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2021-2022 Texas Winter Weather Thread


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2 minutes ago, Trey3216 said:

My grandparents lived in the hilly areas Southeast of Pittsburgh, PA.  They didn't have air conditioning.  Some of them July nights were an absolute beating with high humidity and very little air movement.  

Oh yeah any old timers around here have those stories. My grandpa before he passed loved the family story of cousin such and such that slept on the porch pre ac in the summer and got bit by a rabid skunk one night (South Bosque near the Cottonbelt Trail today). The people that lived here back then were insane.

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6 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

My grandparents' next door neighbors were like this, but instead of it being set to 85 they refused to turn on the AC until June and turned it off in mid-October no matter what the temperature was outside/inside. 

My MIL is like this.  My son can't stand when he has to stay there during the summer because it's too hot for him to sleep.  We have told her that we will pay the utility bill while she watches him, but she just says she will turn it down for him...to 76.  He usually sleep at 71 during the summer.

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Just now, Hate said:

My MIL is like this.  My son can't stand when he has to stay there during the summer because it's too hot for him to sleep.  We have told her that we will pay the utility bill while she watches him, but she just says she will turn it down for him...to 76.  He usually sleep at 71 during the summer.

Get him a "chily pad".  It's a pad you put over the mattress that can either heat of cool the sleeper.  Usually run $500-$600 depending on the size of the bed.  Can set the temp from 55 degrees up to 100.  We got one and it's a marriage saver.  Wife sets her side warm, and mine is like sleeping on a sheet of ice!  Long term, it's a money saver.

Chilisleep pad

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10 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

Get him a "chily pad".  It's a pad you put over the mattress that can either heat of cool the sleeper.  Usually run $500-$600 depending on the size of the bed.  Can set the temp from 55 degrees up to 100.  We got one and it's a marriage saver.  Wife sets her side warm, and mine is like sleeping on a sheet of ice!  Long term, it's a money saver.

Chilisleep pad

Meh...he can just suck it up like I had to when I was a kid at my grandparents.  It will make him tougher in the long run.

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3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

I've got these for my shoes -- 421ccace-4458-4a0f-8179-e693f0706d82?siz

Actually came in super-handy during the storm last year.  Before the worst of it, we went down in the greenbelt to harvest some extra firewood, and had to walk on a lot of icy stones -- they did the trick.  But I don't have 'em for my truck, so I know we can get stuck at the bottom of our hill and have to stay there.

People love it when you walk across their nice floors in those things.

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As I mentioned in the non-Texas weather thread - watch the ice line with this one. Ice is the worst. Be careful out there. Salt, sand and/or kitty litter is your friend in ice.
 
And - a reminder - 4wd means zero in ice. Conquering ice in a vehicle requires studded snow tires or chains. 
 
Tldr - keep an eye  ice line as the storm moves in. Good luck and Godspeed. 

6c11c0a02498636274dab9256212671d.jpg
All I needed last time was a bag of Sakrete the trunk.
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Fucking KXAN doomed us.

https://www.kxan.com/weather/weather-blog/we-are-almost-through-the-coldest-time-of-the-year/

Quote

We are almost through the coldest time of the year

Posted: Jan 12, 2022 / 12:45 PM CST / Updated: Jan 12, 2022 / 12:45 PM CST

Quote

Climatologically speaking, the coldest time of the year for Austin, TX is January 2nd through January 14th. During this time period our average high temperature is 62 degrees and our average low temperature is 41. Starting January 15th our average temperatures warm slightly and by the end of the month on the 31st our average high climbs to 64 degrees and our average low up to 43 degrees. This doesn’t mean we won’t see frigid days (there still will be plenty) it just means on AVERAGE we will start to warm.

 

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2 minutes ago, Nonbryan said:

Just a question..... How in the world did we ever survive freezing temps before this?  Asking for a friend.  Thx Bai

Everybody had fireplaces and firewood stockpiled?

Millions of people in Texas do not have fireplaces, and they are in houses or apartments or whatever that are not made for this shit.

So they rely on electricity in no small part to keep their homes going.

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11 hours ago, Homercles said:

Naturally this all happens leading up to a weekend away with the wife and our sitter coming down from FW Friday afternoon…sounds like I’ll either be rescheduling or trying to find someone local.  Ugh. 

I'd be happy to sit for you. Just got my red cross first aid cert.

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As long as the power stays on... and the ice doesn't kill all the plants... and you don't need to go anywhere Thursday... it's all good.

 

But, for real, unlike last year, you know the worst is a day to a day-and-a-half versus "MY GOD WHEN IS THIS ENDING???!?!?!?!?!???"

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Basically lunchtime Thursday to lunchtime Friday, stay put at home.  Got it. 

Works out well, somebody just regifted my wife "The Little House on the Prairie" Season 2 on DVD (non-BluRay).  So should be fucking lit! 

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6 minutes ago, texasdago said:

As long as the power stays on... and the ice doesn't kill all the plants... and you don't need to go anywhere Thursday... it's all good.

 

But, for real, unlike last year, you know the worst is a day to a day-and-a-half versus "MY GOD WHEN IS THIS ENDING???!?!?!?!?!???"

Yup, I'm not worried about running out of firewood this time.

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6 minutes ago, SimonBolivar said:

Yup, I'm not worried about running out of firewood this time.

I just moved a buttload of succulents and cactus into the garage and spent some time replacing a bit of weatherstripping today.  Faucet bibs are covered and I'll start covering a few plants tomorrow... just didn't make sense to do it today although its going to be a PITA doing it tomorrow in crappy weather.  Only have a few I'm going to cover... as for the others plants...

If He Dies GIFs | Tenor

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No real update for tonight, but...

Everything with this storm is ok, whatever, except I don't like how the models are trending up the ice.  Anything over .30" will cause power outages you can bet.  However, remember that this isn't strictly north to south... rain, ice, and snow usually fall in bands... where the heaviest bands fall no model can really predict (which is why I think we're still just barely holding onto "only" a watch, not a warning.  The heaviest ice/whatever is forecast more between Waco and the Red River, but models have trended up for us.  Hopefully that'll not happen.

Again, looks like Houston and points S/E will stay relatively out of this... freezes at night but so for only rain for the forecast.  Might be a good time to hit the beach.

Back tomorrow morning for an update, after that I got a lot to do before the Chronicles of Narnia begin.

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Update:
Not much.  Our fates are pretty much sealed now.  The NWS posts 2 above me reflect the news I was hoping wouldn't happen yesterday, but yeah, it did.  So:

- Winter Storm Warning for essentially all of CenTex.
- Main issue is icing, which by now we all know about.

There are two lil' rays of hope, though, maybe, or at least things to ease the pain:
1) This front is not a "blast."  That is, temps aren't gonna drop 30 degrees within an hour.

This one's deceptively gradual, so after it passes, you might only notice a bit breezier wind out of the north.  In fact, temps aren't expected to hit freezing around here until midnight, so technically you have most of the evening (as long as you're going S or E or not far from your house in ATX) to do some chore.  The rain shouldn't turn frozen until 3 or 4 a.m.  And in fact morning temps should "only" be around 30° around here.  But then they'll go down - and down - and down through the day.  The afternoon "high" should be ~25° (give or take your typical degree or two where you live).  By Friday morning, 17-24 degrees.  Then we've peaked, and a slow, slow climb, not only past freezing Friday (which isn't guaranteed much out of immediate ATX area), but back to seasonal temps by next work week.  One other hope is that the clouds will actually linger into Friday morning; if so, temps will stay about 5-6 degrees "warmer". (Big deal, I know, 24° vs, 19° but any little bit helps).



2) Now that we're in the bullseye of ice, it means that narrow bands or areas within this larger area could be worse - or better - than others.  Your neighborhood might not get as much, while the next one over is deluged.  Don't get me wrong, we're all gonna get ice, but for some it'll be a thin glaze, for others, trees down and power out (not grid-related).  Especially those areas about .30" or more.  Unfortunately, I see a good degree of spotty power outages, and icy roads will probably hinder repair.  However the ice probably won't be at its worst until Thurs afternoon or evening, so hopefully the "worst" of it will be no power for about 1/2 day if they can get out Friday.  I do think with Friday's clearing, roads will improve quickly and that'll be the beginning of the improvement.

Not much else... a very cold and nasty Thursday is coming.  Fortunately it's only more or less Thursday (Friday will of course dawn cold as hell but calm).  Pray for Pipes, People, Pets, - and Pollination (what else you gonna do locked away in your crib?).

Back later, probably with not much new.  The die is cast.  We'll see you on the other side.  I always wanted to see Montana.  Well, tomorrow I will, weather and all!

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26 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Update:
Not much.  Our fates are pretty much sealed now.  The NWS posts 2 above me reflect the news I was hoping wouldn't happen yesterday, but yeah, it did.  So:

- Winter Storm Warning for essentially all of CenTex.
- Main issue is icing, which by now we all know about.

There are two lil' rays of hope, though, maybe, or at least things to ease the pain:
1) This front is not a "blast."  That is, temps aren't gonna drop 30 degrees within an hour.

This one's deceptively gradual, so after it passes, you might only notice a bit breezier wind out of the north.  In fact, temps aren't expected to hit freezing around here until midnight, so technically you have most of the evening (as long as you're going S or E or not far from your house in ATX) to do some chore.  The rain shouldn't turn frozen until 3 or 4 a.m.  And in fact morning temps should "only" be around 30° around here.  But then they'll go down - and down - and down through the day.  The afternoon "high" should be ~25° (give or take your typical degree or two where you live).  By Friday morning, 17-24 degrees.  Then we've peaked, and a slow, slow climb, not only past freezing Friday (which isn't guaranteed much out of immediate ATX area), but back to seasonal temps by next work week.  One other hope is that the clouds will actually linger into Friday morning; if so, temps will stay about 5-6 degrees "warmer". (Big deal, I know, 24° vs, 19° but any little bit helps).



2) Now that we're in the bullseye of ice, it means that narrow bands or areas within this larger area could be worse - or better - than others.  Your neighborhood might not get as much, while the next one over is deluged.  Don't get me wrong, we're all gonna get ice, but for some it'll be a thin glaze, for others, trees down and power out (not grid-related).  Especially those areas about .30" or more.  Unfortunately, I see a good degree of spotty power outages, and icy roads will probably hinder repair.  However the ice probably won't be at its worst until Thurs afternoon or evening, so hopefully the "worst" of it will be no power for about 1/2 day if they can get out Friday.  I do think with Friday's clearing, roads will improve quickly and that'll be the beginning of the improvement.

Not much else... a very cold and nasty Thursday is coming.  Fortunately it's only more or less Thursday (Friday will of course dawn cold as hell but calm).  Pray for Pipes, People, Pets, - and Pollination (what else you gonna do locked away in your crib?).

Back later, probably with not much new.  The die is cast.  We'll see you on the other side.  I always wanted to see Montana.  Well, tomorrow I will, weather and all!

I don't like your forecast.

I'd prefer that we put it...............on ice.

david-caruso-glasses-on.gif

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I'm not freaking out about this like last year because it appears to be about 10 degrees warmer at worst and of shorter duration, including any power losses, knock on wood.

Oncor, for the first time in years, is trimming trees in our alley, and i am hopeful has done so all over.  And has emailed about "prepositioning assets" to deal with any outages.

In Dallas.  Am I whistling past the graveyard?

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1 minute ago, TwiceHorn said:

I'm not freaking out about this like last year because it appears to be about 10 degrees warmer at worst and of shorter duration, including any power losses, knock on wood.

Oncor, for the first time in years, is trimming trees in our alley, and i am hopeful has done so all over.  And has emailed about "prepositioning assets" to deal with any outages.

In Dallas.  Am I whistling past the graveyard?

already-dead.gif

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4 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I'm not freaking out about this like last year because it appears to be about 10 degrees warmer at worst and of shorter duration, including any power losses, knock on wood.

Oncor, for the first time in years, is trimming trees in our alley, and i am hopeful has done so all over.  And has emailed about "prepositioning assets" to deal with any outages.

In Dallas.  Am I whistling past the graveyard?

I've seen crews around Austin cutting limbs over the past couple of days, too.

3 minutes ago, Homercles said:

Keep some of those trees…can burn them for heat, build a personal shelter and use the bark for when you run out of toilet paper. 

Sage advice.

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22 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

I'm not freaking out about this like last year because it appears to be about 10 degrees warmer at worst and of shorter duration, including any power losses, knock on wood.

Oncor, for the first time in years, is trimming trees in our alley, and i am hopeful has done so all over.  And has emailed about "prepositioning assets" to deal with any outages.

In Dallas.  Am I whistling past the graveyard?

No.  No you're not.  Jesus, people are freaking out about a day of freezing temps.  Maybe some residual snow/ice.  Then it's back to high's in the 50's again.  

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7 minutes ago, BabaYaga said:

No.  No you're not.  Jesus, people are freaking out about a day of freezing temps.  Maybe some residual snow/ice.  Then it's back to high's in the 50's again.  

We won’t have snow for our toilets so of course people are freaking out.  This will be us trying to break through the ice on Town Lake tomorrow afternoon trying to get water to flush our toilets.

3WG6ABCE5PDA3WZPY2OLMP7A2U.jpg

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In case anyone cares, the "new and improved" ERCOT dashboard (actually it kind of is improved) lists usage etc.  Of most interest on the dashboard is the first item - supply and demand.  Watch for that mother to start trending up later tonight, probably peaking about 74KMW early Friday.  Can't do much about it but at least you can see if/when we're (you're) fooked. (If you've never seen it, you don't want that light blue line (usage) at the bottom to catch up or get near the top line ("what we can deliver to Texas at this point.").  We'll see.)  Enjoy the ride.

The second item of course is "extra megawatts" which is always good to know (assuming it's not B.S.).  They have had more time this time around to generate extra power unlike last year - 2 days ago it was at 3KMW, now it's up to 8.  They're trying to get to 10-15 in reserve.  Have fun watching the little green (for now) rainbow hopefully not turn other colors.  At least it can help you prep - maybe.  The more power they can whomp up now, the better.  (Stuff froze so fast last year, as that front was a fast-movie siege m.f. that everything froze within 6-8 hours.  This time around we've had more time, and will, once the front passes).

https://www.ercot.com/gridmktinfo/dashboards

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