macstack

FUCK fuck fuckity fuck fuck fuck FFFFFFFUUUUUUUCCCCCKKK!!!!!!

I am so done with this.

Now I have to go clear the godsdamn driveway again

I seriously don’t mean to diminish what’s happening in New England right now, they’re getting two feet or something. I just want to whine about my little corner of the world, and set up a general weather bitching thread

I wish we had some snow in New Mexico.

I want to go skiing.

I’d suggest flying to New York State, but all the flights are canceled

Here's what my friends cleared for me when I was on vacation last week:

I have good friends.

Zapski wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 3:27 pm

I’d suggest flying to New York State, but all the flights are canceled

Not up here! We got all of like an inch.

(makes up for the usual dumping we got last month)

They make heated walkway mats that can prevent snow from accumulating on the walkway.

obvs wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 6:12 pm

They make heated walkway mats that can prevent snow from accumulating on the walkway.

I imagine the amount of electricity those use must be insane.

ConnertheCat wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 7:17 pm

obvs wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 6:12 pm

They make heated walkway mats that can prevent snow from accumulating on the walkway.

I imagine the amount of electricity those use must be insane.

My parents had a whole heated driveway, it was on its own 70A circuit, lol.

They used it once, I think you could hear the meter spinning from inside.

Yeah, if those solutions were practical, you'd see them everywhere. The permanent installs I've seen are broken more than half of the time. Until energy sources are all renewable and carbon free, they're also terrible for the environment.

I’m not saying a huge heated area, just a little walkway. Ice melts just above 32ºF, so it wouldn’t have to be generating a huge amount of heat in most places. Most places don’t get quite the same amount of snow as Minnesota.

Don't forget the phase change energy cost. Once you get ice up to 32F, you have to dump a bunch more energy into it before it turns to water.

From reading about them a bit, I had gotten the impression that heated driveways are more suited for dealing with freezing rain. So in the southern US where a lot of people wouldn't otherwise have snow-melt or appropriate winter gear, it makes more sense. Melting any substantial snowfall off of a longer driveway (mine is about 1,000 square feet) requires a... very large amount of energy.

Keeping steps and sidewalks clear would be a relatively modest energy expenditure, and would probably be a good investment for apartment buildings or retail areas where they get a lot of traffic and are potentially liable for injuries.

dv wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 9:43 pm

Don't forget the phase change energy cost. Once you get ice up to 32F, you have to dump a bunch more energy into it before it turns to water.

From reading about them a bit, I had gotten the impression that heated driveways are more suited for dealing with freezing rain. So in the southern US where a lot of people wouldn't otherwise have snow-melt or appropriate winter gear, it makes more sense. Melting any substantial snowfall off of a longer driveway (mine is about 1,000 square feet) requires a... very large amount of energy.

Keeping steps and sidewalks clear would be a relatively modest energy expenditure, and would probably be a good investment for apartment buildings or retail areas where they get a lot of traffic and are potentially liable for injuries.

It just brings to mind a PhD I worked with for a time at DTRA that decided he was going to melt the snow on his roof with a weed burner.

He made quite a dent in it before it all froze and he slipped off the roof and broke his leg in the shrubberies.

Heated walkways do exist here. They are usually broken. I can't recall anyone who installed one who didn't eventually abandon the concept for one reason or another. Again, if they worked well, they'd be more common. With proper equipment, snow removal just isn't that big of a deal.

Jehannum wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 9:54 pm

dv wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 9:43 pm

Don't forget the phase change energy cost. Once you get ice up to 32F, you have to dump a bunch more energy into it before it turns to water.

From reading about them a bit, I had gotten the impression that heated driveways are more suited for dealing with freezing rain. So in the southern US where a lot of people wouldn't otherwise have snow-melt or appropriate winter gear, it makes more sense. Melting any substantial snowfall off of a longer driveway (mine is about 1,000 square feet) requires a... very large amount of energy.

Keeping steps and sidewalks clear would be a relatively modest energy expenditure, and would probably be a good investment for apartment buildings or retail areas where they get a lot of traffic and are potentially liable for injuries.

It just brings to mind a PhD I worked with for a time at DTRA that decided he was going to melt the snow on his roof with a weed burner.

He made quite a dent in it before it all froze and he slipped off the roof and broke his leg in the shrubberies.

I've been saying for the last two decades how I hate winter, I hate the cold, and my opinion hasn't changed. I'm with you, this weather sucks.

We're still in our "living with snow for the first time" honeymoon phase — and during an unseasonably low-snow winter for Colorado.

We've thrown a bit of ice out on our porch, and bought an ATV with a snow plow to deal with our 300-foot driveway (and for going wheeeee around the neighborhood).

And skiing/snowboarding! Sorry I know this is insufferably against the grain but for now we love the snow.

Sorry, but I had 71ºF (22ºC) today, AND it had cooled down from 88ºF (31ºC) yesterday.

Y'know, if you throw that snowball at me, I WILL only like it.

I’m living in what is supposed to be one of the snowiest places on the continent and we barely got anything this year. My yard has been mostly green for a while…

This was my fault.

This was supposed to be the week I really started going to town on making my yard presentable to sell my place.

At least my daughter is excited for one more weekend of pow days on the ski hill.

I am ready to be complaining about the heat and all the tornaders. I despise winter weather.

It was 90 F(reedumb) yesterday. One hell of a time to get out of work and find out that the '67 GTO had leaked its refrigerant out.

It should be like 85 tomorrow and Saturday here...it was 17 on Monday.