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Advice For Those Not Used To Cold Temperatures!

#101
Basslice said:
One more rookie mistake (that I even see here in the Northeast). Having four wheel drive doesn't stop you from sliding off the road into a ditch or slamming into another car. It may help you climb out of a ditch, but don't kid yourself. It does not increase your traction when you have momentum. In fact, the poor weight distribution in many trucks makes them more dangerous in snow. Great for driving up hills though.

When you see pictures of multi-vehicle accidents in icy conditions, you often see just as many 4 wheel drives in the ditch as anything else. Again, my recommendation is to stay off the roads if you don't know what you are doing. A once in a decade snow/ice storm is not the time to learn or test out your truck.
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Couldn't agree more. Two points:

1) All vehicles have four-wheel stop.

2) Legit dedicated winter tires are the closest thing one can have to a superpower.
 
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#103
mrjim123 said:
I just checked the forecast for Houston. Low of 10 degrees? Good God!

To those of you in similar circumstances, these steps might save you some $ in frozen water pipe repairs:

1. Turn on all of your faucets and let them drizzle as long as outside temperature is abnormally low.

2. Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to expose the pipes to the heat.

Good luck!
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Thanks! Way ahead of ya! Low going down to -5 tonight/Wednesday morning... and thats air temperature, not wind chill.
 
#105
Do *not* lick the flagpole. If you do, your buddy is going to have to pee on it to get it off. So think ahead!

565218-warner_home_video.jpg
 
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#106
Seriously, though...there's lots of homes in the Southern US that don't have basements. Other than places to make musical noise, basements are places which keep water pipes warm and deep enough into the ground to generally avoid freezing. If you're on a slab, the need to keep your water flowing is even more paramount—and that's tough if you're on a well too. Best of luck all!
 
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#107
Fishheadjoe said:
View attachment 4169654 Cotton kills! Never wear cotton as a first layer in the cold as it holds moisture. Run your shower with the door open to help heat the house if your power goes off. BBQ can cook anything if you need it.
Fishheadjoe
@superiorpine beat me to it!
Pic is just another December day, -15C in an open boat... snow is better than rain! LOL
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In Texas the water heater thermostat and heater thermostat are almost always electric, even if you have gas.
So most of these Texas folks without power also have no heat or hot water. At least half have electric stoves also, so many people have no heat of any kind and no land line telephones to call for help.
 
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#112
pie_man_25 said:
Great to hear!

4 miles isn't too bad as long as you're not wearing tennis shoes - your body will keep itself warm from the activity.

I dunno, it's easy for me (living where I do and working outdoors a lot) to forget that you guys don't have the infrastructure to deal with this exact sort of thing. I mean, can you even BUY a parka or thermal underwear where you guys are? If I were as far south as you guys, I'm not sure it'd be something I'd even think about.

In any case, as many times as I've referenced beers and such in this thread, I think it goes without saying to NOT overdrink alcohol.
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Infrastructure, exactly. No gear to treat the roads. I’ve lived in the northeast and elsewhere. Our homes aren’t built for this. Just like hones in Rochester aren’t built for 100 degree days. So all you can do is be halfway prepared and be a good neighbor. It’s a temporary adventure.
 
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#113
mrjim123 said:
According to weather.gov, tonight's Indy forecast includes heavy blowing snow and "Freezing Fog". Sounds like a damn Stephen King movie!
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Freezing fog is the real freakin’ deal.

The only time I’ve been freaked out during winter driving has been when I encountered freezing fog last year. They’re great about putting brine down, but they only do that before precipitation. The fog froze into a nice clear shiny surface on all the roads.
 
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#118
We hit -12 last night here in OKC. 2nd coldest ever, dating back to 1899. I haven't left the house in 2 1/2 days. One hour rolling blackout this morning. More snow tonight. What's the big deal?

I lived in Mount Rainier NP for 3 seasons. (I ran hotels and restaurants for 20-something years) The 1st year I was there, 2002, we got a 10-day snowstorm. Yup, it snowed continuously from the Oct 21st to 31st. We had a few 30' drifts. (Not a typo, 30 foot drifts, I've got a picture with my truck dwarfed by a drift that piled up against the old visitor center) They couldn't keep the road open so we closed up the Paradise Inn early and went skiing/snowboarding/snowshoeing/climbing/ice climbing etc... It was AWESOME.
 
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