[Bristol-Birds] WINTER STORM WATCH FOR SATURDAY CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS

From: "Wallace Coffey" <jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Bristol-birds" <bristol-birds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:18:56 -0500
Winter Storm Watch
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN
318 PM EST THU DEC 17 2009

...HEAVY SNOWFALL POSSIBLE FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MORRISTOWN HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING.

RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SNOW FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE INTO
  SATURDAY EVENING...AND THE SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES FRIDAY
  NIGHT.

* 3 TO 6 INCHES OF TOTAL SNOWFALL IS POSSIBLE BY SATURDAY
  AFTERNOON.

* TRAVEL IS EXPECTED TO BECOME HAZARDOUS IN THE WATCH AREA
  ...MAINLY FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY.
THE WATCH
AREAS MAY NEED TO BE UPGRADED TO A WARNING TONIGHT OR FRIDAY.

A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR SIGNIFICANT
SNOW...SLEET...AND/OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS. FUTURE DRIVING
CONDITIONS MAY BECOME HAZARDOUS...SO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE
LATEST FORECASTS.
THE FOLLOWING CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS MAY BE IMPACTED Saturday, Dec 19, 2009 
Breaks Interstate Park CBCSaturday, Dec 19, 2009 Buchanan County CBCSaturday, 
Dec 19, 2009  Elizabethton CBCSaturday, Dec 19, 2009  Glade Spring CBCSaturday, 
Dec 19, 2009  Greeneville CBCSaturday, Dec 19, 2009  Wise County CBCSunday,   
Dec 20, 2009  Mount Rogers CBCSunday,   Dec 20, 2009 Roan Mountain CBCIt would 
be helpful if each count compiler or organizerwould provide a status for their 
counts as soon as they have any indication to all birders on Bristol-Birds.Do 
not wait until the last minute. Some will be ableto share the if and and buts 
about what will determinetheir decisions and that could help other compilers 
ororganizers.If you have a count in the higher elevations for theDec. 19 that 
will be rescheduled, you will given participants on your count an opportunity 
to planto participate in a count that will be a go for Saturday.If the snowfall 
is heavy, the higher elevations of theDec 20th counts at Mount Rogers and Roan 
Mountain maynot be a go.IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN YOU ARE PLANNING:All 
roads in the region are not equal.  For example,some rural areas have extensive 
unpaved roads.Sullivan County has no public roads that arenot paved (exception 
federal roads in the CherokeeNational Forest). More than half of the counts 
arein Southwest Virginia and this highlands area is mostly at higher elevations 
than in Northeast Tennessee. Snow depths can be much heavier in those 
Virginiacounties.Each county in Northeast Tennessee maintains its ownhighways 
with county highway departments and countycrews.  Equipment, manpower, 
chemicals, etc. varyconsiderably according to the size of the countythe terrain 
and financial conditions on a local basis.The Tennessee Department of 
Transportation (TDOT)maintains all interstates and state numbered 
highways.Virtually all roads in Southwest Virginia are maintainedby the 
Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT)and that includes subdivision roads 
in most cases.Some roads are delayed in being cleared.Cities such as 
Greeneville, Elizabethton, Johnson City, Bristol Tennessee, Bristol Virginia, 
Kingsportand perhaps some larger communities in SouthwestVirginia have their 
own equipment and crews.Pre-treated road surfaces with chemicals are commonon 
main city streets and the snow removal equipment isoften more than adequate for 
the Tri-Cities. Most ofthe crews will work continuously Friday evening asthe 
storm approaches and considerable road clearingwill continue all night.  This 
may not always be thecase for a heavier snowfall coming in on Saturday butthe 
19th is a major Christmas shopping day for retailers and little effort will be 
spared in trying to hold opensignificant corridors. Traffic will be 
exceptionallyheavy as people pour out for the last weekend of shopping just in 
order to enjoy shopping under awhite Christmas season conditions.Finally, 
participating in a Christmas Bird Count evenin heavy snow is a delight when you 
have good conditions.Andy Jones and I had to follow the snow plow into theGlade 
Spring Count one year and we barely were ever ona roadway where any traffic had 
even broken the snowsurface until about noon or later in some cases.  Thesnow 
was dry enough that traction with my small HondaAccord was excellent and birds 
were exceptionallyactive.  We loved every minute.Getting around in these 
mountains and the area is notdetermined by anyone's previous experience of 
drivingor living in snow conditions that have frozen roadsand snow depths over 
their heads.  It is all determinedby how well the roads in very hilly terrain 
have beenengineered, the sometimes surprising steepness of roadswhich we never 
give much thought to until ice and snowcover them.  We are always at the mercy 
of other driverseven when we can handle our own vehicles. Many localdrivers 
seldom face significant snow and there is alwaysthe young people who have no 
ability to judge theirconditions.  I had my car totaled on a slick road in the 
snowwhile out birding with two other birders when we werehit head on by a 
driver who had lost control when hesimply under estimated his ability to handle 
the road.Keep us all posted.Let's go birding . . . Wallace CoffeyBristol, TNnot
[Bristol-Birds] WINTER STORM WATCH FOR SATURDAY CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNTS

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