I honestly don't envy you. I can't imagine how cold I would be where you are. These short very cold fronts make me hurt... all my arthritic joints are screaming.

I need to quit letting the heat go down in the evening... as it just takes to long to heat the house back up in the mornings. Mine hasn't shut off since 5 AM, and it is 7:30 now. I only let it go down 5 degrees right now, but I am starting to think it would be more economically if I just left it at 70 for 27/7. go figure.

Please take breaks during the snow removal, and don't over do.

Moni

I shoveled three times yesterday in an attempt to keep the drifts from getting worse. The wind had been from the north, now from the west. So, what drifted one way yesterday has changed today. I'll go out in a bit. I have several layers and a scarf to cover most of my face. What is bad are the fingers. Two pair of gloves and I still cannot stay out longer than 20 minutes.

We don't have to shovel here, but we have sub-zero weather...all schools in the state are closed (Iowa)

We too are in the red alert area, no one is going anywhere and probably not tomorrow. Our driveway is really drifted and it is a bit of a long one to shovel by hand. Probably our county road is not plowed either. At least our electricity is still on. I try to keep prepared, during the blizzard of 1978 our road did not get plowed for a week. I think they are better at it now. We will see. I don't believe Lowe's will be delivering the washer and dryer today :) Oh, we got 15 inches of snow on top of what we had.

Sue in Central Indiana

Still only looking out the window. Haven't seen a single car go by, nor anyone outside cleaning. That Chili I made yesterday sounds mighty tempting RIGHT NOW!!
Okla: my temp goes down 20 degrees at night. Nice warm bed. Automatically kicks in to have it warm by 4:30am.
Sue: I am an over-stocker. Sometimes force myself not to buy more food for 3 weeks.

We have luckily been spared so much of what everyone else is dealing with. We had some snow last Friday I think it was. A couple inches maybe. It did get cold over the weekend. It was 1 degree here Sat. morning. This morning it is a balmy 35! We did have rain, freezing rain, cold, wind yesterday evening. Our driveway was a sheet of ice.

Our son in Delaware got 6". Daughter in Baltimore also 6".
My niece just got transferred to Massachusetts. They got 14" of snow on Friday.

Kathy, in south central PA

I can't even fathom weather like this..never had anything close to this.

OF, I'd assume that no where is important to be with the unsafe environment outside. Bet it looks cool from inside a warm house.

Poor animals..even they don't want to be outside!

Well hopefully all power and heat source stay going for all those in these extreme cold temps!

We didn't get snow last night, just freezing rain. We are extremely cold now. I let the dogs out at 6AM and it is now 10 AM and they both refused the outside invitation. Wimps, both of them! They were out for less than a minute at 6AM.

We pay a hefty price for snow removal since my DH can't walk well enough to do it. But there are times it is worth it. The fellow has been here 17 times this year already and we pay by the season. The last two winters, he got a big break as they weren't bad ones but we are making up for it this year. He has come more times this year already, than either of the last years.

Funny, I emailed my daughter-in-law last night about blowing bubbles tomorrow. Two problems with it, though: the wind, which will take the bubbles away quickly, and the fact that we won't want little kids out in sub-zero temperatures even for a few minutes.

I'm in PA, and we're getting your weather tonight and tomorrow. Temp at NOON tomorrow is supposed to be zero with brutal wind chills. Makes me a little nervous. The outside cats will have to be indoors, with the warring tribes separated (upstairs vs. downstairs). And I always wish my kids didn't have long commutes in winter weather.

My firewood supply has been diminished by the previous drops in temperature, so I'm running the oil burner today. I'm just glad the dangerous cold and wind will be short-lived this time.

Sounds like you're getting snow, OldFixer. Ours is getting here Thursday, I think. Meanwhile, the most recent storm melted last night. So strange to wake up to no snow.

I love it when you all sign out with your location so we know where that weather is.

Here in North Houston it did make it below freezing. The water containers for the feral cats and animals were frozen this morning.
I tried to cover the atrium plants as best I could yesterday but I didn't want to chance making myself sicker. I just hope my satsuma orange trees survive. I might try to get them in the house if it gets colder. I wish I had one of those tall outdoor patio heaters, I would put it in the atrium and keep it warmer in there.

Everyone stay safe and warm!

Here in mid-Kansas, we had only a few inches of snow...blowing so hard that it is hard to tell, but the wind chill was -30 this morning....lowest temps for 20 years! No schools open on our area. I have some back trouble, so I have been mostly in bed on a heating pad for the last 10 days and I have cabin fever. I am so thankful that my DS and wife checking on me and running an occasional errand. The weekend is supposed to be in the 40s, so that will feel like a heat wave!

I live in the Atlanta area of Georgia. I had to go to dialysis this morning at 4:30, and the roads were wet but when I tried to get out of the explorer my foot kept slipping then I realized the running board was frozen. We have a high of mid 20's today and a low tonight of - 2 or lower. Now we have blue skies. Still cold. We did have some flurries but no accumulations. Come on spring. Even the dog won't go out and we are all huddled under blankets and the fireplace. Our weather is nothing like what some of you are dealing with. By Wednesday we will be having a heat wave,in the mid 40's. Stay warm and safe everyone.
Mary

Ha, the ol' fart is grunting. Takes about 7 scoops to get down to the pavement, which moves you 1 foot forward. Go 20' and the hands are froze. Ready to go back after some hot chicken broth. The wind has diminished, so better get this done, somehow. Driveways are great, except on days like this. Obvious reasons to HATE WINTER. Good luck to anyone wielding a shovel today.

It's a balmy 33 now and I'm out to walk the dogs with treads on my shoes for any ice. It will be below zero tonight and 5 tomorrow. Husband works at a ski resort so he is layered up. I love winter but not these kind of once in decades temps.

I saw a youtube video last year about blowing ice bubbles! Crazy how they shatter like glass.

Though I was raised in a snow belt region and have vivid memories of winters like this, I've lived in the south so long that I haven't seen a snow shovel for over thirty years! I couldn't live in that environment ever again.

Stay warm and safe, everybody!

Here in central Iowa the schools are closed because of the extreme cold. I am staying in today. I did step out early this morning to get a picture of my thermometer reading -20.
Here is something fun: Fill a cup with boiling water, step out the door and fling the water. It will immediately turn to snow as it falls to the ground. A friend said they did that last night with a pan of boiling water.

Honolulu weatherman says it will be cool today...only 79F, with a 'wind chill' due to NNE winds. It's hard to spot the whales in Maalaea Bay due to the chop.

Sue, ducking for cover on Maui

(I am sympathetic to all of you. I'm getting reports from our house and dog sitter from our home north of Chicago and am hearing from our DS and DIL in the city. At least the terminally stupid Chicago Public School system finally declared the schools closed, but not until late Sunday. DIL teaches 8th Grade math.)

O.F. -- Do not overdo the shoveling and exposure. There are no brownie points being awarded. It will melt before your food supply is depleted! LOL

the bubble thing is something my grands would love!! don't know how long they can stay outside but am passing it on!

It is supposed to be 30 here tonight in Central Florida. We spent yesterday sewing together large pieces of frost cloth to cover our crotons and tender plants. I have a couple hummingbirds now so I want to try to keep some of their favorite plants alive. Put out more birdseed today and filled the hummingbird feeders. We are to have two nights of cold temps with a high tomorrow of only 46 and then 80 by the end of the week. Weird weather.

I don't know how you people in Montana , Chicago , Minnesota can stand this weather for long periods. It's below zero here and all the schools are closed. It's very scary and you guys are 20 degrees colder than us!!! I love winter, but not these temps.

Wow, congratulations to all trying to survive this horrible mess. Took almost 5 hr of exhausting and freezing effort to shovel. Only a skinny path to walk, driveway needed more. In-out, in-out warming sessions. O-D'd on hot coffee, hot tea, and chicken broth! Street has a plowed path. Probably safe to venture to work, but debating that option. Hope you took the kids outside for 5 minutes to experience Mother Nature. A "remember when" story they will be telling their kids someday. If the forecast is right, the weekend will feel almost 90 degrees warmer than yesterday. 83 days til Spring.

-22ú here in north central MN this morning with wind chill advisory. It's supposed to get really balmy with temps into the 20s by the end of the week. I'm such a slug with low temps....just want to grab a book and hunker down.

13 when I woke up 15 now in NE Texas

20 below 0 F in central Ontario Can this morning(Jan.7)

Has been extremely cold now for over a week-most temps with the wind chill dipping down to -45F.....on record as colder than it was in the Arctic when I lived there in the 80's

Right now . . . sunny, but 4ð, going up to a sizzling 16ð later today.

There were frozen specks on the inside of my storm door this morning.

Sue

It's cold in Long island, 3 degrees last night, 10 now. But luckily it's a dry cold, no snow forecast. I'm staying in today and will eat whatever frozen food I have in my freezer.Of course I will thaw it and cook it first!

This post was edited by jannie on Tue, Jan 7, 14 at 10:22

It's cold in Long island, 3 degrees last night, 10 now. But luckily it's a dry cold, no snow forecast. I'm staying in today and will eat whatever frozen food I have in my freezer.

Warmer here in ND a -4 but dropping one more night. People are out more but we are not getting the snow like others, just the bitter cold.

Stayed home again. Finished digging, good enough. Got the car started, de-iced, and warmed up, so went for a ride. Roads passable, but quite a slick glaze on top. Back to normal tomorrow. If it warms up, there will be definate problems - no where for the water to go. Let's hope this arctic weather leaves soon.

Since going to early church, last Sunday, before the freezing rain started, I hadn't been out of the house. We made sure cabinet doors under the sink were opened, closed all the blinds and drapes, and just snuggled under the covers! We keep our heat at 69 degrees, and it's amazing how balmy that feels when it's 1.4 degrees outside--which was our seven a.m. temp, this morning.

Today, I ventured to WalMart for a couple of necessities--mainly of which was ice cream!! :>) Tomorrow will be another stay home and stay inside day. Books, computer, and some TV keep DH and I from driving each other crazy!

Aloha from the only State above freezing Monday! I heard reports that the South Pole was warmer than the Midwest.

Glad you are all making it through safely.

This is so hard for me to imagine...we're in the low to mid-60's here in Nor. Ca., though it does get pretty chilly at night. Old Fixer, I'm sorry you had to shovel alone, and glad you made it through. Have a good rest.

Yeah, sjerin (sj for San Jose?), I scratched my head about the "only state above freezing" comment. We need rain but the warm weather over the past few weeks has been nice.

My best wishes to all those suffering through the very cold weather.

Yup, San Jose. I just heard that there is an astronomical (?) station on the island of Hawaii that went down to 25 yesterday, so that means all 50 states were freezing somewhere in the state.

A heat wave here...Bikini time. It's up to 18!

Could be the Honolulu TV weatherman was *exaggerating* the cold elsewhere to make low's in the 60's here sound better.

Maui and Big Island of Hawaii are happy just to get some rain. We had a double rainbow this morning as the sun rose over Haleakala and reflected off the rain over the West Maui Mountains.

I'm happy to see the temps are predicted to rise soon over the middle of the mainland.

Hawaii does have some nice snow ski areas. And that would be Mauna Kea, "Pineapple Powder". Easy to find. Sometimes extremely cold due to the elevation and wind chills. Sjerin was probably right.

Here is a link that might be useful: Snow Ski Hawaii

Yes, this was on top of a mountain--perhaps I got the island wrong. (Al Roker, this morning.)

Mountains are good locations for observatories. :) Severe weather alert, Mauna Kea: * WINDS...NORTHEAST 50 TO 65 MPH WITH LOCALIZED GUSTS OVER 80 MPH...WITH STRONGEST WINDS EXPECTED AT THE SUMMITS. THE ROAD TO THE MAUNA KEA SUMMIT HAS BEEN CLOSED.

Today in SW Ontario, the temp isn't as cold as it has been, all week. It reached -15C which is 5F. All week it's been frigid with temps reaching -20F etc.

It's been on the news that the furnace companies are run off their feet because furnaces quit working. A radio DJ said he woke up yesterday morning to a stopped furnace and it as 12C in the house (53F).

Schools were cancelled because of the cold, as well.

Stores can't keep salt in stock, to clear the sidewalks with. People on Kijiji are making money selling theirs for $50 bag, when they are usually bought for $5, so quite a markup!!

Hey, there, O F ...

... been building any igloos lately?

What's that - "not enough snow"?

Any further comments to make on the weatherperson's reports?

It's a couple of degrees above 0 F. here today ... and windy.

ole joyful ... occasionally accused of being full of hot air

Ah Mauna Kea, tallest mountain in the world. That is, if you count from the bottom to the top. Just cause some of it is under sea level, doesn't mean it's not there. Yes, it has a white cap with snow. Wish I was there so I could go to the bottom and not have snow.

Yes O-J, plenty more snow since then. I-94 was shutdown twice, once due to a 46 vehicle pileup here. 3 dead. But we keep digging and moving, easier than those ice storms. Turn up your hot air, we all need it. Early dreaming for a 95 day at the beach.

Honolulu TV crawl says a man has been rescued after being lost for two days in a snowstorm while hiking -- I presume on Big Island of Hawaii. Probably some crazy *tourist*, although Big Island does seem to have more than its' share of oddball people. DH thinks the police could clear a lot of cases by going door to door south of Volcano. (I am not volunteering for that duty -- too sensitive to, er, smoke.)