Live Blog: The Storm

It is predictable that local news stations would be blowing up this winter weather with constant coverage and meteorologists offering numerous predictions. What I didn't expect is WTAE-TV to offer up-to-the-minute blogging of the storm. And while I would love to rip the news station for pushing such an idea, I honestly wish I thought of it first. So here goes my Live Blog of the Blizzard of 2010...

12:09 p.m. - Flurries begin to fall in Allegheny County. I pull a blanket over myself so as not to contract frostbite.

12:30 p.m. - I leave for my local grocery store to fight the masses. The shopping trip is needed to buy buffalo wings, chips and dip for this weekend's Super Bowl. Although I have plenty of milk and toilet paper in the house, I briefly consider buying out the store, then scalping the items in a little stand outside the Shop 'n Save.

2:03 p.m. - Well, that was a mess. As expected, hundreds of shoppers crowded the super market in a last ditch effort to buy stuff they probably already have. As I checked out, the cashier commented that it appeared I was preparing more for the Super Bowl than the storm. "You seem to be the only one," she said. "It's those weathermen and their four-letter word that creates all this fuss."

3:05 p.m. - A light dusting has covered the road passing by my house. Although it's hardly a heavy snow total, I'm sure the driving will be somewhat treacherous for evening commuters. In fact, the carpool lanes through Pittsburgh have been closed due to the weather. Still, you'd think PennDOT would've kept them open until after 7 p.m. today.

4:16 p.m. - The snow ain't stopping and the secondary roads are slick. There has been no hint of a salt truck on these lesser used roads, but main thoroughfares like Interstate 79 and Washington Pike near Bridgeville are clear. Walked by a man in my neighborhood while he was sweeping his sidewalk, and he told me the forecasters are now predicting up to 10 inches in the area. That shouldn't come as a surprise considering the enormous train of precipitation coming from the south.

4:46 p.m. - Rut roh, it's the heavy stuff. Just finished shoveling the inch or so on my driveway, and it's soggy snow. Might be wise for the working folks to do a once-over upon getting home. Tomorrow will be a bear after we get our total amount and have to dig out.

5:09 p.m. - Some people just don't know how to drive -- or park -- in the snow. My girlfriend, Tiffany, had a little trouble pulling into the driveway while coming over for dinner. Although she plowed into my yard, it did make for a very nice artistic design.

TRAFFIC ALERT: As Scott Beveridge mentioned in the comments section, Jim Lokay of KDKA is updating his Twitter account about the weather and traffic problems. I usually don't think news can be tweeted effectively, but Lokay seems to be doing a pretty good job. Click here to check out his traffic updates on Twitter.