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Jun 1, 2016

TRUCKS GETS STUCK * New Zealand: WEATHER TROUBLES

* South Islands - 'We've got a bit of a jam' - trucks gets stuck as snow causes problems in South Island passes

  (Video by Geoff Mackley / Bradley Ambrose - Jun 7, 2012: General scenes in Arthurs Pass on 07 June 2012 after a major snow dump isolates the town) 

-- Snow is starting to create problems for travellers on the South Island alpine passes, with vehicles held up on the Lindis Pass between Tarras and Omarama today... The temperature was about one degree Celsius in the area this morning, with snow on the road stopping two trucks which held up some drivers... "We've got a bit of a jam," she said in a clip she sent from Lindis Pass where two trucks had got stuck in the ice... Lindis Pass was closed for about an hour from 11am while the trucks blocked the road, but has since reopened... Snowfall on State Highway 73 from the Canterbury town of Springfield through Arthurs Pass is expected to reach 10-15cm... NZTA says travellers should carry chains if driving through the area due to the changing weather conditions... Queenstown Lakes District Council says chains are essential when passing through the Crown Range and on Coronet Peak Rd... Meanwhile, farther south at Milford Rd in Te Anau, one to two centimetres of snow could fall until 3pm... 
Christchurch, South Islands, NZ - One News/Seven Sharp, by Kristin Hall - May 30, 2016

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Jan 25, 2016

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: BLIZZARD in South/Eastern STATES

-- A blizzard menacing the Eastern United States started dumping snow in Virginia, Tennessee and other parts of the South on Friday as millions of people in the storm's path prepared for icy roads, possible power outages and other treacherous conditions... Snowfall as heavy as 1 to 3 inches an hour could last for 24 hours or more in some areas, said meteorologist Paul Kocin with the National Weather Service. That puts estimates at more than 2 feet for Washington, a foot to 18 inches for Philadelphia and 8 inches to a foot in New York... While some people and businesses worried about the snow, at least one industry could see a potential boom: ski resorts. Many got a late start on the season because of record high temperatures in December... 
 (Alex Wong/Getty Images - A front-end loader piles snow on the East Front of the U.S. Capitol)  --   Washington, DC, USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker, by BEN NUCKOLS and SETH BORENSTEIN - 22 Jan 2016


 * Pennsylvania - Stranded motorists dug out of snow on P.Turnpike 

(WTAE-TV Pittsburgh - Jan 23, 2016: Duquesne University's men's basketball team was stuck overnight on the snow-closed Pennsylvania Turnpike as traffic stoppages stretched back miles in a massive snowstorm climbing up the East Coast)
-- Snowbound college athletes and teenage parishioners spent a night stranded in a miles-long backup on the Pennsylvania Turnpike with hundreds of other motorists, munching on snacks and watching movies to pass the time, before National Guard members and heavy construction equipment began digging vehicles out Saturday... More than 500 cars, trucks and buses, some carrying the Duquesne University men's basketball team and the Temple University women's gymnastics squad, got stuck Friday night as snow started to fall. The Duquesne and Temple buses were freed Saturday night, and Duquesne posted online video of 15 basketball players, coaches and support staff members helping to push their bus... 
(Photo: Athletes, trucks, cars halted on snowed-in Pa. Turnpike)   --  Philadelphia, PENN, USA - AP/abc news, by BEN FINLEY and RON TODT - Jan 23, 2016


* Wisconsin - Trucking company hit by eastern storm
-- The big storm in the eastern U.S. is also having an impact here in Wisconsin... Truck drivers won't be able to make their deliveries to the east coast... Schneider National in Brown County has 11 operating centers in the path the storm... And about 8,000 drivers are out on the roads. Many of them will be delayed... "Our drivers control if they run or not, so it's safety first. The motoring public's safety is absolutely number one concern for us, so they'll stop and they will park," said network director Dick Ritchie to WBAY-TV... Ritchie says the company is sending out warnings and weather updates to the entire fleet, asking drivers to stay in contact and use caution... 
Green Bay, WIS, USA - WKOW - Jan 23, 2016 


* Tennesese - Trucks stuck for days following snowstorm



 -- Multiple trucks were stuck for days following Friday's snowstorm in Nashville after slipping on ice in Joelton... Many trucks were on the road during the storm despite warnings from officials to stay off of the roadways... Devil's curve is the nickname for one of the stretches of road along Whites Creek Pike. “I was climbing the hill, got stuck in the ice, lost my traction, and that was the end of me,” Brittin Lang, one of the truck drivers, recalled... A tow truck came out Saturday morning to try to help the trucks out, but even the tow truck got stuck and had to be helped, so on Sunday night, two days later, the trucks were still sitting on the road, waiting for help... According to Lang, the county won’t treat the road to make it drive-able until the trucks are removed, and the tow company said it won’t remove the trucks until the road is treated... We reached out to Metro Police about the situation, but had not heard back as of Sunday afternoon... 
 Nashville, TNN, USA --  News Channel 5, by Jesse Knutson - Jan 24, 2016

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Apr 17, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: April Blizzard

* Wyoming - Winter weather causes 70-Vehicle Pile-Up on Wyoming Interstate
(Apr 16, 2015 - This video was shared with the PitchEngine Communities by Sherzod Kutfiddinov, whose trucker friend shot it. This wreck involved more than 30 vehicles and injured more 20.The scene of a 70-vehicle pile-up Thursday in Wyoming between Laramie and Cheyenne)
  -- As many as 70 vehicles piled up in one spot of a Wyoming interstate Thursday after a heavy April storm dropped almost 10 inches of snow on the area, authorities said... An almost 150-mile-long stretch of Interstate 80 remained closed in both directions Thursday afternoon between Cheyenne in southeast Wyoming and Rawlins in the central part of the state because of treacherous, slick conditions that caused accidents across the area, officials said. The worst spot was near mile post 342, between Cheyenne and Laramie, two of the state's major population centers... The state Highway Patrol said three major accidents happened in blizzard conditions. As many as 50 commercial vehicles and 20 passenger vehicles were piled up at the scene, it said... The National Weather Service said parts of Laramie County along I-80 got up to 9.8 inches of snow — and things could get worse...
(Facebook/Trista Stiles - An ice imprint left behind by a jeep) 
... Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were ineffect for much of the region Thursday evening... 
Laramie, WY, USA - NBC News - 15 April 2015

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Mar 9, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: Kentucky's - Ohio's - New York's & * Canada

* Kentucky - Wrecks keep traffic snarled on icy Kentucky interstates
-- Temperatures in Kentucky plunged below zero early Friday, and ongoing wrecks had highway crews struggling to keep traffic flowing on interstates that turned into parking lots and agonizingly long waits for motorists a day earlier... Travelers make the journey back to their vehicles Thursday after walking from Interstate 24 to a rest stop at Exit 16 in Paducah, Ky. Hundreds of motorists were stranded for agonizingly long waits Thursday as a late winter storm walloped Kentucky with up to 2 feet of snow, forcing National Guard soldiers and other emergency workers to make safety checks on snow-clogged interstates as road crews struggled to clear roads and wrecks...
(Photo Thousands stranded on snowy roads after crashes. Traffic moves south on Interstate 75 past a hill covered with ice today in Covington)  Paducah,KY,USA -The Associated Press/Transport Toppics, by BRUCE SCHREINER -6 March 2015


* Ohio - Trucker, 6 in family hurt in crash on Turnpike near Swanton. Turnpike wreck causes 5-mile backup

-- Seven people were injured when a tractor-trailer crashed into a minivan stopped on the Ohio Turnpike’s eastbound shoulder near Swanton early Friday afternoon, causing a five-mile backup, authorities said...  The truck driver, who was conscious and alert after the crash but had to be extricated from his vehicle’s wreckage, was taken to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center... As of Friday evening, only the truck driver, Alfred Cruz, 55, of Portage, Ind., had been identified. The people in the minivan were members of an extended family from Minnesota, according to a highway patrol statement, and all were taken to the hospital even though only six were believed injured, two seriously... (Photo: Poor visibility likely played role in Ohio Turnpike pileup ... Crews clean the remains of a multivehicle accident in the eastbound lane of the Ohio Turnpike near the County Road 268 overpass near Clyde on Thursday) - Swanton,OH,USA -The Toledo Blade -7 March 2015


* New York - Cuomo rescue trucks 'costly exercise in futility' - Emergency trucks do best under sunny skies
-- Gov. Andrew Cuomo's fortified Chevrolet Suburban was no match for the swollen rivers overwhelming the Southern Tier... It was late in the summer of 2011, and two successive tropical storms, Irene and Lee, ripped through New York, bringing torrential rains that caused massive flooding, widespread evacuations and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages... Cuomo viewed some of the hardest-hit areas from a State Police helicopter. But the aerial tour limited his ability to get first-hand accounts from local officials and to interact with grief-stricken residents. So he switched to his black Suburban... 
(Photo AP/The Buffalo News, by Sharon Cantillon - Gov. Andrew Cuomo's motorcade drives on the Thruway past abandoned vehicles near Cheektowaga, N.Y., Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2014)  -- Albany,NY,USA -Times Union, by Brendan J. Lyons -March 8, 2015


* Canada

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Mar 6, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA & Canada: Winter Storm Thor causing havoc in wide area

* Truckers need to be extreme careful while traveling highways from Texas to New England
(Photo by TARA BOWIE/QMI AGENCY - A Mt. Elgin, Ont., firetruck attempts to make it's way through the maze of transport trucks backed up in the westbound lanes of Highway 401 just outside of Ingersoll, around 10:30 a.m. Thursday)
-- Winter Storm Thor is sweeping across the country in what many hope will be the final extreme winter blast storm of the season. As a result, truckers need to be extreme careful while traveling highways from Texas to New England. Below is a round up of Associated Press reports from across the country. 

* Texas - Flights canceled, some schools close amid winter storm


(Photo: Push and pull stranded drivers to safety in North Texas on Thursday) 
Dallas,TXS -- A late winter storm dumped up to 7 inches of snow, making roads icy... The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for the Dallas-Fort Worth area until midday. Sunny skies broke through Thursday morning, with temperatures expected in the mid-30s by afternoon as the system moves on... High temperatures usually average in the mid-60s in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in early March... The system plunged temperatures into the 20s before dawn Thursday after a night of freezing rain that turned to snow, dropping 2-4 inches... Grapevine, just west of Dallas, had the most snow for the area, recording 7 inches... Austin had freezing rain, which can be treacherous for drivers...

* Delaware -  Suggests motorists stay off roads during snowstorm


(Photo: Emergency personnel respond to an accident on southbound Interstate 43)
Wilmington, DEL -- Officials in Delaware are suggesting that drivers stay off the roads during a winter storm, particularly during the heaviest snowfall. Delaware closed state offices Thursday and New Castle and Sussex counties closed county government offices. City of Wilmington offices are also closed. Kent County planned to open on time, but the liberal leave policy is in effect...  Gov. Jack Markell warns that roads may be clear during the morning rush, but heavy midday snowfall may mean a tough afternoon commute. Markell suggests drivers who don't need to travel stay off the roads to allow crews to work on clearing snow. The National Weather Service is predicting snowfall of 4 to 8 inches across Delaware. State officials say it is already snowing in northern New Castle County.

* West Virginia - Storm knocks out power, closes roads and schools in


(Photo from DailyMail - Slippery: storm system coming out of Virginia is expected to cause freezing rain Monday morning in Philadelphia, North New Jersey and New York. Above, an icy Interstate 66 near Manassas, Virginia Sunday)
Charleston, W.Va. -- A late-winter storm has left more than 50,000 customers in West Virginia without power and closed roads and schools across the state. The National Weather Service says some areas could receive up to 10 inches of snow by Thursday night. As of Thursday morning, preliminary reports show more than 9 inches of snow in Point Pleasant and more than 8 inches in Parkersburg... High water from heavy rains has closed roads in at least 30 counties...

* Ohio: Snow leads to southern school closures, cancels flights


(Photo from Newsnet5 - Ohio snowplows spreading salt) Cincinnati,OH -- A winter storm has brought heavy snowfall to the Cincinnati area and other parts of southern Ohio, closing schools and creating hazardous travel conditions. Most of southern Ohio was under a winter storm warning until at least midday Thursday. The National Weather Service said some parts of the area would have up to a foot of snow accumulation. The snow was expected to taper off by afternoon...

* Classes canceled in Kentucky, Tennessee as winter storm hits 

(Photo from KENTUCKY TRANSPORTATION CABINET/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS - A still image from a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet camera shows a line of trucks stranded on Interstate 65 south of Louisville, Kentucky, March 5, 2015)
Memphis,TENN -- Schools are closed and flights have been cancelled as a winter storm drops frozen precipitation in Kentucky and Tennessee. Many areas in both states are under a winter storm warning due to a system that has generated sleet, freezing rain and snow. The precipitation is accompanied by sub-freezing temperatures that can create icy conditions on roads and highways. Motorists are being asked to use extreme caution in driving on slick roads. Emergency officials in both states say trucks will disperse sand and salt to treat icy roads. Officials in both states have warned of flooding and power outages. Some roads in northeastern Kentucky were closed due to flooding...

* Flights canceled as 6 inches of snow hit Central Arkansas


(Photo from Concord Monitor: Motorists stranded on icy eastern Arkansas roads. This March 3, 2014, Ariel photo shows semitrailers filling a truck stops in eastern Arkansas) 
Little Rock,ARK -- Little Rock airport officials say 19 flights have been canceled after up to six inches of snow and sleet fell across central Arkansas, hampering travel on Interstate 40, one of the nation's busiest trucking corridors. Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport spokesman Shane Carter said Thursday at the airport is open and the taxiways have been cleared... The National Weather Service reports snowfall in the area should stop by about noon. Freezing temperatures are projected to linger until Saturday afternoon...

 New York,NY,USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker - 5 March 2015

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Mar 3, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: Highways with severe or difficult driving conditions Friday

* New Mexico: Latest winter storm's snow, ice cover highways in 

  -- The latest winter storm to hit New Mexico is covering highways with snow and ice and closing schools in some areas. Highways with severe or difficult driving conditions Friday include a 161-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Glorieta and Raton Pass in northern New Mexico and a 155-mile stretch of Interstate 40 between Milagro and the Texas line... The state Department of Transportation says its crews are plowing, salting and cindering. Areas were schools are closed include Rio Rancho and Albuquerque's east mountains. The National Weather Service says snowfall will gradually diminish across northeastern and east-central New Mexico Friday morning but that another storm will bring significant snowfall to central and eastern New Mexico starting Friday night. Some areas may get snowfall of an inch an hour... Video from Youtube, by StormChasingVideo - Jan 21, 2015: Snow continues to fall over northeast New Mexico into the Texas Panhandle - Albuquerque, N.M., USA - The Associated Press - 27 Feb 2015

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Feb 26, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: Winter precipitation could hamper commute across South

* Texas - More cold, snow, ice, wintry mix ...


-- Winter weather has been a problem for the trucking industry recently as storm after storm crossed the U.S.A. ... A wide swath of the country was shivering in freezing, record-breaking temperatures while other areas were expecting more winter precipitation Tuesday... A mix of snow, sleet, rain and freezing rain was expected in parts of the southern Plains and the South, where school districts in more than a half-dozen states from Texas eastward canceled or delayed classes. Even parts of the coastal Carolinas were bracing for some precipitation... Meanwhile, the East Coast was enduring colder-than-usual weather. Temperatures were well below average in many spots, and even far below zero... (Photo from The Abilene Reporter-News, by Nellie Doneva: An ambulance drives on the snow as seen through a window, Monday, Feb. 23, 2015, in Abilene, Texas. Freezing rain affected travel in nearly half of Texas on Monday, and winter storm warnings were issued in the northern part of the state) -Indianápolis,IND,USA -The Associated Press/The Trucker -24 Feb 2015


* Georgia -  Officials concerned about commercial trucks ahead of winter weather

-- Emergency officials are particularly worried about big commercial trucks out on the interstates during the potential snow and ice... Much of metro Atlanta and north Georgia are under a winter storm warning from 10 a.m. Wednesday until 10 a.m. Thursday... With the expected winter weather, the state is being proactive already in contact with trucking companies letting them know they could be ordered off the interstates... Truck drivers we spoke with on Tuesday night said they will take caution... If the state decides to divert truck drivers, police will likely have the drivers wait it out in area parking lots... (Photo: Why Atlanta was so ill-prepared for a snow storm that gridlocked highway traffic) - Atlanta,GA,USA -WSB TV, by Rachel Stockman -Feb. 25, 2015

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Feb 23, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: America encased in ice

* New York - Stunning shot from space captures scale of the Siberian Express deep freeze gripping the nation

(Shivering states: This satellite image was taken 200 miles up from Earth on Friday, when record low temperatures were set across much of the Midwest, East Coast and South) 

--  The NASA satellite photo was taken on Friday, when record low temperatures were set in several states... Cold is expected to continue, with another 'Siberian Express' expected to hit on Sunday... In frost-hit Tennessee 21 people died in the past week from the weather, while in Kentucky the death toll was 10... Americans living in the eastern U.S. have certainly been feeling the cold this past week, but now they can see it... 
(Frozen harbor: The waters around New York City's financial district were covered in ice this week due to the frigid weather)


(Magical: This photo, captured by CBS, shows ice floes surrounding skyscrapers in Lower Manhattan, including One World Trade Center)

 ... The new round of harsh weather is part of a system that has cut a curving, 2,000-mile path from southern Missouri to Maine. Snow and ice contributed to major delays at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York Saturday, with some arriving flights delayed more than two hours, and flights destined for Newark International Airport in New Jersey were delayed more than three hours, according to a Federal Aviation Administration advisory. Winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings were in effect until Sunday for parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire, the NWS said...

(Incredible: Heavy snow and treachorous ice cover Central Park, which plummeted to a record low of two degrees on Friday morning)

 ... The system dropped steady snow on Washington and Baltimore as it pushed up the East Coast Saturday. West Virginia saw 18 inches of snow, according to state officials... 


( A city truck grades snow as it drives south on US 81 in Enid, Oklahoma Sunday, February 22, 2015) 

 ... Six inches or more of fresh snow was forecast for parts of the Northeast by early Sunday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). Bitter cold is also expected, but conditions should start to ease in many areas by mid-morning, the service said. Following nearly a week of cold and ice in Tennessee, Governor Bill Haslam elevated the state on Saturday to a higher level of emergency... New York,NY,USA -The DAILY MAIL (UK)/REUTERS, by ASHLEY COLLMAN -22 February 2015

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WEATHER TROUBLES * UK: ‘Blizzards & Supertides’ ... Snow storms and ice were predicted

* England - Blizzards blast parts of Britain

 -- A blast of snowy weather has brought blizzard conditions to parts of northern Britain along with treacherous road conditions. A band of wet weather swept in from the Atlantic Ocean this morning, bringing rain to many parts of the country and snow to Scotland and the higher areas of northern England. And forecasters say more is on the way... In the Lake District, motorists got into difficulties in the white-out conditions on higher routes... The showers are expected to move away later today but the Met Office has issued a further warning for snow tomorrow and into Tuesday... Met Office forecaster Chris Page said "be aware" warning is in place for the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland from just after midnight tonight to 3pm on Tuesday. Mr Page said overnight ice will also be a possible problem for motorists... There are currently 16 flood warnings and more than 40 flood alerts in place across England and Wales, most covering western coastal areas. Strong winds and higher than average tides have prompted a warning of flooding risk caused by large waves... (Photo: Cars make their way through sleet and snow in Buxton, Derbyshire) -  London,EN,UK -The Daily Mail/Mail Online/PRESS ASSOCIATION -23 February 2015  
* Britain is braced for a double whammy of bad weather today

... ‘Supertides’ as high as 50ft were expected to batter the West, while in the North snow storms and ice were predicted...  The Environment Agency has issued 60 flood warnings as the unusually high tides threaten coastal homes... Gusts of up to 60mph are expected and further icy conditions are forecast for today and tomorrow ... 
Soaked: Huge waves engulfed Porthcawl promenade in South Wales last night as high tides added to a weather double whammy.

Violent: With the waves crashing over the seafront, there were 60 flood warnings in place for coastal areas of Britain.

... The massive waves hitting stretches of the coastline were said to be the largest in 20 years. They are being caused by the moon being closer to the Earth than usual and causing a stronger gravitational pull... Seaside towns were last night preparing themselves for the next high tide – and the potential damage that it may cause... London,EN,UK - The Daily Mail by SARA SMYTH FOR  & Mail On Line, by MARK DUELL  -23 February 2015

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Feb 18, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: WINTER STORMS: Colorado / Tennessee / Pennsylvania

* Colorado & Tennessee - Strike two trucking corridors
 -- A storm has dropped up to 11 inches of snow on the Colorado mountains and left some roads in Denver and Colorado Springs glazed with ice as winter storms spread across the west and southeast Monday... The town of Black Hawk in the mountains west of Denver reported 11.4 inches of snow Monday morning... The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning for almost all of the Colorado mountains from the northern to southern border. Much of the rest of central and western Colorado were under a winter weather advisory... U.S.A.#6 was closed in both directions over Loveland Pass. Trucks carrying hazardous materials were being allowed through the Eisenhower Tunnel under the pass once an hour. Such cargos are normally barred from the tunnel... State highway officials warned drivers of heavy snow along Interstate 70, a heavily-traveled truck corridor, through the mountains... Meanwhile, weather forecasters are urging motorists across most of Tennessee to stay off roads unless it's an absolute emergency... A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain on Monday is expected to create up to a half-inch of ice on roads in parts of Middle Tennessee, and three-quarters of an inch in parts of West Tennessee... That would include the busy Interstate 40 corridor that carries truck traffic from coast-to-coast... (The Trucker file photo - Weather forecasters are urging motorists across most of Tennessee to stay off roads unless it's an absolute emergency) -The Associated Press/The Trucker -16 Feb 2015

* Pennsylvania - Bill aims to to remove snow and ice from their trucks

-- Truck drivers in Pennsylvania soon may be required to remove snow and ice from their trucks before getting behind the wheel. A state lawmaker is pushing a bill that would allow a police officer to determine if snow or ice poses a threat. And if it does, you’ll have to pay up... Truck drivers tell us it’s a big inconvenience to clean snow and ice off, but they know it’s all about safety. And because of that, they’re all for it... Joe Mitchell has been driving trucks for 22 years. His company requires drivers to clear off their trucks... Current law only penalizes drivers if ice debris cause serious injury or death. Boscola drafted this legislation because of the death of a Northampton County woman. She was killed by piece of flying ice while driving to visit her family on Christmas day in 2005... (Photo: Snow covered Penske truck)-  Harrisburg,PENN,USA -FOX 43, by MELANIE ORLINS -FEBRUARY 17, 2015

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Feb 12, 2015

WINTER TROUBLES & SOLUTIONS * USA: Boston's - New York's - Ohio's

* Massachusetts - Boston turns to snow farms, melting trucks in desperate effort to unclog City streets


-- Over the past 30 days, the city of Boston has been pummeled by multiple storms that have dumped more than 70 inches of snow on the city, breaking the previous 30-day record total of 58.8 inches set in 1978... While clearing the roads and walkways is one challenge, disposing of the large piles of snow scattered around an already congested city is another, especially with a fourth snowstorm forecast to move into New England later this week... The city has received an unprecedented amount of snow, according to Mayor Marty Walsh, and they've had to use industrial snow melters, on loan from Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Port Authority, to melt snow as all five snow farms approached capacity at various points...  (Photo by Eric Fisher: The Boston snow farm in the Seaport) - Boston,MASS,USA -AccuWeather, by Kevin Byrne -February 12, 2015


* New York - Buffalo begins trucking out snow
-- Buffalo Public Works Commissioner Steve Stepniak says he knows private plowing contractors and area residents are having a hard time. He says dump trucks began hauling snow away from Buffalo snow-covered neighborhoods during the weekend... Rocco Guadagna, whose Vision Snowplowing company has seven trucks and a salter explained it’s not just frustrating for city workers... “Every time you do get ahead, it snows again, and you’re back to square one,” he said... The snow has been relentless in the Buffalo area with no thaw since the New Year... Guadagna, who services residential and commercial clients, says the stacked mountains of snow are beginning to spill over into adjoining properties... The problem is compounded when municipal plows make their runs and throw street snow back onto driveways and sidewalks... Buffalo, N.Y.,USA -News 4/WIVB, by Rich Newberg -February 9, 2015


* Ohio - ODOT urges drivers to give snow plows and salt trucks space

-- If you're making your way through the snowy interstates and highways, Ohio transportation officials are advising "don't crowd the plow"... Last year, the Ohio Department of Transportation reported 140 crashes between their snow plows and motorists... So far this year, there’s been 54 crashes at last count. ODOT spokeswoman, Melissa Ayers, would like that figure to stay put... ODOT advises driving at least 100 feet behind a snow plow truck. The trucks have green and yellow strobelights to make them stand out better in stormy conditions... The 2013-2014 winter saw ODOT’s 1,600 vehicles logging more than 15 million miles across the state, spreading more than a million tons of salt... (Photo from Viking-Cives Midwest Inc. - Lanes on the Ohio Turnpike next winter will be cleared by TowPlows, a second snowplow that swings out from a truck, allowing two lanes to be plowed by one truck) - Columbus,OH,USA -Plain Dealer/Idea Stream, by Brian Bull -February 9, 2015

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Feb 11, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: Manufacturing plants canceled operations

* Michigan - Auto plants cancel shifts due to snow
-- Many area Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co. and FCA US, manufacturing plants canceled operations for part of Monday because many employees weren’t able get to work because of the snowstorm... All area plants for FCA US, formerly Chrysler Group, have canceled first shifts because of high absenteeism. FCA US spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said the company expects second shifts to report as scheduled... All of Ford Motor Co.’s production facilities were back up and running early Monday afternoon, but earlier that morning Romeo Engine Plant canceled its second shift and Michigan Assembly Plant canceled its first shift, spokeswoman Kristina Adamski said. In addition, Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant was down for the plant’s. A Crew and other plants were running, but seeing higher-than-normal absenteeism... Four area GM plants canceled first shifts Monday, said GM spokeswman Bill Grotz... Last night’s snowstorm made getting to work difficult for a number of GM plant employees across the Midwest. Plants in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana faced staffing challenges on last night’s third shift and first shift this morning,” he said in an emailed statement... First shifts on Monday were canceled at GM’s Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant, Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant, Orion Assembly Plant and Toledo Transmission Plant. Grotz said some facilities are using down time for maintenance and employee training... (Photo by Robert F. Bukaty / AP: A woman shields her face from the wind-driven snow while making her through a winter storm in downtown Portland, Maine, Monday, Feb. 2, 2015) Detroit,MICH,USA  -The Detroit News, by Michael Wayland, Melissa Burden and Michael Martinez -February 2, 2015

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Jan 18, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: I-84 crash

* Oregon - Massive crash along Interstate 84 near Baker City, more than a dozen semi-trucks involved in crash

(Courtesy of Rachel Lindsey - Eye witness accounts paint the picture of icy, dangerous roads on Intestate 84 near Baker City and a huge pileup of several semi trucks Saturday morning) 
Baker City,ORE,USA -The Oregonian/OregonLive By Andrew Theen -January 17, 2015: -- I-84 semi-truck crash: Black ice, dangerous terrain, poor visibility contributed to early morning crash... Oregon transportation officials closed Interstate 84 east of Baker City on Saturday morning after a massive crash involving more than a dozen semi-trucks... Just before 5 a.m., officials said, an estimated 20 vehicles got caught in a series of crashes over a quarter-mile stretch of icy road about 33 miles east of Baker City... Some 50 vehicles were blocked in the crash scene, including two "transporting hazardous materials," according to Oregon State Police... Interstate 84 finally has reopened to single-lane traffic, Oregon highway officials announced... (Oregon Live/The Oregonian, by Luke Hammill -January 17, 2015)

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Jan 12, 2015

WEATHER TROUBLES * USA: Lethal 123-vehicle pileup ignites truck carrying fireworks

* Winter weather Michigan - Snow, wind and poor visibility were blamed for

(Video featured national on ABC's Good Morning America on January 10th, 2015, by Doctor Proctor - 150 Car Pile-Up on Michigan Highway I-94)
 Galesburg,MICH,USA -NY Post -10 Jan 2015: -- More than 100 vehicles were involved in pileups on a snowy Michigan interstate on Friday, killing a trucker and igniting a fire and explosion on a semi carrying fireworks, police said... Snow, wind and poor visibility were blamed for the chain reaction of crashes on both sides of Interstate 94 in Kalamazoo County, 150 miles east of Chicago. The interstate wasn’t expected to reopen until late Friday or Saturday... A trucker from Ottawa, Canada, was killed and at least 23 people with injuries were taken to hospitals in Battle Creek and Kalamazoo... Motorists who were not injured were taken by bus to warming centers...

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