[CaptainDan]

Every day, watching the weather report, we see all the various temperatures reported. Then they mention it's (whatever) temperature in Fargo, and the wife and I both chime in with, "And people still LIVE there. What's WRONG with them?"

Sorry, Fargo-ites. I know there are colder places, but it just seems like Fargo has become our poster child for cold weather.

 

[InCogKneeToe]

Every day, watching the weather report, we see all the various temperatures reported. Then they mention it's (whatever) temperature in Fargo, and the wife and I both chime in with, "And people still LIVE there. What's WRONG with them?"

Sorry, Fargo-ites. I know there are colder places, but it just seems like Fargo has become our poster child for cold weather.

You know that "Brain Freeze" from eating Ice Cream too fast? It's permanent up here!

We are on our last day of it. -18F and Calm right now. This is usually January Temps, but this year it is late.

But life goes on, we do the normal stuff. Snowmobiling, Ice Fishing (with Tents) Kids even go sliding (close to warm up vehicles). This Polar Vortec came right after a snowfall. 30mph Gusts blew the snow for 5 Days. @-45F and colder. I still had to go out on the lake and Plow the Ice Road. If I didn't, the road would fill (snowbank to snowbank) full of snow from the wind.

Last Sunday, a Ice fisherman, got stuck in a Filled in Road. My daughter seen another Plow Truck trying to get to his truck @ 5:00pm, I was out cleaning up my road @ 9:00, they were still trying o get to his Stuck Truck. @ 11:00pm, when I was finished, they still weren't to his truck. And the total distance was less than 2 miles from my road. @ -40F I checked with them before I went home. I would never leave anyone out on the Ice in those temps.

Crazy I guess, but like it was said earlier, "You can always wear More Clothing, but you can only get So Nekid"

 

[gkr778]

Every day, watching the weather report, we see all the various temperatures reported. Then they mention it's (whatever) temperature in Fargo, and the wife and I both chime in with, "And people still LIVE there. What's WRONG with them?"

Not only do people still live in Fargo, but more people are arriving every day. Fargo's population has increased by 38% since 1990, and currently is estimated to be past the 125,000 mark.

The weather may be cold during the winter there, but the hospitality is very warm. And Fargo a great place to start a career or business; Fargo has consistently ranked among the top small to midsize cities in the U.S. in that context.

So maybe the better question is "what's WRONG with people who don't want to consider living in Fargo?" (myself included)

 

[TruckMan]

Suck it Up Buttercup!

Frig, we have been enduring -30-50F temps the past week and a half. No shutdowns. Except School Busses don't run at -35C (without the Windchill) but they run at -45C with the windchill.

I'll remember that the next time Canada gets a 110* heat spell and all of your AC goes out for a week. Suck it up Canada!

But remember, when we were young we had to walk to school... uphill, in a blizzard, both ways

And barefoot!

I have to laugh at all of these Southerners that can't handle an inch of snow and some cooler weather for a few days. I thought they were tougher than that.

"Cooler" weather? One morning here in Fort Worth was -1*F. Another was 3*F. Several days with highs in the teens. Gonna be 10 consecutive days well below freezing. 6 inches of snow and ice with little/no winter equipment. DFW has only had negative temps 4 times in the last 120 years, so not a regular occurrence for us. The last time was 1989.

You don't buy a fleet of snow equipment when it only really snows once every 5 years.

The biggest problem was the loss of power and rolling blackouts for 3 days. Hard to keep warm without power.

 

[gkr778]

I'll remember that the next time Canada gets a 110* heat spell and all of your AC goes out for a week. Suck it up Canada!

Air conditioning for residential use is uncommon in many parts of Canada. For those folks, there may not even be an AC unit to go out!

 

[Greg Burr]

I'll remember that the next time Canada gets a 110* heat spell and all of your AC goes out for a week. Suck it up Canada!


And barefoot!


"Cooler" weather? One morning here in Fort Worth was -1*F. Another was 3*F. Several days with highs in the teens. Gonna be 10 consecutive days well below freezing. 6 inches of snow and ice with little/no winter equipment. DFW has only had negative temps 4 times in the last 120 years, so not a regular occurrence for us. The last time was 1989.

You don't buy a fleet of snow equipment when it only really snows once every 5 years.

The biggest problem was the loss of power and rolling blackouts for 3 days. Hard to keep warm without power.

We will be getting lower temps for the next 10-15 years from what I am reading, so maybe a generator is a good investment, and snow equipment as well

 

[richmond2000]

Air conditioning for residential use is uncommon in many parts of Canada. For those folks, there may not even be an AC unit to go out!

my AC is a "window shaker" in my living room and a smaller one in the bedroom and that is quite normal OR having a "chinese" mini-split fitted
most new houses have central A/C fitted but it is often a under sized "cheap" unit that "mostly" gets the job done

 

[Ed753]

Suck it Up Buttercup!

Frig, we have been enduring -30-50F temps the past week and a half. No shutdowns. Except School Busses don't run at -35C (without the Windchill) but they run at -45C with the wind-chill.

I have to laugh at all of these Southerners that can't handle an inch of snow and some cooler weather for a few days. I thought they were tougher than that.

I can't speak for all cases or instances, but we closed at least one of plants that I know of, absenteeism was bad because of the weather, snow/ice and little equipment to clear the roads, but it was a request in an effort to reduce the burden on the gas and electrify demand for the area. (So they could maintain utilities to residential customers)

 

[Ed753]

What a time for the weather patterns to change, and the infrastructure is not prepared for it. If this becomes the new normal, the US will need to invest in some weatherproofing.

Or A LOT MORE Windmills and Solar Panels?

-79F (with the Windchill) I went Snowmobiling. Wasted a full propane tank on a torch to heat up the snowmobile's block to get it to start. Smoked a belt getting the track to turn, rode 10 miles across a lake to a Radar Run, frost bite my right cheek. Made 2 runs and won Stock and Mod in my division. 2, $3.00 trophies. It was so cold that a Main Jet fell out of 1 carb. I had to disassemble it and screw it back in place. Then rode home.

How long ago was this, what kind of snowmobile?

"The jet fell out because it was so cold"!? That doesn't even make sense.

 

[1958carnut]

Or A LOT MORE Windmills and Solar Panels?



How long ago was this, what kind of snowmobile?

"The jet fell out because it was so cold"!? That doesn't even make sense.

The solar panels and wind mills don't take to kindly to big ice storms, hmmm. who'da thunk.

 

[Ed753]

The solar panels and wind mills don't take to kindly to big ice storms, hmmm. who'da thunk.

They weren't prepared, nor should they, for that kind of weather in TX, but "The thing is"..............

Let say "hypothetically" you have an extreme cold spell and your demand for electricity increases; how do you "turn up the dial" on a windmill or solar panel for the increased demand?
- In most cases, they produce less; certainly the solar and battery storage reserves, at best the windmills would produce the same.

Apparently Texas is not interconnected with other states as much as others, but it's not like Oklahoma or Louisiana and surrounding also didn't have record demands, I don't think that would have done much good.

 

[InCogKneeToe]

I'll remember that the next time Canada gets a 110* heat spell and all of your AC goes out for a week. Suck it up Canada!




The biggest problem was the loss of power and rolling blackouts for 3 days. Hard to keep warm without power.

Please do remember this, and yes I don't have AC in my House or Cabin. And although 110* doesn't happen, it does break 100+ with the Humidex. Often.

Your -1F here was -40F plus the Windchill, Plus Ice covered roads with blowing snow. Yes we did have Power, but have we not been discussing the Power Grid a lot lately?

 

[gkr778]

And although 110* doesn't happen, it does break 100+ with the Humidex. Often.

+1
Humidex levels in some Canadian locales (particularly southern Ontario and southern parts of the Prairie Provinces) during the summer months can be as high or higher than what's found in tropical climates. In 2007, a small town in southern Manitoba hit 53 on the Humidex (about 127°F).

Humidex formula:

 

[InCogKneeToe]

The Coldest Night in Texas History
If you think it's cold this week, let us tell you a story of record cold temperatures that were experienced in the past history of Texas.

Many Texas cities established all-time record low temperatures In February 1899. Below is a list of the record lows at various cities across the state.

Abilene.............9 below zero...set in 1947
Amarillo...........16 below zero...set in 1899
Austin..............2 below zero...set in 1949
Beaumont……..10 degrees......set in 1906
Brownsville........12 degrees......set in 1899
Corpus Christi.....11 degrees......set in 1899
Dallas/Fort Worth....8 below zero...set in 1899
Del Rio............10 degrees......set in 1989
El Paso.............8 below zero...set in 1962
Galveston...........8 degrees..... Set in 1899
Houston.............5 degrees......set in 1930 and 1940
Lubbock............17 below zero...set in 1933
Midland/Odessa.....11 below zero...set in 1985
San Angelo..........4 below zero...set in 1989
San Antonio.........0 degrees......set in 1949
Waco................5 below zero...set in 1949 and 1899
Wichita Falls......12 below zero...set in 1947

-1 isn't a Record Low in most of Texas.

 

[criticalmass]

I have to laugh at all of these Southerners that can't handle an inch of snow and some cooler weather for a few days. I thought they were tougher than that.

5" snow, very few snow plows, no salt trucks, very few snow shovels, many without winter coats, rolling blackouts for DAYS around the clock. Mean temp in homes...55 degrees, frozen water lines., small business closed because of constant outages. Hit minus 2 in Dallas on Wed. Coldest temp in 72 years. Nowhere for the homeless to go. Yeah, quite a laugh fest that people without cold weather/snow resources can't handle that.

 

[gkr778]

-1 isn't a Record Low in most of Texas.

Record low temperature in Texas as a whole is −23 °F (−31 °C), recorded in Gaines County about 88 years ago.

 

[InCogKneeToe]

5" snow, very few snow plows, no salt trucks, very few snow shovels, many without winter coats, rolling blackouts for DAYS around the clock. Mean temp in homes...55 degrees, frozen water lines., small business closed because of constant outages. Hit minus 2 in Dallas on Wed. Coldest temp in 72 years. Nowhere for the homeless to go. Yeah, quite a laugh fest that people without cold weather/snow resources can't handle that.

Ok, do you think Canada, or even the Northern United States, don't have Homeless?

Water lines won't freeze @55 F Inside your Home, leave the water running if you were worried about outside freezing, but the lines would need to be Above Ground to freeze within a few days.

Business have been closed for Covid up this way for the last 2-3 weeks, everyone survived. Where is it that you Have to Go, if the roads are not plowed of the 5"s of snow? A legitimate question. I snow plow, which means many early mornings, 4am. You would be surprised how many Elderly People are out at that time, stuck in unplowed Intersections. I use to stop and push them out, until I realized, they would only make it to the next Intersection and get stuck again. Where do they have to go at 4am? Coffee at Mc Dee's.

It all seems like a Mad Panic over a basic winter storm, we endure 2-3 times a month every winter. Or week long Heatwaves we get through in the summer months.

Rolling Blackouts, well that is just your Power Grid, and whoever wasn't prepared or wished to profit the most from this. 12,000-15,000 BTU AC Unit, would use as much, or more energy as a Space Heater trying to warm up a home. Where is all that Summertime Energy?

Our Ancestry's use to live in Caves, was the Weather that much more uniformed then?

 

[1958carnut]

FWIW: St. George Ut. Our record low temperature here is -11* in Jan. of 1937 and a record high of 117* 7/5/1985. Record one day total for snowfall is 15" back in Feb. of 1894.

 

[gkr778]

FWIW: St. George Ut. Our record low temperature here is -11* in Jan. of 1937 and a record high of 117* 7/5/1985. Record one day total for snowfall is 15" back in Feb. of 1894.

St. George is fortunate to have 300+ sunny days a year. 🌞

Ford and GM should open testing facilities in SW Utah.

 

[Ed753]

I don't know all of the details of the weather Texas recently endured, but you don't seem to understand how cold it was there?

Ok, do you think Canada, or even the Northern United States, don't have Homeless?

Do you think the homeless in Texas expect or are prepared for week(s) of sub-zero weather?

Water lines won't freeze @55 F Inside your Home, leave the water running if you were worried about outside freezing, but the lines would need to be Above Ground to freeze within a few days.

Correct, but how long does a house stay at 55 degree, without heat/lights when it 7 degrees Fahrenheit outside?

Business have been closed for Covid up this way for the last 2-3 weeks, everyone survived. Where is it that you Have to Go, if the roads are not plowed of the 5"s of snow? A legitimate question. I snow plow, which means many early mornings, 4am. You would be surprised how many Elderly People are out at that time, stuck in unplowed Intersections. I use to stop and push them out, until I realized, they would only make it to the next Intersection and get stuck again. Where do they have to go at 4am? Coffee at Mc Dee's.

It all seems like a Mad Panic over a basic winter storm, we endure 2-3 times a month every winter. Or week long Heatwaves we get through in the summer months.

Rolling Blackouts, well that is just your Power Grid, and whoever wasn't prepared or wished to profit the most from this. 12,000-15,000 BTU AC Unit, would use as much, or more energy as a Space Heater trying to warm up a home. Where is all that Summertime Energy?

I heard demand exceeded summer usage and with windmills not spinning, solar panels covered, batteries and gas lines frozen, it was easy to why the system broke-down, this was a very rare and dire event; going without A/C for a bit in the summer is typically easier to endure than sub-zero temperatures; for days............

Our Ancestry's use to live in Caves, was the Weather that much more uniformed then?