The winter is coming: to Texan friends

[Savago]

Gentlefolks

An Arctic front is coming, the forecast is for 3 days of temperatures ranging from 20F to zero.

Reference: https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/02/a-deep-freeze-is-coming-to-texas-and-no-one-knows-if-the-power-grid-is-ready/

Maybe a bit too late, but I hope you guys manage it as best as possible.
 

[Serk]

Just got back from the grocery store and the liquor store, both SUPER busy...

After last year we're in a lot better shape as a state and individually...

Kid's are out of school the rest of the week, so they're excited about that!

[Savago]

@Serk: I hope it doesn't hit as hard as last time.

Once I had the furnace go bad in the middle of the winter and I used one of this (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G51BZU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1) attached to a propane tank (using a specific hose that doesn't require a filter https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001CFWF5U/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1) to help out during the 2 days it took to fix the furnace.

Also had a CO2/CO sensor in the same room to avoid any risks.

But then again, the lows in my neck of the woods are around 32F to 28F.

[Serk]

Yup, have  a Heater Buddy, and use it for camping, and let my parents use it when the power went out for them last year. Very handy thing to have!

Also have a converter for propane tank usage, and have a large generator and the (slightly illegal, but know how to use it) cable to back feed the generator into the house via my dryer's power outlet (Just making sure to cut off power to the house first to make sure I'm not backfeeding the whole grid and hurting a lineman.)

This is forecast to be around 48 hours below freezing, not a week and a half below freezing, with days under zero like last year...

[..]

But, but, but don't y'all have beaucoup solar and wind power???

[cookiedough]

I here in places like Ohio the snowblowers are all sold out in stores all over, yikes....  a new shortage for sure.

I start worrying when temps stay below -15 F for lows over 1 week or more which also does not happen too often.   Not sure how in certain places of MN and ND they make a go of it in the winter.  Been to ND once in the dead of winter BRUTALLY cold front for over 1 week straight ice fishing and were about the only ones out there stupid enough to stay out there on the ice all day long for 4 or so days in a row. Perch had lockjaw and the walleyes as well besides a few dinks but caught a fair amount of northern pike woulda much preferred coming home with a limit of perch instead.

[POPS 57]

- 26 this mor. Just another day in Paradise.  The high today will be -5 at best. I have to go out and work on four snow machines for use this weekend. Kids are coming up to ride. I hope it takes less then a hour. It should be around 25 on sat. perfect weather for riding.

[Valkorado]

Yup, have  a Heater Buddy, and use it for camping, and let my parents use it when the power went out for them last year. Very handy thing to have!

Also have a converter for propane tank usage, and have a large generator and the (slightly illegal, but know how to use it) cable to back feed the generator into the house via my dryer's power outlet (Just making sure to cut off power to the house first to make sure I'm not backfeeding the whole grid and hurting a lineman.)

This is forecast to be around 48 hours below freezing, not a week and a half below freezing, with days under zero like last year...

I live at Ice Station Zebra.

I've also got the heater buddies and generators, and the 20 gallon propane tank convertor.  I'm considering having a transfer switch installed for powering household appliances safely.  My most important winter survival item is the wood burner, and several cords of firewood.

[Rams]

Yup, have  a Heater Buddy, and use it for camping, and let my parents use it when the power went out for them last year. Very handy thing to have!

Also have a converter for propane tank usage, and have a large generator and the (slightly illegal, but know how to use it) cable to back feed the generator into the house via my dryer's power outlet (Just making sure to cut off power to the house first to make sure I'm not backfeeding the whole grid and hurting a lineman.)

This is forecast to be around 48 hours below freezing, not a week and a half below freezing, with days under zero like last year...

I live at Ice Station Zebra.

I've also got the heater buddies and generators, and the 20 gallon propane tank convertor.  I'm considering having a transfer switch installed for powering household appliances safely.  My most important winter survival item is the wood burner, and several cords of firewood.

I have a PTO driven generator that I couple to my Kubota for electricity and a 250-gallon propane tank buried in the side yard.   I keep enough diesel fuel on hand to power that tractor for several weeks if used judiciously.   As long as a hurricane or tornado doesn't blow the house down, I'm good.

But I'm seriously considering having solar panels installed on my roof on the south side as an additional money saver (in the long run).   I'm advised my home is perfect for such an application of solar power.   It's just a bit expensive to get done.   If I had your money, it would have already been done.  

Rams

[Valkorado]

Yup, have  a Heater Buddy, and use it for camping, and let my parents use it when the power went out for them last year. Very handy thing to have!

Also have a converter for propane tank usage, and have a large generator and the (slightly illegal, but know how to use it) cable to back feed the generator into the house via my dryer's power outlet (Just making sure to cut off power to the house first to make sure I'm not backfeeding the whole grid and hurting a lineman.)

This is forecast to be around 48 hours below freezing, not a week and a half below freezing, with days under zero like last year...

I live at Ice Station Zebra.

I've also got the heater buddies and generators, and the 20 gallon propane tank convertor.  I'm considering having a transfer switch installed for powering household appliances safely.  My most important winter survival item is the wood burner, and several cords of firewood.

I have a PTO driven generator that I couple to my Kubota for electricity and a 250-gallon propane tank buried in the side yard.   I keep enough diesel fuel on hand to power that tractor for several weeks if used judiciously.   As long as a hurricane or tornado doesn't blow the house down, I'm good.

But I'm seriously considering having solar panels installed on my roof on the south side as an additional money saver (in the long run).   I'm advised my home is perfect for such an application of solar power.   It's just a bit expensive to get done.   If I had your money, it would have already been done.  

Rams

If you had my money, solar panels would not be a consideration.  In Gunnison, they're not anyway.

[Serk]

Don't ya'll that live in the frozen tundra laugh TOO much, but this is what we woke up to this morning, which has Texas pretty much shut down today:

[Willow]

Don't ya'll that live in the frozen tundra laugh TOO much, but this is what we woke up to this morning, which has Texas pretty much shut down today: 

The dogs have Texas shut down?   

[..]

Yup, have  a Heater Buddy, and use it for camping, and let my parents use it when the power went out for them last year. Very handy thing to have!

Also have a converter for propane tank usage, and have a large generator and the (slightly illegal, but know how to use it) cable to back feed the generator into the house via my dryer's power outlet (Just making sure to cut off power to the house first to make sure I'm not backfeeding the whole grid and hurting a lineman.)

This is forecast to be around 48 hours below freezing, not a week and a half below freezing, with days under zero like last year...

I live at Ice Station Zebra.

I've also got the heater buddies and generators, and the 20 gallon propane tank convertor.  I'm considering having a transfer switch installed for powering household appliances safely.  My most important winter survival item is the wood burner, and several cords of firewood.

Do the transfer switch. I had one at my house in Clayton. Plugged in my gennie outside before the weather started. Crank 'er up when the  power goes out. Flick the fuses back on and hey presto.

I'm inquiring about getting one fitted here.

[h13man]

I'm stuck right dab in the middle of the blizzard. Today, 19 degrees, 20-30 mph. winds, and additional 3-5" today. Won't be getting the 6000 lb. chained tractor out until maybe Friday night as it's easier to distinguish where you are at in the snow as long as it isn't blowing. We"ll see. In the meantime momma made two pans of brownies, breakfast of champions!  I've got two N wind drifts about 4.5 ft. across my property/drive and increasing.  Hope you all enjoy   and please be careful as there's ice under all our snow also.

[scooperhsd]

Woke up to single digits (at least they were positive ), it MAY get up to 20F today, 4-6 inches on the yard right now from yesterday.

[Skinhead]

Don't ya'll that live in the frozen tundra laugh TOO much, but this is what we woke up to this morning, which has Texas pretty much shut down today: 

The dogs have Texas shut down?   

Beat me to it.  My comment was going to be, "All it takes to shut down Texas is 2 German Shepherds?"

[Serk]

If they suspected that Texas was hiding treats from them, there's a distinct possibility that would be all it'd take...

[old2soon]

          Snowin blowin cold and already bout 6" or so of the white stuff on da ground. And BEFORE dat chit freezing rain sleet more freezing rain then winds and STILL Snowin and I keep Reminding myself I live in SOUTHERN Missouri!  And just texted daprez and THEY did NOT add to the dusting of snow they got yesterday!  I remember George Carlin as the hippy dippy weather man-weather-We'll have some!  RIDE/DRIVE SAFE.

[Savago]

For reference, this is the current 'winter storm warning' area in the country as of today (you could drive from Maine to Texas without leaving the winter storm area):

[cookiedough]

this is a weird snowstorm so far south and eastward vs. usually up here in the more northern midwest states.  Just keep it down there will yah....   

I know how you feel with freezing rain though and high winds both suck would rather have 1 foot of snow vs. that other garbage.....   

High winds even with only 3-5 inches of snow like one said can pile up 3-5 ft tall in a drift all across your yard or driveway, been there done that dozens of times, it sucks what high winds can do.   

I have not fired up the snowblower yet this year really only 2 snowfalls both 2-4 inches is about it all year long, very weird.  I am actually hoping for 4+ inches snow to fire up the snowblower and use some old gas out of it yet this year but extended forecast all of next week is still NO snowfalls.  Besides about 1 foot drift still in our backyard from high winds, the backyard where the sun hits the most is all cleared of snow can see the grass in 3/4th's of the backyard, weird indeed.

[hueco]

Compared to last year? I be rolling around in the yard naked. Only 25 degrees with a smidgen of sleet on the ground. To all of us tough Texans that survived the once in a lifetime Texas Snowpocalypse last year. This ain't crap. Thats why all of them Yankees are moving down here.

[h13man]

We got hit last year about the 10th of February but we were in Houston not at home and my son had everything cleared out with the tractor before we got home. When we left Houston it rained all the way to Little Rock then turned to near freezing rain on the other side Little Rock all the way through Arkansas. No place to get lodging due to emergency power workers hoarding lodging thus we had to travel to Memphis before we could get lodging and it was really was icing bad at this point. Late next morning took 2.5 hrs. to get into Missouri and decent roads again.