# Oh this gonna be bad, be prepared for sure



## woodsman23

...lake effect snow warning remains in effect from 11 am monday
to 6 am est wednesday...
...wind chill warning remains in effect from 6 pm monday to 6 pm
est tuesday...

* locations...chautauqua...cattaraugus...southern erie and 
wyoming counties.

* timing...late monday morning through early wednesday morning for
the lake effect snow warning. Early monday evening through
tuesday evening for the wind chill warning.

* accumulations...13 to 15 inches monday...18 to 26 inches monday 
night...9 to 17 inches tuesday...and 6 to 10 inches tuesday 
night...leading to storm totals of more than 3 feet in the 
most persistent lake snows.

* winds...west 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 55-60 mph.

* visibilities...near zero at times.

* wind chill values...as low as 45 below at times.
* impacts...travel conditions will become extremely difficult to
near impossible with snow covered roads and frequent whiteout
conditions due to heavy lake effect snow along with considerable
blowing and drifting snow. Roadways will become partially or
fully impassable for a period of time. Interstate 90 will be
greatly impacted from the buffalo area to near dunkirk.
Dangerously cold wind chills will pose a risk for frost bite and
hypothermia for anyone outside for even very short periods of
time. This is a *life-threatening *cold for those not in shelter


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## HamiltonFelix

Good luck with all that "global warming." Pretty easy winter so far in PNW.


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## helicopter5472

Sounds like what's going on in Washington, but instead of snow just BS


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## Caribou

Remember, it is summer down there.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/201...u-s-to-rescue-trapped-ships-in-antarctic-ice/


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## crabapple

Well WINTER FANLLY CAME TO SOUTH CAROLINA!
It got down to 21F last night & the night was chilly.


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## biobacon

That's 46 to 68 inches. Damn.


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## lilmissy0740

Better have lots of firewood and lantern oil and wicks. I would be getting my snow suit out and getting ready to be a monster of a snowman.


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## biobacon

They are saying 10 to 20 degrees below 0 for us with as much as 10 inches of snow. Wind chills might make it as low as 40 below. Sure glad Im a nutcase and believe in preparing for this kind of stuff eh?


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## mamabear2012

Wow! We're getting record cold temperatures and ice here in WV. I hope this kind of accumulation steers clear of this area. We haven't gotten our wood stove yet. Stay safe everyone!


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## FatTire

Cold schmold.. Bring It! I say 

stay safe n warm everyone...


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## NaeKid

It was -30° this morning when I woke up ... quite chilly :chilly:


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## partdeux

Stores in the entire Detroit Area were CLEANED OUT! Friend of my wife's went to Meijers at 4am, she said it was eerie seeing all the empty shelves, as they had not restocked.


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## tleeh1

North Alabama here. Yesterday morning it was 20*. This morning it was 40*. Right now (5:30 pm central) it's about 50* and raining. They're predicting 5* - 10* tomorrow morning. If the streets don't dry off before the temp drops, it's going to be a skating rink out there. They're already delaying schools for two hours. Haven't been to the stores, but I imagine the bread, milk & TP shelves are cleaned out. I guess I'll just hunker down and enjoy the wood fire!


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## camo2460

NaeKid said:


> It was -30° this morning when I woke up ... quite chilly :chilly:


Really? "quite chilly". That's not chilly that's freaking cold. LOL


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## lotsoflead

bring it on, my front end loader is gassed up, my skates are sharp and my skies are waxed and as always there's enough food here for a long long time.


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## Lake Windsong

tleeh1 said:


> North Alabama here. Yesterday morning it was 20*. This morning it was 40*. Right now (5:30 pm central) it's about 50* and raining. They're predicting 5* - 10* tomorrow morning. If the streets don't dry off before the temp drops, it's going to be a skating rink out there. They're already delaying schools for two hours. Haven't been to the stores, but I imagine the bread, milk & TP shelves are cleaned out. I guess I'll just hunker down and enjoy the wood fire!


I just drove home through N AL, no way the streets are gonna dry off around here. Gonna be lots of black ice. Really windy right now, too. Some of our relatives a little further north will probably get enough snow for a snowman. Looks like I'll miss a good snowball fight, only expecting a dusting of snow over the ice.


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## bushpilot

camo2460 said:


> Really? "quite chilly". That's not chilly that's freaking cold. LOL


Although I am not in Red Bluff, CA., it was slated to hit 71* today. The record was set in 1934, 70*.


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## tsrwivey

Y'all, that's just insane. No one should have to live like that. I think it's time for an intervention. 

It's gonna be in the teens the next few days here in east Texas (that's really cold for us). Back up to 58 Thursday :2thumb: However, that doesn't stop the sheeple from piling into Walmart today like its the last time they'll see food this year. Unfortunately for me, I didn't think about that possibility so I chose today to do a coupon run.  Not to mention this was day 5 into their resolutions of no smoking or drinking & living on grass. It was NOT a pleasant experience. inkfight:


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## biobacon

went to walmart yesterday, same thing here. My normal bi monthly run, but man you could sense the urgency in people. Christmas eve wasn't that bad.


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## Foreverautumn

Well, guys, guess what? I'm in TUCSON, AZ, where it's 
69 DEGREES!
:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:

artydance:artydance:artydance:


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## weedygarden

NaeKid said:


> It was -30° this morning when I woke up ... quite chilly :chilly:


This is completely off track, but, how do you get that degree mark behind your 30? I have tried for years to figure that out. Is that possibly a copy and paste?

:dunno:

Sorry for being so off track!


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## Foreverautumn

UncleJoe said:


> Alt248.
> 
> Hold the Alt key while typing in the numbers. I use it with the desktop but it doesn't work on the laptop. I'm guessing it's because there's no separate number keypad.


I've just figured out that if you're going to use the ALT+ method, you need to use the numeric keypad; the upper keyboard numbers won't work. Usually on a laptop there's a function key of some kind that will effectively put it into kind of a "virtual" numeric keypad mode. You'll probably need to look it up in your user manual, you know, the one you threw away?


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## JayJay

Alt248. 

Hold the Alt key while typing in the numbers. I use it with the desktop but it doesn't work on the laptop. I'm guessing it's because there's no separate number keypad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Probably different for everyone--but this only works if my numlock is on.
° alt + 248

° alt + 0176

And alt + 0176 with numlock on.


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## JayJay

Now, on topic.
It was 52° today in Ky. :congrat: Tonight, 3°.:scratch
Tomorrow's high, 5° and tomorrow's low, -2°.:scratch

In my 63 years old and I have NEVER experienced this kind of weather. I read one lady said she had 3 winters(she thought!!) of wood cut and stacked and it is half gone. In one of the northern states.


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## Caribou

Go to Edit, special characters, punctuation, then select the degree sign.


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## moondancer

-31 here holly crap never seen it this cold


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## BillS

The overnight low here was -16°. On Saturday the high was 30°.

The coldest I ever saw it was Super Bowl Sunday 1985. It was -30° with wind chills to -80°.


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## NaeKid

camo2460 said:


> Really? "quite chilly". That's not chilly that's freaking cold. LOL


Naahhh ... Freakin' Cold is when the mercury disappears at temperatures below -60° .. I have experienced that a couple of times. Believe it or not, at those temperatures tires can get a flat-spot and not roll properly, shoes become solid on the sole and the tips of ears freeze solid. Eye-lids and eye-balls can become frozen to each other and your breath can freeze to your beard in seconds till you have a chin-full of icicles.

Those are the days that I like to hibernate.


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## Caribou

NaeKid said:


> Naahhh ... Freakin' Cold is when the mercury disappears at temperatures below -60° .. I have experienced that a couple of times. Believe it or not, at those temperatures tires can get a flat-spot and not roll properly, shoes become solid on the sole and the tips of ears freeze solid. Eye-lids and eye-balls can become frozen to each other and your breath can freeze to your beard in seconds till you have a chin-full of icicles.
> 
> Those are the days that I like to hibernate.


I know what you mean. I wouldn't even go hunting after about -20°.


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## vickers

Alabama is facing its coldest temperatures in almost 20 years. A dusting of snow this morning. Pretty icy though as the rain turned to snow and froze.


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## VoorTrekker

bushpilot said:


> Although I am not in Red Bluff, CA., it was slated to hit 71* today. The record was set in 1934, 70*.


You poor b*st*rd! We don't envy you.

Look at this (and hold my beer):

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/01/06/22201007-polar-vortex-what-is-it-and-when-is-it-going-away?lite

Polar Vortex and what it is:

By Erik Ortiz, Staff Writer, NBC News

Move over, haboob. See you next summer, heat dome. The weather phenomenon hogging all the attention now is "polar vortex."

Twenty-six states are under wind-chill warnings or watches, and the polar vortex is to blame, breaking loose from its North Pole confines and plunging the country in a deep, dangerous freeze.

"Think of this as a polar hurricane," said NBC News' Al Roker.

It isn't expected to linger for long but will leave a mark. Here's what you need to know:
A polar vortex is basically a great swirling pool of extremely cold air located tens of thousands of feet in the atmosphere, said Frank Giannasca, senior meteorologist with The Weather Channel.

Basically an arctic cyclone, it ordinarily spins counterclockwise around the north and south poles.

While it tends to dip over northeastern Canada, it's catching everyone's attention because it has moved southward over such a large population - as many as 140 million Americans are feeling the freeze.
Why has it traveled so far south?

There's a variety of reasons why a chunk of cold air over Canada would break off our way.

Chiefly, warmer air builds up over areas such as Greenland or Alaska, and that air forces the colder, denser air southward.

Also, weather patterns can create the right conditions for the polar vortex to point south.

But in this case, "this very well just may be one of those anomalies where it forces itself southward," Giannasca said.

Is this a rare phenomenon?

Yes, and no.

Through the course of a winter, the arctic air can get displaced southward, typically into the eastern U.S. But it is uncommon for such cold air to cover such a large part of the country, happening maybe once a decade or longer.

Amplifying this polar vortex are the extreme cold and brutal winds - sending places such as Fargo, N.D., at 32 below zero and Madison, Wis., at minus 21. Add the wind chill, and it will feel like minus 50s and 60s in some parts.

Could there be a polar vortex again this winter?

Forecasts show temperatures around the country as a whole will begin moderating by the end of the week - that means the 20s and 30s in the Plains and Midwest, while parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast could be in the 40s.

But, like any unpredictable weather phenomenon, whether or not this can happen again, "is hard to say," Giannasca said.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is this a result of global warming throughout our solar system? Possibly.


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## FatTire

ahh red bluff, land of two seasons, so hot its miserable, or so wet its miserable... call me sick, but i do kinna miss it being so hot you halucinate and lose 5 lbs of water fetching the mail


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## Tweto

-18 degrees this morning, It's zero out right now at 4pm.


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## weedygarden

Caribou said:


> Go to Edit, special characters, punctuation, then select the degree sign.


I don't see that option either. Are you on a PC or a Mac?

I still haven't been able to make this work, even with all the suggestions. I am usually the person who helps others with computers.

When I want to indicate degrees, I end up writing it out.


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## Woody

I thought the polar ice cap had all but disappeared and polar bears were drowning because there is no ice? Where is all the really cold weather coming from???

9:00 PM here and the wind just started, I can hear it whistling. Supposed to be single digits tomorrow morning with highs around 15° (<alt>248 worked on my laptop!)


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## brightstar

Currently 6 degrees in NE TN, -10 with windchill and expected to get down to -20 or lower. Anchorage, Alaska is currently 31 degrees with no wind. What's wrong with this picture? High tomorrow only 8 degrees. Coldest anyone around here ever remembers.


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## Sourdough

Still in the upper thirties here, was another warm sunny day, topped out at 41* above.................


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## ZoomZoom

Here in W PA it's sub-zero + 20-30 MPH winds = Brrrrr.


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## *Andi

Mother Nature at her best...


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## Dixie

*At 11:45 it was 12° in North Atlanta. *


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## Woody

About 15 ° and WINDY here at.. 1:35!, What the heck am I still doing up!!!


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## Freyadog

Minus 2 wcf feels like -27..... I'm up making sure fire doesn't go out in wood stove so Thumper can sleep. He has to work today.

All animal building doors are closed and double blankets over them on inside. Plastic on windows. Chickens have a heat lamp. So warm in goat house they might not need one but it in place in case it is needed.

Never could catch the guineas and we are worried about them. We even tried a net and extra food on the ground but no dice. They are still up in the trees.


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## Woody

Puppy declined going outside for 'last call'. She is the smart one on the bed. I peeked in and she gave me the 'what the heck are you still doing up' look. Rest assured, 4:00 am tomorrow... or in a few hours that is... she will bring the 'sawdust' dish on the bed and be dropping it on me. Can't our animals even be courteous enough to forgive ONE mealtime and let us feed them a little later than usual???


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## boomer

This is not all that unusual for N. Dakota. One needs to get ready for it in Sept/Oct and then be ready to have a good read, and do some baking.


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## Woody

She let me have an extra 30 minutes of rest! Well.. 20 actually, I fought her for 10. about 12 degrees out, no wind but a mite chilly for here.


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## talob

boomer said:


> This is not all that unusual for N. Dakota. One needs to get ready for it in Sept/Oct and then be ready to have a good read, and do some baking.


I was out there from 75-79 (air force) I remember when it got up to zero you had a nice day!


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## tleeh1

Broke the record low in Huntsville, AL this morning -- it's 4° right now. Gonna have to get DH to go out and put the battery charger on the car this morning to help get it started so I can make it to work. It was having a hard time yesterday cranking. 

It's supposed to get up to 60° by the weekend. What the heck?????


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## ZoomZoom

Still -10° here.

Hey Woodsman (the OP), I heard on the news this morning that I-90 is closed from Lackawanna down do the PA state line. Also closures on the 219, 400 and parts of 5. (funny there's no mention of 20 but I'd bet parts of it are closed as well).

How much snow did y'all get?


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## timmie

temp is 12 with a wind chill of 6.colder here than I have seen in a long time.


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## moondancer

I Got. 2 inch ice then 6 inch snow on top of that it's now - 9 with windchill of - 27 . Have a missing barn cat fear it froze to death . I hope not he was a great little buddy . All other live stock are good so far


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## brightstar

-2 here with wind chill of -20 or lower. Roads clear in main areas but back roads solid sheets of ice in some places.


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## dixiemama

0° when I left for work. Pipes froze off at inlaws and work. Feels like temp is -15°. Maybe half an inch of snow with dusting on the roads. Sheen of ice under snow. 

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


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## redhorse

-9° here. Had to light the wood burner because the natural gas couldn't keep up and the house was hovering at about 56°. At least the house is back up to 70. I can't keep water to the animals, even with water heaters and heated bowls, everything is still froze. I've been carrying warm water out since yesterday. Thanks to the polar vortex, between hauling water, shoveling snow, and moving fire wood, I may have biceps Schwarzenegger would be proud of soon.


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## ZoomZoom

Still -10° here. There's ice on the inside of the windows.

Lost power this morning for a couple hours. Kept the wood stoves going with the inverter/battery packs.


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## LincTex

moondancer said:


> Have a missing barn cat fear it froze to death . I hope not he was a great little buddy.


Give him some credit; cats are pretty resourceful when they need to be. If there's a place to hide anywhere and get warm, he probably found it.


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## vickers

Electric furnace ran all night. Barely kept up. North Alabama got freakin cold....


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## LilRedHen

-8 at 6:40a.m. when I cranked the truck to go to the barn. Pilot light on propane heater went out last night and would not light the normal way. I had to tear into it, clean everything and light it with a match. Bottle calf ears froze and I can't thaw them. Two inches of snow with ice underneath still on road. Ice in pond two inches thick or better. I had to chop the pond twice yesterday with an ax and shovel the chunks out and will do so again today. The Rooster is sitting in his chair with a coat and fleece cap on.


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## moondancer

Lost power this morning for a couple hours. Kept the wood stoves going with the inverter/battery packs.

I assume it's a wood furnace with a blower . I would be worried about no power with those so I just use a wood stove no power needed . Does it work well for you and what if there was no power long term ? I'm really curious not trying to be funny


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## Country Living

I just now got an email from the government's Ready Campaign. Seriously... just a few minutes prior to this post. Maybe I'm being unrealistic; but, shouldn't it have gone out as soon as they knew about the polar vortex instead of on the tail-end of it?



> *Take Extra Precautions as Temperatures Drop Below Freezing*
> 
> Dangerously low temperatures are in the forecast and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) wants individuals and families to be safe when faced with the hazards of cold temperatures.
> 
> "Subfreezing temperatures can be dangerous and even life-threatening for people who don't take the proper precautions," said Andrew Velasquez III, FEMA Regional Administrator. "It is important for everyone to monitor their local weather reports and take steps now to stay safe during times of extreme cold temperatures."
> 
> During cold weather, you should take the following precautions:
> 
> Stay indoors as much as possible and limit your exposure to the cold;
> Dress in layers and keep dry;
> Check on family, friends, and neighbors who are at risk and may need additional assistance;
> Know the symptoms of cold-related health issues such as frostbite and hypothermia and seek medical attention if health conditions are severe;
> Bring your pets indoors or ensure they have a warm shelter area with unfrozen water;
> Make sure your vehicle has an emergency kit that includes an ice scraper, blanket and flashlight - and keep the fuel tank above half full.
> 
> You can find more information and tips on being ready for winter weather and extreme cold temperatures at www.ready.gov/winter. You can also follow Ready online on Twitter at twitter.com/ReadydotGov and on Facebook at facebook.com/readygov.


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## ZoomZoom

moondancer said:


> Lost power this morning for a couple hours. Kept the wood stoves going with the inverter/battery packs.
> 
> I assume it's a wood furnace with a blower . I would be worried about no power with those so I just use a wood stove no power needed . Does it work well for you and what if there was no power long term ? I'm really curious not trying to be funny


They're wood stoves. This one in particular.
http://www.regency-fire.com/Products/Wood/Wood-Inserts/I2400.aspx

They'll work without the blower but you can't run them as hot (and hot is what I needed this morning). If I didn't have alternatives for electricity (inverters, generators or otherwise), I'd just run them a little cooler. I also have alternate heat sources if needed.


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## moondancer

Ah cool thanks


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## redhorse

Still -6° here. Putting more wood in the furnace. Me thinks I will stay here the rest of the day and make hobo pies.


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## NaeKid

redhorse said:


> Still -6° here. Putting more wood in the furnace. Me thinks I will stay here the rest of the day and make hobo pies.


Hobo-pies????

Recipe please :wave:


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## redhorse

NaeKid said:


> Hobo-pies????
> 
> Recipe please :wave:


I'm sure you've seen them 

Pretty much anything you can dream up to go between two slices of bred. My personal favorite is Rubens.

http://www.sportchalet.com/product/...uct_listings&gclid=CMSzro3i7LsCFWQOOgodg1MAVQ


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## Caribou

weedygarden said:


> I don't see that option either. Are you on a PC or a Mac?
> 
> I still haven't been able to make this work, even with all the suggestions. I am usually the person who helps others with computers.
> 
> When I want to indicate degrees, I end up writing it out.


I use a Mac°. Most of the time I just get lazy and use*.


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## Caribou

Is it cold enough for you to prefer Jail? One guy in KY thinks so.

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/crime...d-escaped-inmate-turns-himself-in-5120219.php


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## Elinor0987

NaeKid said:


> Naahhh ... Freakin' Cold is when the mercury disappears at temperatures below -60° .. I have experienced that a couple of times. Believe it or not, at those temperatures tires can get a flat-spot and not roll properly, shoes become solid on the sole and the tips of ears freeze solid. Eye-lids and eye-balls can become frozen to each other and your breath can freeze to your beard in seconds till you have a chin-full of icicles.
> 
> Those are the days that I like to hibernate.


Have you ever had a gas pump freeze while you're trying to get gas in sub zero weather? That happened to me yesterday and it was the first time I had a pump do that. The upside is that I got about $2.50 worth of free gas before the attendant came out and told me to move my car to the next pump. He said he wasn't going to charge me for the gas (the merchant fees on that transaction would have been more than what it cost anyway).


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## biobacon

Elinor0987 said:


> Have you ever had a gas pump freeze while you're trying to get gas in sub zero weather? That happened to me yesterday and it was the first time I had a pump do that. The upside is that I got about $2.50 dollars worth of free gas before the attendant came out and told me to move my car to the next pump. He said he wasn't going to charge me for the gas (the merchant fees on that transaction would have been more than what it cost anyway).


That happened to a coworker today as well. As for me My water heater pilot light went out so my hot water pipe is froze. Great time to find out I need a new control box no? I got a space heater going but tripped the breaker so then had to take care of that. On the plus side it warmed up to 2 degrees this afternoon.


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## Elinor0987

biobacon said:


> That happened to a coworker today as well. As for me My water heater pilot light went out so my hot water pipe is froze. Great time to find out I need a new control box no? I got a space heater going but tripped the breaker so then had to take care of that. On the plus side it warmed up to 2 degrees this afternoon.


The temperature here finally broke above 0 degrees yesterday too. When it gets to about 40 degrees, we might pull out the lawn chairs and have a barbecue!


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## Salekdarling

Elinor0987 said:


> The temperature here finally broke above 0 degrees yesterday too. When it gets to about 40 degrees, we might pull out the lawn chairs and have a barbecue!


I'm looking forward to the invite. I like my steak medium rare. :teehee:


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## Salekdarling

My husband and I went to Ebensburg, PA last night around 6 PM - From Route 22 West - Wal Mart down to Sheetz gas station and the Big Lots Plaza, the lights were out. We stopped at Wendy's; the restaurant was just getting slammed since they were the only business in the area with lights and heat (besides the hotel next to it). One of the customers was being such a psycho about her meal being wrong. If only I could smack a b%#*$ without getting arrested.

"I'm sorry, Officer, this woman was subjecting a very overrun restaurant employee to cruel and lewd words - she deserved getting the make up slapped off her face."

Question!

What is the smallest propane/kerosene heater that you own? How does it work for you? I bought a lasko ceramic heater last night and works decently, but if the power goes out, I'm SOL. The drafts in my apartment are pretty atrocious, and I could kick myself in the pants for not dealing with the insulation before winter. I wanted to get window insulation kits last night, but my husband told me no, rightly so since we're currently broke after paying all the bills and Christmas. 

The draft that was coming in from the side door of my apartment is the worst. We never use the door so I stuffed a sheet into the cracks around the door. That helped significantly, but I know I'm still losing heat in the apartment. Do you think duct taping plastic wrap around the windows will work? I wonder if the plastic wrap would shrink like a window insulation kit plastic. I'm going to say yes, yes it does.


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## ZoomZoom

For leaky areas, what I've found works very well:

For windows, I use Seal N Peel. It's a caulk that's easily removable and doesn't leave any residue when you remove it.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Seal-N-Peel-10-1-oz-Removable-Weatherstrip-Caulk-18354/100140056
It's like the stuff they use to attach credit cards or similar to the paper for when they mail it to you. It pulls right off.
I said windows, not doors on purpose. Although you can put it on doors, I think it's a safety risk in the event of fire or whatever. I sealed a door once with it. You cannot open it without removing the sealer. Not something you want to do if that's your fire escape.

I have several large, fixed windows. For those, I used thumb tacks and covered them with moving blankets for added insulation. Yea, it's darker but for as many as I have, I don't need the light. They can be installed or removed in a minute. Much quicker than the plastic.

The plastic window insulation kits do help. I quit using them since they're not reusable and if you leave them up too long, I found the glue leaves a residue on whatever surface it was adhered to.

I also have those 36" long tube insulation things that go at the bottom of doors. (basically a 2" tube filled with something like rice). They help but can get annoying for constantly used doors.


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## Salekdarling

ZoomZoom said:


> For leaky areas, what I've found works very well:
> 
> For windows, I use Seal N Peel. It's a caulk that's easily removable and doesn't leave any residue when you remove it.
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/DAP-Seal-N-Peel-10-1-oz-Removable-Weatherstrip-Caulk-18354/100140056
> It's like the stuff they use to attach credit cards or similar to the paper for when they mail it to you. It pulls right off.
> I said windows, not doors on purpose. Although you can put it on doors, I think it's a safety risk in the event of fire or whatever. I sealed a door once with it. You cannot open it without removing the sealer. Not something you want to do if that's your fire escape.
> 
> I have several large, fixed windows. For those, I used thumb tacks and covered them with moving blankets for added insulation. Yea, it's darker but for as many as I have, I don't need the light. They can be installed or removed in a minute. Much quicker than the plastic.
> 
> The plastic window insulation kits do help. I quit using them since they're not reusable and if you leave them up too long, I found the glue leaves a residue on whatever surface it was adhered to.
> 
> I also have those 36" long tube insulation things that go at the bottom of doors. (basically a 2" tube filled with something like rice). They help but can get annoying for constantly used doors.


I am going to try your thumb tack and blanket idea. What is the best material for temporary insulation, fabric wise? I don't plan on doing much to the door as it is my only other way to get out of the apartment. I'm leaving the sheet up and stuffing fabric and towels around the bottom to stop drafts. My landlord did a terrible job weatherstripping the door. I could do a better job, and I've never weatherstripped a door in my life.


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## LincTex

Salekdarling said:


> If only I could smack a b%#*$ without getting arrested.





Salekdarling said:


> What is the smallest propane/kerosene heater that you own? How does it work for you?


I have a Mr. Heater Portable Buddy that is 4,000 BTU on "low" - it's OK in a tent when it is cold out. I usually just use a small propane camp stove, I can turn it down to somewhere around 1,000 BTU? (or less?)

Candles are about 400 or so BTU each:
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=117206



> 126 W X 3.4 (B.t.u/H)/W = 428.4 Btu/hour per candle.
> 428.4 Btu/hour X 6 candles = 2570.4 Btu/hour.
> (250 W per candle is too high an estimate, as a 250 watt light bulb, unlike a candle, will melt a lot of wax)
> 
> A typical gas stove burner puts out ~12,000 Btu/H, so we're not talking a lot of heat. On the other hand, a standard small window air conditioner is good for 5000 BTU/hour. Six candles would use up half its cooling capacity.
> 
> If we look at it in terms of people:
> A person using 2500 Calories (Kcal) a day puts out 2500/24 = 104 Kcal/hour
> 104Kcal/hour X 3.98 Btu/Kcal = 414.5 Btu/hour per person.
> So lighting 6 candles would have about the same effect as asking 6 more people into the room.
> (1 person = ~1 candle)


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## ZoomZoom

Salekdarling said:


> I am going to try your thumb tack and blanket idea. What is the best material for temporary insulation, fabric wise?


As far as "best" material, I don't know exactly but I go by weight and breathability. For the size of a blanket (approx 6'x6'), I feel how heavy it is and then try to blow through it. If I can blow through it easily, I don't use it since wind can also go through it. _Therefore, my fleece and regular quilts are not used._

The quilts my elder relatives made me and moving blankets are both tough to blow throw. _I went with the moving blankets since their not heirloom items_.


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## LincTex

Salekdarling said:


> I wanted to get window insulation kits last night, but my husband told me no, rightly so since we're currently broke after paying all the bills and Christmas.


Eliminate drafts foremost - very important

Use cheap plastic painter's drop cloth (plastic sheeting) and masking tape and seal those windows!

These should pay for themselves in one month of heat bills.


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## Salekdarling

LincTex said:


> Eliminate drafts foremost - very important
> 
> Use cheap plastic painter's drop cloth (plastic sheeting) and masking tape and seal those windows!
> 
> These should pay for themselves in one month of heat bills.


Luckily, we don't pay for the heat. The issue that goes along with not paying for the heat is rarely having heat during the day. I'm home during the day, and it gets pretty cold in here. I have birds, and I don't want to them getting sick - it'd be my fault any way for not eliminating the drafts while I had the chance. It should be taken care of completely this weekend now that I know what I should do to keep the heat in, and the cold out. I have the heater oscillating near my babies now now - they seem to be very happy. 

Also, thanks for the heater recommendation. I'll look into it.


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## ZoomZoom

Salekdarling said:


> Luckily, we don't pay for the heat. The issue that goes along with not paying for the heat is rarely having heat during the day.


Can you elaborate? Why is your heat off during the day?


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## Salekdarling

ZoomZoom said:


> Can you elaborate? Why is your heat off during the day?


Well, it's not off - the logic I'm thinking is that because most folks are at work during the day, he turns the heat down very low to save on the heating. He didn't even turn the heat on until the first snow storm in my area which I think was near the end of October, and at that time it was a refrigerator in my apartment.

I just reached over and felt the radiator, and it's warm now, but it's definitely not doing its job at keeping the place comfortably warm. It'd be better if I insulated the drafty spots. Yesterday, my fingers were numb thanks to the subzero temperatures. I actually lit a candle and kept it near me for the extra heat, put on three layers of clothing and my wool hat. I rolled my bird's cage next to the radiator and kept them covered with a blanket to retain the heat.

My landlord said when we had moved in, "I keep the place at 68 degrees. If that's too cold for you, invest in some space heaters." I really should have bought a thermometer to measure the temperature in the apartment the past couple of months - didn't think we wouldn't have heat half the time though. :gaah:


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## LincTex

Salekdarling said:


> Also, thanks for the heater recommendation. I'll look into it.


I also have a 250,000 BTU propane construction heater (another cheap auction find) exactly like this one: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-M...TION-HEATER-250-000BTU-PORTABLE-/121248666504

It will heat your whole house in like, 45 seconds or so... 









http://www.propaneking.com/propane-heaters-detail.asp?SKU=HP1263


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## TheLazyL

Salekdarling said:


> Luckily, we don't pay for the heat.....


It's included in your rent so you don't have an additional heat bill?


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## Salekdarling

TheLazyL said:


> It's included in your rent so you don't have an additional heat bill?


I pay $325 a month for a three room apartment. I'd have to look at my lease to see if it includes the heat, but at the price we pay for this dump, I'm going to assume yes. We're getting out of here asap and finding something better - a lot of places in the area charge the same amount for more space and better insulation.

I just want a yard and actual sunlight - oh, and heat.


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## LincTex

Salekdarling said:


> I pay $325 a month for a three room apartment. I'd have to look at my lease to see if it includes the heat, but at the price we pay for this dump, I'm going to assume yes.


Do you pay the electricity bill? 
If so - - - you are subsidizing the heat (all 68 degrees worth) with your dollars!!

Where is the boiler located, in the basement? Are you not able to adjust your own thermostat?


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## Salekdarling

LincTex said:


> Do you pay the electricity bill?
> If so - - - you are subsidizing the heat (all 68 degrees worth) with your dollars!!
> 
> Where is the boiler located, in the basement? Are you not able to adjust your own thermostat?


I'm not the brightest when it comes to energy, but how would my electricity subsidize my heat?

I have no idea where the boiler is - probably in the spare room across the hall from my apartment. The thermostat is right behind me in a lock box - we are not allowed to adjust the temperature. We're on the bottom floor of an apartment complex. (Six apartments). I swear we all use the same hot water tank - some days my showers are ice cold, some days they are lukewarm if I'm lucky.


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## LincTex

Salekdarling said:


> I'm not the brightest when it comes to energy, but how would my electricity subsidize my heat?


Meaning the building owner heats all six apts from one central hot water boiler, whether coal or natural gas fired (most likely in PA). The heat you get from that is all you get, even if it doesn't make it up to 68.

If you want any more heat, you have to add additional heat with a room/space heater - or small propane unit. If YOU pay for the electricity, that extra heat comes from your pocket. (you subsidize it)

If you do NOT pay a separate electric bill, then plug them in and crank the knobs, since the building pays for your power, you may as well be comfortable.


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## Gians

ZoomZoom said:


> ...........................I also have those 36" long tube insulation things that go at the bottom of doors. (basically a 2" tube filled with something like rice). They help but can get annoying for constantly used doors.


Last year I had an extra gun sock, had a small hole in it that I sewed up. I also had a bunch of white rice that had gone off smell/taste, it was left over from the yr 2000..it wasn't stored well. So poured the white rice into the gun sock and used it as a door draft stopper. It worked so well I made another for a second door. So far no rice leaking out and I toe tap them in nice and tight at night so no air gets in. They are long so I folded the excess back and used the ties on the top of the sock to seal it off...sewing it might even be better. Guess if :shtf: it's still rice in there


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## Salekdarling

LincTex said:


> Meaning the building owner heats all six apts from one central hot water boiler, whether coal or natural gas fired (most likely in PA). The heat you get from that is all you get, even if it doesn't make it up to 68.
> 
> If you want any more heat, you have to add additional heat with a room/space heater - or small propane unit. If YOU pay for the electricity, that extra heat comes from your pocket. (you subsidize it)
> 
> If you do NOT pay a separate electric bill, then plug them in and crank the knobs, since the building pays for your power, you may as well be comfortable.


Okay, I understand that now. Thank you for the layman's explanation. From what I'm understanding is that I am subsidizing as I do pay electric. My electric bill is quite cheap all the time. (I just got a space heater yesterday so that may change). Another alternative I've used to heat the house is just by cooking. I pay maybe $20.00 a month using my propane stove. :2thumb: Thank goodness I like to cook - now who's going to do my dishes!?:dunno:


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## Elinor0987

*Another one?*

The first polar vortex might be followed by another. :rant: This one is supposed to be milder but if you notice how many times they try to reassure everyone that it won't be as bad, I can't help but wonder.

http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/blog/weather_or_not/2014/01/when-will-the-polar-vortex-return.html


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## mermaid_girl

I like your post!


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## BillM

*Nothing to see*

Nothing to see here folks .

It's just winter.

Move along ! :sssh:


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## cnsper

Going on our second week of mid 40's here in snow country... LOL

Now all those that prefer warmer weather..... Stay Away!


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## ZoomZoom

We're at -10 right now. Winds seem calm so there's no real wind-chill factor.

Our high for the remainder of the week is 15.

If it stays like this, I may actually have to break out the cold-weather clothing.


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## moondancer

1deg windchill at-15 snow drifts and ice on roads. I love winter. But four dead falling thru unsteady ice while fishing and thre dead in snow mobile wrecks all in last two weeks


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## gabbyj310

I found a hotel/motel sale and bought insulated curtains(great deal)they aren't pretty but work great!


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## dixiemama

You can always redo them to match your decor! That's a great find

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


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## dixiemama

Same here just minus the firewood and add natural gas. We have 7 1/2" and will likely get more. 

Sent from my MB886 using Survival Forum mobile app


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## Woody

Got an inch here, 3/4 of it was ice, the topping was fluffy snow. Don't know how the roads were, I stayed at home. All of it is still here, it only got to about 20 degrees here.


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## Elinor0987

UncleJoe said:


> I watched the forecast tonight. This coming week we're looking at lows in the single digits and highs in the teens or low 20's. Sure beats the sub-zero we went through with the last cold snap.


I looked at the forecast for this week and it's going to be cold with a few days and nights where the temperature dips below zero. On Monday night it's supposed to be -16 degrees.


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## moondancer

Woke up to a chilly house I didn't wake up in the middle of the night and put more wood on. It's -3 outside and 55 inside oops


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## Woody

I need to rent two more dogs for the remainder of the winter!


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## moondancer

Yaaawhooo temp broke it's a heat wave 21 degs . Oddly enough after well below zero temps I only need a light jacket in this . It's amazing how the body gets use to cold weather


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## PH0ENIX

Sup y'all ima noob to dis app any advice fr me


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## goshengirl

moondancer said:


> Yaaawhooo temp broke it's a heat wave 21 degs . Oddly enough after well below zero temps I only need a light jacket in this . It's amazing how the body gets use to cold weather


I totally get that. We're in the same boat here. Funny how 20 degrees can feel warm... or at least not very cold.


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## cnsper

Yahoo... After a miserable 2 weeks with 45° weather we are finally below freezing for the next week.


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## moondancer

It 47 now suppose to be -7 in the morning geeeees


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## Woody

UncleJoe said:


> Three Dog Night(s)?


You made me smile knowing at least ONE other person got that!

:beercheer:


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