Georgia Kickoff Event Cancelled

[phurley67]

As someone in Michigan I always find these things a little funny, but I had my perspective properly set a couple years ago. I was traveling for work and was in Sweden working with some great people over there. We were making small talk at lunch (their English was great, my Swedish is non-existent) no communication difficulties at all until I mentioned that after speaking with my kids I found out that they had a "snow-day" after getting about a foot of snow (I was even fancy enough to say about 30cm). Lots of puzzled looks at the table, some back and forth in Swedish, when they smiled and said:

Oh we had one of those in 1976, when we received 1.5meters of snow in one day, but if we shut down every time 30cm fell, we would be closed most of winter.

So it really is all about what you are accustom to, and prepared for -- be safe and good luck.

[GreyingJay]

Originally Posted by phurley67

As someone in Michigan I always find these things a little funny, but I had my perspective properly set a couple years ago. I was traveling for work and was in Sweden working with some great people over there. We were making small talk at lunch (their English was great, my Swedish is non-existent) no communication difficulties at all until I mentioned that after speaking with my kids I found out that they had a "snow-day" after getting about a foot of snow (I was even fancy enough to say about 30cm).

I was working remotely with some people in Huntsville, AL a few years ago. After not hearing from a guy for a couple of days, I got an apologetic email with a photo. There had been a snowstorm, road closures, people stayed home from work. "Look", he said, "you can't even see my driveway, it's covered in snow!" There was maybe an inch of snow on the road in the photo. I laughed. I'm from Ottawa. The snowbanks at the end of my driveway right now are taller than my car.

But, I also recognize we're a city that expects snow and prepares for it. We spend a ton of city money on plow equipment, and most people prepare themselves with snow tires, scrapers, etc. It's a very different (and dangerous) game if you weren't expecting it!

Stay safe everyone! Have a great kickoff weekend!

[Jon Stratis]

For all those getting snowed in this weekend - Stay safe. Set up Skype/Google Hangout/whatever to let your team communicate and watch the stream from home. It's truly amazing how much you can accomplish (in terms of planning and initial design) remotely like this - it forces everyone to stay on point, practically eliminates side conversations that distract people. Use this time wisely and safely!

[D.Allred]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

For all those getting snowed in this weekend - Stay safe. Set up Skype/Google Hangout/whatever to let your team communicate and watch the stream from home. It's truly amazing how much you can accomplish (in terms of planning and initial design) remotely like this - it forces everyone to stay on point, practically eliminates side conversations that distract people. Use this time wisely and safely!

Yes it is! Our school system has shut down official activities for the weekend. We are setting up a web conference to hold a strategy session Saturday afternoon. It will be a great introduction to virtual meetings for our students. I might loose a few hair follicles in the process though...

David

[cbale2000]

Originally Posted by GreyingJay

But, I also recognize we're a city that expects snow and prepares for it. We spend a ton of city money on plow equipment, and most people prepare themselves with snow tires, scrapers, etc. It's a very different (and dangerous) game if you weren't expecting it!

Stay safe everyone! Have a great kickoff weekend!

As someone from a smaller town in Michigan that historically has not been prompt in their snow removal efforts (though it's been much faster in recent years), I can say that even just using All-Season tires and dropping your speed is pretty much all you need to do in the majority of cases of winter weather. It's a bit more difficult with smaller cars and/or rear wheel drive but even unplowed/salted roads are usually still traversable as long as you're not going up/down large hills or driving too fast.

Slow down, plan extra stopping distance, and don't use dry-road tires.

[FrankJ]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

As someone from a smaller town in Michigan that historically has not been prompt in their snow removal efforts (though it's been much faster in recent years), I can say that even just using All-Season tires and dropping your speed is pretty much all you need to do in the majority of cases of winter weather. It's a bit more difficult with smaller cars and/or rear wheel drive but even unplowed/salted roads are usually still traversable as long as you're not going up/down large hills or driving too fast.

Slow down, plan extra stopping distance, and don't use dry-road tires.

In Atlanta, pretty much if you are not going a hill, you are going down a hill. We rarely have dry snow. It is a mixture of water, sleet, snow, & ice. Even when patchy you have black ice in shady areas. Invariably on corner apexes after a stretch of dry road. Much different than dry snow pack that exists further north for most of the year. But on the plus side, we actually have a summer that lasts for more than a weekend.

[TDav540]

Originally Posted by FrankJ

But on the plus side, we actually have a summer that lasts for more than a weekend.

Oh joy, 100 degree heat for 3+ months out of the year.

In all seriousness, I hope that if anyone drives, they follow Chris' advice. Leave extra space, slow it down, and don't take corners like you're in Formula One.

[JamesBrown]

Virginia is officially joining the list of cancelled kick-off events.

https://www.firstchesapeake.org/news...d-va-cancelled

The FIRST Steamworks Kickoff at VCU in Richmond, VA is now cancelled due to impending snow.

Please see this blog posting https://www.firstchesapeake.org/news...mond-va-update for team contingency plan.

Please watch the blog for further updates on pickup availability (dates and times), contingent on delivery of the kits and field to the new location and the local road conditions.

The live broadcast can be viewed here http://www.firstinspires.org/robotic...2017-broadcast . Pre-show begins Saturday at 10:00am, Kickoff at 10:30am EST.

Thank you, and be safe this weekend.

[JamesBrown]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

Slow down, plan extra stopping distance, and don't use dry-road tires.

As someone who grew up in the North East and now lives in the south, I find it crazy how bad people here are at driving in the snow, but any time there is snow on the road, I can guarantee I will see 5+ cars off the side of the road or in the median on my 10 mile drive to work.

You can forget about anyone having snow tires, in VA you can pass inspection with 1/16" of tread, and it is good for a year, so there are people on the road on tires that had almost no tread a full year ago.

The worst offenders though are people with lifted pickup trucks and tires with chunky treads, they are great for playing in the mud, but they are useless in the snow at highway speeds.

[SoccerTaco]

Originally Posted by cbale2000

... but even unplowed/salted roads are usually still traversable as long as you're not going up/down large hills or driving too fast. ...

That's the thing though - most all of our roads are hills and curves! In the foothills of the Appalachians - a flat straight road is the exception.

I lived in Utah and there was a lot of snow - and the driving was easy. Most of the Provo - Salt Lake - Ogden corridor is relatively flat.

And, the snow was different. In Utah, it is a nice, dry, powdery snow. Even when it was packed down on the road, it generally wasn't like a sheet of ice. Here, the snow is wet and and seems to get icier....

[dtengineering]

Originally Posted by phurley67

As someone in Michigan I always find these things a little funny, but I had my perspective properly set a couple years ago. I was traveling for work and was in Sweden working with some great people over there. We were making small talk at lunch (their English was great, my Swedish is non-existent) no communication difficulties at all until I mentioned that after speaking with my kids I found out that they had a "snow-day" after getting about a foot of snow (I was even fancy enough to say about 30cm). Lots of puzzled looks at the table, some back and forth in Swedish, when they smiled and said:



So it really is all about what you are accustom to, and prepared for -- be safe and good luck.

Depth of snow is a poor guide to the effect of snow. Powder snow, at -10 C is much different from the sloppy, mucky, icy slush that falls when temperatures are near zero.

The challenge isn't snow... it's safety, and that is mostly based on friction.

Jason