Last year it was the power outage while Dan was gone. This year it was being stranded on 270 in Frederick with a quarter tank of gas in a blizzard.
Saturday: The forecast said it would start around 1pm. There was a 30% chance until 1pm of snow from 3-8 inches. It was the Stake Womens Conference, being the RS president I kinda felt like I needed to go. I really didn't think the weather would be bad. Dan had a cub scout training that day as well, which got pushed up and cancelled so I thought I was good to stay for the entire conference.
At about 1030 I got a txt from Dan saying "not going. You are gonna have a hard time getting home. However stay as long as you want." And then, "no one should be out in this". I thought I was there for a couple hours, roads would be plowed and salted by then and I'd make it home slowly. After the conference ended I started to head home. No roads had been plowed leaving 4+ inches of snow and more coming down fast. As soon as I got on to 270 I realized I was in for it. At first there were only 2 other cars out with me. I slowly made my way since visibility was bad and the road was so slick. Just after I passed the 70 turn off traffic came to a complete stop. I was worried I'd already missed my last exit for a long while and was running on a quarter tank of gas. I watched an SUV slide right off the road and into the guard rail of the oncoming traffic in my rear-view mirror. I called Dan and totally started to panic. Dan was pretty frustrated with the situation. He had been watching the satellite and said it wasn't going to let up at all until night when it would turn to freezing rain. Luckily I got off at the last Buckeyestown Pike exit in Frederick. Dan told me to find a place to camp out. I tried the movie theater but the parking lot was too bad to navigate through. I prayed my way through a huge pile of snow to get to the gas station and headed to a hotel parking lot. I just wanted to get home. I decided with a full tank of gas I'd try to go 355. I prayed the whole way home. I talked loudly to the cars in front of me, giving them a pep talk to keep some momentum going up the hills. Other cars were riding cars bumpers even though it was apparent they were struggling. Lots of cars were stranded off the road. Our back road had only been plowed once making it really difficult to navigate. I gunned it to get into our cultesac and into our driveway. I made it home. I've never see the roads so bad, or been in a blizzard like that. I left a little past noon and got home about 3, normally takes about 25 minutes.
So, lesson learned. Check storms via satelite. When Dan says "no one should be out in this" leave pronto. I had the thought to fuel up but was going to do it on the way home. Keep a half tank at all times. And we need to have good car survival kit in each.
Sunday: Church was cancelled, it warmed up to 50 degrees and we played!
