Snow Stories

**Angie** · 02-22-2013, 07:28 AM

Since Snowpocalypse was sort of a dud, what is your "big fish" story about being stuck in a snowstorm? Dangerous, racy, whatever, pile 'em up here.

Mine is sort of boring. What was the winter we had all of the ice storms - '91 or something? My family lived on a farm that year, and we were without power for four days. We camped around a kerosene heater in the living room for several days... but now I'm wondering how we bathed? I don't remember.

**FDWxMan** · 02-22-2013, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by Angie

Since Snowpocalypse was sort of a dud, what is your "big fish" story about being stuck in a snowstorm? Dangerous, racy, whatever, pile 'em up here.

Mine is sort of boring. What was the winter we had all of the ice storms - '91 or something? My family lived on a farm that year, and we were without power for four days. We camped around a kerosene heater in the living room for several days... but now I'm wondering how we bathed? I don't remember.

Went without power 5 days for the 91 ice storm at our house in Ft Dodge.

Free refills were still a bit of a novelty then, so we would go sit at the few restaurants that had them (and power) for a couple hours (or what seemed like it) to warm up during the day.

**Angie** · 02-22-2013, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by FDWxMan

Went without power 5 days for the 91 ice storm at our house in Ft Dodge.

Free refills were still a bit of a novelty then, so we would go sit at the few restaurants that had them (and power) for a couple hours (or what seemed like it) to warm up during the day.

I remember Ft. Diggity got it even worse than we did. Let's see... I bet you spent a lot of time at Perkins and/or Happy Chef? :)

**FDWxMan** · 02-22-2013, 08:14 AM

Originally Posted by Angie

I remember Ft. Diggity got it even worse than we did. Let's see... I bet you spent a lot of time at Perkins and/or Happy Chef? :)

lol. Apparently Perkins has returned after at least a decade an a half absence...haven't been there yet. Taco John's is back too.

For some reason Burger King is sticking in my head for that storm, can't remember for sure, was only 5 1/2 y/o. Burger King and Maid-Rite...I know it was all stuff around the mall with power.

Wasn't Taco Tico, as they still charge for refills! Crazy. But its a small price to pay for the tasty deliciousness.

**Cycl1** · 02-22-2013, 08:14 AM

growing up i was playing in the snow in the front ditch, and decided to make a tunnel to slide through and got stuck for a bit.

**Acylum** · 02-22-2013, 08:17 AM

Originally Posted by Cycl1

growing up i was playing in the snow in the front ditch, and decided to make a tunnel to slide through and got stuck for a bit.

Early Batcave. I always told my kids to go out and play by the road too when I got tired of them being home from school.

**Angie** · 02-22-2013, 08:19 AM

Originally Posted by FDWxMan

lol. Apparently Perkins has returned after at least a decade an a half absence...haven't been there yet. Taco John's is back too.

For some reason Burger King is sticking in my head for that storm, can't remember for sure, was only 5 1/2 y/o. Burger King and Maid-Rite...I know it was all stuff around the mall with power.

Wasn't Taco Tico, as they still charge for refills! Crazy. But its a small price to pay for the tasty deliciousness.

My grandma, who lived in Ft. Dodge (as did I as a small child), passed away a year ago this winter. My husband and I went to the funeral - it was, like, the ONE day last winter that was horribly cold and snowy. After all was said and done, we were cold and starving. I took him to Taco Tico for his first trip ever, explaining the magic that is The Tico.

He didn't like it.

I need to get his butt to Community Pizza, though. Best thin crust around, especially since Old George's went out of business here in Ames.

**CapnCy** · 02-22-2013, 08:24 AM

In general, I remember as a kid it seemed I was outside playing/sledding for hours....but now that I have kids, I wonder if I was only out there for maybe an hour? :)

**Angie** · 02-22-2013, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by CapnCy

In general, I remember as a kid it seemed I was outside playing/sledding for hours....but now that I have kids, I wonder if I was only out there for maybe an hour? :)

And it seemed like we got blizzards every other week, there was always snow on the ground. Not sure now if that was real or not.

**cowgirl836** · 02-22-2013, 08:29 AM

we had some doozies that kept us on the farm for several days/kept the milkman OFF the farm a few days. Got within one milking of having to dump milk one time.

The worst in recent memory was the ice storm we got around Christmas of 2009. Had fun sledding down the road at first, but then we lost power and because we were in the midst of getting our waaaaaaaaaaay too old generator replaced (since we rarely needed it in the winter).........well, bad things happened. They tried to use it anyway even though it could only handle half the amps we needed or something like that? I'm not an electrician. Anyway, I look out the kitchen window toward the barn and the power box thing where the generator hooked into was smoking and sparking. We're the end of our line so we didn't get electricity for over 48 hours. Cows didn't get milked til 3pm and the house got shut off so they could try and limp along with the generator without burning the place down.

The next spring my parents dropped some change on a fancy stand-alone generator that kicks in within 30 seconds and no longer requires a tractor that has to be moved every single time someone (like the milkman) needs to get in the driveway. Much better.

**Trice** · 02-22-2013, 08:33 AM

Originally Posted by FDWxMan

Went without power 5 days for the 91 ice storm at our house in Ft Dodge.

Free refills were still a bit of a novelty then, so we would go sit at the few restaurants that had them (and power) for a couple hours (or what seemed like it) to warm up during the day.

I remember that storm. We were off school for at least 3 days, if not the whole week. I think it was even right before spring break. We opportunistic kids begged our parents to go get a hotel room with a pool so finally on the last night we did. I do think it was a lot easier to endure because computers, phones, tablets, and other electronic devices weren't nearly as prevalent then. If that happened now there would be anarchy after about 36 hours.

Imagine if that had happened in January when it was REALLY cold.

**IcSyU** · 02-22-2013, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Angie

My grandma, who lived in Ft. Dodge (as did I as a small child), passed away a year ago this winter. My husband and I went to the funeral - it was, like, the ONE day last winter that was horribly cold and snowy. After all was said and done, we were cold and starving. I took him to Taco Tico for his first trip ever, explaining the magic that is The Tico.

He didn't like it.

I need to get his butt to Community Pizza, though. Best thin crust around, especially since Old George's went out of business here in Ames.

1) Not liking Taco Tico is grounds for divorce.
2) There is no such thing as good thin crush pizza. Period.

**CarolinaCy** · 02-22-2013, 08:35 AM

March or April of 2003 - living in Orange City at the time, had gone to Des Moines for the weekend. On Sunday I hear there's a decent chance of snow in western Iowa, but I don't think much of it. Head out around 4 for what is usually a roughly 4 hour drive home. Get to I-680 and it starts. Nothing bad at first, no big deal. Hit I-29 and it's picking up rapidly. By the time I get to Sioux City (around 10pm) there's probably 6 inches on the ground, but I press on. On the bypass around the east side of SC, I do two separate 360 spinouts a few miles apart from each other. This does not convince me to stop. Finally I make it to LeMars shortly before midnight, only 15 miles or so left I tell myself. I head out of town to the north, but it's snowing so hard I can't see more than a few feet, and I can't tell where road ends and ditch begins. The snow has beaten me. Somehow I get turned around and head back into LeMars and get a room at the Super 8. So close, but yet so far. Think we got 9 or 10 inches total out of that one.

**CapnCy** · 02-22-2013, 08:36 AM

Originally Posted by Angie

And it seemed like we got blizzards every other week, there was always snow on the ground. Not sure now if that was real or not.

I know...I remember one time we had a blizzard and we also had a snow fence in our yard. My memory was that it was like neck deep...and it may have been....but when you are 3-4ft tall, not that big of deal. :)