Calgary Blizzard

PJ_Soul · December 2013

Oh dear. http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/canada/calgar ... /1.2447123 Doesn't sound so great.

It's not my intention to start a fear mongering thread here or anything, but this blizzard warning for Calgary has me concerned first for anyone travelling to and from Calgary tonight and tomorrow and Tuesday, and as a distant second I am wondering about the PJ crew's ability to get in and then out of the area on their schedule. Feeling concerned about this weather report. I know a lot of you like to think positively, but it's also good to be realistic and, most importantly, safe!

Maybe people can post travel updates here for those who need them... I think flights are expected to be very delayed or cancelled. And who knows what the road between Calgary and Vancouver or into and out of Calgary from all directions will be like. It kind of looks like the blizzard will be in full swing just in time for the hours leading up to the show. :?

Drive safely everyone! Don't take any risks just for a concert!

Here is an update for concerned folks who happen to be flying west jet:
http://calgary.ctvnews.ca/mobile/westje ... -1.1569162

ryanjp2323 · December 2013

Yes, travel and stay safe everyone.

Shouldn't be an issue getting equipment etc... from Calgary to Vancouver eh?

Drivers and road crews are pros. The shows will go on!

ryanjp2323 · December 2013

Yes, travel and stay safe everyone.

Shouldn't be an issue getting equipment etc... from Calgary to Vancouver eh?

Drivers and road crews are pros. The shows will go on!

acharding · December 2013

Be safe my friends!

lastexit · December 2013

And stay thirsty

PJ_Soul · December 2013

lastexit wrote:

And stay thirsty

PJ_Soul · December 2013

ryanjp2323 wrote:

Yes, travel and stay safe everyone.

Shouldn't be an issue getting equipment etc... from Calgary to Vancouver eh?

Drivers and road crews are pros. The shows will go on!

Hmm. I don't know... their plan would be to break down asap and leave for Vancouver Tuesday morning going through the Rockies. it really depends on road crews around Calgary and through the mountains, not on the skills of the PJ crews. if the roads are closed, then they would be delayed... hopefully road crews really have their shit together and the crews can get to Vancouver by Wednesday morning at the latest (their plan would be to arrive tuesday night).... and the band! Not sure if they were planning on flying or going by bus, but either way, huge delays could be possible! Could also fuck up their sleep Tuesday night. After Wrigley, i'm a bit worried. People saying "nah, it will be fine" when it comes to weather doesn't go as far with me anymore! .... I imagine folks going to the Calgary show must be most concerned.... the blizzard is supposed to be full force Monday afternoon and evening. :(

TinAnt · December 2013

Tear down occurs right after the show, and road crews hit the road as soon as their rigs are loaded. The goal is to get into their destination venue as soon as possible without having to have their drivers go over the on road limits. They drive in pairs for safety, but many of the drivers on this tour don't drive in snow regularily so I am a bit worried.

Hopefully everything goes well and everyone can get from Calgary to Vancouver with no issues.

2-feign-reluctance · December 2013

Bundle up & drink some CAN beer
Be safe out there!

PJ_Soul · December 2013

TinAnt wrote:

Tear down occurs right after the show, and road crews hit the road as soon as their rigs are loaded. The goal is to get into their destination venue as soon as possible without having to have their drivers go over the on road limits. They drive in pairs for safety, but many of the drivers on this tour don't drive in snow regularily so I am a bit worried.

Hopefully everything goes well and everyone can get from Calgary to Vancouver with no issues.

Hopefully.... but I can't see them making the decision to take off into the rockies during a blizzard at night. that would be insane. I don't see how they would be able to get out of Calgary before sometime Tuesday (at the earliest). This blizzard is supposedly preceded by freezing rain. The roads will likely be like an ice rink covered in a foot of snow..... Don't blizzards pretty much shut cities down? Will this show even be able to happen? Will anyone be able to get there?? Sorry, not trying to be a doomsday cryer, but this doesn't sound like a very good situation in any way. If I were the crew I'd be seriously considering getting out of calgary before the storm hits (they should be there already by now). Anyway.... nice fucking timing, Winter. :roll:

ryanjp2323 · December 2013

TinAnt wrote:

Tear down occurs right after the show, and road crews hit the road as soon as their rigs are loaded. The goal is to get into their destination venue as soon as possible without having to have their drivers go over the on road limits. They drive in pairs for safety, but many of the drivers on this tour don't drive in snow regularily so I am a bit worried.

Hopefully everything goes well and everyone can get from Calgary to Vancouver with no issues.

Have driven the roads through from Calgary to Vancouver many time in both the winter and summer. Kicking horse can be bad as can the Coquihalla.

Spent one New years at Lake Louise... bus in blizzard was very sketchy from Lake Louise through to Calgary. Spent the night on a bench at the Calgary bus station. :x Haven't taken a bus trip since!

24 -30 hour window to get to Vancouver early Wed AM. Should be enough even with some highway / snow delays. I hope!

ryanjp2323 · December 2013

Some forecasts are calling for a blizzard in Winnipeg Tue/Wed now too. My 6:30 am flight to Vancouver better get in the air! At least the plane should be on the ground overnight waiting for us!

Leezestarr313 · December 2013

Hopefully everybody has a safe trip! (And please, weather gods, make our flight to Seattle on Thursday as pleasant as possible too :shifty: )

PJ_Soul · December 2013

Admittedly, i have a skewed outlook on blizzards, since i live in a city that basically shuts down when there is more than two inches of snow.

A blizzard basically sounds like a major calamity to me. I guess folks in Calgary and the Rockies might consider it no big deal?? Even when driving big rigs through the mountains?? :think: I realize that my west coast wimpery with regard to winter storms may sound ridiculous to those from the prairies and the rockies.

(on the other hand.... it's a blizzard!!! :shock: :P )

Leezestarr313 · December 2013

PJ_Soul wrote:

Admittedly, i have a skewed outlook on blizzards, since i live in a city that basically shuts down when there is more than two inches of snow. A blizzard basically sounds like a major calamity to me. I guess folks in Calgary and the Rockies might consider it no big deal?? Even when driving big rigs through the mountains?? :think: I realize that my west coast wimpery with regard to winter storms may sound ridiculous to those from the prairies and the rockies.

(on the other hand.... it's a blizzard!!! :shock: :P )

In German, a blizzard is a snow storm. I do think it sounds way more dangerous than it is sometimes. But up north in Michigan, weather can become a biatch too....

Not a good thing that I'm working on a docu about the plane crash into the Potomac right now :?

But I'm staying positive. What will happen will happen and the people who work in transportation must be aware and trained for situations like this.

The fear goes away ...

ryanjp2323 · December 2013

PJ_Soul wrote:

Admittedly, i have a skewed outlook on blizzards, since i live in a city that basically shuts down when there is more than two inches of snow. A blizzard basically sounds like a major calamity to me. I guess folks in Calgary and the Rockies might consider it no big deal?? Even when driving big rigs through the mountains?? :think: I realize that my west coast wimpery with regard to with her storms may sound ridiculous to those from the prairies and the rockies.

have lived in Vancouver and now Winnipeg. Small blizzards (snow with high winds) out on the Prairies are like a small snow storm in Vancouver. In Vancouver area i wouldn't venture too far with even a few CMs of snow falling. Hills, idiot drivers etc.. and snow of any type dont mix.

Here, i'd take the car out anywhere inside the city if i had too. Open country / highways between towns cities are where blizzards are dangerous. White outs, low visibility, drifts etc...

Weather gods... just keep the airport here in WPG open Wednesday am please!

wasa1971 · December 2013

Just got back from Spokane about an hour ago, part of the drive was brutal. Nothing here in Calgary yet.

TinAnt · December 2013

Watching the forecast I think this will be no big issue, 20cm of snow is when the Canadian kids go outside and build forts and snowmen. Just give yourself extra time to get places and it will be fine. Going over the rockies won't be fun, but should be passable if the snow falls at the correct times of day.

guitar59 · December 2013

wasa1971 wrote:

Just got back from Spokane about an hour ago, part of the drive was brutal. Nothing here in Calgary yet.

We too just got back. The drive was horrid in some places, but we have been through worse. Roads when we went through were snow covered, but it was too warm for much ice to form.
It takes a lot of snow to shut down Calgary. We tend to take winter storms in stride and just deal with them. Our cars are equipped with winter tires and roads are pretreated to prevent ice from forming as it starts to fall.
There are alternative routes through the Rockies. The storm isn't expected to track through the Crowsnest Pass and the trucks can always head south and use the I 90. I don't think Snoqualmie is as high as the Coquihalla and we have gone South that way to get to Vancouver. It is only a couple hours longer. They are professional drivers and probably made it into Calgary today before we did!

nc_jammer1 · December 2013

It won't shut down the city,..unless its epic storm. Calgary is not known for BIG snowfalls. If you're already in the city, you'll get there , just take your time. Take the train, cab etc if needed. This weather doesn't seem to be affecting BC to0 bad,...just checked weather for Golden (3 hrs west of Calgary), looks decent for tomorrow. I guess we'll see. Travel safe everyone.

Mudfest · December 2013

This is our Third big storm of the year ...
The city and the airport are pros at this by now....

Drive slow , Drive safe and leave lots of time ...

Then lets have the best night ever !!!!

Muddy

lando · December 2013

Ugh, I'm flying in from Saskatoon, hopefully there will not be any serious delays

Ryan · December 2013

Does the Calgary airport usually shut down for this amount of snow? Flying our from Winnipeg around noon, arriving in Calgary at 1:30pm and hoping for the best right now!

prljamgirl · December 2013

My husband and I were scheduled to fly in from Edmonton Monday @noon, but we decided to change it up and fly in tonight....just to try an get in ahead of the storm. Didn't want to deal with delays tomorrow. I'm more concerned now with actually getting to the show....cabs could be difficult to get tomorrow. However, for those of you not from the prairies....it takes a heck of a lot more than 20cm of snow and wind to shut these cities down. You just have to give yourself plenty of time and you'll be good. Another poster was right in that it's the highways and open areas that are treacherous in a blizzard.....city still sucks, but it's manageable!!

prljamgirl · December 2013

Ryan wrote:

Does the Calgary airport usually shut down for this amount of snow? Flying our from Winnipeg around noon, arriving in Calgary at 1:30pm and hoping for the best right now!

No, this amount of snow shouldn't shut down the airport. It may cause some, possibly major, delays however. It's more the high winds that would be a factor over the snow.

Hussa · December 2013

acharding wrote:

Be safe my friends!

Thanx! Gonna be an adventure!!

ShawnKemps7Kids · December 2013

So far its kinda messy out there, not a lot of snow per se but its blowing with at least 40KM/H winds, so driving conditions aren't great and the worst is rolling in later this afternoon, which is also when the temperature is supposed to dip. If you're coming from the south thats where the snow is going to be worse apparently, so leave early and leave some time to travel safe.

The Waiting Trophy Man · December 2013

Yeah more wind than snow right now. Can actually see ridges in the fresh snow that has fallen this morning. But yeah, the wind looks nasty. Good morning to stay in and listen to Strangest Tribe!