We're Old Men (Mostly) so Let's Discuss Weather.....

[Rich Riddle]

Isn't there a song with lyrics that say, "as long as old men and sit and talk about the weather?" That said, it's been very cold here. We're just lucky the snow didn't come with the cold. We might break freezing this weekend for the first time in a couple of weeks. Apparently we can't stop that cold air at the border with Canada and leave it with Rod where cold air belongs. Glad I am fat and have some insulation. There are a couple National Weather Service updates for some Creekers.

Major east coast winter storm is expected to bring snow, ice, rain, strong winds, and tidal flooding to coastal locations from the southeast U.S. to New England Wednesday into Thursday. Hazardous travel is likely.

Heavy snow and ice is expected from Florida to Maine today and tomorrow! Follow http://WEATHER.GOV (https://t.co/Z3FIg0XW6X) to get the latest detailed forecast for your location. If you're under a warning, limit or avoid travel if you can! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/2744.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/2744.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/2744.png
10:43 AM - Jan 3, 2018 (https://twitter.com/NWS/status/948580599484289025)

Yes, they said Florida will get snow and ice.

[James Waldron]

Sitting here waiting for the ice to build up on the heat pump compressor and its cage -- again! Freezing rain since some time last night, temp around 28 F. Need a service call, but lots of luck today/this week. When the ice builds up enough to hit the fan blades, we turn to ac until it melts clean (and inside temp drops to around 58-60 F) and then back to heat. Works, but it's supposed to be automatic and not require the cold air blowing in.

We are thinking of moving to Florida.

....... Wait! Oh, yeah.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

It may be hard to believe, but there are a lot of winters we don't get snow here in Lewiston, Idaho due to our elevation. In fact, you climb over 2,000' in elevation any way you leave town but it's a matter of how far you drive to do the climb. This winter and last winter we did have snow. Two weeks ago from Friday until Thursday we had over 6 inches of snow but the following Tuesday the temperature raised into the low 40ºF for a couple days and it was nearly all gone. Of course then the NWS issued flood warnings for our area.

Our temperatures have been running below freezing at night and in the high 20º's F to mid 30º's daily for over a week.

[Adam Herman]

Our crews in North Dakota were shut down because its too cold to work outside. Steel in the equipment gets too brittle and it drastically reduces its pressure and load ratings. around -40 F.

been cold here too. 0ish at night. should warm up today though.

Im not even that old. I have embraced my grumpy old man though, just ask my wife. :D

[Jim Koepke]

The wooly bear caterpillars were a bit thicker of coat this year.

How do they know?

We had snow on Christmas Eve. Last week we also had flood warnings. My comment to the wife was one doesn't think about the effects of flooding when one lives in the hills, but then said it can still be a problem. The next day the power went out just before dinner. So we jumped in the car and figured we would have dinner in town and go to the movies while the workers fixed the lines. We only got a few miles toward town before traffic came to a stop. A hillside fell across the road. Some of the trees that came down with it took out the power. It was all back to normal by the next evening.

jtk

[Brad Adams]

We’ve had record cold here the last few days. -25 on Monday morning. 6 outside right now with below zero temps again the next few nights. I’m a hvac/plumber guy so it’s been busy to say the least.

[Pat Barry]

News report this morning kept saying it was warmer on Mars than it is in Minnesota lately. LOL

[Chet R Parks]

Yea we were at -27 here on the 31st. Only about 6 inches of snow on the ground, not enough to insulate septic systems. I have a lift station so I put a utility/drinker/de-icer API 500 Watt Auto Drinker De-Icer\tI Feeders Grain and Supply Inc. (https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0ahUKEwjTjYe9wLzYAhXi7oMKHUmkDRMQFgiZATAE&url=https%3A%2F%2Ffeedersgrain.com%2Fproducts%2Fap i-500-watt-auto-drinker-de-icer&usg=AOvVaw2x7XgfVKePd51LGj5mQBBE) In the lift station, keeps the water 10-20 degrees above freezing. Put a new one in every winter, at $30 it's cheap insurance.

[Rod Sheridan]

Isn't there a song with lyrics that say, "as long as old men and sit and talk about the weather?" That said, it's been very cold here. We're just lucky the snow didn't come with the cold. We might break freezing this weekend for the first time in a couple of weeks. Apparently we can't stop that cold air at the border with Canada and leave it with Rod where cold air belongs. Glad I am fat and have some insulation. There are a couple National Weather Service updates for some Creekers.

Major east coast winter storm is expected to bring snow, ice, rain, strong winds, and tidal flooding to coastal locations from the southeast U.S. to New England Wednesday into Thursday. Hazardous travel is likely.

Heavy snow and ice is expected from Florida to Maine today and tomorrow! Follow http://WEATHER.GOV (https://t.co/Z3FIg0XW6X) to get the latest detailed forecast for your location. If you're under a warning, limit or avoid travel if you can! https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/2744.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/2744.pnghttps://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/72x72/2744.png
[COLOR=#697882][FONT=Helvetica][URL="https://twitter.com/NWS/status/948580599484289025"]10:43 AM

Heading for -24C here by the end of the week.

Rich, I put up a sheet of plywood, if you stand in the right spot at your home you'll find I've blocked the wind for you.....Rod

[Mark Bolton]

The wooly bear caterpillars were a bit thicker of coat this year.

How do they know? jtk

I can never get that one straight around here. Some people say its if they are more black it'll be bad winter, some say more brown, some say fatter, some say thinner... I have always wondered the same thing but I think if I were to honestly document every wooly bear I see in the fall I would likely see 10 black ones, 10 with lots of brown and a thin black stripe, 10 with a thick black stripe, ten fluffy ones, ten thin ones, and the winter will be whatever it turns out to be and I can pick the one to remember! lol.

[Rick Moyer]

Mark, when you see them with plane tickets to Fl or AZ, then you'll know.

[Jerome Stanek]

I need a new indoor outdoor thermometer that is acurite I tried 2 that were off by 4 to 6 degrees according to 2 of my glass thermometers and one is was tested to be true.

[Jim Koepke]

I need a new indoor outdoor thermometer that is acurite I tried 2 that were off by 4 to 6 degrees according to 2 of my glass thermometers and one is was tested to be true.

If you want to know the temperature, only look at one thermometer. If you want a debate, check them all.

If you ever see a display of thermometers check them. A lot of them will be within a degree or two of each other. There are usually a few outliers, sometimes off by as much as 10º or more.

jtk

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

Been abnormally cold for early January, not record busting til this morning. I can dress for the cold we have. rarely below zero, although the wind chills are usually the bear. My darn rear differential on my backhoe froze up. so right now, I is under tarps with a heater blowing on the differential. Don't relish crawling under neath to pull the drain plug. Next tuesday, we are expecting to break freezing again. Possible 40's by this time next week. Chipping the ice off the water troughs is a pain. this morning the ice was three inches and it was clear yesterday afternoon when I filled it. Ticks ought to have died back with this cold. a few years ago, I don't think it got cold enough to kill the ticks. This cold with little snow cover and the ground will be frozen way down deep. Excavators have trouble some years until April because the ground is frozen down so deep. Even the big machines have trrouble digging through. Yesterday morning, I tried to pull a metal post with the front end loader on the tractor. It snapped off like a match stick. Too cold I guess. I burned some trash this morning. We burn anything with personal information including old client files. Got the fire going a little, and through some 3 x 5 x 10 pieces of oak from the saw mill into the fire. It was burning hot in no time. Got rid of two boxes of of old files. reduced totally to ashes.

[David Helm]

The wooly bear caterpillars were a bit thicker of coat this year.

How do they know?

We had snow on Christmas Eve. Last week we also had flood warnings. My comment to the wife was one doesn't think about the effects of flooding when one lives in the hills, but then said it can still be a problem. The next day the power went out just before dinner. So we jumped in the car and figured we would have dinner in town and go to the movies while the workers fixed the lines. We only got a few miles toward town before traffic came to a stop. A hillside fell across the road. Some of the trees that came down with it took out the power. It was all back to normal by the next evening.

jtk


Huh! Here in the far north of Washington it is in the 40s. No snow
on christmas. You guys down south are getting all the cold and snow.

[Bruce Wrenn]

It was warmer in Anchorage than Raleigh NC yesterday. Yesterday's high: Anchorage 42, Raleigh 32. It's funny to watch Floridians deal with snow and ice. I don't think there is a salt / sand truck anywhere in the state. We have been as low as 8 earlier this week. Expecting some light snow as I type. School is already closed tomorrow.

[Stephen Tashiro]

It was a typical sunny day today, but cool enough that I wore a long sleeved t-shirt while doing some yard work. There were a few honeybees in one of the bird feeders. The internet tells me that on warm Winter days bees visit bird feeders to collect the grain dust and pollen that comes with bird seed.

(Besides, I thought old guys were suppose to talk about present medical problems or the way things were in the distant past.)

[Rich Riddle]

Stephen,

I hope you have a large house. You might have quite a few unannounced visitors from the Creek after your boast. The song lyrics just address old men talking about the weather, but I have read a few post from "old men" lamenting modern issues as opposed to the distant past as well as health conditions.

[Rich Engelhardt]

The wooly bear caterpillars were a bit thicker of coat this year.

How do they know?
From Woolly Bear central.... (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woollybear_Festival)

This coming Fall marks the 45th festival!

[Jerome Stanek]

It was warmer in Anchorage than Raleigh NC yesterday. Yesterday's high: Anchorage 42, Raleigh 32. It's funny to watch Floridians deal with snow and ice. I don't think there is a salt / sand truck anywhere in the state. We have been as low as 8 earlier this week. Expecting some light snow as I type. School is already closed tomorrow.

I think they have to import sand there

[Wayne Lomman]

You guys are certainly copping it with the cold. For me it's going to be 30C tomorrow. Our record is 35C so it doesn't get much hotter.

Speaking of talking about the weather, someone checked statistics recently and discovered that Australians look at weather on the net more often than they look a p##n... Keep warm. Cheers

[Matt Meiser]

I started training for a spring marathon on Monday. I haven't run on a treadmill in over 2-1/2 years but I am later today. Today's wind chill advisory didn't even start until after dawn. Saturday morning they are talking we could hit -10, actual air temp. Even a slight breeze will make that dangerous in minutes.

[Keith Outten]

Its 24 degrees F this morning here in Eastern Virginia with about 4" of snow on the ground and still snowing. We expect between 6 to 8 inches with temps dropping to the single digits late tonight. I am just a few hundred yards from where the York River connects to the Chesapeake Bay on the back side of my place and Sarah's Creek is just about two hundred feet from my front porch, lots of water so the humidity is always high.

Nothing like upstate New York, I spent two years in Oswego in the mid 1980's and the temperature was -30 F every day and the air was so dry all moisture became snowflakes. The average winter snowfall in Oswego was 320 inches so I got used to traveling in the snow and cold weather. If we get 8" of snow today it won't shock me but my neighbors will be devastated :)

The wet snow will probably knock down some trees so we always expect power outages. That's my warning to everyone about SawMill Creek being online today or NOT.

I have my tractor full of diesel fuel in case I need to pull someone out of a ditch, it happens on occasion :)

[Ole Anderson]

I need a new indoor outdoor thermometer that is acurite I tried 2 that were off by 4 to 6 degrees according to 2 of my glass thermometers and one is was tested to be true.
I have a roof top weather station and an old digital outdoor thermometer. They generally agree within one or two degrees, often read the same. Hot, still weather, not so much.

[michael langman]

Snowing like the dickens outside, and 13 degrees.It has warmed up the last 2 days. More artic cold coming tomorrow. It felt good to go out for a walk yesterday afternoon. I'm in southern Vermont.

[Rich Riddle]

Who would have thought one of the warmer places to be in the United States in January would be Anchorage, Alaska? We will be in the negative numbers for low temps for a few more days.

[Dave Anderson NH]

Snowing about 2" per hour right now with a forecast of about a foot coming. Winds are about 30mph with chances of gusts to 50+. Yesterday we reached a daytime temperature of 24F which is only the second day in 2 weeks where daytime highs weren't single digit. Night temp have been all over the place ranging from +1 to -12. Further north in NH running as low as -30.

Ho hum,it's winter, it's NH, it snows. Always been that way and is unlikely to change.

[Al Launier]

Snow is really coming down with much wind. Started early this AM with predictions to a foot with winds gusting to 50 mph ending 4 AM tomorrow. If it dies down later this PM I may go out to snow blow drive ways & walkways to reduce the snow level. Easier for me (75) to do two 6" than one 12" of snow. Yet, if winds keep up the drifting would blow snow back in so I probably will have to wait until tomorrow.
Have a snow plow guy teed up if I need him, but I would still have to gear up & do the walkways/steps, so I usually prefer to do this myself.
Expecting power outages. So glad I have a 20 KW whole house backup generator. No worries for safety & comfort.
Stay safe, stay well, stay happy in your workshop!

PS Just read Dave's post. Looks like we are sharing the same weather. So far, so cold!

[Tom Stenzel]

Day after Christmas, Tuesday: Driving the van,the smell of gasoline coming out of the heating system.

Wednesday: Found the fuel pressure control valve was spurting gasoline. Bought replacement.

Friday: Started installation. Ran into the usual GM problems with doodads and junk in the way. Plastic lines shattered from the cold. Outside 5 hours, temp was about 15 F.

Saturday: finished fabricating parts, installed them. 1 1/2 hours outside. Temp about same as yesterday.

Sunday: Drove van to store, no more smell of gas. Yay! Then suddenly get the smell of antifreeze. Front seal of water pump blew out. Managed to limp home (insert SMC approved symbol for SMC unapproved language here).

Monday: Stubbornly refused to do anything except to enjoy the holiday.

Tuesday: Installed water pump. Went well except I dropped a pulley bolt and it didn't find it's way to the snow. Had to jack up van, remove passenger side wheel, pull the fender liner and get the bolt. It was trapped on top of the lower control arm. Outside total of 3 hours, high of 12 F.

The van is now running but still in the yard. I'm afraid to go near it. The starter was looking at me a bit funny while I was under the hood. I think it wants to go someplace warm, like a repair shop.

Wednesday: Stubbornly refused to leave the house for any reason. Temp: Who cares?

:)

-Tom

[Malcolm Schweizer]

Day after Christmas, Tuesday: Driving the van,the smell of gasoline coming out of the heating system.

Wednesday: Found the fuel pressure control valve was spurting gasoline. Bought replacement.

Friday: Started installation. Ran into the usual GM problems with doodads and junk in the way. Plastic lines shattered from the cold. Outside 5 hours, temp was about 15 F.

Saturday: finished fabricating parts, installed them. 1 1/2 hours outside. Temp about same as yesterday.

Sunday: Drove van to store, no more smell of gas. Yay! Then suddenly get the smell of antifreeze. Front seal of water pump blew out. Managed to limp home (insert SMC approved symbol for SMC unapproved language here).

Monday: Stubbornly refused to do anything except to enjoy the holiday.

Tuesday: Installed water pump. Went well except I dropped a pulley bolt and it didn't find it's way to the snow. Had to jack up van, remove passenger side wheel, pull the fender liner and get the bolt. It was trapped on top of the lower control arm. Outside total of 3 hours, high of 12 F.

The van is now running but still in the yard. I'm afraid to go near it. The starter was looking at me a bit funny while I was under the hood. I think it wants to go someplace warm, like a repair shop.

Wednesday: Stubbornly refused to leave the house for any reason. Temp: Who cares?

:)

-Tom

It's not that I'm laughing at your plight- it's that I'm happy that I'm not the only one that these things happen to. There is a vortex in my Jeep where anything dropped- especially if it's a relatively important thing- goes and is never again seen. NEVER EVER say, "Okay, all I have to do is put this one bolt back on...", for that appears to awaken the vortex, and it will suck the bolt right out of your hand. Also if you should happen to spend all day fixing something, there will inevitably be some other something to require fixing the next day which will require you to remove whatever you just fixed to get to the other broken something. I hate Murphy.

[Malcolm McLeod]

... Outside 5 hours, temp was about 15 F.
... 1 1/2 hours outside. Temp about same as yesterday.
... Outside total of 3 hours, high of 12 F.


... I hate Murphy.

^+1 - I used to like working on cars. ...Worked on '71 Grand Prix and a '75 CJ all the time. You could open the hood and see the driveway!

Then one time, circa 1990, I dropped a screwdriver under a hood. Kept the car for several more years and sold the screwdriver with the car. Never came out. Oddly, the buyer didn't seem to want to pay the adder for the tool? Today things in cars are jammed so tight you skin a knuckle picking your nose, so I pretty much let someone else feel the joy nowadays.

And Tom, in Texas there's a special coat for people that work outside in that weather. Its white, laces in back, and has funny sleeves. ;)

[Art Mann]

Just in case anyone is curious, the song lyrics referenced in the original post come from Randy Travis's song "Forever and Ever, Amen". Here is an excerpt:

"Oh, baby, I'm gonna love you forever
Forever and ever, amen
As long as old men sit and talk about the weather
As long as old women sit and talk about old men"

[Harold Balzonia]

You guys have it easy.... it only got to 77 today in Southern California.... the low was a mind numbing 65. Then at around 2:30pm some clouds covered up the sun for about 18 minutes. I thought I might as well tough it out and threw an extra t-shirt in my truck just for an emergency. Like if my pit sweat got a little unruly while driving for 3 hours to go 15 miles on the 405 freeway.

[Stewie Simpson]

104 -108F is the forecast high in my area of Australia tomorrow.

[michael langman]

Tom, You bring back fond memories of lying on the ground, or bent over on a cold winters day fixing my car. Praying to the Gods above to help me see the thing that dropped from my cold unfeeling fingertips into the crevices of the unknown.

[Keith Outten]

Stewie,

You forgot to mention that it is the Summer season where you live :)

[Myk Rian]

Sitting here waiting for the ice to build up on the heat pump compressor and its cage -- again! Freezing rain since some time last night, temp around 28 F. Need a service call, but lots of luck today/this week. When the ice builds up enough to hit the fan blades, we turn to ac until it melts clean (and inside temp drops to around 58-60 F) and then back to heat. Works, but it's supposed to be automatic and not require the cold air blowing in.
Is it possible to install a window awning over the unit to keep the weather off it?

[James Waldron]

Is it possible to install a window awning over the unit to keep the weather off it?

Might be, but a service call to replace an out-of-spec capacitor has it fixed. First freeze up of the system in all the time we've been in the place, since 1995 (the unit in place when we bought here wore out after a 25 year service life and was replaced 7 years ago) so we don't have a recurrent problem here.

[Rich Riddle]

I keep hoping this Arctic air will leave, but the forecasters keep pushing it back. Two days ago the forecasters said today would be 39 degrees, but now we are sitting below zero again with a high expected of 15. Apparently the model now says it will warm up starting on Tuesday or Wednesday.

[Al Launier]

Survived the BOMB. Had 3' of snow in the driveway with 4' drifts in the apron area. Took ~4 hrs to clear everything: driveway, apron, walkways, steps, mail box, walkout & runoff paths for melt drainage. Got the snowblower stuck in one of the paths-couldn't back it out-had to shovel out the snow blower-1st time that's happened. Temperature at 8-9° with wind gusts up to 40 mph. Sure glad that one's over!

Went out late this morning to clear out new drifts in the driveway so we could run errands. Started up the snow blower easily, but it wouldn't go forward or backwards. Was running well when I parked it yesterday. What the heck?

So, all I could think of was to try adjusting the pressure between the drive plate & the friction wheel. Several turns on the adjustment screw & Bingo! Back in business. Don't know why it held up through the storm only to refuse to move the next morning??? But I'm glad it now works - will check it out more thoroughly in a few days when it's forecast to be in the 40's to be ready for the next one.

[Mike Cutler]

Went out late this morning to clear out new drifts in the driveway so we could run errands. Started up the snow blower easily, but it wouldn't go forward or backwards. Was running well when I parked it yesterday. What the heck?

So, all I could think of was to try adjusting the pressure between the drive plate & the friction wheel. Several turns on the adjustment screw & Bingo! Back in business. Don't know why it held up through the storm only to refuse to move the next morning??? But I'm glad it now works - will check it out more thoroughly in a few days when it's forecast to be in the 40's to be ready for the next one.

You too! Mine did the same thing. I'm hoping it's just some trapped ice. I'll lift it up onto the table and take it apart today. No snow forecast for at least a few days.
We actually had it pretty easy in my part of CT. A little wind and maybe 8" of snow. Nothing like Boston, or the Cape. They got hammered! Streets turned into rivers of frozen slush! Reminded me of the mudslides in Cali' when I was a kid.

[Bill Jobe]

I haven't read every word here, so it may have already come up.
It was not until a few years ago that I had read somewhere that there is a separate weather system that exists from the ground up ~ 30 feet up.

[Wayne Lomman]

While you guys are experiencing record cold, yesterday Sydney was the hottest city on the planet, topping out at 47.3C which is 117F. A bit of averaging out would be good. Cheers

[Rod Sheridan]

I keep hoping this Arctic air will leave, but the forecasters keep pushing it back. Two days ago the forecasters said today would be 39 degrees, but now we are sitting below zero again with a high expected of 15. Apparently the model now says it will warm up starting on Tuesday or Wednesday.

It's finally warm enough here to snow again.

First day back at work, big snow storm, yucky driving and a large power outage. We're on diesel at work as power was flickering...............Rod.

[Myk Rian]

Went to bed last night, there was 8" of snow. Woke up this morning, there was none. In the 50s all day.

[Rich Riddle]

The forecasters in the area have been predicting 14" - 31" of snow later today......until yesterday. Now they are saying we will get 2" - 4" of snow accumulation. The originally predicted "white death" inspired a run on hardware stores and grocers.

[Rod Sheridan]

The forecasters in the area have been predicting 14" - 31" of snow later today......until yesterday. Now they are saying we will get 2" - 4" of snow accumulation. The originally predicted "white death" inspired a run on hardware stores and grocers.

Rich, it's funny how different areas view different weather systems.

I was at a BMW rally in the US and we were sitting around the campfire when I hear from the other side "Go ask Rod, he's sitting over there, he's from there".

I was thinking it was going to be a discussion on healthcare, and I had a sinking feeling, instead the gentleman came over, introduced himself, and asked how I could possibly choose to live in a country that had so many snowstorms. ( He was from Louisiana).

I realized that he probably had never experienced a large snow storm so I said "well, when we get a big storm, the schools and many businesses close, and I stay at home watching the snow fall and the birds in the feeder, with a nice warm mug of tea. After it stops snowing, I get the blower out, clean out my drive and a few for my elderly neighbours, and the local kids are out making snow forts, snowmen or having a snow ball fight..

I have no idea how you can live in place where a storm blows your house into your neighbours pool, all I have to do is shovel snow, not build a new house."

He thought about it for a moment and said " Yes, but it snows and it's cold where you live"

Made me think that we really fear what we don't understand, in my case tropical storms since we don't normally have those where I live. I guess I'm accustomed to the "white death" and just don't travel during those events.

Today it's +11 and raining like crazy with the ground frozen solid, later today it's forecasted to go to -12. what a screwy winter.............Rod

[James Waldron]

Yesterday 72 F; today forecast 77 F. You Yankees have a good time, y'hear!

I can live without sledding, slipping and sliding.

[Jerome Stanek]

My old weather station quit working so I picked up another one that was close to what I had for 10 years. The outdoor temp was off by 4 to 5 % they specs said that it should be + or - 2 degrees so I called tech support. They told me that the 4% was acceptable when I said + or - - 2 % is not 4%. I took that one back and got a different brand and that one was off 6% when it was -5% here. I called them and they also said that that was acceptable. I am checking these with 3 mercury thermometers and one was for checking freezers that I bought from the state department that inspects coolers and freezers. Why is plus or minus 2% equal to 4% one way.

[Rich Riddle]

Just before it snowed (less than one inch) our local forecaster predicted between zero and 31" of snow to fall. He believes in playing it safe.