Phenology: Pris on Snow Schedule

Well, the big ice/snow storm and freeze is moving in. I heard just a few minutes of bird songs this morning, in between sprinkles of rain. As I walked into town the rain began to change to sleet, stopped dripping and started forming slush ice on my umbrella, and during the last block or two the road became slippery. If I hadn't left my phone in town overnight I would've called to say I wasn't leaving my warm house.

As things are, I plan to stay here until 1 p.m. and go home. Unless the weather changes suddenly, or unless the electricity goes out at home, I plan to spend the rest of the week at home.

There are some people in Clinchport and Duffield to whom I owe favors. It is possible that some of those people might prefer to shelter in three very cold, dark, dusty, musty, cluttered rooms, with wood heat and bottled water, rather than crowd into the public schools with all the mod. con. If so, they need to confirm by e-mail or Twitter before 1 p.m. They will need to walk up a long, steep, icy private road at best. Cell phone service at the Cat Sanctuary seems to work about 50% of the time, off and on, with no guarantees.

If the snow is heavy enough and the power goes out, I may evacuate myself--possibly to Kingsport. If I have to go to Kingsport, I'll go on foot. If anyone is desperate enough to have come to the Cat Sanctuary, the place where I'll go will probably have room for them too, always assuming that that house still has heat and light. My plans rely on the fact that it's safer to walk than to drive in snow; friends from Clinchport and Duffield should bear this in mind.

Anyone planning to leave their home should get out NOW--before the black ice that's starting to form is covered in snow. I'd stay as long as possible and recommend that others do likewise, but if water is in your basement now, it's likely to get higher before it gets lower.