Bragu, where do you live?

We had a pretty good wind storm the other night; a big gust came through and boom, boom, boom I could hear and see the flashes of transformers blowing all over the place. My lights went off, but then miraculously came back on - a couple of times. Heard some good sized branches hit the roof. Yesterday I tried to see what was on the roof and spotted a large branch up against the wood stove chimney and the metal cap seemed to be atilt. I called the chimney sweep co. to see if they could come check it before I build a fire....we are expecting chilly weather and possible snow by Friday, which means more trees down and power outages, so not having my wood stove would be a problem. They are coming tomorrow. But then at 6:30 am the power went out (no wind) and the power company said it would be restored by 6 PM. My grandson had spent the night, so I had to make his lunch in the dark with no water, but we scooted out to Starbucks for breakfast to get him to school on time. When we left, there were about 10 power company trucks on the road, so I think they had turned off the power to make some kind of major repair. It came back on by 10 am so I didn't have to lounge under the duvet and read my book all day. Darn!

two hours to dig out the vehicle ... thanks snowplow

We will get some overnight tonight, but the next biggie is Friday evening into Saturday. We could get 6-8”. Of course DH will be out of town, and he is a shoveler so we don’t have a snowblower. I I it’ll be a wet snow anyway, not very blowable, but that means it will also be heavy. Ugh.

I have a distant recollection, or perhaps it’s just a dream, or something I read in a book, of blue skies and sunshine. Legend goes that it exists in a wondrous land called Arizone, so we will voyage there next week to see if it’s true.

Outside...so sorry to hear of your disaster. Last winter was warm without any snow and this year is making up for it although it still isn't cold. Last night at midnight it was 60 and the normal high for the day is 38!. Climate change is here folks whether or not anyone believes it. It's windy here but so far the power hasn't gone out but that's a worry because of my koi ponds. They need oxygen. Maybe the wind will dry the trail so I can go there tomorrow instead of walking in town.

Outside -- Very sorry about your condo disaster. No fun trying to right things when you're not on the spot, too.

bpath -- Oh, stop taunting us about going to warmer climes. Just as well your DH won't be around to get a heart attack shoveling the heavy, wet stuff predicted for here. Hope your flights will be without delays. (That's the part I don't miss about not going to Maui in winter anymore.)

Outside, sorry about your lake condo.

Here in Alberta we have had very little snow up until yesterday and the temperature has been above 0 C. Very unusual for us.

Well, the snow has come, which I don’t mind but the temperature has dropped to -25 C. and it looks like a week of -40 C. coming up with windchill around -50 C. Time for sensible clothing 🤠

“Arctic air is funnelling into Alberta to end the week. Temps from –30°C to -40°C are forecast for Friday and Saturday, with wind chills from –45 to –55 expected.“

My husband has booked a trip to Cancun in two weeks and I guess I’ll humour him and go with him.

Outside playing just want to say how very sorry I am that you have lost your condo. I hope it is put back even better than it was.

Stay safe everyone. These storms are terrible. We get heavy rain day and night but we're used to it here in Vancouver area. The winds are knocking out our power lines more than ever before. It makes it harder to keep warm and to eat warm food.

@suzieque, bragu is in Iowa. I think about 2 hours north of me.

Thank you, littlebug. I didn't know if she was reluctant to say, as she hadn't responded.

I am in New England and we got 15 1/2" over the weekend! And then torrential rain on Tuesday. What a mess.

Outsideplaying, sorry to hear about your condo.

We never got the snow that was expected this week but another system is coming. My friend in Northern NV sent a picture of a foot of unexpected snow at her home. She's breaking out her cross country skis! All we've gotten so far this week is a ton of rain. My backyard is a soggy mess.

We have the same Arctic Outflow warnings as roxsol but being on the coast we won't get as cold. But the central and north areas of our province will be extremely cold.

We were supposed to get snow with this but it is clear and sunny today. We could really use some ( a lot) of snow as our snow packs are pretty low.

Chisue, it’s a toss-up. I’m here for the heavy snow, but will gone for the single digits. Honestly, I don’t mind if it’s cold, I just want blue sky and sunshine!

Ironic to read an Atlantic article about the lack of snowpack all over the world. Earth is now TOO WARM, and the result is too little snowpack and too much rain.

bapath and I had lovely SUN this afternoon, the last we'll have for here for the whole week ahead. Whatever happened to super cold, but sunny?

blfenton, yes we certainly need the snow but there is none in the forecast, just cold!

Blue skies though. 🙂

My sister wrote to me and asked if we were having crazy weather - we are not. It is cold, but still in the low 60s for highs and upper 40s to low 50s for lows.

I checked her weather report and found that near record lows are forecast for Austin for the beginning of next week - even as low as 15° for Monday and a wind chill of 1° for Tuesday morning. That's what I would call crazy weather.

Lars, this is our forecast converted to Fahrenheit.

I hope your sister fares well in her location.

yes, another 9 inches into friday-sat and temps in single digits til mon-tuesday, just SW of des moines ... we be shuttin' things down ...

Whoa, Nelly, Roxsol!!

roxsol, there are some things that shouldn't exist and I think temps that low where humans dwell is one of them. Holy Toledo! Or more accurately, Holy Alberta!

roxsol, there are some things that shouldn't exist and I think temps that low where humans dwell is one of them.

Lol, Olychick. I think most people would agree with you. Hopefully, those that do move somewhere else. You shouldn’t have to live in a place you don’t like.

We usually have cold winters but this short spell is an exceptionally cold one.🥶 You can dress for it. I make a point of going for a walk everyday. Today, I went for a quick 15 minute walk and enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.

I’m glad I live here.

“Extreme cold is hugging Western Canada with especially brutal temperatures, with one major international airport predicted to see a wind chill of -64°C this weekend.

According to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), the Edmonton International Airport is in store to see -46°C Friday night with a wind chill of -58°C, creating “hazardous frostbite conditions.”

🙂 We made the news! This is the airport I’m flying out of next week for Cancun. I read today that many of the flights have been cancelled because the de-icing of the planes has been ineffective. Next week we should be out of this cold snap.

okay, it was 16 inches this time; 29 inches since tuesday ... now we are down to blizzard winds and extreme sub zero cold for a week ... no global warming here; perhaps an ice age !

and here i am, nestled in my bed, with visions of snowplows dancing in my head ....

Outsideplaying, sorry to hear about your condo but glad that you have insurance to cover your loss. I am guessing that high winds were mainly to blame. Will you buy another in the same area?

Driving toward Palm Springs on I-10 on Thursday evening, we encountered a huge trailer that had blown over on the freeway, blocking the two left lanes, and so there was a 5 minute delay, which could have been worse. There are so many trucks on I-10 day and night, and it always seems that there are more at night. At this time of year, there are a lot of people with vacation trailers and mobiel home on the freeway. The population of the Palm Springs/Coachella Valley doubles in the winter.

Roxsol, I wish you luck for getting your flight out of Edmonton. I cannot even imagine temperatures below 0° F (-17.8° C). The previous owners of my house here in Cathedral City were from Ottawa.

Yesterday morning, it was 38°F (3° C), which is the coldest I can remember, but there was no wind and therefore no wind chill. Daytime it is only getting to 65° F (18.3° C), but it actually feel warm in the sun. We plan to plant some more cactus this weekend, and we would not be able to do that in the summer. We bought four cactus plants from L.A. that we have in pots and had decided that they would do better here in the ground.

Thanks, Lars. It’s supposed to be -5 C. the day we’re leaving so we should be fine. They usually have to de-ice wings when we go somewhere in the winter but I‘m sure these exceptionally cold temperatures have also affected the efficiency of the ground crews on the tarmac.

bragu, get out of bed and make sure your vehicle isn’t in the way of the snowplows again!

😁

This was on the Smiles in Kitchen table.

Thirty days has September,

April, June, and November.

Unless a leap year is its fate,

February has twenty-eight.

All the rest have three days more,

excepting January,

which has six thousand,

one hundred and eighty-four.

Keep those snow plows running, bragu! Because of the weather, we post-poned a drive through Iowa headed to Minnesota. We'll go later next week.

Here's a view of an Iowa highway from the cab of a snow plow 20 minutes ago. It looks like they are doing a fabulous job of keeping this highway clear, but look how whited out all around! This highway is listed as "impassable" in some areas.

I keep hearing strange noises outside. Probably branches cracking, metal contracting, etc, but it’s a bit disconcerting. It’s about 5°F outside. Not that unusual for us in winter, but it hasn’t been this cold for a year or two, and DH is out of town, so perhaps I’m just hearing things more!

bpath, sounds seem louder in cold air and sound travels further in cold air.

“In chilly air, sound is amplified. This is because sound waves tend to refract more when the temperature drops, and they are generally refracted towards the earth. Furthermore, the sound's intensity will be increased.”

Meanwhile .... we're threatened with a nasty cold snap too. Could go down to 43f tomorrow! I'm bundled up in my thermals, although the postal and construction workers are still insisting on wearing their shorts. 😉

For those who are snowbound ... Spring IS on its way.

We were supposed to get snow yesterday but then not. Forecast for snow today and next couple of days. It's well below freezing here, -2 if you count the wind chill. I feel bad for those up north. I need to get some eggs and bread. Not sure I want to go out in the cold though.

It’s below 0 since last night. I’m glad I shoveled (third time) while it was still 23°, it was actually quite pleasant out. We got a blowing dusting of snow overnight. This morning I was hearing a very strange, kind of tinkling sound. I could not for the life of me figure out where it was coming from, surely something in the house was affected by the cold! Finally I looked outside. The guy across the street was using his battery-powered LEAFblower to clear the snow! It was very effective! (and convinces me that I’d rather hear battery leafblowers than gas or electric, the rest of the year.)

I’m watching replay of the Danish queen’s abdication and accession of the king. It’s warmer in Copenhagen than it is here in Chicago, it’s in the 30s F there!

29" of snow since Tuesday is a good start. We didn't get even a 1/4" here north of Minneapolis and feel cheated out of all the fun. I was ready and totally rebuilt a 8hp snowblower and the back blade on my tractor and no snow for me to push or blow.

Yesterday evening we got this emergency alert on our TV and phones. The sound of the alarm scared the beejeebers out of me. 😳

Apparently, the power usage plummeted within minutes of the alert. No blackout, at least not for us, and the alert was removed within a couple of hours. Good job, Albertans 👍🏻

https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/every-megawatt-matters-albertans-respond-quickly-to-emergency-alert-after-electricity-grid-alert-issued-1.6725426

It's still not bitter here in PA except for the biting winds. It's upper 20s low 30s but ferocious winds. I told my husband to check the generator. I love cold, hate wind. Give me a 20-degree day with calm winds and I'll take that a million times over 98 and humid. I already dread summer.

Outsideplaying , sorry about your condo, hopefully they could rebuild it soon. Now days I am wondering if all homeowners insurance are replacement value.

We got 1' of snow over night. We have 2 snow blowers, but the big one just quit. It looks like we need to have 3, 1 for backup. We have a long driveway plus a loop, we normally run 2 snow blowers together. Going out to help with a shovel.

Give me a 20-degree day with calm winds and I'll take that a million times over 98 and humid. I already dread summer.

this describes me to a T!! i'd even take a 0 degree day with sunshine and no wind. we have been below zero for what seems like endless days. right before the temps plummeted, we had rain. overnight on friday, my sliding glass door that i use a hundred times a day froze shut. i still can't get it open so i'm having to use the front door which is a longer distance to get to the garage and the fenced back yard...very inconvenient. thankfully, the danes have a dog door so they can go in and out at will.

i woke up yesterday morning to NO hot water. i have left faucets in both bathrooms and the kitchen dripping since early last week but obviously, something is frozen up. i have a plumber/contractor coming out sometime today to see what's going on and hopefully fix the issue. with windchills of -25 to -35, i am not inclined to wander up the lane to my mother-in-law's house to shower so i'll just have to stink until this problem is fixed. i did manage to get my hair washed but the icy water was most unpleasant!!!

my van started right up yesterday but my tractor balked for the first time in the 12 years i've had it. i know it'll start when it warms up but in the meantime, the bucket is rapidly filling with trash bags to go to the dumpster.

i'm so over winter at this point and i feel like a caged animal!!

We also got an emergency alert/request to lower our power usage as the grid was maxing out (not much snow here, but unusually frigid temps). Our power company, Puget Sound Energy had some kind of crisis at their natural gas plant, so without natural gas providing power, things were strained. Immediately on Next Door a bunch of jerks started posting that there was no way they would conserve, we pay too much to be cold in our homes, I'll show them, I'll turn up the heat because it's all a fake crisis to ask for a rate increase under the guise of the grid being inadequate. You people turning down your thermostats are a bunch of sheep if you cooperate. I honestly couldn't believe it.

I posted suggesting that no one was expected to turn off their heat, but they could put the DW and washing machine on delay start to run in the middle of the night when demand is less. One woman wrote she would never do anything so gross as to let her clothes sit in the washer! I asked why...because they will mildew! In 4 hours? In the PNW in the middle of a low humidity cold snap? People are really something.

So far no brownouts, so I hope most people cooperated.

Outside so sorry to hear about your condo.

I was beginning to feel sorry for myself for weather going into the teens tomorrow and then saw Roxsol's posts and have changed my perspective.

Haven't seen posts from Faron here recently, he always has funny stories to tell about his cold weather, uff-da.

I had an email from our furnace company yesterday. They suggested to set the temperature of the thermostat and not run a program, as the work to heat up the house from a lower nighttime temperature to comfortable daytime in this extreme cold is a strain on the furnace. And to run the HVAC fan, I guess to circulate the warm air more consistently.

Sorry to hear about your pipes freezing Ninapearls. Hope things start warming up for you soon.

Olychick, I'm not surprised by those type of people anymore. I just turned my thermostat down to 68, from 70. No notice to conserve here, but the house feels much colder than 70 anyway with my heat pump (which I hate) so a couple degrees isn't going to matter. I have a small space heater at my feet.

Sometime last night it snowed. Possibly a half inch at most. It had stopped by the time I noticed it, late at night when I went to let Chewie out. 11 degrees here, with wind chill 2. I went out yesterday for some food, to Wal-mart. All bundled up. I got some pinto beans, ham hocks and corn bread mix, so you know what I'm having today!

Beans & Cornbread!

Sorry about your pipes freezing, Ninapearl.

Things are warming up here! We just headed into town for provisions-sugar and lard.

😁 Just kidding! But we did need to run a few errands and this was the car dash while I was waiting for my husband. -28 C

Yes, things are definitely warming up and now we may get our needed snow.

eta Eek ! I just noticed that I wasn’t in park!

Ninapearl....Sorry your pipes froze. The caged animal thing...me too! My cats aren't getting along. The long haired one has decided he doesn't want the short haired one touching him. Great! -5, snowing ALL day....they're sitting on separate heating pads.

Ninapearl, sorry to hear you got frozen pipes. Hope your plumber could fix it for you today. I am wondering if plumber could put heating tapes on your pipes. Do you have s basement?

The Hawkeye Cauci was tonight ... so many brave souls in -3 degree weather and 20-below windchills. Was interesting because the typical caucus sites got switched around ... a lot.

I am wondering if plumber could put heating tapes on your pipes. Do you have s basement?

it's a mobile home so no basement. the plumber did get into the crawlspace and said nothing is damaged so no burst/broken pipes. they will be back tomorrow to thaw/insulate/heat tape the hot water pipe so hopefully, i'll soon be back to "normal", whatever THAT is!