Crazy "Winter"

[devildog1]

Yeah, I saw the temp on my cars thermometer, it said 62 when I was driving around later in the afternoon.




It is outrageous that's for sure, My mother just got 150 gallons at over 600 dollars!

I paid $1,800. to fill 3 tanks when the price was closer to 3 bucks a gallon this fall.
I'm hoping I can get thru the winter.

I seriously considered switching to gas from oil after last winters price spike, but I didn't want the "hassle", plus oil was dropping in the late summer so I figured I'd go another year and see what happens to oil prices.

I have a newer (8 years) oil fired steam boiler, so I don't want to change the whole boiler. I specced out a power gas burner for around $900. that will bolt right into my boiler. Just not sure how efficient it will be.
The gas company will bring in the service for free, even give me $300. for converting. just need some piping inside for a total out of pocket around $1,800.

If the prices stay like this, it will be a no brainer, no more costs of tune ups and cleaning, regain some space in my basement. Plus improve resale prospects on my house. That's right, I have some friends that are realtors, they told me people don't even want to look at a house if it has oil heat!!
Or if they do they want the seller to convert to gas as a contingency.

Can you blame them ??? Oil heat use to be the most economical, now it's the most expensive. Dirty and expensive, dirty especially in the eyes of younger home buyers. My realtor friend told me he was showing a house to a young couple who liked the house til they went in the basement and discovered the oil tank. They didn't even know what it was til he told them, he said they were backing away from it so cautiously, like they were scared of it.
Like it was the Exxon Valdez or something.

Yes I agree, but
My problem is just a little different then yours because my furnace is a 5 year old Buderus fuel oil fired furnace. I live rural and we have no natural gas lines any where remotely close. I'm in the center of 5 to 6 dairy farms so no sewer or gas line coming here in my life time.Fuel oil or propane or electric is the choice. I did burn wood for 25 plus years but that get old fast, I just don't see how diesel and fuel oil can be so expensive.
DevilDog

 

[RidgeHiker]

OK Eastern U.S. people, check out what we are experiencing in our Northern California mountain area:
"for the month of December, has received 0.07 inches of precipitation! Normal is 7.34. Since September 1st, we are 30% of normal and for the month, we are just shy of 1% of normal. January has been dry thus far."
This is from our local avalanche report - no worry about avalanches now!

The weather has been great but it feels a bit like a guilty pleasure enjoying it.

Hiking has been great but I do miss snowshoeing.

 

[WayneB]

This morning it was 34 degrees F here and zero snow on the ground. Heck this will be the year we can say we had more snow in October (24? than we did the rest of the year (I hope).

As it stands now there will be little or no run off which will mean problems with surface water, but with any luck we will get it snow in January and February.

The latest weather report calls for rain this week and a slim chance of snow up north. Tough on snowmobiling for sure.

Forgot to point out it is maybe my fault for buying a new (used) second tractor for snow removal. Picked up a B-7500 with curtis cab, heater and snowblower and snowplow. Wife isn’t too happy, but she will love it when she is out there blowing snow. LOL

 

[lhfarm]

While we don't get a lot of snow in south central IN, we normally have a few big storms. Nothing but mud so far. I set up the little Cub with a front blade and chains around Thanksgiving, but normally wait on putting chains on the TC40DA till mid-December when the ground is frozen. I finally went out Friday when it was 60 and put the chains on. Going out today to start the Cub, just to make sure I'm ready.

But I don't expect much action for a couple of weeks. That is because Indianapolis is hosting the Super Bowl and I'm predicting all the snow missing from across the country will get dumped on Indiana all at once.

 

[Jamming]

Saw deal here in Washington state, farmers almanac showed colder and wetter than normal. Has been drier and warmer than normal. Had 5 feet of snow last winter and one big storm dumped 34 " . This year we have had "zero" not even a dusting.

 

[YesDeere]

Middle of Maryland here. Was working outside in a t shirt and got hot. 67 degrees. Last Tuesday it was 13 degrees when I left for work. I think we are the newest Carolina. "Marolina". Guess that makes them Florida.

 

[Thomas]

JB4310.
Don't go swtiching attachment,what ever you did kept old man winter at bay...I also considering removing plow fro tractor,warmer temp and grass looks greener plow stays on.

 

[MWRR]

This weather is all my fault. I bought a new 5105M w/loader and CAB in August. I have been anxiously waiting for a good snow storm so I can put my new tractor to use. We probably won't get any snow at all!!!

I'm in east central Illinois. We have been wet (only a light dusting of snow) since the first of November and everything is a muddy mess. It's sure nice having the front wheel assist on my tractor when I have to drive out across the MUDDY pasture to feed cows.

We had a couple of cold mornings but has warmed up to freezing point during the day. It was 40's yesterday and my air conditioner was running. Our house is a passive solar design with a lot of heat gain from my windows. We never open the windows...screens are still in the boxes in the attic. I heat and cool 3286 sq ft home for $360 a year....it's called GEO THERMAL!! Every time I hear about someone paying a couple of hundred dollars a month to heat/cool their homes I am so thankful that I had the GEO installed when we built our home in 1994.

 

[stevess]

here's a vid from the october storm. my son took over so even when we get some snow i'll be holding the camera.

 

[Thomas]

MWRR...brave of you step forward and good chance there won't be snowball thrown at you,but there's mud balls do to lack of snow.