How's the weather?

Checked the forecast. There's  going to be a high of 13 C today!   

Aye, it's 8C and it feels positively boiling now!

Aye, it's 8C and it feels positively boiling now!

Right? Mr Larrabee is going to come out from hibernation and take the air! 

So they say it'll be mild (in the 40Fs) on Friday with heavy rain and wind, and then a wind-chill close to zero F (-18c?) on Saturday morning and probably a lot of the day. So the place is going to be an ice rink - the term they are using is "flash freezing". The alert for small stream and some roadway flooding just came out. I can honestly say I haven't seen anything like this before. When I lived in Amarillo we had blizzards come in, and bone-chilling cold for weeks at a time, but it wasn't light sweater weather one day and Army Surplus Artic Parka weather 12 hours later!

We just got back from a couple day's vacation over in Salem (that place is... well, it was fun anyway!). So early in the morning (Thursday) we're off to the grocery store to stock up, and to the gas station to make sure the car tank is topped off. And then I guess we're going to be in the house until Monday and then out to vulture-pick (aka bargain shopping), if it warms up enough? FIngers are crossed the power holds.

At least it's not going to be the blizzard they're going to get socked with over in the midwest!  The weather forecasters are call it a "once in a lifetime" storm. Eww. Just eewwww.  It seems a lot of people are paying attention, as the MA turnpike this afternoon was bumper to bumper, and it took us six hours to make a 3 hour trip. Stopped twice at travel plazas to stretch my legs and get a warm drink (I miss being able to get a cup of hot tea and a scone!) and there were plenty of young children, many in PJs, being herded around by their parents.  So it looks like they've left early for their Christmas travels.

It was the shortest day yesterday, yay! Bring on the daylight! 

So they say it'll be mild (in the 40Fs) on Friday with heavy rain and wind, and then a wind-chill close to zero F (-18c?) on Saturday morning and probably a lot of the day. So the place is going to be an ice rink - the term they are using is "flash freezing". The alert for small stream and some roadway flooding just came out. I can honestly say I haven't seen anything like this before. When I lived in Amarillo we had blizzards come in, and bone-chilling cold for weeks at a time, but it wasn't light sweater weather one day and Army Surplus Artic Parka weather 12 hours later!

We just got back from a couple day's vacation over in Salem (that place is... well, it was fun anyway!). So early in the morning (Thursday) we're off to the grocery store to stock up, and to the gas station to make sure the car tank is topped off. And then I guess we're going to be in the house until Monday and then out to vulture-pick (aka bargain shopping), if it warms up enough? FIngers are crossed the power holds.

At least it's not going to be the blizzard they're going to get socked with over in the midwest!  The weather forecasters are call it a "once in a lifetime" storm. Eww. Just eewwww.  It seems a lot of people are paying attention, as the MA turnpike this afternoon was bumper to bumper, and it took us six hours to make a 3 hour trip. Stopped twice at travel plazas to stretch my legs and get a warm drink (I miss being able to get a cup of hot tea and a scone!) and there were plenty of young children, many in PJs, being herded around by their parents.  So it looks like they've left early for their Christmas travels.

Winter in NY is brutal for the wild temperature swings but they have gotten more severe in the last decade as that "polar vortex" jetstream has become more common. Stay safe and warm and keep salt & kitty litter in the trunk of your car in case a freeze happens while shopping. I broke my hand falling on my ice scraper because they'd salted a portion of the parking lot but it was pure ice around the cars. 

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We're good. It was looking iffy when we went out (just after lunchtime) and started snowing (not raining) while we were shopping. Very pretty - big flakes. We are now very well-stocked, lots of good food in the house - literally we would not have to set foot outside for a month without being deprived of anything other than fresh millk and eggs. 

The governor has declared a state of emergency and they're shutting the I-90 down over in the west part of the state due to what's incoming. We passed a lot of gritters and brine spreaders on the way home, so the guys in the highway department are doing all they can.  They are telling us to expect from 1 to 3 feet of snow, now, with 60mph gusts of wind. I believe in one of the Dakotas it dropped 70 degrees in a few hours and they are at -41F (wind chill) so I'm not complaining. It's just pretty amazing how quickly it changes here.  It's currently just about freezing out there.

I ~think~ I liked it better when it was going to be small streams flooding and water ponding on the roads, and then flash freezing. 

I KNOW that the next place I move into, if we stay in these parts, is going to have a backup generator and a freaking fire place.

PS - OUCH, on the ice scraper??? Oh, that's just not fair!

Crazy weather in the US! Wozza!

Global warming.

I got my wish, so far. It's 40F outside and pouring rain alternating with blue skies. If it was extra breezy overnight I slept through it.  I guess the flash freeze comes this afternoon.

They were showing video on the news this morning from a state trooper out in one of the high plains states- snow was being blown horizontally by outside his car at an absolutely astounding rate, and the howl from the wind was truly awful. He had no visibility at all.  I can't even imagine the wind chill. I sure hope he got home ok! 

Edit a few hours later. It's now 51F (!!!) and on-and-off raining, with thunder. We just heard a nearby transformer blow and had our lights flicker, but so far they are on. It's a bit breezy, but I think it was nearby construction work that blew that particular transformer. (It's not the first time they've done that over there.) The weather guys are saying the temp is going to start falling rapidly very soon, and in about 6 hours (well after sunset) we'll be getting the "flash freeze" effect. SO glad I don't have to go out for the next few days - I don't own ice skates anymore. 

Edit a few hours later. Ok, we had torrential rains that caused flood warnings (melted a good amount of the snowpack, plus the rain itself) for some of the local rivers, which haven't crested yet. Then we had an ice storm. Now snow is going by sideways and the wind chill is something like 11F. The poor little birds coming to the bird feeder are having to make some serious mid-flight corrections to make it to our balcony. Watched one start over from a nearby tree and a gust took him to the next apartment over!  Have put out extra everything for the little dudes, to help them with calories against the cold.

I feel like I'm in a weather blender! I can just pick one and stick with it, any time now, and that'd be fine with me! 

Global warming.

I got my wish, so far. It's 40F outside and pouring rain alternating with blue skies. If it was extra breezy overnight I slept through it.  I guess the flash freeze comes this afternoon.

They were showing video on the news this morning from a state trooper out in one of the high plains states- snow was being blown horizontally by outside his car at an absolutely astounding rate, and the howl from the wind was truly awful. He had no visibility at all.  I can't even imagine the wind chill. I sure hope he got home ok! 

Edit a few hours later. It's now 51F (!!!) and on-and-off raining, with thunder. We just heard a nearby transformer blow and had our lights flicker, but so far they are on. It's a bit breezy, but I think it was nearby construction work that blew that particular transformer. (It's not the first time they've done that over there.) The weather guys are saying the temp is going to start falling rapidly very soon, and in about 6 hours (well after sunset) we'll be getting the "flash freeze" effect. SO glad I don't have to go out for the next few days - I don't own ice skates anymore. 

Edit a few hours later. Ok, we had torrential rains that caused flood warnings (melted a good amount of the snowpack, plus the rain itself) for some of the local rivers, which haven't crested yet. Then we had an ice storm. Now snow is going by sideways and the wind chill is something like 11F. The poor little birds coming to the bird feeder are having to make some serious mid-flight corrections to make it to our balcony. Watched one start over from a nearby tree and a gust took him to the next apartment over!  Have put out extra everything for the little dudes, to help them with calories against the cold.

I feel like I'm in a weather blender! I can just pick one and stick with it, any time now, and that'd be fine with me! 

I've been watching videos from friends in Buffalo while dealing with painsomnia and it's just intense. Golf domes shredded, gas stations destroyed, lots of trees down/power cut, 0 mile visibility (can't see cars parked feet away), hospital employees sleeping at work. That's an absolutely wild storm when mixed with lake effect!

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Yeah, they have been getting steady 60-70mph and four to six feet of snow are predicted over there by the time this ends, the weather guys are saying on TV. The drifts will be of biblical proportions, when all is done. The governor sent the National Guard out in some counties west of us to rescue stranded motorists. I'm  glad we decided to not go that far over to settle down.

The wind here has calmed, with only an occasional gust. Power has been iffy in some places but so far (knocking on wood) we've only had ours blink a few times, but stay on.  It is 7F outside, and the sun  just came up an hour ago or so. There's black ice everywhere - just watched a neighbor do a proper Buster Keaton slip and fall - feet right out from under him and then up in the air and landed flat on his back out in the middle of the parking lot. (He seems to be ok.) Looking out one window that doesn't overlook a road it's like a scene from Dr. Zhivago in winter. Everything is just radiating "cold."

We've already had a visit by a red-bellied woodpecker (outside of their normal range - I guess they migrated a bit to avoid the storm?). He was hanging on some trellis by my back door this morning when I went out to get the kettle on, and was looking in and scoping the living room out. Beautiful bird! (With really creepy eyes.) The daughter put out a good amount of pecans and millet, as well as the other normal food yesterday when the temp started heading down. From what I can tell the suet blocks are frozen solid, but the woodpecker seems to have had breakfast off of one of them anyway, and the juncos and sparrows are picking up the bits it broke free that fell to the deck under the feeder. I think we may have a contingent of small birds sheltering under our earth boxes out on the balcony. The boxes are pushed right up into the corner of the building and are well out of the wind/rain/ice/snow.  I don't mind a bit - I can scrub what they'll leave on the decking off with warm water and soap in the spring. I haven't seen the squirrels yet. They are usually out in the trees by now. Hopefully they are staying wherever they stay at night and are safe.

Take care Nan.

We're fine. It made it up to 15F today.   It's those poor souls west of us who are getting slammed.

You folks have a Merry Christmas!

We're fine. It made it up to 15F today.   It's those poor souls west of us who are getting slammed.

You folks have a Merry Christmas!

Glad it wasn't too bad there. My friends are heading into day 4 of a driving ban with more lake effect falling, but most have been unscathed just cold. One of them was stuck with strangers for Xmas after being stranded in their vehicle going home from work. Another ended up on a 48+ hr shift at the hospital. But most heeded the warnings and were able to camp out and had ample supplies. Older buildings had snow coming in through gaps in the windows and doors the wind was so powerful. The snow really needs to stop so they can plow everyone out now.

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Yeah, they (and now other areas over there) have had epic snow. The wind has been incredible, I have to say that. We had a good amount of snow, but our roads are absolutely clear - the wind blew most of it off them. I'm very glad that's over for us. I have a hunch that this is not going to be a solo event, though. At any rate, it's due to be over freezing today so we're making a grocery store run and may go over to the mall for a while to stretch our legs. (If it's not too crowded.) I don't need anything from the mall, but it's a big one with good ventilation and I can use the walk. It's definitely too cold to be walking outside, unfortunately.

Lots of cities and towns are sending over convoys of snow plows and dump trucks to help dig the roads clear. I think the death toll has hit 50 so far, with people stuck in cars and people who depended on power for medical equipment (and lost power). There were reports of a woman with a baby who was on a ventilator who lost power and she was pleading for help on Facebook while manually pushing the ventilator's bulb, early on in the storm. I've heard nothing further about her. Unless someone got there to help with that, I can't imagine she was able to keep doing that for four days, round the clock. What an absolutely horrible situation to be in.    Hopefully someone got there to take turns with her.

On a more happy note, there was a minibus load of South Korean tourists on the "Winter Wonderland" trail up to see Niagara Falls who got stuck in a residential area over by the worst of the storm who ended up staying with a nice family who opened their home to them. Apparently two of the tourists were on their honeymoon, so the homeowners brought out their  bottle of champagne (saved for New Year's) to have a toast to the newlyweds. I cannot imagine having sixteen unexpected guests, but from the look of what was visible of their home those folks had plenty of room. I hope the tourists have great stories to tell when they get back home again. (Eventually!)