Being very cold

[Straight Shooter]

Snow this morning in the South Wales Valleys -6.5 c last night.... okay the snow was just a dusting but the will get much worse over the next few days lots more snow to come .

The Jotul 602 wood burning stove is proving its worth, we have stacked firewood around the hearth to dry out , which is working well ....its bumping hot in here ....we care not a jot ! about the cold...until we venture out, then when we return we appreciate the well spent money on this wonderful piece of kit, right now my lunch simmers away ( lamb stew ) on the stove top Wild child is cutting the home made bread made this morning as i type......let the outside tap on last night just cracked open so the line does not freeze up , we have noticed when out , people are stocking up on basics in readiness for the snow about to hit L L milk ,potatoes, bread,eggs, and loads of tinned stuff.

[Straight Shooter]

Just filled the generator ready to plug into the secondary aux electrics ....just to play safe ....there was loss of power in some part of WALES last night according to a news report.

[Pete Grey]

Similar weather to you SS, very cold -6C light dusting of snow and waiting for the heavy fall tomorrow, good stocks of everyday foods (we don’t break into stocks) the little wenlock stove going well, the whiskey is close at hand.

[Mortblanc]

We are having a very mild time of it here for the past couple of weeks.

But with our mild spring also comes the tornado dangers. We had a couple killed and a bunch of houses torn up along our state's southern border.

Winter is not over, not by a long shot. we have more cold, more snow and a bit more misery ahead before summer arrives. Our last killing frost is usually not until mid-May.

I am actually glad to see you folks having some severe winter weather. Not to be nasty or anything, just a good cold snap to keep your winter gear sorted out, make sure there is a week or two of food in the pantry, remind you to service the vehicles for the climate and enjoy a walk in the snow, which I always consider better than a walk in the piddling rain.

[MaryN]

It's bl**dy freezing here in East Anglia! Having problems keeping water thawed out for the livestock. I think we have the entire stock of wild birds in the garden - OH insists on feeding EVERYTHING- and it's sooo slippery. Actually, I quite like this weather...

[Lightspeed]

Strange weather this year up here in the hills.

Normally we get quite similar stuff to MB, even though he's on the other side of the Atlantic.

But this year, after early snow in November, it then warmed up to spring-like temperatures. So much so that in early Feb our roof had a noticeable covering of pollen from forest trees that had been fooled by it. Meanwhile MB was enduring a bitter sub-zero world.

And now MB has a mini heat-wave, whereas here for the last fortnight the thermometer's been permanently below zero, significantly so overnight. All outside water troughs are frozen solid, and ground's frozen to such an extent that we have frost heave fouling the easy opening of garage doors.

So far house furnace is coping fine and we're cozy indoors with no issues of either water supply nor foul-water drainage. IBCs of reserve water in the main barn are still unfrozen, although the backup cold water tank in the loft is frozen solid now.

The house's Scandinavian tin roof is performing well and has shed snow completely, whereas the garage roof which remains with traditional tiles, has had a deep layer of snow on it for more than a fortnight. As a result, I'm pretty sure that I'll have a good number of frost "blown" tiles to replace in the Spring.

We're not looking forward to the quagmire awaits us when everything thaws:-(

[Pete Grey]

(1 March 2018, 03:44)Mortblanc Wrote: We are having a very mild time of it here for the past couple of weeks.

But with our mild spring also comes the tornado dangers. We had a couple killed and a bunch of houses torn up along our state's southern border.

Winter is not over, not by a long shot. we have more cold, more snow and a bit more misery ahead before summer arrives. Our last killing frost is usually not until mid-May.

I am actually glad to see you folks having some severe winter weather. Not to be nasty or anything, just a good cold snap to keep your winter gear sorted out, make sure there is a week or two of food in the pantry, remind you to service the vehicles for the climate and enjoy a walk in the snow, which I always consider better than a walk in the piddling rain.

MB i think you would find everyone reading this forum over here have done their homework and are well prepared for winter, but yes a short cold spell does sharpen you up. It’s the “it will never happen to me” folk who get stuck in the snow and who run out of the basics.

[Mortblanc]

It might seem logical that everyone here would have things sorted out Pete, but I have seen some unusual admissions on here over the years!

And there is the situation we can find ourselves in when we read reviews on the production websites and owner comments on the internet. We buy something with an expectation and it does not live up to the "buyer reviews" or the 5 stars posted next to the product code.

During these little cold snaps we can try something, then throw it into the corner while screaming about being robbed by false advertising, without serious damage or risk to life.

I was just reading some nice reviews of "field jackets" on here the other day, why not put the things on and walk the dog in the present layer of snow and eliminate the "I don't know how it would do in the snow!" comments that were attached. You have snow and -10 temps to make the tests a worthwhile and knowledgeable effort.

It might even be time to throw open the bedroom windows and discover if that -20 rated bag really works without searching far and wide for a campground open this time of year.

And then there are all the folks with "bug out vehicles" that need a test in the worst possible conditions but are never actually taken off the pavement. The only consistent use of 4wd my vehicles get is during the snows of winter and a few trips pulling the trailer across the garden during spring cleanup.

Would they work in a pinch? Lots of folks are finding out about now.

And the "camper vans"! All those conversions with bells and whistles. Why not spend a night outside in the snow, in the van, without leaving the driveway. You will never know how it works in the snow unless you use it in the snow, and right now you have snow!

I have learned an immense amount from dealing with gear on my own back porch before I ever took the items into the woods for hard use. That lovely screened in room has been a blessing in both summer and winter.

And there are the nick-knacks we accumulate that we check out in the living room or kitchen but never when our hands are half frozen. Can we really manipulate that ferro rod and striker at -15 with sleet blowing sideways? How about the disposable lighter? It worked fine last June, how about now, in the cold, with a hand full of snow dumped on top of it as a test?

The opportunities are endless.

[Pete Grey]

Yes MB we do take things at face value and it doesn’t always work, we need to double check things out, in an event we won’t have any second chances.

We do try to test our gear, as an example we have camped in snow which is why we use propane not butane in our camper and our sleeping bags are four season.

As you say now is the time to test our winter preps, while we are able to correct any mistakes.

[Straight Shooter]

Looks like we have now gone to red alert......conditions here do not seem to line up for a red at this moment 5.50 pm , gusting swirling winds are whipping up this really fine snow and drifting is evident but its early yet .....next to no traffic on the nearby road ...that is a white out , if they decide to grit ...it will be in the next hour, As MB suggests testing out our prepps is a good idea especially for these conditions...not been out today ...been testing the wood burner lol we did keep it in last night , stocked up even more firewood this morning.

Being confined to barracks , did some sorting out in the workshop today....it will be very interesting to see how the utilities companies hold up along with the super markets ....if the lights go out and gas supplies go low and food shelves go empty we could well be having some serious mayhem .....but me and wild child are ready to test out our two air rifles.....we will dress for the part (just think hillbillies from "Deliverance" ) we have practised warning phrases ...." you best F..k off ! or we will rip your F..king spleen out " wild child will follow up with " yeah what he said...then fires warning shot ....yeah we really mean it ".