Ice storm in the Midwest.

[Andy]

so, we're in the middle of day 2 of the latest ice storm in Oklahoma and it looks like we could be in for another night or two of ice.  Our heater went out Friday, but it was a pretty simple fix.  I'm lucky it was, because it's been running constantly and our living room stays at about 68 degrees.

Luckily we still have power (there are an estimated 120,000 households that don't) and we have a natural gas heater in our living room that we can fire up if the power goes out.

The one thing that really worries me is our rickety old garage.  Our electric meter is mounted on it and the natural gas feed for the house is routed through it (genius design).  Our neighbors have some trees looming close and the garage is on it's last leg as it is.

Oh well, I think I'm going to brave the ice to go take some pictures this afternoon after I leave work.  We have a crate myrtle that is about 15' tall and the top branches are literally touching the ground.

I'm so sick of shitty weather.

[buffcoat]

It is literally 76 degrees in Durham, North Carolina.  I ate lunch outside.


Of course, we have 52 days of water left, and that's it, baby.  But it was a good run.

[Matt]

Well, we're doing fine in Fayetteville, AR.

Hope things get better soon. Ice storms are the pits.

[Beth]

you should take some pictures and post them andy. ice storms suck, but they make everything sparkle, especially early in the morning and at dusk.

all i have to report up here in Cambridge, NY is cold and snow cold and snow. i really like the winter, but i hate the heating bills. i also go around smelling like a woodstove all day, which sounds pleasant, but is actually pretty repulsive. i'm covered in ash right now because we have a floo-less stove that blows smoke in your face until you get it started.

[Sarah]

our living room stays at about 68 degrees.

How can you stand the heat?

[Andy]

I am going to go take some pics when my camera battery finishes charging.  Luckily we still have power.  The garage is still standing, but only because it's supporting a limb (if the limb fell, it would have taken down the garage.)

Our neighborhood looks like a war zone.  A bunch of 60+ year old trees (which are rare around here) are totally destroyed.

I'll post pics later.

Here's the bad news:


Although, channel 4 usually go crazy with the weather forecasts.

Also, it's eery hearing limbs break under the weight of the ice.  I've already heard 2 and I've only been home for 15 minutes.

[Andy]

see, I told you:

[Andy]

here's NOAA (the only one I really listen to.)
http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?CityName=Oklahoma+City&state=OK&site=OUN&textField1=35.4671&textField2=-97.5135&e=0

[Tim K in DC]

Things are a bit glazed over here in Boston; sidewalks have been treacherous and last night, even though we've had snow a few times already, was the first time that I saw the sand trucks out on the roads. I know it's New England (I've lived in RI and MA all my life) and this is par for the course this time of year, but winter is already in my hate pit. 

[erika]

Luckily we still have power.  The garage is still standing, but only because it's supporting a limb (if the limb fell, it would have taken down the garage.)

Do you have any backup power or any options if your power goes out?

Hopefully the little bout of warmer weather (i.e. above freezing) will save you and the trees a little pain... hang in there.

[Sarah]

At least you have backup heat (and one good thing about ice storms is that they happen when it's warmer out, so it's easier to keep a place heated).  Do you have access to water?  When the power was out here for a week once (gee, almost ten years ago now), having water made masses of difference.  People who had wells suffered, since their pumps didn't work; since I live in town, I have running water, and my life was much easier.  That I have a gas stove helped enormously, too.

I sympathize hugely.  As the years go by, I become more and more intolerant of disruptions from weather.  In my youth, I used to find them exciting, now they're just tiresome and worrying.  I hope that limb doesn't take your garage down.

Good luck, Andy!

[Gilly]

It's actually starting to warm up here in MN after a few days of -16 windchills and about a foot of snow last week. By warm up I mean 20-ish.

[Andy]

yeah, I just walked the neighborhood and we are in about as good a shape as anyone.  We still seem to have all our trees, although there are two thirty foot oaks up front that look like the upper branches are split.  One of my buddies lives down the street from me and a tree in his front yard is totally destroyed.

I'm still trying to get used to hearing trees crack as they cave under the weight.  I'll post pictures as soon as I can find my card reader.

This shit is bad around here because no one knows how to deal with it.  It happens so infrequently (or used to) that people panic and have no plans on how to deal with it.  Last year we had 4 of these ice storms, but I don't think any of them were as bad as this one.

[Andy]

14 dead, 1/3 of the states 3.6 million residents are without power. 7 to 10 days to get power back up in places.

[Laurie]

A cold front's coming in on Sunday. It's going to go from the low 80s (though it feels like the 90s with the sun!) to the low-mid 70s!

(Is this why people want to throw me in the hate pit?)