View Full Version : -30 Windchill possible tonight multiple CO counties
Axiomatic
02-12-2021, 18:04
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
85012
Grant H.
02-12-2021, 18:38
Yeah, that's less fun...
Hopefully people will be smart through this. There are a lot of folks here that have no idea how cold that is, nor how dangerous it can be.
good time to keep the wood burner stoked and stay near it. Scary thing is that the worst of the cold hasn't reached us yet.
We've been pretty much negative all day on wind chill. -2 at the moment, but that's a live (not average over several minutes) reading
I read that all 10,000,000 square kilometers of Canada are below freezing at the same time.
Yowza! Minus 3 degrees overnight at the cabin, minus 9 tomorrow night.
Wind chill is a made up thing. Kind of like global warming.
Wind chill is a made up thing. Kind of like global warming.
LOL
It's Group-Work-On-Trucks-Day tomorrow, and it's going to be outside. So that should be fun.
Get out and walk! It will do you good.
Turn around when you think it is cold.
It's Group-Work-On-Trucks-Day tomorrow, and it's going to be outside. So that should be fun.
A small electric heater blower works wonders.
A small electric heater blower works wonders.
Oh I've tried. It doesn't even put a dent in cold like this. It makes a dent in my insulated and heated garage, but once the door is open, it doesn't stand a chance. I have one, and it just burned up last night, unfortunately. :(
To your point though, I was outside last night and within five minutes my fingers were numb; even with double gloves. I started a fire in my steel chimenea thing and while that didn't make it comfortable, it kept the feelings in my fingers.
Great-Kazoo
02-12-2021, 20:21
A small electric heater blower works wonders.
You're suggesting an electric heater. To the guy who caught his 4x4 on fire, using a torch.
BPTactical
02-12-2021, 20:23
Get out and walk! It will do you good.
Turn around when you think it is cold.
I already did that.
Wife wasn?t happy that I told her she could take the trash out....
You're suggesting an electric heater. To the guy who caught his 4x4 on fire, using a torch.
Bushings don't like direct flame.
RblDiver
02-12-2021, 20:32
Tonight, that thing in your kitchen shall be called a "heater" >.>
Brake dust is explosive, I mean collectable.
HunterCO
02-12-2021, 20:43
Up here in MT -35 below with no wind chill is not uncommon suck it up buttercups. I just plowed my self out again today with my ATV its not a big deal just dress accordingly to your outdoor activities.
I went on an inspection today and was all layered up for the single digits. Of course I get there and there are heater/dehumidifiers all over the place and was about 85 degrees inside. Everyone was sweating.
Oh I've tried. It doesn't even put a dent in cold like this. It makes a dent in my insulated and heated garage, but once the door is open, it doesn't stand a chance. I have one, and it just burned up last night, unfortunately. :(
To your point though, I was outside last night and within five minutes my fingers were numb; even with double gloves. I started a fire in my steel chimenea thing and while that didn't make it comfortable, it kept the feelings in my fingers.
I have one of those propane jet heaters if you wanted to borrow it. Its a good size one. Forget the BTU rating (maybe 120k or 150k) but it will burn through a tank of propane in about 4hrs at full tilt. If the door is down in the garage, it'll run you out.
To your point though, I was outside last night and within five minutes my fingers were numb; even with double gloves.
You need better gloves my friend. Or maybe mittens.
I?ll try and find you a link to some of my favorites. I?ve worked outside all day in this type of cold and my hands were fine.
I have one of those propane jet heaters if you wanted to borrow it. Its a good size one. Forget the BTU rating (maybe 120k or 150k) but it will burn through a tank of propane in about 4hrs at full tilt. If the door is down in the garage, it'll run you out.
I've got one stored away if I need, as does the neighbor. Thanks.
You need better gloves my friend. Or maybe mittens.
I?ll try and find you a link to some of my favorites. I?ve worked outside all day in this type of cold and my hands were fine.
You're right. I was wearing thin cotton gloves under some cheapo Mechanix gloves. I'm interested in something that has some amount of dexterity for cold like this though, so please send links. Two years ago I spent $100 on gloves in the middle of elk season to try and stay warm. I've got wool gloves and synthetic mittens from OR, and neither are as warm as I'd like. The mittens are okay as long as you're moving, but they are very delicate, so kind of worthless for hunting.
Pretty sure these are the ones I have. Possibly the warmest winter gloves I?ve ever used. Obviously a little bulky for fine dexterity but I am very happy with mine.
https://www.amazon.com/Caiman-2960-5-Waterproof-Activity-Insulation/dp/B0085JCPWE
Thanks, not terribly expensive either.
JohnnyDrama
02-12-2021, 21:32
Make sure your pipes don't freeze. It's Valentines Days weekend....
Redneck engineer a Herman Nelson
A tarp some pvc tent poles and a forced air heater.
The heating bill this month will be crazy. We set up the temp at 64F, and we gotta wear socks and jacket inside.
At temps this cold, I'd be worried about frozen pipes with the heat set so low.
Pretty sure these are the ones I have. Possibly the warmest winter gloves I?ve ever used. Obviously a little bulky for fine dexterity but I am very happy with mine.
https://www.amazon.com/Caiman-2960-5-Waterproof-Activity-Insulation/dp/B0085JCPWEI've got a pair of leather Caiman lined driving gloves that I bought from the glove guy at tanner 10 or 12 years ago. I use them pretty much every day in the winter, and I just started wearing through the leather in a couple spots this year.
+1
Sent from somewhere
Yours or MrPrena’s lol. ^ (JD & Irving )
Those gloves look nice. But I always end up sweating then things go downhill.
We lived in Cheyenne when I was young in the early 1960's, a guy across the street would start a small campfire under his car engine on some of those bitter cold mornings to start it, crazy.
BPTactical
02-12-2021, 22:02
But.......but.......global warming.....
Some of the guys on my Isuzu forum live up in Canada and are reporting on their successes and failures with their vehicles in the -40 temps. Basically switching to 0W-40 oil to be able to start the engine, while other guys are having coolant leaks on vehicles that haven't been driven in the last week.
I plugged in the block heater, just for fun
So, have I waited too long to blow out my sprinklers?
If you blow them out now, you'd kill the neighbor's dog.
Reminds me of a joke about swallowing bb's...
Past 13 years, I've never blown out the sprinklers except one year which I did it myself with extremely low pressure.
I do reduce the pressure and turn the warer to the sprinkler off.
*knock on wood*
Grant H.
02-12-2021, 22:48
Another option for gloves.
I've used these in ND during -40F weather, and now in Prudhoe Bay when it was -52F with a windchill of -76F.
Still not great dexterity, but they do help a lot.
https://www.amazon.com/Majestic-Penguin-3396HY-Winter-Hi-Vis/dp/B008J4YD2A/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=polar+penguin+gloves&qid=1613191466&s=hi&sr=1-1
(Note that that is 12 pairs of gloves...)
Another option for gloves.
I've used these in ND during -40F weather, and now in Prudhoe Bay when it was -52F with a windchill of -76F.
Still not great dexterity, but they do
https://www.amazon.com/Majestic-Penguin-3396HY-Winter-Hi-Vis/dp/B008J4YD2A/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=polar+penguin+gloves&qid=1613191466&s=hi&sr=1-1
(Note that that is 12 pairs of gloves...)
I buy similar gloves from aviation supply off smith road and Quebec they are magic
Living in the land of ice and snow I wear long handles from mid October to May Day. I seldom get cold.
It's been raining in the Grand Valley this evening. We'll get some snow on Sunday. I expect a good snow fall in the high country and along the Front Range.
Great-Kazoo
02-12-2021, 23:23
At temps this cold, I'd be worried about frozen pipes with the heat set so low.
let one of the water faucets drip, overnight.
The kid says the place they're going to buy in MT, was -8 today.
40ish miles from the canuk border, eh. Not my idea of winter living.
Tonight would've been perfect for Clubbing if I was in early 20s. Perfect weather. Dudes tries to show off their rear wheel high performance vehicles. Gals tries to dress 11" skirts sub zero Fahrenheit.
[Driver][Snow]
[DJ]
[Ole][Bounce]
Tonight would've been perfect for Clubbing if I was in early 20s. Perfect weather. Dudes tries to show off their rear wheel high performance vehicles. Gals tries to dress 11" skirts sub zero Fahrenheit.
[Driver][Snow]
[DJ]
[Ole][Bounce]
I get to pick up my F type the 26th. Asshole friends are already predicting a blizzard to ruin my anticipation.
buffalobo
02-13-2021, 09:03
We've been pretty much negative all day on wind chill. -2 at the moment, but that's a live (not average over several minutes) reading^^^This.
Below 0 wind chill out here since mid-week. Even the dog(who loves the snow and cold) takes care of outdoor shit quick.
Our primary heat source is wood stove and cold snaps like this reallly suck. Forced air furnace and AC are on the list for this year. After 20 years I no longer need to live such a hardy lifestyle. Mrs bo doesnt complain but is glad I am finally over it.
Gathering, cutting, chopping, splitting, it has always been chores I have enjoyed and taken pride in heating our home for for a few bucks a year and my labor.
buffalobo
02-13-2021, 09:15
Wind has picked up a little in last hour. Temp up to -3? but wind chill has dropped to -18?.
Minions are out to visit this weekend and the boys are stoked to go help grandpa "get " firewood today. We will travel to metro area to pick up skids. Load them(hopefully using forklift), bring them home and spend couple hours cutting them up. They will start out having fun and learning, they will end up miserable cold and say it sucked but needed done, same as I did when I was a kid with my dad and grandpa.
buffalobo
02-13-2021, 09:31
checking cows in the middle of the night was chilly. I feel bad seeing the calves laying out their covered in snow and frozen. They are built for it though. The biggest worry is the sack will freeze over the newborns face before mama gets it cleaned up.At least someone is looking out for our dinner. Doubt the inner city utes have ever even considered such a thing or would endure the effort to do so.
Tonight would've been perfect for Clubbing if I was in early 20s.
Fortunately for all of those baby seals they started cracking down on that in the 60s.
We saw -22 early this morning as a wind chill.
Fortunately for all of those baby seals they started cracking down on that in the 60s.
Heh. That?s what I was thinking too.
BladesNBarrels
02-13-2021, 12:06
This is the month I am dreaming of the Florida Keys.
Can't make it this year due to Covid, but hopes up for next year.
https://i.imgur.com/zDkdNL7.jpg
I have 2 reasons that I like this kind of weather: Californians hate it, and it may encourage them to go ruin somewhere else instead of here, and 24 hours of below zero weather significantly reduces the number of mosquito eggs that survive the winter.
I get to pick up my F type the 26th. Asshole friends are already predicting a blizzard to ruin my anticipation.
I hope it will be sunny and 60s on the day you pickup. Maybe you should drop by near 144th and I25 and meet up with some Thornton members here. :D
buffalobo
02-13-2021, 18:21
Some good looking critters there.
85033
Possibly some more fun headed your way...
-20.4 wind chill out here. I suspect that it's going lower
I have 2 reasons that I like this kind of weather: Californians hate it, and it may encourage them to go ruin somewhere else instead of here, and 24 hours of below zero weather significantly reduces the number of mosquito eggs that survive the winter.
Unfortunately, the west slope seems to have dodged the cold snap. Why do I say unfortunately?
That -30 crap has a wonderful effect of relocating transients. Case in point, Craig, CO. I think the average transient population there in the last decade is 0.5. It often gets -30 there in the winter.There used to be a guy that slept under a bridge, but he died.
I'd gladly freeze my nuts off for a couple weeks to get the transients looking for new, warmer places to drop their deuces.
PS: I make a distinction between "homeless" and "transient". Two different classes of people. The former usually is couch surfing, living in a vehicle, etc. - the latter is addicted and an utter societal waste.
buffalobo
02-13-2021, 21:44
-20.4 wind chill out here. I suspect that it's going lowerThis^^^.
-3 temp and -21 wind chill and the snow is drifting all messed up from ENE wind.
Bailey Guns
02-14-2021, 06:56
It's 7? here with a wind chill of about -10?. Supposed to -7? Monday night with plenty of wind.
I just went out to feed the birds and dang a bit of a chill...-7, but no wind right now
About the time I made it back inside, there must have been about 8 birds munching down on the food. Too much snow for the squirrels to be hitting the snack bar right now.
OldFogey
02-14-2021, 08:56
It's Group-Work-On-Trucks-Day tomorrow, and it's going to be outside. So that should be fun.
Dang. My hands don't work so well when they're frozen...
UncleDave
02-14-2021, 09:43
Stu you might try these. They are great for working on metal things in the cold and family good dexterity, a good balance. https://www.performancetoolcenter.com/milwaukee-48-22-8912-cut-level-1-insulated-gloves-l/?msclkid=3da0ad61244b18e5847bcd4860eac8cc&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=All%20Products%20-%20Mobile&utm_term=4583795268576701&utm_content=All%20Products
...snip...
I'd gladly freeze my nuts off for a couple weeks to get the transients looking for new, warmer places to drop their deuces.
PS: I make a distinction between "homeless" and "transient". Two different classes of people. The former usually is couch surfing, living in a vehicle, etc. - the latter is addicted and an utter societal waste.
On this point, I agree with you 100%
Sent from somewhere
Shoveled my place. Off to my in laws soon to clean their driveway.
Stu you might try these. They are great for working on metal things in the cold and family good dexterity, a good balance. https://www.performancetoolcenter.com/milwaukee-48-22-8912-cut-level-1-insulated-gloves-l/?msclkid=3da0ad61244b18e5847bcd4860eac8cc&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=All%20Products%20-%20Mobile&utm_term=4583795268576701&utm_content=All%20Products
Thanks, those aren't expensive either.
frozen beef
It has to suck getting born in this weather. dropped onto the cold ground and frozen from the very begining.
https://uniim1.shutterfly.com/ng/services/mediarender/THISLIFE/004000727187/media/1691627426742760/medium/1613261707/enhanceBut things can only get better from there.
Until slaughter...
85033
Possibly some more fun headed your way...
It's been snowing for 3 days straight on the other side of the cascades
buffalobo
02-14-2021, 19:15
Wind chill advisory has been extended for our area until Monday 11 AM. Told to expect -40 wind chill.
Minions are industrious when stuck inside, all the guns in the safe are clean and I only had to clean two and disassemble the Ruger Stds.
Ugh. Just found out I have to run to Laramie tomorrow.
Hopefully they didn?t get any more snow than we got here.
So cold that my Arlo rechargeable batteries are lasting me less than a week now. :(
Anyone wanna do a slip and slide or water balloon fight tomorrow?
It's been snowing for 3 days straight on the other side of the cascades
Yep. Thankfully I knew where the snow shovels were after the move. To add insult to injury, furnace went out sometime over night last night. Needs a new main board and parts won?t be available until Mon. or Tues.
Great-Kazoo
02-14-2021, 22:18
It was so cold this morning. I saw a gang banger pull up his pants, to keep warm
-20.2 with a -33.2 wind chill right now, according to my weather station
.455_Hunter
02-15-2021, 00:34
The coldest I have seen at the family homestead west of Boulder was -27 in the '89/'90 timeframe. It's -9 here now.
I hope it warms up soon, coming back tue.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210215/280625e44675e4c28fee36cfd58d229e.jpg
The temperature war in my house has been so intense this weekend that now the thermostat is telling me it's low on battery.
The coldest I have seen at the family homestead west of Boulder was -27 in the '89/'90 timeframe. It's -9 here now.
It was -43 in Greeley one day a few years ago.
TEAMRICO
02-15-2021, 07:34
Anyone wanna do a slip and slide or water balloon fight tomorrow?
Maybe after I wash my truck and water the lawn.
Wow, got up and looked at the temp display - a low of "-18" last night....I had left the work area heater on Sunday and it was running full out over night it has only managed to keep the room the basement to 69 degrees.
At least the heater is next to my work bench, and it is much warmer there.
I closed off the work room and it should bump the heat up a few more degrees.
-21 this morning.
The windmills near Calhan appear to have been burning electricity rather than producing it, as they are spinning merrily with no wind.
.455_Hunter
02-15-2021, 09:13
It was -43 in Greeley one day a few years ago.
That's cold for the Front Range area. Glad it's not that bad now.
.455_Hunter
02-15-2021, 09:19
Renewables have been sucking ass during this cold snap.
I would like an advocate to tell me how the system will work in 20 years when all conventional power plants are off-line.
Maybe climate change will keep people warm by then?
https://www.mainlinemedianews.com/opinion/terry-jarrett-coal-rescues-u-s-power-grid-during-polar-vortex/article_0094d53a-88c4-59e4-bc42-e782ba467853.html
SideShow Bob
02-15-2021, 09:36
Both my truck. & car batteries went south yesterday morning. I was able to get the car started with a jump pack, but the truck battery was so low it wouldn?t even click or turn on any lights. Most everything is relay controlled,and leaving it on the charger for several hours didn?t help, other than the dome light coming on when the door is opened.
We'll see if the car starts this morning, I will put the truck on the charger again and leave it all morning to see if it will start up, crap battery is less than 6 months old.
The wife?s car started right right up, it is kept in the garage though.
Bailey Guns
02-15-2021, 09:40
Not as cold as some of the temps you guys are talking about but still pretty chilly for Oklahoma. It was -5? this morning but the wind has really died down. Yesterday it didn't get above 8? with 20 - 30 mph winds all day.
https://i.imgur.com/vAkIg2y.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/GcKSR4s.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Jd47bTT.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/uz0Jtsc.jpg
hollohas
02-15-2021, 11:18
Texas is getting hammered.
2.7M of the 12.3M utility customers are without power this morning.
The main provider, ERCOT, hit a new record demand of 69,150 MW yesterday evening.
OGT Nat Gas spot went from $3 to over $300. Wholesale power went from around $1,000/MWh to over $9,000/MWh.
Texas wind generation is down about 60% this week. Solar is down to nearly 0. Coal is already maxed so that left it up to Nat Gas to make up the demand, which it mostly did, but at huge cost. Now Nat Gas supply is limited, so rolling blackouts.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210215/d4c14c9b9c0482b4418aa9514f8359bb.jpg
Bailey Guns
02-15-2021, 12:19
I got an email from my natural gas company requesting everyone lower thermostats inside to ease demand on the gas systems. I haven't heard of any shortages in my area, though.
hollohas
02-15-2021, 12:51
I got an email from my natural gas company requesting everyone lower thermostats inside to ease demand on the gas systems. I haven't heard of any shortages in my area, though.
Here's why they want to lower demand. This is what happened to the gas price on the Oklahoma Oneok Gas Transmission pipeline.
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/data-snapshot/daily-gpi/MCWONG/
.455_Hunter
02-15-2021, 12:55
Texas is getting hammered.
2.7M of the 12.3M utility customers are without power this morning.
The main provider, ERCOT, hit a new record demand of 69,150 MW yesterday evening.
OGT Nat Gas spot went from $3 to over $300. Wholesale power went from around $1,000/MWh to over $9,000/MWh.
Texas wind generation is down about 60% this week. Solar is down to nearly 0. Coal is already maxed so that left it up to Nat Gas to make up the demand, which it mostly did, but at huge cost. Now Nat Gas supply is limited, so rolling blackouts.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210215/d4c14c9b9c0482b4418aa9514f8359bb.jpg
That is an outstanding graph filled with interesting information. Thanks for posting!
Here's why they want to lower demand. This is what happened to the gas price on the Oklahoma Oneok Gas Transmission pipeline.
https://www.naturalgasintel.com/data-snapshot/daily-gpi/MCWONG/
It's all Trump's fault.
[/SARC]
Can't run the wind generation in TX due to the ice build-up on the blades. So much for trying to help the environment. The environment is like the honey badger.
Since there's been a downturn in COVID testing and vaccination, they've sent COVID teams out to measure the snow... Looks like almost 50" of snow so far....
85053
ChickNorris
02-15-2021, 13:16
Since there's been a downturn in COVID testing and vaccination, they've sent COVID teams out to measure the snow... Looks like almost 50" of snow so far....
85053
Funny
Sorry to hear you guys are getting frozen out. Just found out we won't have our furnace working until tomorrow morning. At least it's warmed up to 46 degrees and raining. If it's raining here, it usually means warmer winter temps.
Scanker19
02-15-2021, 13:31
Since there's been a downturn in COVID testing and vaccination, they've sent COVID teams out to measure the snow... Looks like almost 50" of snow so far....
85053
That’s how I measure, overpromise under deliver...
18 degrees and full sun feels like t-shirt weather.
clodhopper
02-15-2021, 14:10
-26 at my place last night, -35 with windchill. Was a busy weekend keeping livestock fed and watered. Thermocouple on the house furnace crapped out Sat night, had to wait til morning to run in to HomeDepot to get a replacement, house got down to 48 before the furnace was back in action. So far only down one chicken this morning, so better than I expected.
battlemidget
02-15-2021, 17:18
I have 2 reasons that I like this kind of weather: Californians hate it, and it may encourage them to go ruin somewhere else instead of here, and 24 hours of below zero weather significantly reduces the number of mosquito eggs that survive the winter.
That's the best thing I've heard in a long time.
BladesNBarrels
02-15-2021, 17:44
I had my hopes up about killing off the mosquitos.
But Dang, Mosquito Joe dashed those hopes with his summary:
Only mosquitoes from the genera Anopheles, Culex, and Culiseta hibernate in the winter.
The rest just lay their eggs, say their goodbyes, and perish in the freezing weather.
What about her eggs?
Mosquito eggs can withstand freezing temperatures.
The eggs will survive the winter and emerge as temperatures rise.
Even after a polar vortex, you can still expect baby mosquitoes to hatch during the spring.
I sure don't miss that kind of weather. Winter here is a different kind of cold, rainy and gloomy but no snow!!
Aloha_Shooter
02-15-2021, 19:22
Only mosquitoes from the genera Anopheles, Culex, and Culiseta hibernate in the winter.
Killing off a bunch of Anopheles and Culex should reduce the risks and instances of malaria, Mayarovirus, West Nile virus, varieties of encephalitus, etc. Still a win IMO.
hollohas
02-15-2021, 19:29
Rumor has it we shutdown Nat Gas to Mexico to help our own supply. (Mexico is experiencing this cold snap too). That's going to be rough on them.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-02-15/mexico-blames-u-s-as-energy-crisis-spills-across-the-border
TX is up to 3.75M without power.
https://twitter.com/ElijahSchaffer/status/1361428851931373571
hurley842002
02-15-2021, 19:31
In pants and a hoodie and feel like I?m freezing my ballz off, it only took one Tucson summer to erase 36 years of Colorado climate.https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210216/1c66fcc0a7452522ef08e42b757469f7.png
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I saw 2 convertible with top down today.
One in Aurora (parker and yale)
One in Superior (baseline area)
[Freeze]
hollohas
02-15-2021, 20:03
https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1361084061427642374
My dad is right outside San Antonio. He gets the privilege of getting 5 minutes of electricity every 30 minutes. He'll probably have to sleep in one of his cars tonight to stay warm. Pipes in the house are already frozen.
My dad is right outside San Antonio. He gets the privilege of getting 5 minutes of electricity every 30 minutes. He'll probably have to sleep in one of his cars tonight to stay warm. Pipes in the house are already frozen.
You made me look up Texas weather around some of our counterparts. He-soos-christos man. It's colder there than it is right here, and they have 1/2 inch ice forecast with up to 8" of snow.
People think Texas drivers suck in snow conditions, but we never really have ice/ice storms like they do. As it's been said, nobody has four wheel stop. Yeah, they might get stuck in heavy snow, but when CO gets a Texas level ice storm -quite rare- we're the same level of stupid. The only safe thing to do is stay home when it's like that.
Plus there isn't the infrastructure in a lot of places to manage cold roads like there is here.
You made me look up Texas weather around some of our counterparts. He-soos-christos man. It's colder there than it is right here, and they have 1/2 inch ice forecast with up to 8" of snow.
People think Texas drivers suck in snow conditions, but we never really have ice/ice storms like they do. As it's been said, nobody has four wheel stop. Yeah, they might get stuck in heavy snow, but when CO gets a Texas level ice storm -quite rare- we're the same level of stupid. The only safe thing to do is stay home when it's like that.
They had about 3 inches of snow last night. Then it got a mild thaw and refreeze. Gonna be slick tomorrow for sure.
Aardvark
02-15-2021, 22:29
00tec, hope your Dad is alright. Times like this make me want to be physically closer to my family to help out: I'm the 'prepper nut' of the clan.
00tec, hope your Dad is alright. Times like this make me want to be physically closer to my family to help out: I'm the 'prepper nut' of the clan.
He'll make do. My brother is about 45 minutes from him, but he's stubborn and will stay at home. He has plenty of vehicles with fuel, 2 of which are Prius's, which you can basically camp out in for quite a while comfortably. More worried about the damage to his house from frozen pipes at this point. The city said they are limiting outages to 15 minutes, but he's experiencing 5 min on, 25 off. I believe him over .gov officials.
hollohas
02-16-2021, 08:08
Texas started the morning with 4M with power out. Backup generators at some cell towers are running out of full and cell service is starting to breakdown. Same for water treatment plants which are starting to go offline. Sounds like some power will be restored throughout the day today,
Dad said his power went out before 6pm, came back at 10 for about 10 mins, then was out until about an hour ago. "Rolling" blackouts, my ass.
Camped out in the prius. Gonna have to wait a bit to see what the plumbing damage is.
hollohas
02-16-2021, 17:52
https://info.centerpointenergy.com/pdf/CNP_Update_Statewide_power_generation_emergency_ex pected%20_to_extend_outages.pdf
Because the state’s current power generation has fallen short of demand,
significant electricity outages have resulted across Texas and are lasting longer than previously planned.
CenterPoint Energy is required to comply with ERCOT’s directive to suspend electric service to a portion
of its customers. The company does not generate electricity itself, so the current shortage of power
capacity from the grid is not something that CenterPoint Energy directly controls.
Due to the continued issues with power generators’ ability to produce electricity, CenterPoint Energy’s
customers need to be prepared to be without power, potentially for the duration of the generation shortage
event, which could last several more days.
Keep the water off to minimize damage.
Bailey Guns
02-16-2021, 18:40
I have CenterPoint Energy for my natural gas. They SUCK as a company. I'm seriously contemplating getting a propane tank and swapping everything over from NG.
Keep the water off to minimize damage.
It's off. Everything is frozen from his well to the house (about 75yds), and all the house faucets are frozen. As soon as it froze, he went and got a bunch of materials to make any anticipated repairs to beat the rush. It's all PEX, so it shouldn't get too bad.
I figured, but thought I'd mention. Just did a water loss today where the tenant moved out on Thursday, and to "save money" turned the thermostat down to.....45F!
Good grief, damage in every room.
In pants and a hoodie and feel like I?m freezing my ballz off, it only took one Tucson summer to erase 36 years of Colorado climate.
Nah, it's just relative. In 2018, I went from helping Hummer pull a moose out of the woods in the snow, then a few days later drove to Florida where it dropped to a low of about 69 the entire three weeks I was there. Even that low felt chilly compared to the mostly 80's the whole time.
Right now, at 30 degrees, it feels so damn nice outside compared to the last week, that I started a fire and am doing my paper work outside in my driveway. Crazy.
I figured, but thought I'd mention. Just did a water loss today where the tenant moved out on Thursday, and to "save money" turned the thermostat down to.....45F!
Good grief, damage in every room.
Wow.
I have space heaters set to come on at 65 in case my furnace fails to kick on (it had a bad run for a while until I smacked one of the pressure switches with a screwdriver in anger). Below 50, and I'd be moving the animals out and draining the pipes to the lowest level just in case.
Great-Kazoo
02-16-2021, 22:23
One of my nieces in Dallas said they're 45 minutes of power. Out of 7 with none
Aloha_Shooter
02-17-2021, 11:56
I don't blame Texans for being unprepared for this kind of cold snap but once upon a time we used to be able to handle power outages. As for Colorado, if the electricity and gas goes out, I have plenty of camping supplies to tide me over for days. I could cook for weeks so the biggest problem would be heat but I think bunkering in a small room with a Coleman lantern or even a couple pillar candles would be fine. If I lose Internet, I have over 100 linear feet of comic books and 8 6-foot bookshelves of real books to keep me busy.
Aloha_Shooter
02-17-2021, 12:46
Oh and now I see the CDC is telling people to toss out perishable foods after four hours without power. Just how did they think people survived before we had refrigeration? Newsflash, eggs will NOT go bad in four hours. Even sliced fruit and vegetables won't "go bad" if they're covered and kept safe from bacteria.
Jeebus, we've gotten stupid in the 21st century ...
ChickNorris
02-17-2021, 12:51
Oh and now I see the CDC is telling people to toss out perishable foods after four hours without power. Just how did they think people survived before we had refrigeration? Newsflash, eggs will NOT go bad in four hours. Even sliced fruit and vegetables won't "go bad" if they're covered and kept safe from bacteria.
Jeebus, we've gotten stupid in the 21st century ...
Wrong pronoun ; )
hollohas
02-17-2021, 13:30
This is so bad.
Too bad the thousands of Guard stationed in D.C. haven't been sent down to help...Any news of any guard being deployed under state of emergency? I haven't seen any reports of such.
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/texas-facing-humanitarian-crisis
Central Texas looking like a refugee situation of sorts... suburbs with power have homes with 10 to 15 or 20 people piled into living rooms with sleeping bags.
Increasingly whole zip codes are being hit with not just power outage, but water system going down too either thru frozen or electrically damaged processing facilities or key pipes bursting.
Anyone without power/water (now going on 2 to 3 days) is begging any friends or family in area still with power to take them in.
Often multiple families are camped out in living rooms of those who still have power.
Families are dropping off young children in residences & with neighbors that still have heat.
Basically whole neighborhoods on other side of highway with no power are "moving in" to neighbors' homes on other side where power still exists.
I'm getting phone calls from friends and elderly people in the community asking desperately for firewood. People are now running out of firewood and the couple grocery stores actually open for a few hours a day are constantly out.
People are braving the iced-over roads to go looking for anyone with firewood.
Any home that still has water is filling up jugs & bathtubs in expectation of water supply cut at any moment.
The water situation is getting alarming.. especially many elderly now trapped in homes with no heat OR WATER.
Local stores (the 2 or 3 that actually open) are limiting customers to 2 gallons of water each--it's flying off the shelves
Individuals with 4-wheel drive and/or jeeps have been seen picking up stranded strangers on side of road... often people are having to hike miles to an open corner store to raid the shelves for any canned food/or still available items.
As vehicles get stuck and/or become inoperable due to extreme freeze... people have been seen hiking out of suburban neighborhoods to reach "civilization" (or any area still with power and water)
People are also now living in their work offices and/or teachers bringing their family to school classroom to live if school/office still has power/water.
In many cases schools or some churches are not yet officially "warming centers"--yet people are basically squatting--entering any public place/room they can find that's warm.
For most part there's almost zero snow plow/de-icing equipment particularly in mid- to small-sized towns and rural areas... last night's layer of ice storm means many people now trapped in their powerless/waterless homes even if they want to leave for a warming center
There's no recourse, no answers... Oncor will not answer calls or give answers for days running. Civic services not responding... also local police departments are angrily demanding answers from the large energy companies
Growing number of carbon monoxide poisonings in area and the state...people are lighting charcoal grills indoors, also running vehicles in garages
hollohas
02-17-2021, 13:34
https://media.notthebee.com/articles/article-602d2d2c559ad.jpg
https://media.notthebee.com/articles/article-602d2fbe208ab.jpg
https://media.notthebee.com/articles/article-602d300c09986.jpg
hollohas
02-17-2021, 13:40
https://twitter.com/djordxc/status/1361824228475957251
hollohas
02-17-2021, 13:41
https://twitter.com/djordxc/status/1361828294279061506
buffalobo
02-17-2021, 13:42
Any disaster/emergency declarations yet?
buffalobo
02-17-2021, 13:44
Never mind, done several days ago.
Aloha_Shooter
02-17-2021, 13:46
Wrong pronoun ; )
I meant as a society in general but point taken.
These mental midgets are worried about food spoilage in their refrigerators when their faucets and toilets are freezing solid? Um, maybe put the food in plastic bins outside?
I used to go on Freezorees and we used the coolers to keep our food from getting frozen solid ...
hollohas
02-18-2021, 10:05
This picture is about the only thing you need to see to know that Texas screwed the pooch and let their people down.
This is Texarkana. The dry side of the road is in Arkansas, the snow-packed side is in Texas. The large wealthy state of Texas can't even clear the roads as efficiently as Arkansas.
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/02/18/04/39430334-9271967-image-a-104_1613623489618.jpg
I don?t think Texas has any snow plows. And why would they? I think overall the state averages about one inch per year. Obviously the panhandle and the western part of the state get more than the majority of the state.
Aloha_Shooter
02-18-2021, 12:34
I can't really blame Texas for being unprepared for snow given how rare it there. Doesn't keep me from enjoying things like the Cowboys trying to play against the Packers in snow. The Texas side of Texarkana should negotiate an agreement with the Oklahoma side for these rare occasions.
What I do blame peopel for is being unprepared for things like power outages. Modern society is soft and you see it every time we have one of these events. The fact that these happen once in a while is perfectly predictable. Power outages happen. How do you NOT have emergency plans?
hollohas
02-18-2021, 16:22
I don?t think Texas has any snow plows. And why would they? I think overall the state averages about one inch per year. Obviously the panhandle and the western part of the state get more than the majority of the state.Yet Arkansas does...in literally the exact same city that Texas didn't see a need for em. That city is in the east and not all that far north. Arkansas invested (and from the looks of it not just in a plow, but ice melt too) and fared better.
Debate on reasonable state expenditures aside, it shows how one state was able to handle it at least a little better, in a way other than just the energy failure.
Bailey Guns
02-18-2021, 17:33
I'm curious if that stretch of road in the picture of Texarkana (which is actually two cities...one in TX and one in AR) is in the city limits or not. If it's inside the city it's usually up to them to remove the snow. I was in Altus (small...about 18000 pop) and Lawton (medium...about 90000 pop) today and both cities looked as though there was minimal effort at snow removal. Roads were in pretty poor shape...especially side streets. But all state roads for the 55 miles between my house and Lawton were as clear as if it were July.
I'm curious if that stretch of road in the picture of Texarkana (which is actually two cities...one in TX and one in AR) is in the city limits or not. If it's inside the city it's usually up to them to remove the snow. I was in Altus (small...about 18000 pop) and Lawton (medium...about 90000 pop) today and both cities looked as though there was minimal effort at snow removal. Roads were in pretty poor shape...especially side streets. But all state roads for the 55 miles between my house and Lawton were as clear as if it were July.
It is in city limits
1718-1798 N State Line Ave
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Aii19HJwDgD1K1AM6
hollohas
02-19-2021, 12:10
$3,801 electricity bill this month for one 1,300sf Texas home that paid only $1,200 all of 2020.
And many more outrageous bills to come I'm sure...
https://twitter.com/katandtonyT/status/1362460057447849987
$3,801 electricity bill this month for one 1,300sf Texas home that paid only $1,200 all of 2020.
And many more outrageous bills to come I'm sure...
https://twitter.com/katandtonyT/status/1362460057447849987
There's been tons of these popping up... from what i saw on the news last night, they don't owe that much.
DenverGP
02-19-2021, 14:20
Apparently those are "griddy" customers where the customers sign up for Griddy, and then get to pay wholesale electric rates, which is an awesome deal until the state decides to artificially raise the wholesale rate in order to make people conserve electricity. Wholesale prices went from 0.3 cents per kWh to an artifically imposed $9.00 per kWh. And the artifically high rate was held high even after there was more energy production available.
Seems like "griddy" service could offer some kind of insurance policy in place to cap the max rate it's customers get hit with... But too many people just saw they could save a few bucks during normal times and jumped onboard without thinking thru the "what if" situations.
EDIT: found this, kind creepy fore-shadowing:
https://www.griddy.com/post/wholesale-with-price-protection-coming-soon
Good video explaining the whole situation.
https://youtu.be/08mwXICY4JM
Kind of a departure of his usual videos and very well done on his part.
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