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Urban homesteaders in the midwest: you ready?
So tonight the weatherman is calling the expected storm a "Thundersnow"....that's a new one. He said it would be below zero temps, howling winds, several feet of snow, hail and ice, low visibility, thunder and lightning, that'll last a few days. In the old days, didn't they generally call that a blizzard?
We're still in the city, and we still don't have a woodstove installed in this house :( tax check wasn't quite big enough again this year :help: LOL But I have 4 little boys and I'm determined to stick it out in spite of downed power lines, no electricity, unpassable roads, etc. I'm getting out all the camp gear including the stove, saving big amounts of water, getting all my oil lamps, candles, matches, flashlights, batteries, etc. I'm charging up all the rechargable batteries and the cell phones, and I sent Dh to town for a kerosene heater and a carbon monoxide detector. We have plenty of food in the cupboards, and if we are truly below zero I don't have to worry about the freezer. All that's left to do tomorrow is to check on the elderly neighbors and make sure they're set, the last big storm I meant to ask them to rig up a signal next time if they needed something. Oh, and I took the time to look up what you are supposed to do about sanitation if you have no water within city limits. Don't want to talk about it but we're ready LOL How about you? If you are an urban homesteader, what are your storm plans? (If you are a country homesteader, happily tucked into your cabin with everything a body could need in any kind of weather, dependent on no man, feel free to gloat here :) this is an inclusive thread :) ) |
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Ok..I'm calm. :rolleyes: I am wondering if this is the same storm that's about to slam into Ohio. So far our weather is only predicting 8 inches..or greater..of snow. We're in the country, but we have a well with an electric pump, and no generator. So with a possible power outage looming, we are stocking up on water and we can always melt snow. We have kerosene heaters as back up for the wood burner. Ours is a fireplace insert and not much good if the power is out (no power means no fan). Batteries, flashlights, candles, lamps and lamp oil are all stocked. Board games are handy. I'm in the process of catching up the laundry so that won't be an issue, and tomorrow will be spent baking bread since no one in my family will eat store bread. :p Sugar, vanilla, and cream are ready to make snow cream from lots of fresh snow...our kids love that stuff. Now bring on that snow! :hobbyhors |
Since you are so well prepared Murphy's Law says the storm will miss you!!! :goodjob: :rotfl: :rotfl:
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In Washington when they say Thundersnow they just mean that it is a thunderstorm with snow instead of rain. It is kind of weird seeing lightning when everything is white.
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Well I hope it hold off until after noon tomorrow - spouse and daughter are at Ball State (Muncie). Her interview is over at 10:00 am, they should be on the road by 10:15, 10:30 at the latest.
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WOW! Guess I missed that forecast. It's up to 23 degrees here, and no wind so far. I had heard 4 to 10 inches Monday afternoon, or maybe Tuesday. Guess I'll put the camper top back on the truck in the morning.
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LOL Judy! We sure did get a hysterical alert from the new young meteorologist in our inbox (we have one of those Personal Forecast email things). I wonder if he is from Florida or something, and saw the forecast and panicked.
I went to see what the weather news is now, and it is more in line with what you said, so either whats-his-face overreacted or the situation has changed. Laughing Out Loud. Well, if it turns into the Perfect Winter Storm, I'm more than ready! Here's what they're saying right now: http://www.wthr.com/Global/story.asp?S=6070584 |
Thunder snow storms ARE bad, I'm almost 70--and I,ve only seen one. I had the misfortune to be going after a load of feed too. It rained, it hailed, snow blew, blinding visibility, ice pellets, thunder, lightening, cars spinning out of control-wasnt a pretty sight. Never want to be out in one again. Might be common in some areas, but not here in the Ozarks.
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Are they getting on the road tomorrow at 10:15??? I hope you mean today and not tomorrow. We are 30 minutes from Muncie and are forecast between 8" and 16" of snow starting after 1:00 am Tuesday morning. Hope they are coming home today. (Great campus by the way - my youngest will be heading there in August :) ) |
I'm new here and just thought I'd check out this thread ... yikes! I'm in northern Minnesota (the town they call the "end of the road") and we don't have ENOUGH snow ... our water main was frozen this morning. That's because it's been below zero for a couple of weeks and there's not enough snow to insulate. So our faithful city workers are thawing them out now ... for $100 AN HOUR!!! :flame:
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They just called - on the road at 10:10 IN time. |
My boss said we get to work from home tomorrow!!! :dance: :dance:
I heard that we will get 18 inches, tops. Southern Indiana is the part that is going to get hit the hardest. |
ive not heard any totals for MO yet, i wonder if the worst is going north?
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This storm will miss us, likely. But, when we had a big ice storm a few years back, I found that I did not have enough heat 'n eat meals. It is NICE to just have a pot of something hot, as you will be busy!
We used a kerosine heater also: we put it in the kitchen with the window cracked. That gave us a warm room with a table and chairs. It did well for us. The food in the fridge stayed cold when we put it out the back door. Good luck! |
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Where I am in Missouri (north central), we are forecast to get only 4-5 inches total by the time it ends tomorrow. Looks like central Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio will get the worst of it. I have seen a couple of thunder snows. It is a weird feeling - and you do get a lot of snow really quickly most of the time.
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We're suppose to get mostly sleet/snow mix here. I'm going to bake a ham today, in case the power lines come down. Bought another can of kerosene today too. Moved the truck to the top of the hill. I'm ready, bring it on.
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Standard operating procedure in Ohio is to forecast gloom and doom whenever snow is possible. The worse the forecast, the higher the probability that you'll get a dusting of wet snow that will melt within an hour. The kids are terribly disappointed that their expected "snow day" didn't happen and the weather guys just say "whew, we dodged that bullet!" :rolleyes:
Right now our forecast, near Dayton, is for light snow to begin around midnight tonight, 1-3" by tomorrow morning, another 1" during the day, and some freezing rain tomorrow night. A pain in the butt, probably enough to cancel school for a day (oh joy) but of course everyone still has to go to work. Our insert will heat the family room fairly well w/o electricity and we have a propane heater with a full tank. Got a Coleman camp stove and a gas grill to share that propane tank. We're on city water and it's not supposed to be cold enough to freeze pipes, but just in case we've got some in bottles. I seriously doubt our power will go out, but if it does, we'll be okay. I just went to the grocery today -- it was my normal weekly trip, but wow, was that place packed! The cashier said it'd been like that the last three days. I think the weather guys just do this to boost grocery sales. Gotta have the milk, bread, and eggs. And beer. ;) |
We're in a 7-14 inch zone in Ohio. Of course that all depends on how much hits the ground as snow and how much as freezing rain.
Our water went out over the weekend so we are already on a boil alert...guess I won't bother filling jugs. Schools are shut down due to the water issue...so snow won't change that. We are in the process of moving to Europe (DH is there and the movers come in 2 weeks)so we don't have much extra food laying around. I did chop a bit of the rotten wood we still have in the backyead...enough to keep us warm if the elec goes out taking out boiler pumps. SO, my plan of attack...tough it out, it can't be that bad it supposed to be a fast moving storm. Oh, I forgot thundersnow is differnt from a blizzard. If I remember correctly with thundersnow the air temps are a bit warmer, wind isn't as high...and yes there can be thunder! It's kind of freaky to hear. |
Yeah ya'll can stop gloating now. Here I sit in north central WI and I have about 2.5"s in my yard. I am praying for snow, you all can blow real hard and send it north if ya'll would be so kind.
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Nothing bad coming here. A couple days that will be down in the thirties, then right back up in the daytime 50's & 60's. I'm so glad I moved further south.
I grew up on a Kansas homestead. I remember those winter storms/blizzards when I was a kid. Back then I loved it... school closed, snow drifts to the top of the roof on the north side of the house, a roaring fire in the old pot belly stove. It was great. We'd build huge snowmen in the yard, snow angels, and snow ice cream! Great memories. I remember when we got running water in the house. I also remember getting electricity. All those wires running across the ceiling and down to the switches. It was an exciting time. Before the water and electricity came, we lived a simple life with candles and oil lamps. We went to bed early and got up early. The pot belly stove was in the dining room in the center of the house. We had piles of blankets on the beds cause it was cold at night. The late night trips to the outhouse and then standing in front of the stove to "thaw out" when we came back inside. I don't have any desire to return to that type of living, but I know I could if I had to. |
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Hope everyone stays safe during the storm. A friend of mine just spent $700+ to fix all the broken pipes from the last deep freeze(took the plumber 3 weeks to get to it). I don't miss that kind of weather even a little bit....brrrrrrr. |
We've been downgraded to two - three inches of snow. The wind will pick up later so there's a snow advisory until 9 a.m. tomorrow.
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Our forecast has changed from 'around 8" ' to ' 7" to 14" of snow and probably some freezing rain.'
The storm is supposed to hit here around 4 a.m. Right now it's eerily quiet and calm. No wind at all and a balmy 31 degrees. We're all stocked up, the laundry is done, and I've even washed and oiled my cast iron dutch oven as well as the corn popper. Nothing left to do now but hunker down and wait. :baby04: |
Here in this part of Missouri we arent supposed to get much maybe 1-2.
Here in our town we have generators to run the wells and generators to run the sewer plant so we shouldnt be with out water or toliets. Heat with wood.. doesnt require elec. Gas cooking stove.. it still has the pilot light also the water heater too. plenty of food. but with only 1-2 inches doesnt mean much. feel sorry for you all that will be getting it. my daughter lives in northwestern NY. just above the bad snow.. dale |
Down here in far south mo. we arent supposed to get anything, hopefull the rain will move out soon, because its 7:30 tuesday morning, temps dropping, and still raining.Flash flood watch out tho.
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SE Nebraska. Last night this area received 6-8 inch of snow after we had a couple hours of sleet and freezing rain. Temps started out this morning at about 15 deg and are going to be dropping all day (that's the worst part) and now I see a blowing snow advisory - wind is starting to whip around the trees a bit. One community reported visibility at 1/8 mile.
Kids are happy though - SCHOOL IS CLOSED! |
Macomb, IL and surrounding areas all cancelled school, even the universities! Our totals are looking like 8 inches. We'll see what happens!
Michelle |
Here in SE Kansas, they say the temp is 32 degrees but that north wind is just howling. Knocks the wind chill down into the low 20's. It is 8:00am and we have already had the high for today. I am finishing up my coffee and then we will go out to brave chores. We had rain yesterday so everything is pretty slick but we are not expecting much in the way of snow.
I am grateful that I am not milking right now and I have another week before goat kids start arriving. My girls have been out on pasture with huts for shelter and I am feeling guilty about not moving them to the big barn last night. They are warm and protected but there is no hay in the huts. Priority this morning is to get them all in the big barn with hay. Days like this make me feel old! LOL!! Tana Mc |
Here in cent. IL, they've just closed I-57. We've got at least an inch of ice on our front road and it's still sleeting. Weatherman says that in a couple of hours, this will change over to the snow and the wind will pick up even more.
The kids are watching a video and I'm baking bread. I think I'll bake most of the day to keep the oven going in case the elect. goes out (gas oven, elect. start). We've got a propane heater just in case. [I]the weather outside is frightful..."[I] |
There's wind, sleet, and snow here. It sounds like someone is throwing rice at the windows. Schools are cancelled. It's not bad if you don't have to drive in it. I didn't have to go into work today, but tomorrow I'll have to brave the commute.
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it is the coldest 20 degrees i ever felt!!! dont know how much we got it has all drifted, some bare some over my knees
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