Winter is here.

[TexasTimbers]

55 degrees. Wet. Cold. Raining. Cold. Humid. Cold. Moist. Cold feet. Depression. Cold.

Red has the same opinion of this weather as I do.


I am supposed to be building pallets but I just woke up from a powernap on the shop couch myself. It's cozy underneath that fluffy down blanket. Work is over-rated especially when it is a monsoon out there. Did I mention it is freezing cold ???

I can just hear some wiseguy right now is gonna say something like "That ain't cold it is 25 here!" Well, it's the same thing. A 80 foot wave will capsize a boat same as a 100 foot wave. Cold is cold. But on top of it we gotta have all this nasty rain. COLD rain.
Just look at this mess . . . . .



Just yesterday were out there sawing mesquite in perfect weather . . . . If anyone comes around looking for me tell 'em I am at WalMart buyin a basket full of chinese socks. : When I get back I'll piut on a pot of coffee. y'all come one over. Talk is cheap and the coffee is free. BYOS. ;D

[BBK]

41 days without rain.  :'( Temp in the 80's daytime, in the 60's at night.

Wish I could be wet and cold for a day or two. :-\ ;D

[Sprucegum]

It gets pretty cold here sometimes - then some smart aleck sez "But its a DRY COLD"  That's when ya hit'em with a frozen mitt  ;D

[fuzzybear]

It's been a cool -10 here for about a month.  Looking forward to December when it hits a nice -45 to -50. Then I will hibernate for about 2 months. ;D

[leweee]

 :D  here comes the smart alikes.  :D



   Feeling warmer now Kevin?

   Go for the wool socks..... the higher the wool content the better. ;D

[TexasTimbers]

Feeling warmer now Kevin?

No! Makes me cold just looking at it.

Wool socks make my feet sweat. Then the sweat freezes. Vicous cycle. Seems like we were just discussing this. Where did the year go.

[sawdust]

I love this season, bugs got froze out the sun is shining and still t-shirt weather... Just barely. 50f

sawdust

[leweee]

 ;D   then get a bucket of wool socks and change them often.   ;D  Dry socks= Warm feet. 8)

I'd be there for the coffee....but it's a long walk.

[beenthere]

Thin silk sock inside wool socks is the best combination for me, if I'm out in the below 0°F weather.

My feet sweat a lot, and this was the best combination to handle it, given that I had the Gore-tex Danner boots on..

[Larry]

Ya ever try panty hose? :D ;D :D ;D

[beenthere]

Ya ever try panty hose? :D ;D :D ;D

For what : : : ??? ??? ???

:D

[ronwood]

Larry we are beginning to wonderrrrrrrrr!!!!!

[Larry]

To keep your feet warm...what else would you use em for? ;D :D ;D

[Furby]

Gee Kev, it's a cool 70° here right now, was warmer yesterday though. :

[SwampDonkey]

76 here in the shade, 88 in the hot sun.  ;D

[sawguy21]

I love this season, bugs got froze out the sun is shining and still t-shirt weather... Just barely. 50f

sawdust

Nothing wrong with that in Alberta this time of year.  8) The cold will come soon enough.

[Dave Shepard]

No winter here yet, 80's during the day, 60's at night. No killin frost yet either, only two little wimpy frosts. My neighbor, who turned 91 last week, says this is the latest he has ever seen it without a frost.


Dave

[RaisedByWolves]

Not only have we not had a frost yet, but the leaves are still green on the oaks.

I reseaded 1.5 acres of lawn in september and I need to fretilaize it SOON!


Cant do it till the leaves get picked up or Ill suck up all the fert. >:(

.

[Warbird]

It got down below 0°F last night for the first time this winter.  Actually had to turn on the boiler this morning.  :(

[SwampDonkey]

That's cold! I don't want to see that 'til mid January.

[thecfarm]

I don't want to see below 0 at all.But we need it to keep away the bad snakes, bugs and tourist.Temps have been very warm here too.The guys who deer hunt will have to be careful with thier deer.I can remember when we use to hang the deer in our front yard years ago.Now you can't due to the warm temps and the people that might steal it.I'm thinking about about growing some 120 days tomatoes next year.I might even get a fall garden going.My Father wouldn't know what to think.We did get a frost 2 nights in a row.But I could of covered things up if there was anything to save.Everything has died back.

[TexasTimbers]

To keep your feet warm...what else would you use em for? ;D :D ;D

Scuba Divers in the know, know that wearing them makes it alot easier to don your wetsuit, and especially get out of it! The general rule is after you get your suit off, you are supposed to take the pany hose off fairly soon, but some of us guys like the way feel and don't want forget to take them off. :

[SwampDonkey]

You mean your mother never insisted you wore leotards when waiting to go to school on the school bus in the winter months?  : :

[TexasTimbers]

Those derned weathermen. Or maybe it's weatherwomen cause whoever is makin the forecasts sure be fickle. 

Does your forecasts change alot ??? Just afew days ago they said cold wet weather for the entire week - now i click my favorites forecast and they all like THIS!

I ain't complaing a bit! Especially all the wind today we're having today it will dry out the muddy ground and I can crank up the saw as early as tomorrow.  8)

But it makes me wonder if anyone has noticed that they change the forecast on a regular basis during certain times of the year? i have noticed it before. Every state has the claim "If you don't like our weather in so and so just wait a few minutes it will change".

[sandman2234]

The forcast for yesterday was supposed to be 90 degrees, but I think they missed it by a degree or so, as the cloud cover came in earlier than they thought it would.
   David from jax

[PineNut]

Seems like they have these seven-day forecast in a pattern. The first five days are what you have right now. The next two days are what you would like to have. 

[Dave Shepard]

TT, what is a normal winter for you? I'm not up on Texas weather. :D We're down to 48 F, which is a little more fall like for us, but not much. No hint of a killing frost yet. :


Dave

[TexasTimbers]

Dave,

Our winters can be alot colder here in north Texas than just a few hundred miles south of us. Ours is a humid cold too. Like someone said up above they think a dry cold is as bad, but I disagree. I have lived through both arid and humid winters and the moisture will flat go through you.

The only time I was ever really nice and toasty in a humid winter when I had to be out in it, was when we would do water landings in Mobile bay in our fling wings (HH-3F). Unlike when i was doing fixed wing duty, in the helos we were allowed (but not required back then!) to don our arctic survival suits when we were flying over water.
Even this cold weather wimp could stay warm in those things.

All except for the feet of course.  Right now it is 42 and that is too cold. I gotta let the sun wake up a little more before I conduct sawmill operations.

[semologger]

has anyone every tried using this brand of insulators? its by under armor. the name of the stuff is coldgear. it has 3 different levels. cost a couple of logs, a piece but may be worth it.

[TexasTimbers]

I haven't yet but my son swears by them. He's an athlete type and wears them during winter training. i oiught to get me a pair and review them for my fellow wimps.

[semologger]

i know a guy that can get me a pair realy cheap. i think i am going to get them. monday is suppost to be around 38 degrees so i  want them. i am going to have to get my glass in my equipment and the heaters hooked up.

[pineywoods]

Dave,

Ours is a humid cold too. Like someone said up above they think a dry cold is as bad, but I disagree. I have lived through both arid and humid winters and the moisture will flat go through you.

  Right now it is 42 and that is too cold. I gotta let the sun wake up a little more before I conduct sawmill operations.

I'm with TT here. Look at it this way. 42 deg here in the deep south is like being sprayed with 42 deg water out of a fire hose. I've spent time in a lot of cold places, but the coldest I can ever remember being was walking guard duty on an airstrip in Ft gordon Ga. 95 % humidity, 38 deg F and a howling north wind.

[submarinesailor]

Piney,

I'm sure that standing Topside watch or handling missiles in Holly Lock Scotland with the wind blowing down the lock was just as bad.  God that was a cold January!!!!!!!!

Bruce

[SwampDonkey]

Was doing a little roofing today and it might only been 55 F for air temp, but that steel sure drew the heat to that small attic space, was like a furnace for the guy up on the roof. I was just the go-for.  ;D Putting new steal on the shed of the house.

[TexasTimbers]

Furnace my eye. We put our steel roof on at the height of summer. Perfect weather I might add. ;D

[Dave Shepard]

The first cold days of fall are always the coldest for me. I will be in a sweatshirt at 45 F now, but by february, I'll be back in a Tshirt when it gets that warm. I guess it takes a while to get acclimated.


Dave

[sawguy21]

I had to dig the windshield scraper out from under the seat this morning, was just a tad frosty. Nice afternoon though.

[SwampDonkey]

I wish it stayed 50 degrees and 5 days of sun per week all year round. ;D

Much more comfortable and productive during work. If your cold, it's time to get to work.  ;)

[dave7191]

 I think the coldest I've ever been was Great Lakes  Ill. with the actual temp at -20
with a 40 mile a hour wind coming off the lake My car set for -20 and it was starting to slush up   

[Ed_K]

 We got sawguy's yesterday today  ;D. TT I watch the weather from Wichita Falls, 3 days later we get the same here in Ma. the weather pattern loops down to you then up thru Ohio -Penn and over to New England.

[lmbeachy]

BBK, we got better than 2 inches over here in Southern Delaware and the way the weather map looks, I believe you got some of the same. We really did need it, didn't we? So nice to see it rain again. Lester

[Warbird]

I think the coldest I've ever been was Great Lakes  Ill. with the actual temp at -20
with a 40 mile a hour wind coming off the lake My car set for -20 and it was starting to slush up   

Coldest I've seen was in a blizzard in Barrow, Alaska.  Strong winds gusting over 100 MPH combined with temps around -40 F.  The wind chill peaked at something under -100 F.  The warning they issued was to stay inside and if you absolutely had to go out, have no flesh exposed, cause it would freeze so fast you wouldn't feel it.

Being younger and quite stupid, I decided to test it out.  Walked outta the house and yes, it was really, really cold.  But it wasn't that bad, or so I thought.  I stood out there for 30 seconds to a minute.  It was prolly 4 or 5 minutes after going back inside that my ears started tingling.  They'd gotten a bit of frostbite.   smiley_dunce smiley_bigears

The second coldest I ever saw it was about -65 F, here in Fairbanks.  No wind chill.  Couldn't drive the truck very fast, else the radiator fluid would freeze up from the wind chill, like dave7191 was saying.

[sawguy21]

I spent the coldest winter of my life in northern Alberta. We could not roll aircraft out of the hangar until it got above -40, usually around noon. No thank you, they can keep it.

[TexasTimbers]

First time I ever heard a canuck complain about cold weather. :D

[semologger]

i dont see how you can function in that temp. how many layers of clothes you have to were?

[Sprucegum]

All of them  :(  ;)

An old Swede once said "There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing."

A couple layers to trap the warm air inside and a good wind-proof layer on the outside is all you need - and don't just stand there- do something! Or go in the house  :



A nice day last winter 

[Warbird]

i dont see how you can function in that temp. how many layers of clothes you have to were?

The short answer is, you don't function much when it's that cold.  At -65 F and colder, equipment doesn't like to work, much less people.  If you get a vehicle started and have to go somewhere, you don't shut it off.  Plain and simple.  Otherwise, you could die.

If you have to be working out in extreme cold, you wear lots of layers and heavy duty arctic gear.  I've got a heavy duty, large 100% down filled parka and matching snow pants.  The brand is "SnoHawk" but I don't know if they still make them.  I can't wear that gear unless it's really cold, otherwise I overheat.

To be honest, it's hard for many homes to stay warm at those kinds of temps.  Let's say you like it 70 F inside your home...  at -65 F outside, that is a 135 F temperature differential between inside and outside air.  With that kind of differential, any 'holes' in your house get magnified.  We like to keep it about 80 F when it's that frigid outside.  I thank God for the nice wood stove and that we were finally able to get most of the holes in this house patched up.

BTW, what someone was saying about 'wet' cold versus 'dry' cold is true.  It's just like a hot, humid day.  You feel the cold a lot worse when it's really humid.  Thankfully, here in Fairbanks, it's usually pretty dry.  And anyway, once it gets that cold, the moisture in the air freezes up and drops out.  It's not technically snow but it coats everything in this very fine powder.

[SwampDonkey]

Holes? I gotta open the windows up as it is with this wood furnace it gets so hot as it is. I ain't closing up no holes, no way. I need air. 

[TexasTimbers]

. . . once it gets that cold, the moisture in the air freezes up and drops out. It's not technically snow but it coats everything in this very fine powder.

I never even heard of anything like that. You know how a wet pair of jeans will dry out on the clothes line even if it below freezing (provided it doesn't rain) I wonder if you could air dry lumber in that below freezing weather. makes since to this simple mind. I suppose it would eventualy dry out eh. ???

[Warbird]

Yeah.  Firewood will season even in the winter.  Does quite well, actually.

[SwampDonkey]

 :D :D :D :D Yeah, in a warm basement.  :

[TexasTimbers]

I heard a real funny one yesterday by a sports talk guy that I don't like to listen to but he was what was on so I listened for a while. He said one of the funny things I've heard in a while.

"....and the game in San Diego hosting the Texans on Sunday will happen. They are gonna play the game after all. And listen, if I was gonna build a house in that inferno I would build it out of those little firewood packs from 7-11 because those things just will, not, burn!" :D

[Warbird]

Well...  this is just personal experience but my firewood seems to season pretty well in the winter, as long as it is split.  We have one of those canvas-like canopies you can buy at Sam's (they advertise them as thing to park cars under).  We've left off two of the walls so the air/wind can still get to the wood but the roof and other walls keep the majority of the snow off.

I've got some logs from a spruce taken down a couple of weeks ago.  Haven't had a chance to buck/split it up yet but I suppose we could do a test...  burn a bit of it now and video tape how it does, then let the rest season until around March and do a comparison.

That's a lot of work, tho. 

[TexasTimbers]

This morning they threatened us with 33° as a low tonight, but thankfully have upped it to 37°. I don't know if I could tell the difference though. They say "patchy frost" is to be expected but I don't understand how frost, which I suppose is a nice word for ice, can form above 32°. I'm too tired to look it up on Wikipedia so I shall remain ignorant for the time being.  :

[SwampDonkey]

Well it's 41 here, it was hard frost this morning, then rain, now a clearing wind. The rain was less than 1/2 inch. Around 40 F for tops this week, but I love it when there is no wind behind it. I don't get cold with wind at that temp, but the snozz runs all the time.  :

Seen 7 deer in the field yesterday and a moose in my woods. A fox killed a partridge yesterday afternoon at the mouth of my trail. He left his calling card and further up the road on a rock.

Gotta go up to see the excitement on the woodlot tomorrow. ;D