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Shutting down Freeways?

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LoathesRaisins
Posts: 3612 - Karma: 4,735
In the east, what does it take to start shutting down freeways? Here in California they start shutting down freeways as soon as it starts to snow a little bit.
Feb 20 2013 1:55AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
I don't know your exact location, but I know you're talking about I-80 or SR 50. Those close easily because of the type of traffic going over them and the people driving them. The vehicles that the average Californian drives is just not suited for anything but dry roads. Most Californians aren't suited for anything but dry roads either. The amount of trucking that occurs over Donner pass completely justifies the closures you speak of. It like Snoqualmie pass on I-90 in Washington. That closes because of truck traffic and much of Seattle's lack of snow driving competence.
Feb 20 2013 4:59AM
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vandersteeze
Posts: 2650 - Karma: 1,511
Ive lived in CA for my whole life and I have never been caught by a closed highway. And I ski kirkwood (highway 88) and that is the highway that closes the most often. What the hell are you talking about
Feb 20 2013 11:15AM
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*simba*
Posts: 9125 - Karma: 512
When I lived in Miami they shut down I-95 for the Toys for Tots Exotic Rally...That was a shitshow.
Feb 20 2013 11:17AM
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Chubbs.
Posts: 1018 - Karma: 2,647
It takes alot of snow. Ive only really seen it happen once and that was last week when we got that huge storm. Whenever the plows cant handle the amount coming down they will pull the plug. Hardly happens though
Feb 20 2013 11:21AM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37380 - Karma: 119,964
They never do where I live which is odd because I live atop of a summit (parleys summit, gets you from SLC to PC/Wyoming) and we get whiteout conditions everytime it nukes. You can see the ominous sights of flashing hazards in the night. It's kind of creepy when its really late, actually. And it doesn't help there's about 5 ft of snow on the ground.
Feb 20 2013 11:21AM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
only mass and ct will shut down interstates when they get a LOT of snow (see: nemo)
Feb 20 2013 11:30AM
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a_burger
Posts: 5235 - Karma: 20,715
MA shut down everything during the big storm a few weeks ago, but honestly I think it wasn't the right time for it.

Generally they never close but if Boston is going to get hit then everyone just freaks the fuck out and shuts down everything.

The Governor spent that Saturday in an underground bunker for 2 feet of snow...
Feb 20 2013 11:31AM
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timmi
Posts: 12874 - Karma: 3,460
They should shut down the highways through Pennsylvania every time it snows. Couple inches of slushy crud on the road and I've never seen so many cars in the ditch.

Around here in Ontario though they usually will only close a highway if it's so windy that the snow is blowing across the road really heavily. Happens once or twice a year.
Feb 20 2013 11:33AM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
dis
Feb 20 2013 11:39AM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
Bahahahahahaha
Feb 20 2013 11:41AM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
As much as I hated the driving bad it was the correct decision. It kept all the dumbass drivers in their little shit fwd econo boxes and soccer moms in their suv's with a false sense of security OFF the road. I was driving around friday night and saturday morning during the ban and there was absolutely no one on the road except plow trucks and emergency vehicles...I imagine it made their life much easier
Feb 20 2013 11:49AM
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Dunnah
Posts: 1215 - Karma: 277
I live Rochester, NY and go to school in Syracuse, NY  (2 of the snowiest cities in the U.S.) and the highways/thruways are NEVER closed.

http://goldensnowglobe.com/current-top-10-snowiest-cities/
Feb 20 2013 1:07PM
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theblackrod
Posts: 2162 - Karma: 575
It takes the Mayor of your state to place a driving ban, which just happened in New England (I'm from CT) for the blizzard we just got rocked with, but thats pretty much the only reason they do it. It takes an extremely severe storm for them to actually shut them down.
Feb 20 2013 1:41PM
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JakeAssBeatClap
Posts: 6673 - Karma: 2,537
.
Feb 20 2013 1:42PM
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MACAQUE
Posts: 2811 - Karma: 696
People think that Seattle drivers are terrible in snow because the videos of all the crashes don't really do the hills justice. It gets icy as hell and the hills are deceptively steep. People just try to drive in Seattle when it's clearly too slick, so they crash not necessarily because they're "bad" drivers, but because NOBODY should be on the roads at all. Snoqualmie Pass is never bad in terms of "idiot" drivers. I go up there in all conditions and have only seen a few crashes/maneuvers that made me facepalm.
Feb 20 2013 1:55PM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
haha it was awesome right? Boston was an absolute ghost town, every cop I passed didn't give a shit, and red lights were just suggestions. RWD + LSD and unplowed city roads? So much fun.
Feb 20 2013 1:59PM
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3600 - Karma: 3,909
They shut the canyon down from time to time.

It just has not snowed in the past two years, so there is never any issue.
Feb 20 2013 2:20PM
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DutchMastaTHC
Posts: 669 - Karma: 1,770
you were driving on LSD during a snowstorm...what the...I don't even...
Feb 20 2013 3:43PM
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skierman
Posts: 8333 - Karma: 7,779
5ft. of snow on the ground? You live at the top of Parley's, not Guardsman Pass. And the reason they never shut it down is because it's an important connecting point and a part of the Eisenhower interstate highway system which means the plows are constant on it. It only gets bad once or twice a year.
Feb 20 2013 6:24PM
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prosnurfer
Posts: 1842 - Karma: 83
meand my friend and gf took l and i drove us in a intense snow storm 2 hours north of my town tolyndon vermont. it was greatuntill we were comming on hard  full blowen trip and got stuck behind a snowplow for 7 miles. sooo many flashing lights hahahah
Feb 20 2013 6:30PM
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Chunter
Posts: 2050 - Karma: 1,894
In Oakland the freeway will close whenever you want it to.

Feb 20 2013 7:08PM
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
never people in ny know how to drive and plow correctly. although the some roads gets closed when it floods.
Feb 20 2013 7:15PM
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,507
i am 90% sure that at 25 the dude plowed into that 55mph sign.
Feb 20 2013 7:20PM
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nagger
Posts: 1576 - Karma: 883
in ontario they rarely close due to snow. its usually from big accidents and pileups that they close down.
Feb 20 2013 7:28PM
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-AM-
Posts: 162 - Karma: 116
VT, NH, ME, all take a TON of snow to close roads. With Nemo we got 3 feet of snow Fri, Sat, and into Sunday, and had school on monday. My cousin in MA missed like 3 days of school. Basically around major cities and stuff we close down fairly easily, but if youre out in NH, ME, VT, or rural areas it takes quite a bit of snow.
Feb 20 2013 9:45PM
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AT-AT
Posts: 3281 - Karma: 3,256
A few years ago they closed the 90 around buffalo. Took a storm of three feet to do so.
Feb 21 2013 12:47AM
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Lucas
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 1,575
So much respect for that haha I can't even imagine how hard that would be. Sounds fun as fuck though.
Feb 21 2013 1:03AM
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Nemmy
Posts: 3 - Karma: 31
I hope to god you are referring to a limited slip differential. If not, it must have been an interesting experience.
Feb 21 2013 1:14AM
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*Bird
Posts: 1895 - Karma: 316
snoqualmie only really closes for avalanche bombing I'm pretty sure
Feb 21 2013 3:55AM
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eheath
Posts: 61601 - Karma: 123,020
Never seen a freeway in utah shut down, driven in a good foot of snow on 215 on the way to alta one day haha.
Feb 21 2013 3:59AM
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Funnel
Posts: 7815 - Karma: 1,531
Would a good driver not know when is the appropriate time to drive? Being from California, I deal with much worse snow drivers than Seattlites. It wasn't an attack or meant to be a generalization of everyone in the greater Seattle area. Obviously there are good snow drivers there as there are good snow drivers in California too.
Feb 21 2013 5:27AM
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mmallender.
Posts: 5805 - Karma: 936
i dont think i have ever seen road/highway closures in vancouver (BC) due to snow, however, thats not to say that the entire city isnt shut down in an inch or less of snow due to all the idiot drivers.
Feb 21 2013 5:53AM
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
I was tripping balls, you wouldn't imagine the way snow sparkles when it's hit by plow truck lights
Feb 21 2013 9:26AM
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PON3
Posts: 3817 - Karma: 783
I heard they might shut down parts of i 70 east bound to denver for summer construction. That will be a shit show. Not looking forward to that
Feb 21 2013 9:37AM
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