"Ol Man Winter AND Springtime Twisters . . .

[TexasTimbers]

The weather lady just threw me a curve. Not only are we getting hit with that nasty northern weather come midnight, this evening we are going to get hammered with "springtime-like severe thunderstorms with large hail gusty winds and the possibility of isolated tornados, followed by an Arctic cold front with sleet and freezing rain .. ." and maybe even SNOW! YUCKO! 
Great. Hail then sleet. Which magically turns into my alltime favorite . . . MUD! 
I have stacks of stickered lumber and timbers laying all around the yard from trying to organize it that I was just gonna tarp because I still haven't freeze-proofed my well, outside faucets, or the new plumbing under the add-on. AND I still have to go get my skid steer in the woods, and try to overcome the urge to cut down more walnut.
that's what happened to me yesterday. i was just going to go load it and come back and do all this winter preperation but I drove right by a perfect walnut that is probably a veneer up to about 20 feet if I knew how to grade, and one walnut led to another.
My problem is that I will have to walk past about another dozen trees going in to get the machine and then drive past them again on the way out.
I think I will unload the chainsaws before I head out this a.m.
Anyway, nasty weather is coming. I need a new attitude about it - it bums me out.   

[Woodwalker]

Not to wish any bad luck on you, but hope most of that stuff kinda gets hung up and don’t make it all the way down here.
But, I got my pipes wrapped a couple of days ago. I’m usually out in the dark and blowing cold trying to hold a flashlight and wrap the things. Every year calves, horses and/or goats will have pulled the insulation off all the faucets they can get to.
If you need to get rid of some of that walnut, well I guess I could be forced to take it.

[tcsmpsi]

Well, from the looks of it (forecasting), at least some of it is expected to venture this far.  Thunderstorms/wind tomorrow, down in the 20's tomorrow nite.

Running air conditioning in the shop at the moment.

[SwampDonkey]

Kev, I wouldn't think it would be that severe cold there. I could leave my house still up this way and not worry about pipes freezing, only if the temps went into the 20's and never got above 32 f during the day, for several days, would I be worried.  Hmm might make a difference if you have no basement though. Houses without basements? Whoever?  Making too much about nothing.  Snow? That's great stuff up this way, but seems it comes later and later in our winters (the permanent stuff). It keeps the ground frost from getting too deep and stops the freeze/thaw cycles that heaves the ground and young trees so bad with hoar frost.  We just don't like to shovel the stuff so much, because when it starts it sometimes don't stop for 5 or 6 months.

[sawguy21]

DanG, we were going to send some of our winter southeast before anybody noticed.

[beenthere]

That cold snap sure is dipping far down the plains states, as I see Branson, MO (wife is there this week) will dip to 14° F tomorrow night. About the same temp as WI is expected to get, but our things with water in them (sprayer pumps, water pumps, outside faucets with hoses hanging on them, exposed water pipes, chemicals that are not supposed to freeze) are normally taken care of by this time. Suspect that isn't routine for this time of year down through KS, MO and into TX, OK, and AR.  Look out, and hope yo'all fare well this week.
I've plenty of wood in, and ready neer's I can tell at the moment. 

[Coon]

Yeah but instead you punted it east to the prairies.  Oh well just gotta get used to it now....

Brad.

[crtreedude]

I hesitate to mention this but we aren't having anything but good weather... Except for Harold having to worry a bit about his volcano, not much in the way of things falling out of the sky to worry about.

Just felt you all wanted an update... 

[sawguy21]

Thanks Fred, just what we wanted to hear.  Coon, we are more than willing to share, got enough winter for everybody.

[SwampDonkey]

Hovering around freezing today and real fine snow, almost looks like fog. Roads are slippery in my neighborhood. Staying home, no bush wack'n today. 

[Kevin_H.]

Well watching the noon news, it looks like thunderstorms, possibly severe, tonite and then what they are calling a significant winter storm with freezing rain sleet and snow on thursday... What a bummer!

Hey Bibby are ya getting that winter mix yet?

It is 72 here and 30 in kansas city.

[estiers]

I don't know about Bibby, but here in Topeka, it was 73 yesterday, and now only 25....

[SwampDonkey]

35 here now and it's switched over to rain. It tried to snow all day but was bouncing back and forth from snow myst to freezing rain. The mail box was covered in ice, now everything is slush. Had less than 1/2" snow. I don't think it's going to amount to much from what I've seen so far. Might change by saturday as we are suppose to get the tail end of a snow storm coming from the 'Shield'.

[KENROD]

Here in N MO the rain is startin ta freeze on twigs an such. Supposed ta get significant freezing rain tonight then snow tomorrow. 

[Larry]

Yea, Kevin…28 degrees in KC and 71 degrees 250 miles south in NW Arkansas.  Ran the trotline twice today…got 3 catfish this morning and 2 more little while ago.  Also did a little woods walking and brought home 3 ticks.  Doubt iffen I’ll run the trotline tomorrow…sure hope it gets cold nuff to put an end to the ticks.

BIL called from College Station, Texas...mumbled something bout he is going quit piggy huntin in his shorts and find his Carharts.

[sawguy21]

-5C here and light snow but more coming. We had a big dump of wet slop Saturday night then the temp dropped and it froze. Had a visit with amberwood and his wife on Monday afternoon,  took them almost 3 hours to cover the last 60 miles. All the ditched cars and rigs on hwy 1 are being left until safe to send out the tow trucks.

[SwampDonkey]

Probably lots of snow in Banff and Jasper by now. Over 2 feet in Colorado mnts now.

[sawguy21]

They said the Icefields Parkway was challenging.

[SwampDonkey]

Must have been fun going up/down that switchback by Columbia glacier.  I was there in April when stuff was closed up. The sun was shining all day, so I stopped by Columbia. Got out and looked up at the glacier to see this huge snow storm coming down. I packed it in and flocked out of there toward the Athabasca and after I got to them long valleys going into BC I never saw another snow flake from there to the coast. 

[Kevin_H.]

Well everytime I watch the weather man, er person they come up with something different, so I guess I will wait until it happens and see what we get, I am working a 36hr shift on the ambulance starting tomorrow morning so it is bound to be interesting.

[Bibbyman]

Hey Bibby are ya getting that winter mix yet?

It is 72 here and 30 in kansas city.

We started getting rain about sundown.  First thunder I've heard in months.  It's down to about 40 now and we've had a couple of thunderstorms go through. Raining right now at 9:37 local time.

They're predicting freezing rain turning to snow with an accumulation of 8-12" by Friday evening.  That's Missouri!

We got about a half cord of wood on the porch so we should be able to make it ok.

[Kevin_H.]

Dave murry said the cold front was passing downtown st. louis at 9:15 so, another couple of hours and it should be here...

Looks like the guys down south might be in for a rough ride on friday, could be some bad storms, they were talking super cells on the weather channel.

[SwampDonkey]

40 F here this am and fog. Didn't get much rain overnight and the little skiff of snow is all gone now. Suppose to take another crack at us Saturday.

[Cedarman]

6:45am and 64 balmy degrees.  Our forecasters said our weather is drastically going to change by next month though.  Snow is for snow snakes.

[TexasTimbers]

I hesitate to mention this but we aren't having anything but good weather... Except for Harold having to worry a bit about his volcano, not much in the way of things falling out of the sky to worry about.

Just felt you all wanted an update...

I don't like some people. I'm not mentioning any names.  


The cold front got here earlier than expected and kicked the warm, moist air right in the britches. With it went the possibility of those nasty thunderstorms and 'nados.

My wife and I were walking out of WalMart last night and it was gusty and WARM. We were halfway to our car when the temperature dropped instantly like 30 degrees. That's a wierd thing to experience. It didn't go down gradually. My wife got all excited about it. She appreciates the really otherwise insignificant things in life that most people take for granted (moi  ) she slows me down to smell the flowers. literally sometimes. But although I tried to appreciate it, I just couldn't. I am an anti-cold-weather-homosapien. I eschew cold weather and tend to seek warm moist caves (i.e. living room with Lazy Boy and Super Bowl re-runs) when confronted with it.
Still, the thermometer says we only have 43F outside so I don't know what happened.  
It has been raining like mad for much of the night though. I kept waking up every few hours . . . . . it's an adjustment I have to make, this winter stuff. It makes me grouchy and irritable. I need to ask my doc for a prescription for some of that zantaz stuff . . . . .  
I should look at it as an opportunity to practice self-control over my attitude.
No time like the present - here goes.
Good morning everyone! Isn't it a fantastic day! Lovely lovely lovely!!!

P.S. Cedarman why don't you just keep your balmy weather reports to yourself . . .  wait I didn't mean that, i forgot I am loving this lovely lovely weather . . . . .

[Norm]

Yeah me too.

Today: partly sunny. Colder. High in the lower 20s. North wind 15 to 20 mph.
Tonight: partly cloudy in the evening then clearing. Low around 10. North wind 15 to 20 mph

[woodmills1]

was 57 at 7AM and the thermometer is rising fast, feels like a balmy spring day and the sun is even out.

[OneWithWood]

65°F at 5am this morning gradually dropping.  Currently 57°F with a slight drizzle and patchy fog.  Every now and then it will rain hard for a few seconds.  Not looking forward to tomorrow.
But, hey, we may get lucky and all the cold nasty stuff will stay just north of us

[SwampDonkey]

Temp has risen up to 45 F since day break. That's fine. But, when it gets cold, I like a little snow as long as it ain't waist high. Too fussy eh? How do you guys log in the winter in that wet gook down south? Must be ruts 4 feet deep. Do your roads turn into water filled ditches?

[Texas Ranger]

Thursday morning about 9, watched the temperature drop 7 degrees in an hour, now dropping about a degree every 5 minutes.  From 71 to 31 today.  Gee, I really love Texas.

[Tom]

It's bright and sunny here today, about 80°.  'Sposed to drop down to 63° tonight.  Might have to build a fire in the fireplace.

[SwampDonkey]

Too hot Tom, too hot. Next after the fire is built you'll be turning on the AC and complaining.

[Coon]

You guys all think you got it so bad.... .  If you were here you'd be frozen in your tracks right about now.   When I got up at 7 am it was -22C here with some wind.  With the wind it was probably around -32C or so.  No snow yesterday or so far today but those people we call weathermen/women are forcasting more snow this evening and tomorrow.  We have enough already.  Gonna be an old fashioned winter like my grandparents grew up in.

Guess I'll have to go get some pics to show y'all.

[SwampDonkey]

Gone up to 50 F here now coon. Hmm, pictures   

[TexasTimbers]

I don't know what all that Celsius stuff means but I was wrong when i said it was 43F this a.m.
My smarter-than-me wife pointed out that, the thermometer I had mounted on the outside (got that part right at least)  of the kitchen window pointing in so I could ead it from the warm kitchen, was registering the heat loss going out the windows. So it is indicating an average reading between the heat it was detecting from the "leeward" side and the cold it was reading from the "windward" so to speak.
It has been below freezing  since shortly after we got hit with it in Wally World parking lot last night. It is now so cold that no amount of clothing can fend off the bone-chilling onslaught of sleet and wind.
I declare this part of the world a disaster area. Where is that "man shivering" icon when you need it?

[SwampDonkey]

I don't know what all that Celsius stuff means

Any number with a - sign in front is freezing cold. Simple as that. 

[TexasTimbers]

 

[Bibbyman]

Weather.com keeps saying 5-10" and now 8-12" of snow by end of day. But it's not started snowing yet.  It's just now starting to sleet again. 

I probably wish I'd went out and put the blade and bucket on the AGCO 4660.  I may be doing it in a foot of snow in the morning wishing I done it today.

[Onthesauk]

After a few days and nights of low teens and a little over a foot of snow we are back up to around 34 with mixed snow and rain.  Neighbor plowed my drive between a couple of the snowfalls but afraid all that did was allow the ground to freeze so not melting much.  I've got about 600 feet of drive, half of it up a fairly steep hill with a big sweeping curve in it.  I've shoveled a single track, down to gravel, through the curve, but even with a big 4wheel drive truck, not sure I'm ready to try it yet today.  My greatest concern is that if it ever starts sliding, pretty much no way to stop it and it drops off into a gully on the downhill side.  Guess I really don't have to be anywhere today, will give it a day and see how much it breaks up.

Born and raised in NW Montana but don't much care for it when it gets down that cold anymore.  But not ready for Florida or Arizona either.

[tcsmpsi]

Well now, ol' Arizona can get pretty chilly up in the northern part.   Hiked down in the canyon one January and it was -20F up at the top.  One thing about it, that was one time I had the canyon to myself.   

[Bibbyman]

Well,  I gave Weather.com the benefit of the doubt and went out and took off the skidder and forks and put on the blade and bucket.

Good ol' AGCO fired right up dispite being covered with a 1/4" of ice.  I've had problems with the key freezing and not turning but that worked ok.

Everything else really sucked.  I hate 3ph hits setup anyway but this time I had to hammer the ice off every pin and drive them out.  The parking break wouldn't hold - I'm sure there is ice down inside the lever not letting it set. 

It took an hour to do a 10 minute job but now it's mostly under roof with the heater plugged in.

Sleet and rain in our area - snow all around except rain to the south about 50 miles.

I guess if it don't snow I won't be too disapointed. 

[pineywoods]

The nasty stuff has arrived in Louisiana. Temp dropped 35 degrees in less than 30 minutes Freezing rain (in other words, ice storm) in the forecast for tonight. Got a barn full of dry firewood and a full tank of propane so guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be.

[Kevin_H.]

Rained here most of the day, temp is now about 30F so it's just starting to freeze on the windows...still raining though.
It's not supposed to turn over to snow here until after midnight, and then only a couple of inches. but I have no idea how much ice we will get before it changes over.

[Bibbyman]

Now they've uped the prediction to 10-15" tonight but it's not snowing yet.  Just some light sleet.

[SwampDonkey]

It's 34 F here this morning. Rain showers in the night. Suppose to see some snow today and tomorrow, nothing yet. Might get up to 6 inches. It's more likely to hit Edmundston the hardest.


Ain't it great talk'n about the weather? 

[Fla._Deadheader]

 Rains every day here. Now, the roads near the farm where I am sawing, are very slick. Red Clay has been covered with river rock, but, so much rain, the rocks are mashed into the clay, and it;s like driving on ice. Might slide down one side and can't get up the next. Can't get within about 4 miles of the farm. 

  Got 12000 bdft to get hauled out and 15000 yet to saw. Gotta get the Pilon done, before Fred has a coronary.

  I lived in Arkansas for 13 years, and thought I was done with Red Clay. 

[TexasTimbers]

Snow on the ground here too. School don't start til 10:00 or maybe even canceled. Up north y'all would laugh to see what it takes to cancel school here . . . Even a rumor of snow can do it sometimes. 

[SwampDonkey]

Just about as bad for canceling school here now a days. I've seen the forecast for a big storm, they would cancel school and it would snow maybe a couple hours. But, once she's called there is no turning back. I could see being cautious if we lived in mountainous country , but it's just rolling hills here. I've gone on a school bus with chains on and freezing rain coming down. Don't want to go through that again. But, ironically the only accident I seen on a school bus was one parked on the side of the road letting school kids off. And this was a bright sunny winter day and all. It was a time when two operators where in snow plows. Well anyway, they guy backed the snow plow up while the other guy could see the bus and said nothing. Whamo in the side and busted a couple windows out. Us kids and the school bus driver could see the guy looking right at us. I dunno if the plow operator was stoned or drunk. 

[crtreedude]

I don't like some people. I'm not mentioning any names. 

I am just trying to be helpful and point out a interesting cultural thing - like we don't even know what snow is down here - except perhaps shaved ice in something cool to drink... 

When I describe your weather to Ticos there reaction is "You mean people can survive up there?!"

[GF]

Here in Central Oklahoma we had blizzard warning yesturday had wind gusts to 48mph, with blowin snow.  This morning the turnpike from OKC to Missouri is closed they have the national gaurd out on the turnpike from Tulsa to the Missouri line helping stranded motorist.  We got alot of sleet yesturday and then it turned to snow, ended up with about 6" of snow total with alot of drifts.  On the way to work this morning the pickups outside thermometer was showing 6 degrees, luckily the wind was not blowing like yesturday.  The sun is out today, and it should help to melt alot of this.

[crtreedude]

Harold - YOU MEAN YOU AREN'T DONE YET!!! 

Welcome to December - it doesn't rain just a little bit...

[TexasTimbers]

You mean it rains more than what you want it to in paradise

You poor souls. 

Actually I don't really mind the rain as much as it's aftermath. i think the word "mud" just doesn't sound bad enough to describe the actual condition and seriousness of the matter.

that's really about the only thiung I didn't like about Japan. Mud everywhere all the time it seemed. I'm sure they have alot more concrete now though than they did in '68 - 70.

[crtreedude]

Ain't going to work Kevjay - I love warm rain - just about like a warm shower. Harold is complaining because where the Pilon is deep in mud territory.

Not much problem in our fincas right now - we have stone roads, etc. And, unlike Harold, I think horses are a good way to get around. Puts plenty of distance between me and the mud.

Besides, the trees we are growing really like the rain.

[TexasTimbers]

Ain't going to work Kevjay . . . . .

I'm not trying to needle you as much as you might think. The wife and I have seriously discussed Costa Rica as a place to establish a second residence once we get the kids grown which, just seems to fly by faster and faster every year.
I know that I would be forced to discover new exotic hardwoods, make the yearly trek to the Cocos Islands to dive with the hammerheads and witness their yearly breeding, and other such boring activities, but i might be forced to tolerate it. 

[crtreedude]

Well, as I often say, it is a hard life, but someone has to do it...

[Faron]

25 degrees F here and snowing off and on.  Fed cattle before daylight in the rain and checked on a new calf I was worried about.  I am the designated nurse for a 2 year old grandaughter with an earache today,    so I won't get to play in the snow and wind today.

[Fla._Deadheader]

 MUD ain't the word for this stuff. It's just like grease. The tires gain an inch or so of diameter, and you can't run fast enough to sling it off. It mashes into the tread and makes life REAL interesting.

  2 days ago, I tried to get to the logs. Missed sliding sideways into a ditch about 5-6 feet deep. Wooda turned the Jip on it's side, at least.  Yesterday, took a little used route that MIGHT have bypassed the bad spots. NOPE, just missed falling into a hole, that was 20' deep dropoff.

  Had 8" of road on each side of the tires    Had to turn around and do the same thing AGAIN. 

  Today, it's pouring in spurts. Gonna wait a couple days and see if the rain slows. According to Hector, it's the worst month of the rainy season, then, it stops pretty much for 3 months.

  YUP, life is different down here. Oh well, just have another cuppa coffee, and do some more house chores, getting ready for Semana Santa, and lots of company. 

[farmerdoug]

Here in the Thumb of Michigan it is a balmy 40 degrees F.  The rain has finely almost quit.  I think we received almost 3 inches since Wednesday night.  It was drying out but is wetter than ever now.  It is suppose to freeze good for a week so we can skate the logs out on the ice for a change.  Little snow in our forecast as it seemed to go south.  The temp will not drop until most of the rain is gone so they are saying maybe 1-2 inches at most here.  With all of the water it will melt on contact anyways.   I just hope the ground freezes hard and fast.

Farmerdoug

[solodan]

I like a little snow as long as it ain't waist high.

I would rather have it the other way around, I feel if it's gonna snow, well then let it snow.  We haven't really got anything here this year yet. We have only received about a 1/2 " at my house, and maybe a couple of feet in the high country. Some years we watch it snow from october till june   This year we will be lucky to be skiing by Christmas.   41 degrees and sunny today

[SwampDonkey]

 MUD ain't the word for this stuff. It's just like grease.

Sounds like the Tobique red clay. You can use it for a substitute for axle grease as long as you add water. 

Started snowing here at 3:00 pm, temps dropping like a stone.

[Bibbyman]

I looked out this morning and the sun was up.  Lots of snow on the ground.  My first guess was about 6" with drifting.  But I've been out the pushing it around all day and I'm sure there was at least twice that much.  Judging from the height of the front axle on the AGCO,  I'd say 16" was more like it.  Our local paper said 14.2".  Someone said Columbia got 19.4".

That's a lot of snow for us - especialy this time of year.

I've got our 1/2 mile drive pushed out enough we can get in and out.  But there is no place to go.  The county and state roads have not been cleared.

[SwampDonkey]

Our storm is supposed to last through Saturday, so I'm holding back from camera shots until Sunday morning.  Because....well....I ain't stick'n my nose out till then.

Go'n just now to stuff the furnace. 

[farmerdoug]

Bibbyman,

That snow should really help get the log yard full shouldn;t it.

If the rain that fell here the last couple of days was snow we sure would have had you beat.

Farmerdoug

[sawguy21]

Turned very mild here and the snow is melting. Pump sales are good. What a goofy winter.

[Furby]

It's not winter yet either.

[SwampDonkey]

Almost forgot what I was going to post here.........server has been slow lately.

Got about 2 " last night, the ground ain't even froze. I took the blower out to take some stuff off the driveway so it's not a skating rink. It's not doing much now, when I was out shoveling there was no snow in the air. Just a scarce snow flake now. Even saw some streaks of sun across the sky around 8:00 am AST.