VMI- Winter Storm Travel Advisory

Just a heads up to those whose kids may be travelling from VMI tonight or tomorrow (or Va Tech or VWIL/Mary Baldwin). There is a winter Storm expected starting this afternoon that is predicted to bring 14-18" in the Lexington area and >1 foot into the DC area. VMI has issued the following travel guidance for cadets who have not completed their finals and are expecting to travel this weekend (like mine and his room mates!)

"Barracks and food services will remain open to accommodate cadets who can not depart. In the interest of safety: cadets may remain in barracks following the completion of their exams and are highly encouraged to do so if road conditions deteriorate or airline flights are cancelled..."

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http://www.vmi.edu/NewsCenter.aspx?id=4294969412
Good luck to any cadets in that part of the state or those of you who may be planning on connecting thru Dulles/Reagan National or BWI. Dress and Stay warm; stay safe and make sure you keep your cell phones charged to call home and tell them you will be delayed!

VPI is buried in snow

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I haven't heard Va Tech referred to as VPI for decades!!

TPG:
bad weather everywhere it rained her today about 1/4 inch and the temp is in the high 60s almost time for extreme foul weather gear.

Im still in the process of trying to get home from VT! I was supposed to fly out last night to FL but the snow started just as my flight was supposed to leave. So now Im stuck in a hotel and cant even get to the airport because cabs/shuttles aren't running...

Im still in the process of trying to get home from VT! I was supposed to fly out last night to FL but the snow started just as my flight was supposed to leave. So now Im stuck in a hotel and cant even get to the airport because cabs/shuttles aren't running...

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Well - you need to stay there until you know that the airport is open and flights are flying again. Whatever you do- you don't want to be stuck with no place to stay. Don't know about Roanoke Airport- but Dulles is closed - United has already cancelled son's flight for tomorrow morning.
Good luck Nick- Stay warm!

Still nothing running to Roanoke airport right now. But its clearing up outside and forecasts for the late afternoon are good so hopefully we can all get out today.

Looks like most northeast airports are a no go for today. Latest advice was don't count on much for Sunday since the planes are being stored in "safe" locations.
News saying Monday will be the best bet for getting a flight out due to so many cancellations.

I was going to head back up to VMI for the December graduation to visit some of my Brother Rats, but I'm pretty well snowed in. Here's to hoping I can make it out so I can fly from Charlottesville to Cincinnati tomorrow... haaa.

But what a terrible letdown. Done with exams, made it through another semester--and then you have to stay at the Mother I even though you don't even have any PTs to march. Glad my rat flew out for TX last night.

USNA1982BGO said:

Looks like most northeast airports are a no go for today. Latest advice was don't count on much for Sunday since the planes are being stored in "safe" locations.
News saying Monday will be the best bet for getting a flight out due to so many cancellations.

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Yep- I was on the phone this morning for about an hour around 0400 this am waiting for a United rep to come on- but they were helpful when finally got to the head of the queue. Son was rescheduled for Monday late afternoon out of Dulles. Now he and his roommate are sitting in barracks counting snowballs- the others got out before the storm began.

...and im still sitting in roanoke. Its open for flights so I need my plane to get here before the snow picks up again.

One of my kids is stranded out on I-95 south of Fredricksburg. All hotels are closed and Rte 207-301 is closed. they went 4 miles in 2 hours. It's ugly.
The commonwealth of Va hasn't been updating their traffic website to reflect the incidents and closures.
Finally got to Rte 1 and finally moving. slowly.

Oh yeah and the Ravens had to push back their game tomorrow to 4:15. I doubt they will make it since the Bears won't fly in until tomorrow am. lol.

tpg - true but the website gave the illusion it was being updated. at 8:30 pm I was looking at incidents that were supposedly updated at 20:00. very deceiving.
all's well that end's well - the 6.5 hr trip was 13 hours.

Dulles closed but re-opened at 6 am. Ditto Regan National. BWI kept one runway open. All per the Washington Post. It will still be a while before they can resume full operations.

I'm supposed to fly out of Charlottesville at 1:05pm with a connection in Philadelphia. C-ville appears to be flying, but Philly is grounded. They don't know of delays/cancellations until six hours in advance... at which point I'll already need to be at C-ville, which is an hour and a half away in good weather.

This could get interesting. But at least I'm not stuck at VMI.

I hope everyone made it out OK.

I had the opportunity to drive in the storm and after the storm. Drove up to goaliegirl's school in central NH Thrusday night/Friday morning. Caught a couple hockey games at a regional tournament Friday and Saturday. Got her equipment back to her school and we left at 1600 Saturday.

Made very good time (intentionally driving fast knowing that the storm would slow me down later) and stayed away from the coast as long as I could driving across CT. Didn't see any snow until I left Hartford and by the time I hit I684 traffic (what little there was) was down to 40 MPH. The last 20 miles through Westchester County was really ugly where you needed the momentum from going downhill at 30 MPH to get back up the next hill. Things improved on the I87 and the Tappen Zee bridge was well cleared.

Heading down to my SIL's in the last 5 miles on the Garden State Parkway was iffy. 20 MPH but fortunately it was uncrowded so you could adjust to different traction conditions. Pulled into SIL's house at 2230, about 1 hour longer than normal. About 12 inches down.

Sunday driving strangely enough was worse. It wasn't bad to start. Roads were clear through NJ and PA. Unfortunately, the crews in West Virginia and Virgina and a few stretches that were not cleared by sunset and well iced, so traffic was backed up miles at a stretch. Things finally loosened up near Roanoke, so I could make up some lost time.

Made it home by 0030 this morning, when normally I'd have made it by 2230. Most importantly, we made it safely. Glad I didn't do this as a flying trip, or I'd probably still be stuck in Boston.

Once again, hoping everyone makes it home safely,

VMI:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Son4iQ6beUU

All's well that ends well. As I was sitting in a church in New Hampshire last night with my son in uniform beside me and my daughter and wife next to him and my brother and his family nearbye- I was feeling really thankful and blessed & the frustration of the blizzard, the cancelled flights and the Monday flight delays disappeared. I hope that all of you also have gotten past the hassle of the travel and the buying and got the chance to joyfully celebrate Christmas with your family.
Merry Christmas to all of you!

Bruno, your son still wears his uniform on furlough, even as a Third Classman? What a tool... you can tell he's a CPL! This four-year PVT outgrew that after Thanksgiving furlough of rat year.

Wait... actually, come to think of it, I wore my uniform once during Christmas furlough of rat year too. I had to do it as part of not just a dyke mission, but a granddyke mission!

I brought my coatee home for professional pics First Class year, but other than that I never even brought uniforms home after rat year.

RahVaMil2009 said:

Bruno, your son still wears his uniform on furlough, even as a Third Classman? What a tool... you can tell he's a CPL! This four-year PVT outgrew that after Thanksgiving furlough of rat year.

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Just depends on how much squeeze your alumnus father puts on you to wear it. Doubt I will be successful again though as carrying it home meant he had to check his bag at Dulles which he then waited for in Boston for an extra hour.