SHEEPSHEAD BAY'S ONLY INDEPENDENT NEWS BLOG

I am literally – literally – foaming at the mouth of the thought of spring. I’m so eager for the warm weather that when I first stepped outside this morning, into the 50+ degree weather, I said “hot diggity ” and stripped down to my boxers, mixed up some mojitos and sat in a lawn chair in front of my house.

Then I realized there were no babushkas around me, the younger gals weren’t yet in their, uh, more amenable attire, and the sound of school kids at Homecrest Park weren’t echoing through the side streets. I must have jumped the gun on spring.

And how could I forget that just three days ago – three! – it was a white winter, with a heavy, wet snow blanketing the neighborhood (if only for a moment). Luckily, some of our friendly neighborhood photographers sent over what they got from Friday’s snowfall to remind me just how darn far away warm weather really is. There’s also one from the Church Avenue Q line station that was just nifty.

Thanks guys: Robert Fernandez, Roman Kruglov and Ella Rabinovich.

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Nemopocolypse came and went, and while it was historic snowfall for other areas, Sheepshead Bay saw just nine inches of snow – making it a fairly routine blizzard.

Department of Sanitation did a fantastic job clearing the roadways quickly, and transit workers and management kept the system on track with little incident.

Responsible neighbors woke up Saturday morning, donned warm clothing, shoveled their properties, and dug out their cars. For the most part, it was a perfect snow; a blanket of white followed by warm temperatures and clear skies that made cleanup a breeze.

After taking care of my own property, I struck out Saturday morning to capture the neighborhood engulfed in white powder – and so did many of our readers. Below is a photo gallery of my photos, as well as those of the following contributors: Karen Hill, Cookie Ann, Sasha, Kathleen Higgins, Randy Contello, Katerina and Lelde, Brian Hoo, Melissa K., Igor G., Iris and Jake Rubinsky. Thank you for all of your submissions!

View the photo gallery.

Source: MyPublicDomainPictures.com

Alternate Side Parking rules will be suspended today, February 11, to facilitate snow removal and on Tuesday, February 12, and Wednesday, February 13, in observance of President Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday and Ash Wednesday.

Payment at parking meters will be in effect throughout the city on these days.

Vic DiBiteto is clearly a victim of the media hype surrounding Nemo – which, by the way, is a name bestowed by The Weather Channel, not the National Weather Service, which doles out the real names, and never to winter storms.

Anyway, Vic, a comedian and former performer at the much-missed Pips, needs to get his bread and milk before the flurries start falling.

Have you picked up your bread and milk?

Thanks to Ann H. for pointing this out to us on Facebook.

Winter storm Nemo is taking on the northeast today and tomorrow, throwing government officials and media outlets into a tizzy.

While we know New York City has certainly seen worse than the foot or so of snow expected, the precipitation combined with high winds and storm surges in coastal areas merits some caution.

The current predictions from the National Weather Service are as follows:

• Rain and snow will turn into all snow by 3 p.m., totaling 2-to-4 inches before evening, with wind gusts hitting as high as 39 mph.
• Snow will pick up in the evening, with as much as 5-to-9 inches piling up, and winds pick up speed to 46 mph.
• Snow will continue into Saturday morning, adding about one inch into the mix, while wind gusts slow down a bit to 41 mph. Saturday will be mostly sunny, with highs around 31 degrees.

The high winds are expected to fuel a storm surge of three to five feet, an amount that Southern Brooklyn would normally handle without incident. However, concerns are that some coastal defenses remain down after Sandy, and some flooding may occur locally.

So what’s the worst that can happen? While the Weather Channel may be calling Nemo “historic,” and the city is rushing about to look as prepared as possible following Bloomberg’s 2010 mishap, we think we’ll be all right. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare. Here are some precautions you should take:

• Avoid unnecessary travel – Wet or icy roads are dangerous enough. But also avoid going out on foot or any other means. Strong winds could dislodge tree limbs or other debris, which can turn deadly.
• Prepare for power outages – Charge all of your mobile devices and any other electronics you may need, and make sure you have fresh batteries in your radios and alarm clocks. Con Edison infrastructure is still vulnerable following Superstorm Sandy, and power lines can be knocked out.
• We hate telling people to stock up on water, gasoline and other such supplies, but if you can, you should.
• Check on your neighbors, especially if you live next to senior citizens or disabled people. Hey, even if they’re better prepared than you, you’ll score points for being a nice neighbor and maybe they’ll invite you over for some pie another day.
• When shoveling, don’t overexert yourself, and be aware of utilities. Don’t cover up fire hydrants in mounds of snow.

Currently, alternate side parking is suspended, but meters are in effect and school is in session. If you get antsy waiting for the city snow plows, you can monitor their progress at PlowNYC, set up after complaints from the 2010 blizzard.

As for Sheepshead Bites, we won’t be freaking out, but we will be covering the most important information about the storm as it happens. Turn here for the latest information from government authorities and utility companies, school, transit and road closures, as well as on-the-ground reports from readers around the neighborhood.

And remember to save our e-mail address (tips [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com), phone number (347-985-0633) and Twitter account (@sheepsheadbites) into your phone. If you see downed trees or power lines, flooding, or anything else, snap a photo with your cell phone and e-mail, text or Tweet it over.

Oh, and send all your pretty snow photos over to photos [at] sheepsheadbites [dot] com.

Good luck, and be safe!

Soruce: weather.com

There was a time when I enjoyed snow and snowy days. There used to be a thrill in getting off from school, or work, and then adventuring out into the fluffy white stuff and frolicking around.

Those days are gone for me. I hate the winter and its frozen air, shutting us in our homes and whipping our faces with cold when we try and walk around outside. Sadly, it looks like we are about to get a big dose of winter this weekend, as Nemo blows into town.

According to the Weather Channel, Nemo could be a storm of historic proportions. I think I speak for about eight million people when I say this city has had its fill of historic storms recently and the promise of a new one does nothing but fill me gloom.

On the bright side, barring a miscalculation from the weather experts, Nemo will hit hardest in New England, burying Connecticut, Massachusetts and Maine with two to three feet of snow while New York will only be dealing with about a half a foot of snow; annoying, but manageable.

So, just in case we get a taste of what is expected to be dumped on New England, it might be a good time to stock on groceries, reassess any serious weekend traveling and prepare for potential power outages caused by high speed damaging winds.

Best of luck and stay safe.

The Department of Transportation is suspending alternate side parking this Friday, February 8, due to preparations for the predicted winter storm.

Payment at all parking meters will still be enforced citywide, so feed those machines.

Source: Dan Hendrick via Twitter

The weather has been crazy lately. Yesterday, it was almost 60 degrees. Just a few days ago, we were enjoying the slightly cooler pleasures of 10 degree weather. Our buddy and Jamaica Bay Lives documentary filmmaker Dan Hendrick tweeted us this incredible photo of Jamaica Bay frozen over near completely. Dan let us know that the Bay has not been this frozen in years. Pretty incredible; thanks for the great photo, Dan.

Photo Curtesy of Katherine V.

When it snows every year, we LOVE when our readers send us pictures of the neighborhood covered in all that fun white fluffy stuff. Well, last weekend it snowed, barely, and the lovely Katherine V. was the only one who sent in a picture documenting the unforgettable events of “Blizzard ’13.”

I love this scrappy little snowman. He is filled with all the emotion that Mother Nature’s recent light dusting was capable of mustering. The only thing he needs is a name…any ideas?

Doggie photo taken this weekend, submitted by Yelena K.

The weekend came and went and we finally saw the first semi-serious snowfall of the season, with approximately four inches blanketing Sheepshead Bay.

It looked pretty, and was just the right texture that made shoveling a breeze. As for the government, they stayed ahead of the curve, canceling planned track work on the subways, suspending alternate side of the street parking, and kept their new Severe Weather website relatively up-to-date.

And now, two days later, warm weather and light rains are clearing out what was left behind.

Not too shabby. We only wish more snowfalls and responses unfurled like this.

But that’s not to say things were perfect everywhere. Some blocks were not plowed as quickly as residents would like, and some homeowners and small businesses preferred to slack on shoveling rather than to do their duty as neighbors. Also, it was cold. Who the hell likes the cold? Not I, not I…

So, we’re acknowledging the good stuff. Tell us about the bad… or, you know, about anything else, since it’s an open thread and all.