scrubbedexpat091

Sun is out a bit. Snowed quite a lot. Around minus 1.

Forecast for today up to 15cm snow/mixed precip.

Stinkypup

This pretty much sums it up... Apologies to those with a delicate disposition

Siouxie

Snowing up a storm here.. big white blobs of white falling in a never ending stream and swirling down from the grey sky.

JonboyE

It is quite nice in White Rock at the moment. However, the forecast is that the temperature might fall below zero overnight in the coming week. Food parcels will be appreciated. Maybe someone can put the army on standby.

caretaker

It's nicer than it was yesterday.

scrubbedexpat091

I am impressed with how well the city kept the main roads clear.

Snow removal isn't always the best in these parts.

Over 30 cm fell overnight plus what was on the ground from the previous day. And up to 10cm possible today/tonight.

"Over 30 cm of snow fell overnight. Another 10 cm is forecast for today. Many roads have deep snow and drifts. The public is advised to avoid driving and only go out if absolutely necessary. There are many abandoned cars around the area causing problems for traffic. Crews are working 24 hrs and are concentrating on priority routes only at this time. Property owners are reminded to please clear sidewalks in front of their property."

Oink

We didn't get any snow last night but I think we're in for some more in the next couple of days. I'm already fed up with winter.
If it's going to do this again next year, I'm going naff off somewhere warm and sit on a beach for Christmas.

Souvy

Oh bollocks!

I'm going to have to shovel that crap later. And the plough just left a replica of the Rockies at the bottom of my driveway

Wednesday can't come too soon. That's when my snow blower is being delivered.

Atlantic Xpat

My first job this morning was to go buy new shearbolts for the snowblower. My first job after work will be to replace the busted one. We have 25cm+ forecasted for overnight into tomorrow. Top Tip - always have spare shearbolts as you are going to break one at an inconvenient and least expected moment.

Souvy

I'm new to all this. What is a shearbolt? Are they all the same?

Also, oil. I don't imagine that the blower will come with oil. What do I tell the missus to buy?

dbd33

If push comes to shove, take the one out of the auger.

dbd33

Shearbolts are bolts that are designed to break when something has gone wrong and is not yet a disaster. For example, if you suck a driveway marker into the snowblower, the shearbolt should break before the rotating gubbins gets expensively mangled. The bolt breaking stops the supply of power to the moving parts. The blower should come with a spare shearbolt, take it to TSC immediately and buy a handful as they're not all the same and metric ones won't quite do.

Souvy

Ah. Thanks. What is TSC?

As for oil, I guess I won't know until the thing arrives and hopefully has a manual. I would imagine that 208cc dual phase engines use the same oil but I'm not mechanical so I don't know.

Atlantic Xpat

dbd33 has explained shearbolts. There will likely be two, one in either rotating combine havester type bit at the front. They are special bolts designed to shear when you hit something you didn't see under the snow. Regular bolts would not shear and you'd f up the blower big time. Replacing them is invariably a bugger as the blower will be cold and covered in snow, you'll be in the garage in -whatever C and you'll have to drift out (punch out with a hammer, screwdriver, punch etc) the body of the bolt that will be left in the axle that the blades spin around. Then you'll have to get them lined up to put in the new bolt. A faff, but I'm not terribly mechanically capable but manage so I'm sure you will.

The place you bought the snowblower from should be able to supply shearbolts. Failing that Canadian Tire if you dont have a Tractor Supply Centre (TSC) handy.

What make of snowblower are you buying? It should come with Oil i think.

dbd33

Is "dual phase" marketing speak for two stroke? If so, the oil is mixed with the petrol, it comes in bottles of about half a pint, one of which you tip into a five gallon can of petrol.

TSC is the name of a shop, it used to be Tractor Supply Company but the Canadian wing split off from the US one and doesn't use the full name. It's the place for country stuff like snowblower parts. Princess Auto or Bolts Plus would also have the shear pins.