I don't think mine would be able to handle temperatures that low. How do you cope?

Last edited Sat Jan 13, 2024, 08:24 AM - Edit history (1)

My heating unit handles it, it's the cost that will kill you. I have an emergency location in case the power goes out, there's a wood stove there. I could walk it if I had to but I'd rather not. It's a tossup as to whether to abuse one of my vehicles starting up in that kind of cold. Otherwise, limit power use and hope the other neighbors on the circuit don't over do it. Space heaters are the worst offender for that.

I ran the dishwasher but that's my only extra thing besides the heating unit and one light and my laptop stuff. I don't sleep well during these events but that's one of the compromises to living here.

It's not like there's much escaping it, even north texas is in the chill.

So far, I'm good, stocked up on food and no place to go. No snow to speak of.

Will always remember that little glowing thermostat.

I do have clothing that I could put on and use those hand warmer things to augment. The power company is usually pretty quick, especially when there's no snowstorm. I would only venture to my friend's if there was a long delay.

I've been through this before, I just don't like it so much now that I'm old. Hopefully the power won't go out and all will be well.

sweater.

and I hope the power stays on!

It's not like I would be out in the weather if it did go out. But that's the worst thing with this round of cold weather. I'm on the western edge, it will move on in a day or two, other places east of here, they have it colder and it will last longer so I dare not complain. The coldest I have ever been out in was -50F and it was surreal. I was well protected but it was still crazy.

I don't even plan to open my door to look outside until it gets up into negative single digits!

That is beyond cold. Stay safe 2naSalit.

There's a plan for when stuff doesn't work. It's kind of a pain but it's a plan that's doable.

Wherever you are, it sounds like you’re prepared and have had experience with this kind of weather. Still, stay safe and warm 🥶

And thank you.

I'm in Montana but look at that map and you can see all the warnings, most for cold and snowstorms in serious cold. Out east, looks like a bunch of wind that will have serious cold behind it.

Be prepared, the best way to survive mother nature's extremes.

Some kind of artic vortex with temps that are historic. It is winter but wow! You are absolutely right about Mother Nature and surviving whatever she has in store..gotta work with it because you won’t win fighting it. The farthest I’ve been out there was Ketchum, Idaho, some 30 years ago. I was actually smitten with the beauty and the stars so close it felt I could grab one from the sky. Just mesmerizing

I recall numerous cold snaps like this in the past. It's really a thing when you're out in the middle of Wyoming in a semi and your fuel lines freeze up, which I have experienced. What I noticed, as I was trying to fix the problem, was that even the antelope were huddling together to keep warm.

On nights like this, one can witness unusual phenomena that are magical and the stars are right there, clearer than ever. If there's any moisture in the air, it falls like glitter in a clear sky and any outdoor lights in the area take on the appearance of candles as the light from each one shoots a beam of whatever color it is into the sky. When looking at a town, it's like nothing else seen anywhere... all those beams going straight up and glitter falling, truly and experience.

But it's also the temp where steel breaks like thin ice and gasoline turns to jello, never mind grease for gears, that turns into concrete. On cold nights like this you can tell how cold it's getting by watching the behavior of the exhaust coming out of the tailpipe, it expands less and less until it starts to contract, that's also when it's time to find a safe indoor setting because that happens around-45F and colder. In some equipment, the exhaust pipe is right outside the window so you can see it, when it stops expanding it looks like a rope of smoke just laying out in the air as it comes out of the pipe like toothpaste emerging from the tube, just hanging there level.

Surreal.

It's now -28F and should come close to the predicted -31F (wind chill -50 or so) by daylight. Higher speed wind is coming so I'm still indoors until it brings in the warmer air that's definitely incoming. This is the worst of it for us at the westernmost margin of the air mass, should be getting above 0 by Tuesday.