Thundersnow? C'mon!

Mark Torregrossa, the meteorologist over at Mlive, has updated his predictions for what we can expect from today's "thundersnow." Previous reports said we could expect rain, sleet, snow, ice, and "everything but the kitchen sink."  A real extravaganza.

I'm sending up the white flag. My snowblower's broken, my roof rake is broken, and my last snow shovel has a huge crack in it. I finally borrowed one from my sister because Meijer had no more in stock. The ice dams on my house are unreal as none of the snow from December (before I was raking) has melted until now. Tuesday night, my dining room ceiling sprung a leak. I climbed up on a ladder to chip away at the ice on that part of the roof, and managed to stop the leak, although I suspect the higher temperature had more to do with it than my hammer and chisel, melting the ice that had crept up under the shingles so the water could make its way down the roof instead of inside it.

My driveway is a wreck. This would have been the year to hire a snow removal service, but since our family is down one income, we didn't. Our truck can make it up the steep slope, but my car can't, so it's parked in the garage. The snow piles on either side of my driveway are taller than I am, so it's hard to throw any new accumulation up over what is already there. Some of my neighbors have been very good about clearing their sidewalks after the storms and blizzards, but many sidewalks around here remain unshoveled and treacherous. The City of Grand Rapids has again warned that those homeowners will be fined if the city has to do the work for them, but I haven't seen anyone from the city out on the northeast side yet.  Of course, I've been pretty housebound.  

My son has missed so much school that the school closings page is permanently open in my browser. School districts are cancelling winter break and scheduling make up days into the June calendar.  I. Give. Up. White flag! Please, winter - go away. But gradually, now, so we don't have flooding.

At least the house is still standing (knock wood). Around West Michigan roofs, car ports and garages, overhangs, and entire houses have collapsed under the weight of snow and ice. The only thing good about today's snow spectacle is that the rain might remove some of the snow from the roofs around here and clear some of the streets. When it freezes again, as it's supposed to, it will be hazardous driving and walking for awhile, though.

Anyone else have winter kvetching they would like to do? This is for posterity, remember. Your future grandchildren want to know about the winter of 2013-14 - the Big One.