# North Texas Survival Mini-test



## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

The worst weather conditions in my seventeen years in Texas greeted us this morning. Two inches of snow on top of a day's buildup of glare ice has made driving treacherous, at least here in the rural areas where the roads are not sanded. Tonight the temps are expected to drop to record lows for the date., and if the 10*F are accurate, that will be several degrees colder than I've seen here in any winter.

I returned from a trip to East TX yesterday and decided to stop at Walmart to pick up a few fresh fruits and vegetables before I got home, and all I can say is...wow! There are an awful lot of folks are not prepared for even a couple of days of survival. The entire parking lot was full, and there were no shopping carts available inside the store. Every checkout counter was open, and there were lines at every one. With my bananas, blueberries and cauliflower in hand, I hit one of the quick checkout lines and got out as fast as could. When I got to my van, there were cars lined up waiting for a parking spot and there was gridlock at the traffic light leading into the shopping center. I sure was glad I have all the basics in the pantry, and didn't have to stand in the regular checkout lines. The young lady at the cash register said the crowd was far bigger than Black Friday at its peak.

Sure wish I had my whole house generator in place at my new house. With more freezing rain forecast on Sunday, we might be losing power. We'll have heat, and we can cook, but dear wife will go nuts without her television!


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

The new weather cycles seem to be sending fun everywhere, Here in the somewhat north we accept cold and snow as normal, but we rarely get freezing rain, that stuff is nasty. 10* f has got to be darn cold if you are not used to it and don't have the gear for it.


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

Tirediron said:


> The new weather cycles seem to be sending fun everywhere, Here in the somewhat north we accept cold and snow as normal, but we rarely get freezing rain, that stuff is nasty. 10* f has got to be darn cold if you are not used to it and don't have the gear for it.


I was born and raised in North Dakota, so I'm used to below zero temps and have the gear for it. My native Texan wife laughs that I kept my down parka and snow boots, but she's not laughing today.

I went out to shovel the walks and clear a place for the dogs to do their business, but the foot-deep snow/sleet drifts are almost frozen solid as there was intermittent rain along with the snow. When the weather does warm up, it will take a long time to thaw.

So far, I've not seen one vehicle moving anywhere, not even on the state highway.

To think that only two days ago it was 75 degrees!


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

GaryS said:


> I was born and raised in North Dakota, so I'm used to below zero temps and have the gear for it. My native Texan wife laughs that I kept my down parka and snow boots, but she's not laughing today.
> 
> I went out to shovel the walks and clear a place for the dogs to do their business, but the foot-deep snow/sleet drifts are almost frozen solid as there was intermittent rain along with the snow. When the weather does warm up, it will take a long time to thaw.
> 
> ...


When I drive on treacherous roads, it is the other drivers that scare me the most! When I took driver's ed in h.s., one of the things we learned about was driving on slick roads. For people who learned to drive by putting the key in the ignition, turning on the vehicle and putting it in gear, not so aware of turning into the slide and how to brake. When I lived in N.D., I kept a bag of sand in the trunk, for weight and stabilization, and to use if I got stuck on a slick patch.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

GaryS said:


> I was born and raised in North Dakota, so I'm used to below zero temps and have the gear for it. My native Texan wife laughs that I kept my down parka and snow boots, but she's not laughing today.
> 
> I went out to shovel the walks and clear a place for the dogs to do their business, but the foot-deep snow/sleet drifts are almost frozen solid as there was intermittent rain along with the snow. When the weather does warm up, it will take a long time to thaw.
> 
> ...


Now you are experiencing our "normal" weather swings


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

Yes, those sudden changes occurred in ND also. 

I recall one fall in the mid 1950s, it had been in the seventies for several days and most of the ducks and geese hadn't moved south because of the rare bluebird weather. One morning I went outside and saw tens of thousands of waterfowl flying high and fast, headed south. That went on all day, and we were amazed at the number of birds we saw. It was in the mid seventies all day, until just before sunset a cloudbank began to build in the NW. The temperature started dropping and by 10PM it was freezing. We got up in the morning to a blizzard and temps below zero! 

That was the fastest and most extreme 
weather change I ever experienced anywhere...though I did hear of one that went the other way.

It seems that one day an old ND farmer had to go into town to pick up supplies. The weather was cold and the road was blocked with snow, so he took his team of horses and a hayrack on runners. Just as he finished loading his supplies a hot Chinook wind began to blow. The farmer was later telling a friend how fast the weather had changed and how fast the snow was melting. He said..."The horses were plowing snow with their chests, the front runners were in slush, the rear runners in mud, and the dog was twenty yards behind panting in the dust!"


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## bucktail (Apr 11, 2009)

As of 3:30 pm approx. 210,000 people in north TX. are without power and it is expected to take several days to restore it. The forecasted low in Dallas is predicted to be 16-18 with wind-chill factored in we are looking at -2. It was 75 on Thur. afternoon when I got home. Walmart was a mess and the people were not buying gifts. Lots of food and water in the shopping carts. My wife and I picked up fresh fruits and veggies earlier in the week. I was surprised at how light the crowed was then. Interesting how everyone seems to wait until the last minute.


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## Tweto (Nov 26, 2011)

The wife and I just got back from walking the dogs 6 miles in 5 degree F temps with -10 degree F windchill factor. We must have the gear and are used to it because there was no thoughts that it was too cold. But then we have both lived here all are lives.

We stop walking the dogs at around -10 degree F. We do this to protect the dogs.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

We have a few inches of snow/ice/sleet on the roads and a full covering on the ground outside. Haven't lost power but am ready in case we do.Haven't seen or heard a single vehicle go by outside all day.

My youngest daughter just got home from work last night before the roads finally froze over and I think those are are the only tire tracks still.

I just looked at weather.com and it's now forecasting a low of near zero tonight.


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## zracer7 (Apr 17, 2012)

Worked last night through the storm and have to work tonight as well. What normally takes 15 minutes to drive it took almost an hour to get home. Weedygarden i agree with you. What makes me most angry is someone dumb enough to ride my ass on the freeway. Apparently no one told these dingbats that it takes a lot more room to break on ice. I tapped the breaks on a few and they got the hint. Others didnt get the clue. Hate ice. Someone ELSE will be the reason my truck gets wrecked.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

I'm in southern Kentucky and this morning ice was already on the trees(low last night was only 35???) and Gene went to town, called midday and asked what I needed because he WAS NOT going out again after he came home.
It is so very, very, very nice to be able to say....ready for it??

NOTHING!!!

That's why we prep--for winter storms like this.:teehee:


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

The news said 300K at the peak lost power today in the DFW area. I saw a few tree limbs down this morning, but this really isn't what I'd consider a really bad storm. The precipitation quit by noon, and though it was cold, there was more ice on my car than I saw on the roads. The worst I can recall was back in 1980 when we spent a week below freezing with the lows in the negative single digits though 1989 was close to that.


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## Ezmerelda (Oct 17, 2010)

GaryS said:


> I returned from a trip to East TX yesterday and decided to stop at Walmart to pick up a few fresh fruits and vegetables before I got home, and all I can say is...wow!


Hubby stopped at the store on his way home yesterday and took these pictures of the bread aisle:



















Both sides are stripped of everything except English muffins and hot dog buns.


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## Navajo (Mar 4, 2013)

OK... not to take anything away from you'all down south.

But on Monday it was raining all day high was 37 degrees...started heading home at 5pm...turned to snow, temps dropped to 10 degrees and snow was coming down 2" to 3" inches an hour for 6 hours straight. woke up Tuesday morning 12" on the ground and since then we haven't been above 0 degrees. Right now -15 and dropping for the night again.

We might get back above freezing on Tuesday next. At that point the kids will wear shorts and tee shirts when they walk to school. heat wave.


It's cold here, but everyone still goes to work and no one has run to the stores here...

now when we get 2 to 3 feet and temps drop to -30 or -40 we will see some react like you'all ( in the cities ), course most people here are already prepared for that and have food for weeks and can stay home in that weather.


Like I have said before....Montana...it will kill you, so prepared yourself before you decide to move here....

We don't live in the cities here either and it would be a a couple of weeks if we died before anyone came checking....since we live off the road and behind locked gates in the trees. And nearest town has less than 500 people in it...couple miles away.


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## GaryS (Nov 15, 2011)

Yes, Montana is another one of those places where Mother Nature seems to take great pleasure testing people. My folks spent the last 40 years of their lives in the NW part of the state, and winter could be mild with flooding rivers or 30 below zero and heavy snows. Dad was in his eighties the last time he told me he climbed onto the roof of his house and shoveled off four feet of snow.


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## wtxprepper (Jul 30, 2013)

Same here in west Texas we are sitting at a whopping 18° F, went to the store the other day to get some stuff for our trip to California in January, as we were walking up I told my wife I guarantee the bread and milk isle is empty. Sure enough it was completely wiped out aside from some hot dog buns. I just got that look of "omg you were right" and I laughed and told her it pays to be prepared


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## MsSage (Mar 3, 2012)

Its been snowing here for 3 days and will keep up for another 2 LOL yeah and we have maybe 4 inches. Lows have been at 0 and windchill -15 or more. Here along with the bread is the beer cooler being empty. 
I do have to say CONGGRRAATTSS to the Clayton Yellow Jackets for winning State 2A football in this mess, High School football in the now doesnt get any better.


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## Navajo (Mar 4, 2013)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

woke up this morning....-18 got up to -7 while in Billings shopping today...

back home now....-24 and dropping fast,sky has cleared after sun set...

weather report said about -16 tonight...that ain't happening.

Hate toay it, but at least there is no wind


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Talked to some peeps I know east of here and they say that I-20 is still closed west of Ft. Worth.

One person called a county(Parker) Precinct Barn to ask about sand trucks and they were told no one has come in to drive them.lol

Looks like a quiet Sunday tomorrow, wonder how many people in the area are going to be having "Catsup Soup" for the next few days.


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## Marcus (May 13, 2012)

It's predicted to warm up to around 40 which will melt off all the ice on the roads.


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## tsrwivey (Dec 31, 2010)

Davarm said:


> Talked to some peeps I know east of here and they say that I-20 is still closed west of Fort Worth D


I'm east of you, about midway between Dallas & Shreveport, LA on I-20. We didn't get hit near as bad as y'all north & west of us(we rarely do). The rain came first & while it was cold, it stayed above freezing. The roads & trees had time to dry off before the freezing temps hit. Looks like we'll be in the mid 40's the next week. Hope y'all thaw out soon!


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## Jimthewagontraveler (Feb 8, 2012)

Cold? yep.
Guess I wont wake up the dog again so I can step over to put another log on and stir the mash
Wood fires and cold air are kinda useful to those whose families grew up in the hills.


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

I ventured out today to see what was going on in the area.

The lesser traveled roads are still iced over but the state roads have "travel tracks" cleared out in the slush, I-20 was moving slow. The interstate looked to be fairly clear of ice and slush, I think the crawling pace of traffic was just the backlog trying to clear.

Tonight it's supposed to get down to the mid 20's so everything is going to refreeze and the backroads are going to be glazed over until it warms enough to remelt everything tomorrow.



tsrwivey said:


> I'm east of you, about midway between Dallas & Shreveport, LA on I-20. We didn't get hit near as bad as y'all north & west of us(we rarely do). The rain came first & while it was cold, it stayed above freezing. The roads & trees had time to dry off before the freezing temps hit. Looks like we'll be in the mid 40's the next week. Hope y'all thaw out soon!


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