Carl T. Holscher fights for the customers.

Tag: Blizzard 2016

The Great Dig Out

“The DC area is far enough North to get snow but far enough South to not be ready for it.”
– Unattributed quote I saw on Facebook this weekend

Buried car

Winter Storm Jonas

(My wife’s maiden name is Jonas. So all the talk of Winter Storm Jonas has made me giggle.)

After receiving a little over 30″ of snow this weekend with Winter Storm Jonas we are dug out. We didn’t go anywhere but we are able. We spent about four hours today, in two-hour intervals. Today was also about finding parts of our house like the sump pump drain pipe, power box and dryer vents. It was also about removing the snow from around, next to and under our cars.

This was the first storm in a long time I can remember shoveling the show our from under the cars. I don’t know how much snow we moved today, but my back, arms, legs and shoulders are feeling it tonight. But through it all, it was the most gorgeous blue sky outside today. Until later in the day it was cloudless and perfect. I couldn’t help but stop and notice how beautiful it was, despite being covered in snow.

Snow hanging off roof

Houses are nice

I’m thankful to have a dryer in the house (as opposed to one down a hallway that takes quarters). I’m thankful to have neighbors who were out shoveling and keeping out morale up. It’s an exhausting, thankless job but we all needed to do it.

We did not lose power (thanks buried power lines!) and fared well through the storm. I saw Pepco trucks driving around our neighborhood over the weekend. I have yet to see or hear of a snow plow getting to our roads.

But we did have someone with a bobcat our clearing our parking area today. If he hadn’t been out there, we wouldn’t have dug out because even if we dug around the car, there was still 30″ of snow between us and a road.

Snowy Sunset

A mini-rant about snow clearing

There are some people very angry about their roads not being plowed today. And I understand that. We’re all frustrated with the huge amount of snow. It’s going to be a problem for the week to come.

It’s going to be piled in parking lots for a month. Side roads and neighborhoods are going to be clogged this week. We are all in this together. Snow plows have buried your intersection with a major road. Your road hasn’t been plowed yet. Your driveway has a new snow wall defending it. Try to be patient.

I know it’s infuriating and you feel like the state is doing this to you personally. They aren’t. They’re trying to clear main roads first. This is why Maryland’s Governor closed down two major interstates yesterday.

Once main roads are clear, secondary and neighborhoods roads are next. There are thousands of miles of roads to clear and millions of feet of snow to move from them. It’s going to take time.

The main roads need to be cleared to get emergency services out and able to respond. The main roads need to be clear for you to get anywhere once you get out of your neighborhoods.

I grew up in the country and getting snowed in was a way of life for me. We had a neighbor with a tractor we’d pay to clear our driveway. But the roads always took many days to clear.

This storm, named Snowzilla, ranks as the snowiest on record for Baltimore, second snowiest on record at Dulles, and is tied for fourth snowiest on record in D.C.

It’s a huge amount of snow that will take time to clear. We all think our roads are the most important. And they will be cleared. Just give them time to work. These guys have been out working all weekend trying to keep up with the storm.

They’ve worked long hours, they’re tired. They’re doing a thankless job. Give them time to work. They’ll get to you. Until then, have a drink.

Snow cup
Snow drink

Snowed In

It’s snowing here. It’s been snowing since yesterday. Like most of the east coast, I’m staying home. I’m not going anywhere. But I did shovel out our front and back doors as I watched the snow pile up. The only trucks I’ve seen driving through our neighborhood are Pepco (power company) trucks. No one else is trying to go anywhere which is good to see.

The road conditions are terrible. The snow is still falling and the wind is blowing. We have power and are all set for the long weekend of snow. We dug out our front and back door since the snow was making me nervous piling up on the glass sliding door. If you’re under snow, stay inside and stay safe.

Covered Car
This used to be a car. Now it’s a pile.

Shoveling out
Trying to make some progress. We shovel, we wait 5 minutes and its covered again.

Front door, before!
Front door when I opened it this morning.

Back door piled with snow
Our back door before I shoveled it out.

Front
We found a door!

Trench
Being a good neighbor, for what it’s worth.

Squirrel
I give this little guy credit for his endurance.

30" of snow
There is a bit of snow in the area. Our back deck has about 31″ of snow all over it.

And what’s a storm without a little fun. Here’s the Fastest Shovel in the East.

I am the fastest shoveler in the East.

A video posted by Carl Holscher (@carlholscher) on

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