Weather or Not

[Pocket Dave]

That time of year again in N. Texas - usually happens toward the end of January/beginning of February - ICY ROADS, CANCELLED GIGS.

We're watching out for a possible Winter storm coming in late night Friday - about the time we'll be loading out. Current forecast has temps by then in the 20's (F) so the 14 overpasses I have to traverse to get home from Dallas to Fort Worth will probably be at risk.

Saturday evening's gig looks like a complete washout if the forecast sticks. So much so that I accepted a Sunday gig to make up for some lost revenue, which is also in jeopardy of cancellation if the roads don't thaw or if they re-freeze with lighter Sunday evening traffic (also a Dallas gig).

Don't you just love this time of year?

What do you folks do in the midwest and northeast US to cope?

 

[pepj]

Winter is a write off for outdoor gigs.
Thankfully most places we would want to play invested Civod money into garden and courtyard furntiture and cover/marquees.

Road condition is an issue for the audience which invaribly have to travel themselves.

Haven't got much bar work..which suits me.. and thats plan B, but we find bookers are looking to the spring and summer calendar right now for outdoor stages.

I'm aiming to do 25 dates a year and I've probably got most of that already. Winter months, I'm down to 1 or 2 a month for Nov to Feb. But Dec makes up for it.

 

[Krakmann]

Salud!

This past weekend, I had two shows in northwestern Spain, when Jan-Feb snows can also be troublesome, and we were quite worried. We passed totally white countrysides, but there were no closed roads, we got lucky. It would have taken a VERY serious forecast alert to cancel. You just... keep going.

 

[rooster]

I live up North next to the canadian border...Way upstate NY..Tonights forcast -10 below zero with the wind....I stay home!!

 

[bassdude51]

What do you folks do in the midwest and northeast US to cope?

Drink lots of beer and watch TV.

 

[BassBrass]

Road conditions are a little different places that are used to snow, we have a fleet of plows and salt spreaders. It's quite an effort. Unless it's over a foot, life just goes on. My local landscaping co switches over to plowing in winta, and the town has little plows to do the sidewalks (it's our responsibility before freeze up to put guide stakes for the sidewalk plow).
And while MA drivers don't generally get or deserve praise, you seldom see many spinouts and off road sledding (in a car) because people know not to speed on slippery surfaces....of course that may be from Experience spinning out, trained in how to handle the wheel and keep calm in a spinout especially back when cars were rear wheel drive. (for snow, other than chains and snow tires, there's nothing better than all-wheel drive)

With the changes going on with the Northern jet stream "untethered" wagging like a dog's tail due to Arctic heating, I expect places like Texas will have to invest in some of that ultra cold snow infrastructure so people can at least have "continuity of basic services". Weather extremes (including fire and flood) may be brief and rare, but it only takes once.

 

[Zooberwerx]

I live up North next to the canadian border...Way upstate NY..Tonights forcast -10 below zero with the wind....I stay home!!

I used to do long-term assignments in Massena...I can vouch for this.

Riis

 

[Bassdirty]

Don't you just love this time of year?

What do you folks do in the midwest and northeast US to cope?

Curl up in the fetal position and cry for about 5 months, is usually the standard. Garners best results, Pretty Much.

 

[Aledal]

What do you folks do in the midwest and northeast US to cope?

Snow tires and pessimism.

 

[2saddleslab]

Drink lots of beer and watch TV.

View attachment 7413654 View attachment 7413657

 

[JazznFunk]

We're going to get our first significant snow in about 10 years this weekend from the same system if it holds together like the models are showing. Here in the Western NC mountains, it means everything shuts down, and it's a nice respite. The main problems come from people who think they know how to drive in snow, and can't. It's safer to stay home and off the roads for that reason alone. We also don't have the plowing and infrastructure support to have 'business as usual' like in other areas. Most concerning is that we haven't had the potential for a foot or more of snow in over a decade, and certainly not since Hurricane Helene. Our power and water infrastructure are still very fragile, so we're preparing for the potential loss of heat and other resources if we get the major snow event they're forecasting. Thankfully we've got gas logs that can be powered by a battery backup start at our house, which is huge. Temps here are supposed to persist in the 20s and even single digits into early next week, which won't help. These extended super cold periods were not the norm 25-30 years ago when I was growing up here.

In short.... I'm staying home, staying warm, and if we have power, probably recording in my home studio. Super glad I don't have gigs booked, not that it's normal for this time of year anyway to have a slate of them.

 

[eldorado2001]

Up north we load our AWD cars/trucks and go.

 

[Goatrope]

Our "weather" season begins in June, although we don't see much impact until late August/September.

We've all become pretty good at predicting storm tracks and potential impact. It's just the price of admission to very mild winters.

When the major storms come through, gigs are canceled. It's expected. The only question is, for how long. Our particular area was hit hard in 2024, and some venues never returned. Others reopened nearly a year later. But most years, it's typically a week or so of impact.

That was a lot of gigs lost in the 2024 aftermath. We cope by getting together and doing a bunch of work on new material, plus messing with new gear.

 

[BassBrass]

Up north we load our AWD cars/trucks and go.

except for when this happens, note it's almost always truckers who have to be out More than 100 vehicles involved in Michigan crash as snowstorm moves across US I wonder if it happened during the aurora? that would be epic movie footage
Yes I get my US news from The UK Guardian.

 

[JazznFunk]

except for when this happens, note it's almost always truckers who have to be out More than 100 vehicles involved in Michigan crash as snowstorm moves across US
Yes I get my US news from The UK Guardian.

Yep.... way too many people down here in NC think AWD means you're invincible. Especially new Subaru drivers. AWD helps you go.... it doesn't help you stop.

 

[lark_z]

Yeah, I grew up in Waco. When the ice/sleet hits, you just stay home. I live in the Midwest now. We have salt and snow plows. The worst were the few times we had ice during my years in Houston. You do NOT want to be anywhere near a icy freeway with Houston drivers on it.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Of course, the store shelves will be wiped clean of bread, milk, & eggs. Apparently, when it snows, everybody wants French toast.

Riis

 

[2saddleslab]

I worked at airports all over the world and when in Cleveland they would land & take off in 4' of snow without issue.

While returning from Aruba I landed in 1/2" of snow in Atlanta on Friday, it shut the entire city down, & didn't get out of there until Sunday evening!

 

[ardgedee]

Of course, the store shelves will be wiped clean of bread, milk, & eggs. Apparently, when it snows, everybody wants French toast.

Around here, along with bread and dairy, people hoard bottled water and alcohol and toilet paper.

 

[J Wilson]

You can handle snow, etc , to a certain point.

After that, NO gig is worth wrecking you car or truck and getting injured or worse.

This was a when you cook up a big pot of chili, gumbo, or chicken and dumplings and wait it out.

And it's not just snow: I had gigs pulled for a hurricane !!