The FMJ Weather Channel

[Aspen500]

Then you have the idiots that wanna still go faster than the speed limit in the snow, while blowing their horn at trucks that they think are going too slow for them. Those ones should go on the flatbed.

I'm finally back to where it's above 0*F in Illinois. I'll be able to tell y'all the weather in Tennessee tomorrow night.

We don't really have those type of idiots around here. Sure there are a few but 95% have a brain,,,,,,,,,,and use it.

Woo-hoo! Got above zero today!!!!!!!! Well, BARELY above anyways. Still no end in site for this crap though.

It is good for battery sales I guess. We had 32 Interstate batteries in stock Monday morning, most being the popular sizes. Now the racks are almost empty. Only thing left are the oddball ones. On the upside, the Interstate truck comes tomorrow to restock. Goes from tires, tires, tires in fall and early winter to few tires but lots of batteries when it gets really cold.

 

[kkritsilas]

Our idiots like to put in appearances when we get heavy snow, or when its icy. Seem to disappear after a few days. Process of self elimination at work, I guess (either they get themselves killed, arrested, or crash/total their vehicles would be my guess.

The pickup truck types are the most common. I remember seeing one yahoo a couple of years back take off from the lights, and he was heavy on the gas. The truck was at about 45 degrees angle all the way down the street. I guess it never occurred to the driver to back off the gas to let the tires regain traction. I'm sure he self eliminated shortly after.

 

[Aspen500]

I do always have to laugh. Seems like at LEAST 75% of the time, when you see a vehicle in the ditch, it's a 4x4 truck or AWD SUV/COV (ABC/WTF/LOL). Over confident sense of ability I think. What a lot forget is, most 4x4 trucks are really only 2 wheel drive (one front and one rear) or possibly 3 wheel drive if limited slip rear. PLUS, all cars and trucks still have only 4 tires on the road and brakes on all 4 wheels. A lot of the ditch diving could be eliminated by careful driving and,,,,,,,dedicated winter tires like Blizzak or similar. My Dakota would be totally useless in the snow or ice without the winter tires. Some cars and trucks I see at work make me wonder how they get anywhere when I see the tires. So called "all season" with about 3/32" tread left. Those same people are coming toward you on the road, in the snow..................... Overall though, most people drive according to road conditions, provided you aren't out on the Interstate that is. Maybe that's where all the idiots go when it's icy or snowing and it's also why I avoid the freeways whenever possible, including good weather.

Not good weather today. It's a balmy -18 right now. Boo, hiss.

 

[Lightning II]

It’s like 55 here in Knoxville. In 2 days I’ll be in Maine and freezing my butt off again.

 

[Justwondering]

My 4x4 truck spends quite a bit of time in the ditch.

Generally with a tow line on it hauling some nitwit out of the mud.
And a few times honking the horn getting cattle to follow me back to the pasture.

The cattle are definitely smarter than the nitwit drivers.

JW

 

[SuicideRider]

6 inches of snow here. Dang hard shoveling with cane in one hand and shovel in the other. I really dislike winter.

 

[Aspen500]

Woke up to -28 this morning. Come on already!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Aspen500]

Aniother cold weather induced failure. Power steering systems. We have a rash of steering racks with blown out seals and high pressure lines going boom. Good for business, bad for the vehicles owners.
Heck, it's whole zero right now at noon. Reguar figgin' heat wave

 

[Justwondering]

I just spent an hour moving a 6 ft round bale of hay from the front gate -- about 1/4 mile in to the goat pen without a hay spear or a hay dolly.
Three straps and eventually got the bale on its face instead of the round side. Dragged that puppy all the way and barely lost any hay.
Used about a third, hand carrying it into the 3 sided hut for the goats. Gives them something to chomp on and provides good bedding to keep them warmer.
Covered the remainder to use in another 48 hours.
We never got up to freezing today.
Should be nearly 40 tomorrow.
Then down to 12 and two days later up to 55.
I'm getting whiplash.
Just hoping that nearly 25 year old goat doesn't die cause I just hate burying dead animals in the winter.
JW

 

[kkritsilas]

Hit -38C up here last night. That is very close to -38F (at -40C, it meets the Fahrenheit scale, at -40F). Coldest day of the year, and close to the coldest I've ever been in (my personal record is -44C).

 

[Aspen500]

Regular heat wave this morning, it's only zero. Sad part is, the high is only going to be +3. This weekend,,,,,,,,,,,,windchills -40 to-50 F. No thank you!

 

[Camtron]

We have a real nice heat wave going on in, Chicago; High of 14 and a low of 1 ( counting windchill even!), I’m about ready to breakout my Hawaiian print shirts and board shorts, lol.

 

[Aspen500]

Luckily "they" were wrong about the -50 windchill today. Turned out it wasn't too bad as the wind was MAYBE 5 mph. Still colder than bleep though (only got to -6 this afternoon). There is hope on the horizon however, and I hope it's correct! We've got a few days yet to go with this ridiculously cold crap but by next weekend,,,,,,,low 20's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sounds strange to look forward to 20 degrees and call that warm but, it's all relative.

 

[Lightning II]

I'm in NH tonight. It's cold outside, but nothing like what you guys are facing it seems. I think it's about 25 here.

 

[Oldiron440]

I think I've heard it all, I stopped the local filler up today and there was a woman going on about how its been below zero for the last few weeks and now it's going to be in the 30s this week. And she was complaining!

 

[Justwondering]

It was above freezing today with sun. The melt has begun.
Drove 17 miles to have my first hot shower in 8 days.
None of the incoming water lines froze up; however, the drain for the bathroom sink froze the water in the p-trap and the water we had dripping to prevent a freeze up overflowed the basin and water was everywhere when I got down there today. Sigh.

Another 2 days and the pipes should be unfrozen here so I can start repairs.

Texas' electric grid is back up and running normal.

Yea.
JW

 

[Aspen500]

Good to hear Texas has power again. Seems all the "green energy" failed in the snow, cold and ice (from what we heard "up here"). Coal burning plants don't even blink at things like that. Longest I went here without power was 9 hours a couple summers ago from a storm, and that sucked big time. Still had water though, and hot water (gas water heater). Can't even imagine 8 days in the dark, even when it's 80 degrees out.

I am so antsy waiting for the warm up. Supposed to be upper 20's this weekend and upper 30's or even 40 next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It'll feel like nude sunbathing weather after the past 2 or 3 weeks, lol!

 

[Lightning II]

Good to hear Texas has power again. Seems all the "green energy" failed in the snow, cold and ice (from what we heard "up here"). Coal burning plants don't even blink at things like that. Longest I went here without power was 9 hours a couple summers ago from a storm, and that sucked big time. Still had water though, and hot water (gas water heater). Can't even imagine 8 days in the dark, even when it's 80 degrees out.

I am so antsy waiting for the warm up. Supposed to be upper 20's this weekend and upper 30's or even 40 next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It'll feel like nude sunbathing weather after the past 2 or 3 weeks, lol!

the windmills and such froze up because the powers-that-be decided to be cheap and not buy the Winterizing package that was offered with the windmills and solar panels. Texas’ gas, coal, & oil plants fared just as bad because 10 years ago they were told that during a really bad freeze their stuff was not going to do well. The officials ignored them because they didn’t want to spend the money on upgrading the infrastructure.

think of it as your neighbor running straight water in his radiator and having a couple bad water hoses, you say “hey buddy, it might be a good idea to run some antifreeze and get some new radiator hoses before winter comes”, but he’s sure winter isn’t going to be bad and is shocked when his car’s dead in a couple weeks because his water froze. That’s what happened in Texas.

 

[volare 77]

I agree. The green energy stuff doesn`t freeze up elsewhere in the colder climate. Texas wanted to be independent and it bit them in the arse.

 

[Aspen500]

Good to know "the rest of the story". All we heard here is the wind turbines iced up and the solar did the same. "Green energy" is fine, provided it works AND,,,,,,,,,is reliable in all types of weather. Neither would work very well here. Not because of cold and ice but because there isn't enough wind, and when you really need it (winter), solar power doesn't do much when the sun rises at 7:45am and the sets at 4:15pm in late December, and it tends to be overcast 4 out of 5 of those days ALL FREAKING WINTER. Come to think of it, the past few summers haven't had an excess of sunny days either

However,,,,,,,,,,,nothing but sunshine today(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) but zero wind and, most importantly, it's 23 degrees out. Doesn't sound like much but it is 25-30 degrees warmer than it was at 3pm just a couple days ago, and for the 3 weeks prior to that. "They" are still promising upper 30's or even low 40's next week. I sure do hope they can keep that promise