Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

[Ridgerunner]

I think Im in for an interesting week way down here. One weatherman is saying Its going to get bad! Its going to get bad! Its going to get BAAAAD!!! I dont know why I bother watching him. Another is saying some of us will see freezing rain, some will see snow, some will see sleet, well all see something but there is not a lot of moisture to work with. There will be power outages and hazardous driving so prepare. A reasonable, calm, informative approach, not inciting people to panic.

The forecast gets us below freezing tomorrow, Thursday, probably a little after daybreak. The next time we see above freezing temperatures is maybe Wednesday or Thursday of next week. High Friday is only 36. Our lowest projected is + 5 Fahrenheit Friday morning and zero Monday morning.

Other than keeping water for the animals the cold doesnt worry me. We can manage. My concern is stuff falling from the sky causing power outages and making travel real problematic. I got gasoline yesterday and cranked the generator. Today I start the indoor propane fireplace and clean the area around it. The generator will power the freezer and refrigerator at the same time or the water heater by itself. I have propane camping gear I can cook on if I have too, outside of course. Well be OK.

 

[digitS']

I woke up thinking about the weather . . . but, everyone knows that, anyway .

I cleaned that dirty battery terminal and checked the antifreeze level in the pickup yesterday. Pickup cooling system is good to minus 18. That isn't good enuf! I've seen it colder than that in November. Still, I'm not on my way to the General Store to get antifreeze . . . no, I'm likely to be heading that way if'n I can't find all the stove pipe and fittings.

You see, heat is entirely dependent on the utility company in this house. Both, gas and electric is needed for that furnace. I've got some baseboard heaters in one room - no help there. There is a full propane tank for the barbeque on the deck - it had better stay out there. A little camp stove that is good to go.

I have a cast iron wood stove in the garage. I've never brought it in all the time I've lived here. I will have to carry it down into the basement. Then, I will have to rig up a stove pipe to exit thru a basement window. Joy! But, it will work. I've just got to make sure that the pipe and fittings are still at hand; I don't know why they wouldn't be but I gotta know.

The big pile of garden stakes will be my fuel. Then, I know of some dead tree branches. I've got a chainsaw. After that, I guess it's the wood fence, especially if I've burned up the gas in the pickup and the stations are still closed.

Possible, sure. There were entire neighborhoods, even city neighborhoods, without power for over 3 weeks one time following an ice storm. All the businesses closed including gas stations. It isn't at all likely. After all, this is a place where a lot of hydro-electric power is generated. That isn't likely to go down because of an ice storm or a brown-out because of sub-zero weather. We is prepared . . . sort of . . . now where are those pipe elbows . . ?

Steve

 

[897tgigvib]

Here at the lake I'm the 911 they call for the jack frost things. Yep, got the main valves off, the spigots opened and drained, including the bathouse. Hopefully it'll all be good.

 

[NwMtGardener]

Oh goodie, the forecasted temps have been revised lower. Friday high 1 degree with a wind chill to -35, then Friday night low -20 with wind chill as low as -47. WTF?! I'm on call Friday night, I really hope I don't have to get up out of my warm bed in the middle of the night and go outside into -20 degree temps!!!

 

[digitS']

Count on it.

If you have a block heater for the vehicle, plug it in.

I never had a graveyard shift job but once owned a diesel . . . let's see how I can tie those two concepts together . Anyway, had the heater plugged in and happily drove off in the morning for work. Couldn't start the thing to get home.

Steve
who used to burn a roll of oil-soaked toilet paper in a can under his volvo when he first moved up to this country. well! i won't be advising that!

 

[bobm]

This morning in SW Washington the Weather Underground weather station is about 1 mile from our house ... it recorded 14.9* with wind at 0.0 mph. with predicted high of 34* . Black ice all over the roads. Jack Frost is sure busy these days.

 

[ducks4you]

We've never gotten lower than -20 but one time I had to drive to the farrier when it was this cold, so we kept the truck going there, and also in parking lot at the Amish restaurant, so that we COULD drive it home.

 

[canesisters]

is 67 here

 

[journey11]

62 and been raining all day here. Heather, I am feeling very sorry for you right now! I can't imagine temps like those. -15 is the lowest I recall seeing in recent years here and that is a rarity.

 

[TheSeedObsesser]

It been about 60 yesterday and the first half of today, cooling down fast and calling for below freezing temps and snow for tomorrow.

MtGardener, if you have to crawl out of your cave make sure to wear your wooly mammoth skin! If you don't you may wake up a good 1,000 or so years encased in block of ice, and being thawed out with a blow-drier!

No, seriously! That sounds plain ole stinkin' cold!

Edited to correct spelling - again. :/