Well, much of our country would find my current weather situation "normal" for the winter season. But Western Washington doesn't usually see much of this...and rarely this early in the year. I have about 4" of snow and temps are have been about mid-20's. My hummingbird feeder was frozen solid this morning, so I'm alternating with a backup feeder to keep nectar available for the poor little things.
In the Top Story article, Western Washington Iced Over, you can click on "Photos" (just to the right of their lead pic). Also, if you click on "Cars Spin Out in Kent", you'll see a major icy area that's just 1 mile from my house.
My brugs are tucked away in the garage...their heater is on & a small fan running to circulate the air. I hope we don't lose power!
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Yea Patrick, I will respond! It took me 3.5 hrs to get home last night, from Kirkland to Monroe, My hubby met me in Woodinville where we left my car, and than drove me in this am! I JUST made it through the 405/522 interchange before they closed it! We probably have about 6" on our railings at home! Stay warm! Selma
The east and west weather seems to have flip-flopped, that's for sure. We are getting your weather news here on our newscasts.
Stay safe and warm guys please.
Hi Selma...glad you were able to make the commute! Some areas were really hit hard. I work at the airport & stood at the end of a jetway last night, watching lightning light up the falling snow...thunder & lightning is the midst of a snowstorm is just weird! 2 planes were struck by lightning while on approach to land, but without incident. Tonight promises to be really icy, but I think I can manage the few miles I have to travel. If I start out and find it's too bad, I'll catch a bus. If worse comes to worse, I can walk it.
Ask me if I wish I were still in Costa Rica!! All I can do is drink Costa Rican coffee & look at my pics.
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Wow! You guys got it BAD! But I'm glad you're O.K., Selma and Patrick. Snow is bad, but ice is so much worse!
We've been lucky here in the Northeast. The temps have been mild - 50's to 60 during the day; 30's at night.
I hope it warms up for you guys.
Kathy, just wait, your turn will come. We have been watching the weather chanel quite a bit lately, and all the predictions are, it is moving east!! Selma
Hellow Patric. The mercury is dropping fast tonight. Not even 6 o'clock and it is down to 17. Had a bit of a scare. Where I had my brugs was getting a bit to cold. Some of the tips got a little nipped today. The shed is uninsulated and heating it is out of the question. We moved them to the camper so that we could heat it.
The snow is a blessing. The plants got a blanket for the cold. With this earlier than normal cold could have done danage without the snow.
Are you ready for more snow. We will get dumped on and then get rained on. Just what our weather does to us here. The water keeps us pretty even on the weather, but once in a while it goes to extremes.
Oh yes, and Patrick likes to share !!!! We will be getting the same wintry mix beginning Thursday afternoon - what a change from the mid 70's in the daytime to only the 60's at night. I have everything tucked away except the last of my outdoor brugs that I will cut tomorrow and put in buckets. Then heap the mulch on the roots. Hopefully, they will not go into shock. MN has been so strange this entire year. We, at the least, should get a little drought relief. Stay warm everyone - I have all my decorations inside from the Christmas closet in the garage, so I will be spending my days inside where it is warm.
Sorry your getting a blast of winter this early Patrick.
Ice is no fun. I'd rather have snow anytime.
We're supposed to get hit with a storm on Friday. Rain in the morning and then the temps are supposed to drop and change over to snow in the afternoon.
Prayers and warm thoughts are being sent to all who are in the midst of this wild winter grip that MN is dishing out. Stay warm. Unfortunately, on Thursday, we have to travel to Austin for a couple of days... bad timing, I know. It's going to be an abrupt change for us as we've still been having warm daytime temps. Will be dragging along my winter things.
Jarie, you may get iced in while you are in Austin if you plan on staying more than the one day. Friday is supposed to be their bad day. We spent Thanksgiving there at my daughter's.
I saw your area on the news today, YUCK!!! Glad you didn't lose power. Be careful on the roads. I'm hoping we have one of our snow free winters this year.
Yes, hubby has already been watching the forecasts for the area, Carrie. One worry, too, is our daughter from Chicago is flying in tomorrow morning for the day and flying out on Friday morning early. I hope the weather doesn't cause us concern for that. We may want to drive to Ft. Worth to visit kids that live there. Guess the weather will be a determining factor in much of what we plan. Bummer!!
As you can see by my weather monitor, we're still pretty warm here in south TX but the wind is picking up so something is about to happen.
Jarie
Rio Grande Valley, TX
Zone 9
This message has been edited by jas4141 on Nov 29, 2006 11:08 AM
Been having ISP problems for a while now and haven't been able to get to the forums like I normally do. Sorry to hear about all of you in the PNW. I'm not sure, but I think part of your storm has made it to Iowa. We had temps in the mid 60's yesterday and right now, the rain water is freezing on the decks and in the puddles. We are in a winter weather advisory for late afternoon through tonight. Hope your weather gets back to normal very soon.
Well, that sucker came roaring in like a lion about 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon. Temps were in the upper 70's and it dropped into the 30's within a few hours. Today is absolutely miserable, but not as much of the wintry mix as had been predicted. They are also forecasting that it will begin to move out tomorrow afternoon, and just remain cold for a few days. I have everything safely tucked away - hope my mulching is adequate.
My share arrived at 9:37 this morning.I was in yard when it landed.It was 66& would get a gust...drop a lil more.In like 3 minutes those gusts went from warm to cold.I came indoors& shut windows& doors when it hit 46.Its sprinkleing now& leaves are falling again.when I woke up this morning Dallas was already 32 while I was still at 72(4 am)Seen snow was heading to Dallas area when I went to pick stuff up& move my one 20 gallon philodendron to shed with dolly.I had to have help to get it on the dolly AND to get it started rolling.I know it won't be moveing far when returns outdoors.Will be cold this weekend.Calling for 27 tonight,but only 4 hours freezeing temps.we'll see.lakes are tricky.
Hi Jatana...I WAS being facetious about being "blessed" by the early snow, but as cold as it got, I was glad to have the snow covering most of my outdoor plants. Hard to say at this point how much damage the cold did, but at least my brugs seem to have fared well in the garage with their supplemental heat. My friend Carol introduced me to the Thermo Cube...an electric socket with a thermostat built into it. When the temp gets down to 35, it allows electricity to flow thru to the heater that's plugged into it...at 45, it turns off. I got it at Home Depot, in their portable heater dept. I also have a small fan plugged into it, which helps circulate the warmed air.
Thanks patrick, never knew such a device existed. You sure can learn alot talking with people who lives in a different part of the country than you. I ran a copy of that page so when my greenhouse finally comes to be, maybe it will be something I can use. I really hope the cold doesn't hurt your plants too bad. Most of my tender plants are still on the front porch, but after watching the weather this evening, they have to come in the house tomorrow. The house I live in, no greenhouse yet, no garage, inside with me or they die. But the way, I am amazed. Every cutting I took has lived so far. Even the really green ones that when they were in water the tops of them were shriveling up like they were rotting, I still potted them and they have new growth coming out of the potting soil from the roots. So I guess when you think it's time to give up, don't give up yet.
Patrick, what wattage of heater are you running on that thermocube? I run 2 700 watt heaters on different power supplies so would only have one on each outlet but wonder what the limits the specs call for on one?
We have hung at around 27* all day, don't know how much lower it will go tonight - I do think our precip has moved on so maybe the roads won't be too bad tomorrow. It certainly was a good day to stay inside and put up Christmas decorations and drink hot tea......
Oh Man... You guys are really taking a beating from Mother Nature. We have another cold front on it's way for the weekend. Our last cold has turned my gardens brown and ugly. Winter is officialy here. I am already wishing for spring.
Aw, Carrie....27 ain't too bad. Wait 'til it gets down to 17 and the wind is blowing! Then we can talk "chilly"!! The Big Chill has moved on (yeah...I KNOW where it went!)and most of our snow has melted. It was into the low 40's today.
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
Well, Florida is getting the rain and it will be turning much colder this week. No freezes in store just yet, but that is just a matter of time. YUCK! I am SOOOO ready for Spring!
I can vouch for the swift drop in temps in the San Antonio, TX area early Thursday morning. On our auto outside temp gauge (about 5:40 AM as we were driving to Austin) we watched the temps drop from 74 to 38 in a matter of minutes..I kid you not. I've never seen temps drop like that...74, 73, 72, 69. In about 10 minutes it was 38 and stayed close to that all day long along with a "biting" wind. Let me tell you, we warm weather residents were FREEZING!!
Daughter from Chicago had no trouble arriving in Austin Thursday morning but on Friday, her 6:40 AM flight to O'Hare was delayed until 1:50 that afternoon.
Stay warm. Unfortunately, on Thursday, we have to travel to Austin for a couple of days...
bad timing, I know. It's going to be an abrupt change for us as we've still been having warm daytime temps. Will be dragging along my winter things. 
Bummer!!
