… SNOW… POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES.

* ACCUMULATIONS… IN EXCESS OF 5 INCHES POSSIBLE.

* TIMING… SNOW MAY MIX WITH RAIN AT THE ONSET… ESPECIALLY SOUTH OF WASHINGTON DC THURSDAY MORNING… BEFORE CHANGING TO ALL SNOW LATE THURSDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. SNOW WILL END THURSDAY NIGHT. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

* TEMPERATURES… IN THE LOWER TO MID 30S.

* WINDS… NORTHWEST 5 TO 10 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 20 MPH.

* IMPACTS… ROADS MAY BECOME SNOW COVERED… ESPECIALLY DURING THE EVENING RUSH HOUR.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THAT MAY IMPACT TRAVEL. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS.

I would repeat my comment from the “Year without a Winter” thread:

“Two weeks before snowpocalpyse: http://www.wunderground.com/history/…q_statename=NA

Be careful making observations too early without knocking on some wood.”

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?3685-The-quot-Year-quot-without-a-Winter&p=40190#post40190

Also, I blame all of you who did not knock on wood for the bitter cold and snow .

[sjclaeys]

It is not a real storm until the Weather Channel gives it a name. They are up to Helen, so I am rooting for Ignatius.

[Bilsko]

If the forecast holds then this week will be a treat for my tires: Beach sand on Sunday and snow on Thursday – now I just need fatter tires so I can actually ride in the stuff!
Alas the trucker will only fit 2.4″ tires – so this (like vvill) is as good an excuse as any to go out and buy a Surly Neckromancer or maybe a Moonlander.

[rcannon100]

Snowpocalpyse was like 4 or 5 feet. 5 inches is normal. And what is even more normal is for the forecast to be made, and the snow to never materialize (as Washington hovers around 32 degrees so more often than not it comes down as rain or snow).

I knew Snowpocalypse. Snowpocalypse was a friends of mine. “Ignatious” is no Snowpocalypse.

This is Weather.com’s current forecast for Thursday:

Rain showers in the morning will evolve into a more steady rain in the afternoon. Some sleet may mix in. High 44F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a quarter of an inch.

[PotomacCyclist]

@Terpfan 40738 wrote:

I would repeat my comment from the “Year without a Winter” thread:

http://bikearlingtonforum.com/showthread.php?3685-The-quot-Year-quot-without-a-Winter&p=40190#post40190

Also, I blame all of you who did not knock on wood for the bitter cold and snow .

Well, NBC is saying “dusting to 2 inches” in Arlington and D.C. The Weather Channel is forecasting a high of 44F tomorrow. So this might be more like the typical Mid-Atlantic winter event (meaning a few flurries) than the freak of nature we had in 2009-2010.

It will also be around 50F on Saturday, so any snow may not stay around for too long. But it’s going to be chilly for much of next week.

This isn’t too bad though. It gives me a little more comfort that the world isn’t going to catch on fire in the next 5 years. I can deal with a few weeks of real winter. Just as long as it isn’t 4 months of Arctic conditions. We’re already in mid January, so not too much longer before we get into spring weather.

[PotomacCyclist]

@sjclaeys 40740 wrote:

It is not a real storm until the Weather Channel gives it a name. They are up to Helen, so I am rooting for Ignatius.

STORM: Call me Ishmael.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@PotomacCyclist 40748 wrote:

I can deal with a few weeks of real winter. Just as long as it isn’t 4 months of Arctic conditions. We’re already in mid January, so not too much longer before we get into spring weather.

Exactly. The mantra I repeat in my head during most of my commutes is “just gotta make it through February, just gotta make it through February.”

[PotomacCyclist]

I used to live in New York State where the winter could last 5 months. I think it snowed in May one year.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@PotomacCyclist 40753 wrote:

I used to live in New York State where the winter could last 5 months. I think it snowed in May one year.

I’m from northern Idaho, so same. My last year at college (UIdaho) it was in the low 50s in January for a few days and everyone was walking around campus in shorts, playing beach vball, etc. I hate winter so much though, DC is about as cold as I would care to deal with, but I dream of SoCal. Alas, the jobs just aren’t there for me…

[consularrider]

@TwoWheelsDC 40755 wrote:

I’m from northern Idaho, so same. My last year at college (UIdaho) it was in the low 50s in January for a few days and everyone was walking around campus in shorts, playing beach vball, etc. I hate winter so much though, DC is about as cold as I would care to deal with, but I dream of SoCal. Alas, the jobs just aren’t there for me…

You just need a nice warm overseas assigment, just don’t believe the hype about he Gobi beach front properties in January. :p I think it’s time to start seriously looking at my required travel to Barbados, Trinidad, Costa Rica, and El Salvador before the spring thaw. I just need to stop by bikes@vienna or Mt Airy for a nice folder.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@vvill 40733 wrote:

The studded tires are already mounted on wheels (I never want to mount those tires again) and the drivetrain is already rusty.

Are they that hard to mount? Not sure if I want to mount mine or stick with the regular tires.

[vvill]

@ShawnoftheDread 40764 wrote:

Are they that hard to mount? Not sure if I want to mount mine or stick with the regular tires.

Mine were, but obviously it varies by tire, rim, etc. I broke a plastic lever, and a punctured a tube. The main thing I learned with mounting studded tires is not having the studs in your bare hands while you are trying to apply force.

[TwoWheelsDC]

I guess I’ll make do on my city tires…they did fine during that bizarre weather event a few weeks ago, when it was raining in ArlCo but snowing pretty heavily in McLean for a bit. Honestly, it’s the drivers that I’m more worried about. Maybe I’ll try to find a parallel route home, but the options aren’t that great.

[consularrider]

@ShawnoftheDread 40764 wrote:

Are they that hard to mount? Not sure if I want to mount mine or stick with the regular tires.

I have both 26 x 1.75 and 700 x 35 Schwable Marathon Winter studded tires. Both were tight on the wheel sets and as vvill says, use caution or you can easily scrape yourself up on the studs. My first winter I was switching between the studded tires and slicks on the 26 x 1.75 mtb for December and January. Then I got smart and usurped my wife’s matching wheelset so I could just switch the wheels. That worked until I screwed up my old mtb and it sat in the shed for over a year before I got around to getting it fixed. For January – February 2011, I just left the studs on the 700 x 35 hybrid. Now I have my old repaired mtb that I put the studs on and leave them on for the winter and ride whichever bike is appropriate for the conditions.

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