It looks like the first Snowmageddon and Icemageddon of the year are about to hit us (well, maybe the second Icemageddon, if you count the first as being what ICE is up to in Minnesota, Maine and elsewhere). The stores around here are pretty much sold out of anything that looks like ice scrapers, snow brushes, windshield de-icing fluid, and so on. Firewood is at a premium, propane gas cylinders are being refilled until the suppliers run out, and appliances using propane, white fuel or kerosene are in short supply.
I haven't had to buy much, as we're pretty well supplied most of the time. I just have to bring into the house enough firewood for a couple of days, a propane cookstove and small heater in case the power goes out, and charge up our battery power banks, which should give us two days or so of portable electric power if needed. Our generator decided not to start when I tested it, so I picked up the necessary bits and pieces to service it tomorrow. It shouldn't be too hard to get it going.
It does look as if this is going to be a very big, very widespread storm. Those of you in the path of the heaviest predicted ice and snow, which looks to be from southern Oklahoma and north-eastern Texas through to Washington D.C. and surrounding area, please be careful. Ice beneath heavy snow is a really nasty thing to encounter - particularly when the snow turns to slush, but the ice beneath is still frozen. Skid city!
(One of my favorite memories of my time in Louisiana was the New Year of 2000 - or was it 2001? At any rate, I had to drive from Winnfield to Monroe to attend a medical examination for my green card (permanent resident permit), which I couldn't miss because it would knock me out of the process until another could be scheduled. There was an ice storm the day and night before. When I got up next morning, the world was white and sparkly, and the roads were pretty frozen. I had no choice but to drive, so I left two hours early in my rear-wheel-drive pickup and drove the whole way, very gingerly, at about 20-25 mph. The whole way up, I passed four-wheel-drive pickups in the ditch, one every few hundred yards. Louisiana state police were in attendance at many of them, and I learned some new words from some of them about rednecks and Cajuns - or worse, Cajun rednecks! - who thought they could drive on ice as they normally did, so long as they did so in four-wheel-drive. Of course, all that got them was a four-wheel skid! I made it safely to Monroe, albeit with a few scares and slides, and made it back the same way. Not fun!)
Anyway, I hope and pray all of you are (and will continue to be) safe and well, and warmly bundled up against the snow and ice. Power failures are forecast to be widespread, so if this blog doesn't come up for a few days, that'll probably be the reason. (I may have emergency power at home, but the Internet service will probably be down.) I'll see you when I see you.
Peter
21 comments:
Heavy snow due here in NH Sunday night. I will make sure the generator will run to keep the heat on, and a light or two. I was in Massachusetts for the Blizzard of 1978 and that closed most roads and trapped thousands of cars.
The ice is the big problem you face as the trees and power lines will get toppled.
Best wishes for getting through all of this!
My daughter and boyfriend were scheduled to go the Dallas - Lewisville area to visit a person in hospice. I advised the pair not to go - not this weekend as the weather just was not at all road friendly. It isn't worth the risk. We live in snow free area and driving in those conditions just aren't part of our skills.
All four-wheel-drive means is that you need a longer tow rope…
I live in New England. Walk in the park.
The South has never learned that four wheels spinning on ice is no better than two wheels spinning on ice.
Just passing this along.
https://x.com/j0ker937/status/2014491634583347626
When I lived in El Paso TX, it snowed. Widespread panic, and nobody knew what was a snow shovel. So I made a pusher out of scrap wood.
In other sports, in gasoline appliances that are seldom used, the fuel in the float bowl gradually evaporates, and the rest of the supply slowly oxidizes into a portion of dissolved gunk. The needle valve faithfully maintains flow into the bowl. The gunk builds up and may impair tiny metering holes. The main fuel metering jet is typically at the bottom of the float bowl. Occasional running and treatment with Gumout would counter all this pretty well.
Hang in there, my friends. I know you & Wing can handle it, but your neighbors may not have the same background.
Typical Midwest winter were I'm at, just colder than usual.
Seen on my Internetz: "Again I saw that under the sun, the most reliable weather forecast is not from the one with the biggest radar, or the most historically accurate model, or the most powerful AI, but time, chance, wind, humidity, temperature, and terrain happen to them all."
Or that much further to walk when you get it stuck.
Meanwhile in Arizona...
Starlink works great when my local ISP goes offline...$50/mo for 100GB of insurance.
Pass that along to the appropriate state weights and measures dept. That is a BIG no no!
Tom762
Snow started her at 1345, first round. Was 32F at 0720, is now 15F and dropping. We’re supposed to get most of the snow Sat-Sun. I am not planning on going anywhere until work at 0700 on Monday, that that might start later than usual if the power company asks (as happened in 2021.)
We’re north of the ice, thanks be.
TXRed
Yeah, at least we have a 'community' here if we need to help each other.
The best advice I ever read about driving in this kind of weather was to drive like there's a full bucket of urine in the passenger seat and you don't want to spill a drop.
Best way to drive in what's expected is don't.
4 wheel drive is a good way to really get stuck hard. Whee-e-e-e!
If you are retarded, yes.
Go to your local Murphy gas station (Walmart) and buy their 'no ethanol' fuel and it will avoid 95% of any varnish issues. Most of that varnish is because of ethanol's water absorption.
$5/month for the standby service gets speeds enough for internet, Wi-Fi calling and movies (with some buffering delays).
When my T-Mobile ($35/month) internet goes out, I just switch over until it returns.
If I have to, I can reactivate my monthly Starlink, but it's spendy.
Nc/sc coastal border.. nothing burger for us. Yesterday morning had ice on deck from rain. Gone in a few hours. Barely hit 32 last night and started warming by 2am, 40f now at 7:30.
Supposedly 20 miles from here 2000 homes lost power but damned if i can tell why.
Only prep we did was filling the propane tanks. Our normal setup here at house is almost immune to short term power outages. If it lasts longer than a few hours we have duel fuel generator. Cooking is gas already and also wood stove for heat as well as propane. Keep 350ish lbs of propane on hand in 20 and 100 lb tanks for cooking, grills, generator, forge, heating etc.
I highly recomend duel fuel generators. Only use propane in them up till you have a multiday power outage. Even if you dont use them for years they will still start and run on propane. I have a couple generators that need carb rebuilds or replacements because of ethanol and intermitent use. Drives me nuts.
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