North Texas "cold snap"

[Western]

It seems I may have to break out my jacket..Some one left the door open and they are calling for 3 days of low temps, down to 14 in DFW area and lower in the rural areas, add a 25-30 mph wind,,, it will be a bit chilly.

Today will be spent doing my pre-damage inspection Check the pump house, exterior water pipes. Got a bale of hay for the dog house, I will have to run a heat lamp out for this one I think. We have 2 chocolate labs and they take the cold well, but they will need a little more help for this one. Of course got to get "mama" a bunch of wood split and stacked, "work for food" so to speak

Tonight they are adding a 30% chance of freezing rain, so that should add to the morning's commuting festivities. Southerners drive on ice like northerners drive in blizzards.. ( had to throw that in to thwart the "southerners can't drive thing).

I don't suppose I'll see Bird riding his bike for a few day's and I can't wait to see how long Jinman will sit on his pretty new deck

 

[jinman]

You know, being retired and not having to go anywhere is the best thing about the upcoming cold spell. Being on rural coop electricity in an all-electric house is probably the worst thing. If all else fails and I run out of firewood, I have a full tank of gas in my car and a good heater.

 

[EddieWalker]

Same thing here. I have a backflow valve for my water supply that's in a well house. It's not inslated, so I wraped the pipes with an old bed spread and packing blanket. Temps in the teens twice this week without any problems so far. The highs have been in the 40's so that's helping.

Tonight we're at 60% for snow with half an inch expected to acculate. We'll see if it happens. Low temps for Friday - Sunday are 15 degrees with the highs in the 20's to maybe 30 degrees.

This is very unusual and we're breaking all sorts of records here for low temps.

What really sucks is I'm almost done with building a wedding pavilion for a client, who's already started selling it at wedding shows, and I'm struggling to get any work done on it. The cold is really bothering me and I'm not putting in very many hours working on it. Give me 90+ temps and I'm good to go. Let it get down to the 40's or less and I'm worthless.

Eddie

 

[jayste]

Well I'm "North of Texas" and the cold snap is due here as well! (Kind of a no-brainer, huh?) Anyway, our lows for Thursday and Friday are 2deg and 4deg- RESPECTIVELY! Man, I guess we better start a thread on GLOBAL COOLING! Like Jim we're on co-op electric and total. Generator and propane heater are ready. Ponds and/or hauling water to livestock will be the big issue most likely. I can only imagine what the 30-40mph winds will do in windchills! Eddie, I'm not a fan of 90deg temps but will take it over single or negative digits! I guess we'll have some stories when it hits!

OK. All you northerner TBN types, fire at will! Just be kind, ours isn't a "dry cold"!

Jay

 

[Western]

I prefer "cool" over heat, Loved the weather when we lived on the Western slope of Colorado, add the wind and I am done. Coldest I have ever been was a buffalo hunt on the North and South Dakota's border, -8 with 30 mph sustained winds and gust up to 50 mph..in a word "sucked"..

I am also on a coop, and we get outages at random, good weather, bad, so I am a big believer in my firewood too. If we loose power, as is a good possibility when everyone goes "nuclear" with their electricity, I will at least have some heat, other wise I will head over to Jinmans and get in the back seat..

Eddie, that sucks you're getting a 60% chance. I missed that on the news last night. I am more worried about ice on the lines here, you are almost guaranteed some misery.

On the positive side Eddie...If you run over on your build and you inadvertently stop a wedding, you may have done them a favor in the long run..

 

[Stargazer]

Boy you guys have it rough down there I'll take that 14F right now normally we have a minus sign in front of our temps. was -33 in spencer IA yesterday with 30+MPH wind dropping chill to -50/60 F Not much better here in DSM with 7-9 " of snow forecast later today and then the winds come.

 

[bp fick]

Who was it that said people complain a lot about the weather, but nobody does anything about it? Will Rodgers?

I know folks down your way cannot take the cold. We sort of smile when we hear you all shake and shiver over weather we'd just go on about our day and only wear another flannel shirt and call it good.

In return for our understanding, we ask you tolerate us all gripe when we faint dead away next July when it's so dang hot we cannot function, ya know, something like 88 or so!

And if you don't, we will remind you of this bargain that has been struck.

 

[Bird]

I went grocery shopping early this morning and stocked up. So I shouldn't have to get out of the house at all for a few days.

 

[txdon]

It is going to hit us in central Texas tomorrow night, below twenty. This will be the coldest days since I retired to to this rural area. I cut some extra wood for the wood burning stove (all electric house) this morning. I am fixing to hunker down! You guys in North Texas (Jim, Bird) keep us posted as to when and how low to expect the temperatures will get. The forecast here are right half the time.

PS. Now I see why there are so many snowbirds, Ronjhall. Let us know how the valley takes the cold snap!

PSS. I still remember the 60 days of temp over 100 to 109 this summer, so a little cold snap is tolerated!

 

[Egon]

PS. Now I see why there are so many snowbirds, Ronjhall.

Note: When the Snowbirds start moving farther South it may be an indication of more cold weather!

 

[Western]

Boy you guys have it rough down there I'll take that 14F right now normally we have a minus sign in front of our temps. was -33 in spencer IA yesterday with 30+MPH wind dropping chill to -50/60 F Not much better here in DSM with 7-9 " of snow forecast later today and then the winds come.

I don't mind the cold, just not the wind.. I got broke in living in Idaho and Colorado.

Biggest problem in the South is they only sell shorts!!! knees get cold..

 

[ronjhall]

We are about as far south as you can get in TX. Temperature is 57 at 6:00 am. They promise temperatures around 30 tomorrow morning and upper 20s Saturday morning. Kind of the same weather txdon gave us last weekend. I think we will survive this cool snap.
We stopped to pickup some stuff at Walmart yesterday. You would think a hurricane was coming threw they way people were buying supplies.

 

[jayste]

Well it came through here last night about 8pm. Started misting around dark and put a layer on most everything right before the north wind and freezing temps hit. Thankfully, most roads are dry. Only found one slick spot on my way to work. The mares didn't mind being put in the barn this morning. I'm with Western, the cold isn't so much the issue for me anymore as is the wind with it. Ok lets hear from you guys further south.....

Jay

 

[Bird]

22 F degrees here this morning and forecast to go no higher than 24. NWS shows .03" of rain between midnight and 1 a.m. this morning. My gauge shows about the same, so I guess it came about the same time. Some places the pavement simply looks damp but isn't slick and then there are icy spots in my driveway and on the streets. According the news reports, I-35 in Denton County is risky, and most (not all) the schools in this area are closed today.

 

[jayste]

Hello Bird! I see that you're no longer the "migratory Bird" you used to be since you now longer go south for the winter. I see yesterday consisted of "gathering provisions" and "hunkering down".

I saw last night where OKC school district called off school for today and tomorrow as well. I'm sure others followed suit. How are these youngins' nowadays going to know what it's like to, "go to school in the snow, up hill, both ways, in 40 mph winds", if they keep letting them stay home?

Jay

 

[Uncle Doug]

In the low 50's about 4am this morning when driving to work. Light rain then. Temps expected to drop later today. They say the coast will not get into the teen's but we will see. Have to work over the weekend so this could be a mess if things freeze up at home.

Start 2 weeks vacation on Monday. Heading south

Going down to South Padre for a week then coming back home to change suitcases to get on a cruise ship the next Monday for Cozumel. Not coming back until I thaw out.

 

[jayste]

Doug, so it's... going South...going North....going South on the slow boat to "'cause you smell", uh, uh, I mean Cozumel! Be thankful you're taking the boat....the runway at the "airport" (or at least it used to be) is about 3 feet long!! Don't get me wrong I'm not knocking it just reminiscing (sp?) of a time long ago, seems like a lifetime. Great scuba diving and way too much "fun" at night!

Have a good trip.... or trips and be safe.

Jay

 

[Western]

Well it's 16 degrees right now at 3am, wind chills expected from -1 to -8. I work nights so I am up on "pipe freeze" duty. I have a job in Baytown Tx. Sunday night...hope it warms up since I work outside...

.Ever get the feeling you're "gett'n to old for this $%#@"..aah the joys of being employed I guess..

 

[mikim]

Just east of Austin - 23 deg at 0600 -- not suppose to get much warmer than 32-33 today. At least the wind seems to have died down. May get some more seat time today. It may be chilly but it's been so darn wet the last 2 months that I haven't been able to get out and do anything. I'll just dress warm as yesterday and get into it. I got in about 4 hours yesterday doing cleanup chores. Got more to do today - and need to grade the driveway--and ...and...whatever else I can find as long as I can stand it out there. Suppose to have a builder come by today to look at my house site and give me some idea of his cost ....if he gets out of his warm office.