Storm in America

[Clive HartlandParticipant @clivehartland94829]

Son in Houston, texas has Minus 7c at the moment.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Throw boiling water into the air and it turns into a cloud of snow

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Latest report from Montana is -50F (-45C). That's cold!

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Ady1 on 25/12/2022 23:21:36:

Throw boiling water into the air and it turns into a cloud of snow

Which goes along with discussion on a recent thread about how, counter-intuitively, hot water freezes quicker than cold water.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

I am told by an on-line correspondent elsewhere that power-cuts are almost routine in thje USA, and he pointed me to this web-site:

PowerOutage.us

It tracks power-cuts by approximate bands of numbers of premises affected, by State, on a colour-coded map.

Although the storm caused widespread disruption, its latest up-date, only about quarter of an hour ago GMT, shows most have been restored, with the far NE states still badly affected.

''''

A longer-time pen-friend in the mid-Norwegian coastal town of Brønnøysund, assures me that yes, Winter does cause problems there! She recounted a heath-fire in her area a few years ago when after a very dry Autumn, a sudden freezing with fog so ice-loaded the main overhead line that they fell, arcing to ground sufficiently before the power was cut, to set the dessicated vegetation alight.

[Sorry about the sudden change of font size. I have no idea how that happened, but it did so when I pasted the two letters 'ø', into the text and built the town name around them.]

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

Just thinking today boxing day 2022 is exactly to the day 60 years ago when the last really big uk freeze started with snow falling around 3pm in Hampshire. The long winter of 1962/3 lasted until March. I rode my trusty Greeves 250 all that winter,best bike then for bad conditions,coldest day was 4 F and that was really cold when wearing a Barbour suit weather proof but not warm ,of course that must seem mild to north Amercan inhabitants. I was only 6 years old during the 1947 big freeze so dont remember much as i was ill at the time and did not go out, When I read that Montana is down to minus 50 I do wonder how farm animals survive and does antifreeze work,I suppose people are used to low temperatures but minus 50 must be really exceptional.

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

In Russia where very low temps are the norm during winter, cars used to dump there coolant when stopping for an extended period and then refill with hot water when you wanted to be mobile again, at very low temps normal antifreeze didn’t work so vehicles just used water when running. Dave W

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I remember back in the 50s my dad used to drain the radiator in his (ex army) waggon if frost was predicted. Radiators had a conveniently placed drain tap in those days. I suspect he was just too tight to buy antifreeze.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Got so cold in Florida that the iguanas froze and dropped out of the trees

[mark costello 1Participant @markcostello1]

Anyone ever write Their name in the snow at -20° ? Somethings Ya just gotta try.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Parents will worry if it's in their son's girlfriends handwriting

[Anonymous]

Posted by Nigel McBurney 1 on 26/12/2022 12:30:45:

When I read that Montana is down to minus 50 I do wonder how farm animals survive and does antifreeze work

How would that be implemented then …. would they drink it or would it be injected in a suitable orifice or what?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Reminds me of the old joke – 'how do you make antifreeze?'

Edited By Jeff Dayman on 26/12/2022 19:47:20

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by Nigel McBurney 1 on 26/12/2022 12:30:45:

… When I read that Montana is down to minus 50 I do wonder how farm animals survive and does antifreeze work,I suppose people are used to low temperatures but minus 50 must be really exceptional.

They have some very large barns they put the cattle in and feed them on hay and feed. Others have a snow fence built facing the prevailing wind. The snow piles up along the fence forming a snow drift and the animals shelter in the lee of it and keep warm out of the wind. Wind chill factors can easily be 90 below zero.

It regularly got to 30 below when I lived there, and one winter got down to 40 below, which had even the locals a bit worried. We had to move a horse in our back paddock to a sheltered area in the lee of a shed so it could get out of the wind and it was OK. Also had to keep plenty of feed up to it so it could generate its own warmth I guess they grow a thick winter coat living in that climate.

Antifreeze in vehicles seemed OK at those temps as long as it was not old or too diluted. Plug in electric heaters are used to keep engines warm overnight by some. I did not bother as my car started well in the cold. Did have cardboard down the front of the radiator to stop it freezing up while driving though. At 40 below, the car's tyres had flat spots frozen into them from standing overnight so it was a bumpy ride the first half mile or so until they warmed up and popped out round again!

Rule of thumb was if driving out of town in that weather (yes they are crazy enough to do that) is to carry a heavy duty sleeping bag, matches, candles and a large plastic bottle to pee in . So if you break down or get stuck in a snow drift, you can keep warm, and don't have to open the doors to get out to pee. You just have to be careful not to burn up all the oxygen in the car if buried in a snow drift, or running the engine and fill the cab with carbon monoxide.

Its a whole different way of life. The area was settled by Scandinavian immigrants who thought it was just great, just like home!

Edited By Hopper on 26/12/2022 22:14:07

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

The other thing to remember in those conditions, including parts of the UK, is not to leave the handbrake on. Leave it in gear to hold it else you will rip the bake to pieces or not move depending on the strength of the engine.

[larry phelan 1Participant @larryphelan1]

The "Experts" know as much about Global Warming as my dog knows about the Internet.

These things have been happening since time began, not just since last year.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/12/2022 12:35:51:

The "Experts" know as much about Global Warming as my dog knows about the Internet.

These things have been happening since time began, not just since last year.

Yes expertise is vastly over-rated. Far better to approach complex and important things from a standpoint of ignorance and incompetence I always say. It has worked for me all my life, and look where it has got me. Posting on internet forums approaching midnight. Brilliant!

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

A good point, about ignorance and supposedly "social" media!

Actually climate change, to use the proper term, but including worldwide mean temperature rise, by artificial carbon-dioxide accumulation, was seen 100 years ago as a potential threat. It was based then on studies of coal consumption (the near-universal fuel of its time) but placed the danger point so far ahead it was probably just shrugged off as not our problem, guv.

That was the era of over-confidence in Man's self-assumed ability to "tame" Nature without realising that meant just exploiting it and mucking it up. No-one then realised that Nature is bigger than we are, and can and will bite back!

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by larry phelan 1 on 27/12/2022 12:35:51:

The "Experts" know as much about Global Warming as my dog knows about the Internet.

These things have been happening since time began, not just since last year.

They need something to be 'concerned' about because their funding depends on it.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Lots of Cornish miners went to Montana to work in the mines around Butte. Hence with typical US modesty they claim to be the home of the Cornish Pasty. Known to youngsters round here as a dynosaur's back

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by duncan webster on 27/12/2022 19:07:36:

Lots of Cornish miners went to Montana to work in the mines around Butte. Hence with typical US modesty they claim to be the home of the Cornish Pasty. Known to youngsters round here as a dynosaur's back

A Stegosaurus pasty, round here.

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

NO. you are describing a DEVON pasty. The Cornish pasty is the one where the joint is on the side.

<< note the flag

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

I know what I mean! Joint down the side, never heard of a Devon pasty, you'll be arguing about cream teas next

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

Posted by duncan webster on 27/12/2022 20:13:42:

I know what I mean! Joint down the side, never heard of a Devon pasty, you'll be arguing about cream teas next

Jam first, then cream please.

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

Posted by duncan webster on 27/12/2022 19:07:36:

Lots of Cornish miners went to Montana to work in the mines around Butte. Hence with typical US modesty they claim to be the home of the Cornish Pasty. Known to youngsters round here as a dynosaur's back

I used to ride my Laverda 100 miles to Butte just to eat a pasty, sometimes two, which were otherwise unobtainable in the US. Never knew Butte had a Cornish connection though. It is known for its Irish ancestry. Mining magnate Arthur Daly of Butte used to hire exclusively fellow Irishmen. So here was me thinking the pasties must have been an Irish thing! And the ones in Butte had the join down the middle, which I have only ever heard referred to as Cornish pasties, but a lot can get lost in translation from one side of the world to the other!

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