Friday, February 27, 2009

A Ride Home in Light Snow

The forecast was for a slight chance of snow, more towards the evening today. So I rode to work on Maria, my 2004 R1140RT since the forecast high was only 40°F.

Things started looking a bit iffy on the radar on or about noon and it started flurrying around 1330 or so. I decided it was time to go home before the snow started sticking.

I geared up while heavy flurries fell on Maria and I in the parking lot. A bit unnerving but the snowflakes would melt immediately upon hitting the pavement so I kept going.

The ride home was in heavy flurries and wet looking but heavily traveled roads, till I got to the intersection of Arapahoe Rd and Parker Rd, then the sun which had been hidden behind dark gray clouds started peeking out. The flurries lessened at this point.

I must have hit every single red light on the way home, giving me plenty of time while stopped at them to ponder how much colder the pavement was getting as I waited there and the snow continued to fall.

Once I got on Orchard Road, which is a main artery neighborhood road to my home neighborhood, the roads started looking wet again since they was less traffic on the road. No problems though, since I was riding in "rain mode" and being very very smooth on braking and turning into curves slowly.

I got home with no problems and got the following pictures to give you an idea of the flurries I mentioned.



Really though, I shouldn't have worried so much since:

A. I've been stuck riding in worse weather.
B. The snow was melting as it hit the ground so the ground had retained enough heat. In fact, I took some temperature readings with a touchless thermometer when I got home and the lowest reading I found was 42°F!

Still, after my accident in June, I did feel a bit more stressed than usual. : )

Ironically, as I am typing this, the skies are clearing, the sun is out and the roads look bone dry. I should have just stayed at work an hour longer, waited for the snow to stop and then come home. Oh well, that's Colorado for ya....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yeah when I walked home at 330pm I didnt even need a beanie. I think youre photoshopping the snow into your photos to make your readers think you are gnarly.

Brian said...

I went out to meet my girlfriend that same day. I hadn't paid attention to the weather reports and we went down to the CB & Potts on Arapahoe Road. I live near the corner of Holly and Orchard so I went back through those neighborhoods and came out on some side street to Arapahoe just as some very light flurries began. They ended rather quickly so I thought nothing of it. Around noon the flurries picked up and by 1230 they were really kicking. I managed to get home around 1300 just after the roads started to show the wetness. Didn't think to grab my camera. Wish I woulda!