I read in our paper today that we are going to get a series of Arctic blasts beginning next Thursday, Feb 1, that will put us in the teens. It is suppose to be the coldest we have been since our big ice storm of 1996. The good news is that we are not suppose to have any El Nino moisture at that time so hopefully our fine city doesn't shut down again like 2 weeks ago from ice.
You Texans cover your plants, bring 'em in b/c it is to be very cold. brrrrrrr.
Michelle
The big freeze coming
Hey Michelle -
Someone at work was telling me about the cold winds and record breaking weather that is on its way. I thought for sure after the ice we had last week that we would not see ice again for another 5 years or so....not possibly 2 weeks after that! I wonder how bigbubbles is with her setup and if everything is surviving under the plastic hoop houses she made. Did you ever get a chance to check out that thread and see her pics?
My lemon tree, bougies, ixoras, hibiscus', and other tenders are in the garage and have been since I brought them in. I desperately need to remember to take them out and water them when it is nice. I hope they haven't died already from lack of water.
How about you? Is your patio full of pots that you will need to bring in?
Oh gheez, rainlilies all over the floor of the house again? I can hardly wait. ;)
Hi Debbie,
I was just thinking about you today..... I had Jaune Flammee germinate today. She was one of the first to germinate, still impatiently waiting on some of the others. :-) Thanks again.
And I say if Old Man Winter does not pack his stuff and go after this storm, I might go insane. Have I said how much I hate the cold?!?!?! If it wasn't so humid here it would not be so bad, but the moisture in the air mixed with the cold temperatures, just about does me in. It's funny, I have been in Massachusetts in much, much lower temps and it just does not seem as cold as it does here.
There was a "mysterious" orb shining in the sky today.....I think its called the sun but its been so long since I've seen it my memory may be fuzzy. ;)
Debbie, i saw that same orb today too. it was so hard to go to work (where we don't have windows!)And everyone's lunch hour seemed to run longer by a few extra minutes today too.
I keep asking at work what state we live in again....it seems like I'm back in Ohio with the lack of sunshine. Up there you can go for weeks without seeing it.
Kim
I just looked on weather.com and I didn't see that forecast? http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/businesstraveler/tenday/USTX0057?dp=ltempdp
Same here... looks fine to me from what I hear... maybe the cold will not head into North Texas?
Mitch, How did your sweet peas do? I had some of the worst damage I've ever had.
I think I still have two.. I pray that I still have two...
A lot of things really got hurt in the last cold snap - some sad losses....
Our TV weatherman tonight said in about 8-10 days we will have an a serious arctic blast. Doesn't sound good. We need to get the greenhouse propane tank refilled and cut some more firewood.
Got this weather forecast fwded Monday from my neighbor who works for LCRA. I didn't pass it along because the local forecasters didn't mention any freezing weather coming next week. Now they're all talking about it! For the sake of brevity, I'm removing the middle of the forecast...which is old news......Better take anything you can't cover inside....
Sent: Monday, January 22, 2007 3:42 PM
Subject: Update on This Week's Weather
>I wanted to pass along a quick update on this week's weather. Previously,
> there had been a threat for a fairly widespread area of freezing rain and
> sleet across the Hill Country Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, but it
> appears
> now this threat has diminished as most temperatures should stay just above
> freezing. Temperatures will moderate some late this week and this coming
> weekend. I will caution that this period of milder temperatures will be
> rather short-lived as most long-range forecast solutions are showing the
> development of a bitterly cold pattern for much of the nation beginning
> around the middle of next week.
>
> . A chance
> for rain will return Friday into Saturday as the trough over Mexico
> finally
> lifts northeast across Texas. Heavy or significant rain doesn't appear
> likely at this time. Temperatures will be cool through the period with
> highs mostly in the low 50s.
>
> Long-range forecast solutions show partly cloudy skies and dry weather
> developing Sunday, continuing through next Wednesday as a
> west-northwesterly
> flow in the upper atmosphere should keep conditions generally dry.
> Temperatures during this period will be cool, with highs in the 50s and
> lows
> generally in the low and middle 30s.
>
> Big changes in the temperature will begin to take place about next
> Thursday
> (Feb 1) when a strong arctic cold front sinks south into Texas. Today's
> forecast solutions indicate this will be the start of a very cold pattern
> for much of the nation as a strong ridge of high pressure builds north
> across Alaska and the Polar region, allowing bitterly cold air from
> Siberia
> to spread over the Pole and south into the Plains states. This air looks
> to
> be even colder than what our region experienced last week. If this air is
> as cold as it appears to be now, I expect much of our region will see
> readings fall to the teens and 20s late next week into the following
> weekend. In addition, this is shaping up to be a fairly long-lasting cold
> pattern. Initially, weather conditions are forecast to be dry when the
> cold
> air arrives, but the long-range models show a nearly stationary trough
> located somewhere around southern California. If this system drifts
> further
> east across Mexico, it could cause the development of winter precipitation
> across parts of Texas around the first weekend of February. There is much
> uncertainty with this part of the cold pattern. However, my confidence
> with
> the upcoming cold temperatures is fairly high.
>
> k.
>
>
yucky!
Merae....My hoop greenhouses have worked very well...so far. I'm not sure they'll protect much if we get into the teens. Having halogen lights and Xmas lights have kept the temp above freezing. We've added an electric radiator that has oil running thru it. It keeps the hoop warm that joins the patio to the gameroom. It was pleasant out there, even when the ice was falling. I did run out and pop the ice off the top a few times.
Was asked today to go on a "nursery trip" early in Feb. I don't think I can cram anymore plants into any spaces while this cold weather lingers. I opted for March.....at least!
Stay warm and keep your baby tomato plants happy! We'll all have to get together again this spring.
Sandi
Where oh where is Global Warming when you need it? I'm freezing and this morning it was 32* in my back yard. I have a bareroot rose sitting in a bucket of water outside along w/my brug, ixora, BOP and boug plus the Yesterday,
Today and Tomorrow which I haven't had the chance to get in the ground and will all have to go back in the garage until I recover from some surgery I have to have done on Jan 30. oh %^$*(^$#, I say.
Ann
I noticed weather.com did not have the artic blast in their forecast. I have noticed that their long range forcasts are not very acurate.
this is off the KXAN.com Austin weather site:
"A cold front on Sunday will cool highs into the low 50's, and we're keeping an eye on a much stronger surge of Arctic air due to arrive late next week. We could see temperatures plummet into the teens and 20's as we head through the first week of February!"
I was very happy to see the sun yesterday. It seemed brighter than normal? I have seen some NOVA about solar dimming. haha. I find that amusing! I have not witnessed any dimming! It was gorgeous yesterday. It was 33F when I got up today, but suppose to warm up to 62F.
Ann, I am sorry to hear about your surgery. I pray you are going to okay and recover quickly. I am having a hysterectomy Jan 31st that I'm not too excited about. However, it will be nice to not be in so much pain from my malfunctioning female parts anymore!
Michelle
Teens and 20s eh? Don't think my greenhouse heater will hold up to teens either. I may have to move things indoors for a week or two. Ugh. And try to keep the dog from knocking it all over the house. Now there's a challenge! C'mon spring....I am soooo ready!
Kim
Tomatoholic, sorry you have major surgery to go thru the 31st. I'm just having an incisional hernia taken care of - Day Surgery - that occurred when I had to have major work done on my lower GI tract at Thanksgiving, '05 followed by additional stuff done there in Mar. '06. Surgery isn't my cup of tea but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Certainly keep you in my prayers that your surgery goes great!
Ann
Ann, thanks! Surgery is not my cup of tea either! haha. Like you said...gotta do what you gotta do. Thank you for your prayers. I will pray for you as well. Incisional hernia hu? What a bummer! I will only have to stay in the hospital one night, thankfully.
I'm not too excited about going home on Thursday with the big cold front coming thru. :)
Kim, I'll need to put our little heater in our sunroom to keep all the plants...and my tomato seedlings...warmer. It has been about 50F in there every morning while it is 33F or so outside. But if it gets in the teens, it may be just too darn cold for them in the sunroom w/o the heater.
Michelle
I have checked and rechecked all the weather stuff that we get and I don't see any really horrible weather headed our way in the way of temps or rain, etc etc. Let's hope that whatever weather service you have been getting is dead wrong! It's time for spring! My things are starting to bud out & I'm not worried about them but it's the people I worry about. We have a granddaughter up in San Marcus at school who has mono and she doesn't need the extra aggrevation either not w/our daughter going up from Houston to feed her some soup or something.....
If Austin gets horrible weather, please keep it there and don't be sending it down this way.
Ann
I have checked and rechecked all the weather stuff that we get and I don't see any really horrible weather headed our way in the way of temps or rain, etc etc. Let's hope that whatever weather service you have been getting is dead wrong! It's time for spring! My things are starting to bud out & I'm not worried about them but it's the people I worry about. We have a granddaughter up in San Marcos at school who has mono and she doesn't need the extra aggrevation either not w/our daughter going up from Houston to feed her some soup or something.....
If Austin gets horrible weather, please keep it there and don't be sending it down this way.
Ann
Ann, go to either www.kxan.com or www.kvue.com and you can see what is going to happen here. Maybe it won't get all the way down to you, but maybe some of it will? I'm with you...hopefully they are dead wrong! I am so sorry your daughter is ill in San Marcos. I assume she is going to school at Southwest Texas State....okay okay...I know they changed the name to Texas State, but I can't call it that!! I went to SWTSU before I moved to San Jose, CA.
The worst case of flu I EVER had happened my freshman year at SWT. It is miserable to be so sick without your mommy!
Michelle
Yeah, I got the mumps when I was a freshman taking Chemistry the first time and was so very sick had to be hospitalized for 10 days. Never did learn the tables..... So, I married a chemist several years later.
Ann
Sure wasn't 32 degrees at my house this morning--I have a digi (so I don't loose everything I have) and it did not get below39 here last night.
It's always cooler here than what they predict for Bryan/College Station. Usually at least 2-3 degrees, sometimes more. My greenhouse heater right now can keep things about 15 degrees warmer than outside, and I have a second heater on another line that I can turn on. But still, even if I can keep it 20 degrees above outside it'll be a struggle. I'm going to wait until it gets closer first, last time they predicted much colder temps than what we ended up getting.
Kim
The article about our arctic blast in today's paper says that the National Weather Service is disagreeing with Austin meteorologists' weather models that indicate we will be in the teens by Superbowl Sunday (hence the reason why weather.com does not show the teen temps on its forcast). NWS says that there isn't enough cold air in Alaska right now to be pulled down as far south as Austin and be in the teens. They say it will only get into the low 30's.
However, Austin weather people as well as the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) are sticking with their weather models that show it will get much colder than that and the coldest that Austin has been since Feb 4, 1996. That was the night my first niece was conceived b/c my sister and her DH had nothing better to do other than "make a baby" b/c everyone in Austin was iced in. (grin)
I lived in Dallas at that time and big D had lots of ice and then a lot of snow on top. Dallas was pretty much shut down Feb 4, 96 as well. Anyway, either case, it will be much colder by late next week and the weekend. So do the usual drill of bringing in pets, plants and insulate your pipes and bring in your garden hoses. :)
This morning was the first morning that it has been above the 30's. It is 51F. It always seems to get really warm right before a cold blast.
Michelle
Last week one of the local weathermen here stated that we if we thought that the "Winter Whallop" was bad, just be prepared for a "Siberian Express" (coldest of cold, my most dreaded fear) heading down to our area within the next week or so. I remember a "Siberian Express" passing through one year with a low of 10 degrees. My large hybrid crepe myrtles froze all the way to the ground. I haven't heard anymore about coming ... lets all pray it doesn't.
I think the forecast has eased up, has anyone else heard that?
I see in the paper today that they think the arctic blast will come on Sunday instead of Thurs. I saw it was only 30F this morining when we got up and I didn't cover any plants b/c they said it was not going to get down to freezing. Darn it. All my potted plants are still inside the sunroom tho.
This morning our weatherman said that the arctic blast doesn't look like it is going to bad as bad as predicted. There is a front coming from the south that will help keep it from coming too low, and the temps in Canada won't be as cold as originally thought. It'll still be cool though.
Kim
I e-mailed my neighbor this morning to get Bob Rose's (LCRA) latest weather update. He's left for a 2 week vacation! Pretty funny! There are no small elec. heaters to be found in the greater Austin area....we've already been everywhere. And they aren't getting any more this late in the season. We plan to drive up to our little lake place and get one that's been stored in the closet. I'm afraid halogen lights and Xmas bulbs aren't much protection in GHs if temps drop to teens.
Oh, bubbles, I hope it doesn't kill your plants....you have come so far!!!
Bubbles,
I've also seen it recommended to light several of those fat, three-wick candles. It surprised me that they would give off enough heat to even bother with, but several people agreed that it helped. I think it was on the greenhouse forum, but can't really remember. If you know any campers, they might have the small propane heaters - they don't last a real long time, but might be just enough in the coldest hours.
Sharon
I am in south Texas and I am NOT getting out all that frost cloth again............too much work....supposed to get 28 and they either make it or they don't..
HAve you been to a Tractor Supply? They have elements that you can hook up to a propane tank that you use for grilling. They may not last long but at least it's a start. We have used them at stock shows and in the barn.
If Tractor Supply doesn't have them look at any other farm supply store that you might have or even a feed store.
We have all of ours ready just in case. I just hope we don't need them.
Thanks for all suggestions...We do have a Tractor Supply near us out in Dripping Sprgs. I'll show this to DH and see if he thinks we can do this safely...so close to our neighbor's yard. I'm really afraid of starting a fire during the night and having the plastic flare. 'Scared of candles unattended. I've just collected too many tropical plants. We have four areas covered in hoops of plastic. Lots of Xmas lights and halogen lights in all but the big one over the palms behind the pond. We have a heater from Costco in there...and a small halogen light. It's just so tall because of the palms. I don't know that it will keep the heat in...and cold out. We're already thinking of moving things before spring. I plan to put an oscillating fan in there too. Maybe the really cold weather won't get this far anyway....... hmmm?
Maybe this has been discussed already,....but I'll suggest that you check with any of the folks in your area that sells propane...several of the propane dealers in the Willis/Conroe area also provide numerous
products for cooking and catalytic heating with propane....I use a burner used for deep frying - outdoor cooking (a simple contraption) - setting the flame just low enough to barely show any yellow at the tips of the flames.
I also place some old worn lawnmower blades on top (where the skillet goes) for a "radiator". I usually will fire it up when it gets to the low 40's...(if I know it's going to freeze). I also use a "box" fan positioned to best circulate the air around the greenhouse. Using this type of arrangement will usually allow me to get up to 3 nights (24 -30 hrs of heating total)....costs $12.50 per regular small tank (I think it's a
35-40 lb tank) My greenhouse is 20' x 40' x roughly 12' tall (roughly
9500 cu ft of space...with double plastic sheet walls - single sheet roof)
and fairly air tight - I will crack open one of the ventilation "windows" but
not when it's above 30...I want to keep all the heat in....and no,...the oxygen is not completely depleted....at least it hasn't yet....during an 8-10 hr stretch....it's been workin' for me so far! I do flush the "house" with fresh air the next morning.
I've combined a small space heater (the kind that turns off if tipped over) ...when it gets below 30 degrees to try & conserve propane -
I could crank up the propane heat but it consumes oxygen faster and depletes the propane faster...understandably.....I'll have to see what's going to happen if it gets down in the 20's or worse....I've already decided to crack a window or two and crank up the propane heater to combat that type of cold....whatever it takes. Hope this helps!
Lee
edited for grammar & continuity :~}
This message was edited Jan 30, 2007 9:49 PM
This message was edited Jan 30, 2007 9:50 PM
This message was edited Jan 30, 2007 9:53 PM
BTW - I meant to say that my greenhouse temp is usually7-9 degrees higher than outside temp...when using this method!