South Louisiana Roadways

**Dennis** · 01-28-2014, 08:36 PM

We have never experienced anything like this. We had a two day break out of the last 5 days. This weather has shut down the city of Baton Rouge, plus most Southern Louisiana Interstates. We never have to deal with anything like this. All overpasses look like this.

**fgw_in_fla** · 01-28-2014, 08:48 PM

Learning that bridges ice up before highways is one of those things you learn & never forget.
I get chills just looking at some of the video footage the news has been airing here in the southeast.

**JackinSD** · 01-28-2014, 08:58 PM

I feel sorry for you guys. I am sure there are those that have never even seen snow and that part of the country. Those of us that live in a part of the country that gets snow regularly will have the tendency to not understand the problem. It's just snow. But, I was a part of New Mexico, on a trip back to South Dakota, that had not seen ice for many years. They got ice that night. I spent an extra few hours in the hotel room just waiting for the roads to clear. Not so much because of the ice, but because of the people that had never driven on ice before.
The nice thing in your part of the country is that it will be gone before too long. I have at least a couple more months of it.

rsh4364 · 01-28-2014, 09:37 PM

Seems like its been rough winter for us all!

**bootsmcguire** · 01-28-2014, 09:56 PM

I went and visited some distant family near the Memphis area about 12 years ago in December. While there one afternoon the temp dropped and they got about 1 inch of snow. That night I decided I was going to run down to the corner gas station and get a Pepsi. None of them could believe that I would drive and risk my life just to get a Pepsi. I finally convinced my much older 2nd cousin to go with me and I would prove there was nothing really to worry about. She got in the truck and I carefully drove the two miles through the empty streets with out sliding or spinning a tire even once. I went in (just as the station was closing due to weather) and came back out and she proceeded to start telling me I was right and it was no big deal. That's when I said, "Yup it's not scary, its actually quite fun." She said, "Fun, how is this fun?" I said "here I'll show you!" We went skidding and sliding around every corner I could find, driving sideways for blocks at a time. I don't think the truck was actually pointed straight (but still going right down the road) for more than a few feet at any one time. By the time we got back I thought she was going to have a heart attack. The rest of my stay she kept calling it her near death experience.

**Hotolds442** · 01-28-2014, 10:33 PM

I'm waiting on a rifle that's been out of the Tallahassee FedEx hub three times on its way to Washington. It just keeps ending up back there. It almost made it to Atlanta once. The roads must be brutal down there.

Westcliffe01 · 01-28-2014, 11:05 PM

I was just out filling the sled with firewood for the night and splitting some stuff that was a bit too big. -2F with wind chill to -19F. The snow is real squeaky under my boots... Have the battery charger hooked up to the battery of the car so it will start in the morning. These temperatures really have an effect on batteries, not to mention what happens to the engine oil... Roads this morning were covered with a solid 1/2" of hard ice so one had a pretty tenuous grip and had to fight to keep it going where you wanted.

It is the first "real" winter in several years and it also got started late, after a Nov and Dec that was more like fall. The warm start to winter really killed deer season for us SE MI hunters since the deer were not at all pressurized to get out and graze, so they were 100% nocturnal after the first shots rang out on Nov 15.

**Dennis** · 01-29-2014, 02:07 AM

It's the first time I have ever seen so many vehicles on the muddy shoulders of the roads in my life. We didn't have enough police vehicles to wright up the accidents. This time, they set a curfew for tonight. There are no major roads open to New Orleans, maybe a few back roads, but you better know them well. I wouldn't do it. All marshlands.

**Rick_W** · 01-29-2014, 11:49 AM

My wife said Vidalia received a lot more snow than Natchez yesterday. The road we live on in Natchez has at least a quarter inch of ice on it.

We got about an inch of sleet/snow down here on the coast.

Drove to work this morning in the Jeep. I've got 33" Nitto Terra Grapplers on it. North of I-10 was ice & slush everywhere. I just kept the Jeep at a steady 15-20 mph and drove along, 2WD. Once I drove south of I-10 it was like a different world. Very little snow/ice/slush except on the bridges and in the areas that have lots of water on both sides of the road.

**J.Baker** · 01-29-2014, 10:28 PM

Well one thing's for sure...

If the south ever secedes from the Union again you can rest assured the resulting war won't take long for the north to win. That's because now we your weakness - we'll simply invade with ice and artificial snow machines rather than cannons and rifles and the war will be over in a matter of two days without a single casualty.

**Hotolds442** · 01-29-2014, 10:40 PM

Originally Posted by J. Baker

Well one thing's for sure...

If the south ever secedes from the Union again you can rest assured the resulting war won't take long for the north to win. That's because now we your weakness - we'll simply invade with ice and artificial snow machines rather than cannons and rifles and the war will be over in a matter of two days without a single casualty.

Lol!

maxl · 01-30-2014, 08:29 AM

Whatever happen to global warming? I certainly liked it better,where's Al Gore when you need him

**fgw_in_fla** · 01-30-2014, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by J. Baker

Well one thing's for sure...

If the south ever secedes from the Union again you can rest assured the resulting war won't take long for the north to win. That's because now we your weakness - we'll simply invade with ice and artificial snow machines rather than cannons and rifles and the war will be over in a matter of two days without a single casualty.

Yankee go home.
Leave your money, but go home.

And take you cold air with you when you leave.

**03mossy** · 01-30-2014, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by J. Baker

Well one thing's for sure...

If the south ever secedes from the Union again you can rest assured the resulting war won't take long for the north to win. That's because now we your weakness - we'll simply invade with ice and artificial snow machines rather than cannons and rifles and the war will be over in a matter of two days without a single casualty.

LMAO Awesome!!!!

**yobuck** · 01-30-2014, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by Rick_W

My wife said Vidalia received a lot more snow than Natchez yesterday. The road we live on in Natchez has at least a quarter inch of ice on it.

We got about an inch of sleet/snow down here on the coast.

Drove to work this morning in the Jeep. I've got 33" Nitto Terra Grapplers on it. North of I-10 was ice & slush everywhere. I just kept the Jeep at a steady 15-20 mph and drove along, 2WD. Once I drove south of I-10 it was like a different world. Very little snow/ice/slush except on the bridges and in the areas that have lots of water on both sides of the road.

aint no tires good on ice unless they have studs in them or chains around them.

**Rick_W** · 01-30-2014, 03:50 PM

Wasn't implying there were - merely stating what I have and what the road conditions were like for my ride.

Slush can be driven on safely - if a person can drive safely for the conditions in the first place.

Nandy · 01-30-2014, 05:38 PM

Tuesday I counted 13 vehicles off the highway, wayyyy in the soft median/shoulder... In a 15 mile drive from work to my house. That was at 10 pm. People here in Charlotte NC are idiots and drive like retarded maniacs... One guy passed me in hwy 16 which had been pretty much left unattended since the snow started. He was doing a good 55 or more on top of that compacted snow. What an idiot!!!!

I have a few major goals this year, one of them is a generator. Right now all I have is an 800/900 peak generator. Only good to run lights. Not sure it will run the furnace blower or not, havent try. I heat with gas. Working on getting a motor for a 10k gen. Hate to go thru there low 20's without heat. I do have propane heaters but they pose a low oxygen risk...

**rjtfroggy** · 01-31-2014, 07:23 AM

Nandy here is a little trick from over 20 years of furnace repair work, take the door off the blower compartment and try to move the blower away from opening,this will turn the furnace into a gravity system and the heat will circulate through out the house.
As for stupid drivers in bad weather try living up here in the North east, sometimes I think the southerners come north to get away from the snow bids.

**fgw_in_fla** · 01-31-2014, 08:01 AM

Snow birds?
Down here we call it Yankee Season.

Happiest day in Florida is when all the Canadians leave with a New Yorker under each arm....

Nandy · 01-31-2014, 11:21 AM

my furnace is on the attic. will that still work? and you meant to actually remove the blower motor? that sounds interesting.

**rjtfroggy** · 01-31-2014, 11:29 AM

It should still give you some heat. Remove the squirrel cage blower, just slide it back a few inches and leave the door off if you can.
Used to work for almost any hot air unit, cold air sinks so it should push the hot air down.

**barrel-nut** · 02-01-2014, 06:51 PM

Everything was completely iced over like your first pic over here three days ago too. Today, we're running the A/C. Louisiana weather is just bizarre.

rsh4364 · 02-03-2014, 07:37 PM

All our weather bizarre! Rain all day Sat.40 degrees,wake up Sun.5" snow...

**BoilerUP** · 02-03-2014, 08:34 PM

I was in Lafayette a few years back and they got a 1/2" of snow and the entire city shut down.

The other pilot and I laughed and had fun being the only car on the road.

**barrel-nut** · 02-03-2014, 08:59 PM

Originally Posted by BoilerUP

I was in Lafayette a few years back and they got a 1/2" of snow and the entire city shut down.

The other pilot and I laughed and had fun being the only car on the road.

Sounds about right. Doesn't take much around here to shut things down. Kids were out of school for three days last week due to about 2" of sleet and snow accumulation on the roads and bridges. I live about 40 miles from work and didn't miss a day. But you're right, people down here have very little experience driving in that stuff. First day of it, there were dozens of accidents and two fatalities in our area. People just won't slow down.