Madison

My husband was out a bit earlier and said that while the snow was coming down pretty hard, roads were still decently driveable. As long as the plows get out soon (especially since we knew this was coming), I'd expect things to stay ok until that rain starts later. That's when it is supposed to get gross and hazardous.

Yeah...theoretically, if they plow the snow before the rain, and before the freezing, roads should be drivable. Still, I haven't seen or heard a plow yet, :(

I guess I *should* be able to get to campus okay in my car. The return trip makes me afraid, though.

It was pretty bad this morning - we tried to drive around downtown and couldn't make it up a pretty small hill (ended up just coming back home). Nothing had been plowed. Things might be better now if the plows have been around.

The snow is quite dry, but there's a layer of slush underneath. If you are experienced with driving in snow, it should be fine. If you are not experienced, now is not the time to start getting experience. Wait til you have someone with experience around and free time to practice in an empty parking lot.

Walking will work fine, provided you have appropriate winter clothing. I would not expect the buses to stop running unless we got substantially more than 12 inches. It's the Upper Midwest, they're used to this stuff.

I think I've been convinced by my roommate not to take my car. She tried driving for a ways, and her car couldn't get through the snow, so she had to let it slide backwards down a hill and go a different route.

I guess I'll be taking the bus, and then if they stop running, I'll walk.

We live on the far West side and just got home. Most of the roads are drivable if you are used to winter driving. Most roads around here aren't plowed and it's slow going. The plows are just starting out on the Beltine from what I've seen. But, thus far... nothing too life shattering. It might be worse later on once the rain/ice storm comes in.

I would not count on a cab. We had an issue with that last year when we had people at our home for a party during a snow storm and they wanted to take a cab home because they had been drinking. After waiting for an hour and a half they called the cab and the company said that it would still be hours until a cab could make it there. They ended up just staying the night.

I would suggest canceling plans (people should be understanding of that) and holing up inside your home with some cocoa.

I would cancel if I could, but I'm kind of in charge a student organization that's meeting tonight, and I have to be there. I'll just hope that I don't die!

We live about half an hour west of town, and I was thinking about possibly driving down to Dodgeville and back, if the ice wasn't going to hit by like 5:30/6. From the looks of the radar map, however, that'd be a close call. I think we're going to take our chances with tomorrow afternoon, and see how the roads have been cleared by then.

I caught a bus a little after 11 that was perfectly on time; I was amazed. When the weather gets bad they often run late, but I don't suspect it's bad enough for them to close down entirely. In the 6 years I've been here the only time I've known them to completely stop in the winter was last year when it snowed 18ish inches in 12ish hours.

It's not too bad to walk right now on campus because they have people out plowing etc. I just walked from Monona Terrace to mid-campus (with some errand running along the way) without any trouble.

If you possibly can, I would try and get your schedule going a little earlier (if this is work stuff), maybe go in now so you can catch a bus home around 11. If your plans are just fun or easy to put off, I'd stay at home.

I just went for an 1 1/2 walk around downtown & campus (I live in Wi St & W Gorham). It was a trek a bit of the time because of unplowed side walks, etc. I have to say the drivers looked like they were being pretty responsible. The snow started out soft but by the end of my walk had turned into little shards of ice stinging my face.

I'd stay in at this point if I were you - it seems like it might be getting worse now.

It seems to have changed over to sleet/freezing rain. I just went out and snowblew the driveway so that I won't have a layer of ice on snow. Just a layer of ice.

Be careful.

I hope the plows are out now. I was at Woodman's East about 2 hours ago and no plows had been out yet. The prediction I've heard is that once the snow ends (and it seems to have ended), there would be sleet, then freezing rain, then rain. And the buses in Madison don't run all night, never have. If you need to know when and where they run, try http://www.mymetrobus.com.

I live about 5 minutes from Woodman's East, and while they've not been down my street, they were on the busier street perpendicular to mine about a half hour ago.

I just got in from a walk to the store and there were a lot of drivers around the Capitol. I think it'll be fine once the plows get through. Which they'd better, because I have tickets to a sneak preview of Golden Compass tonight out on the West Side and I really, really don't want to miss it!

*is jealous*

I *just* got home from about a half-mile drive, and the plows haven't been anywhere yet that I've seen (including University and Johnson just west of campus.) I don't know what the deal is with that, it seemed like they were really on it last winter. Driving was tough, getting home, and it hasn't started raining yet.

Hmmmm, well....at least I *think* they were on the road near me before. I'l be honest and say I didn't see them, just went by sound. It sure LOOKS plowed...but may just be from all the driving helping to clear it.

It looks outside like it's letting up a bit. Don't let that fool you. The heavier bands of precipitation are just starting to move into SW Wisconsin. National Weather Service, in their latest update, sez:

THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS NOW PUSHING INTO SOUTHWEST
WISCONSIN...NORTHWEST ILLINOIS...AND EASTERN IOWA. FREEZING RAIN AND
SLEET MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES...LEADING TO SIGNIFICANT ICING LATER
THIS AFTERNOON.

IF YOU HAVE TRAVEL PLANS TODAY...STRONGLY CONSIDER POSTPONING THEM.
ROADS WILL BECOME NEARLY IMPASSIBLE THIS EVENING.

Edited at 2007-12-02 02:00 am (UTC)

It's nasty outside. Stay in if you can. It's actually not all that cold if you're walking, because you have to exert a lot energy to trudge through the snow. But you also get pelted in the face with ice.

Hey, Jackie--if you're stuck somewhere, you can call me. I could pick you up and drive you home if need be, and I'd be sure to drive really, really slow.