Wx Infinity Forums

DoctorMu wrote: ↑Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:07 am

jasons2k wrote: ↑Fri Feb 19, 2021 8:12 pm The disaster claims are also expected to surpass Harvey, becoming the costliest natural disaster in Texas history.

Hopefully, the applied science lessons from COVID-19 and the Texas Winter storms is prevention. Winterizing. Preventing and minimizing pandemics.

Particularly because places like the piedmont of NC sees this weather every other year or some. The NC mountains every year. MIssouris experiences this every year. Chicago and Minneapolis for about half the winter! Preventative steps for winter weather reduces summer A/C bills.

Insulate walls. This was a major issue for homes, businesses, and universities. I'm going to get serious about using blown insulation in walls this spring.

We were lucky. I used towels and blankets to insulate our (metal) garage door. When power was on, I used space heaters to warm the garage and thus the attic. Covered and insulated all outdoor pipes and faucets, and evacuated hoses, etc. I ran water for 30-60 sec every hour in pipes I had replaced all the door frame gaskets. Place a thermistor sensor in the attic and dripped water if temp in the attic fell into the 20s. We have a gas fireplace to heat the house when the power was out. We have a gas stove/range. I had shut down the sprinklers and let the snow and ice "insulate" (air pockets) at ground level do the rest.

Some will invest in generators, if they can afford it. Insulation is a lot cheaper for starters.

Dealing with the state gov, ERCOT etc. is going to be problematic...so we have to do all that we can to help ourselves and our neighboring Texas. "Winterize" becomes part of the SETX lexicon.

Having lived in Texas for 30 years, here are my observations about climate change in Texas.

1. The average temperature hasn't changed. This is the consensus of temperature recordings as well.

2. Summers aren't hotter. But they are drier.

3. Rain and drought extremes have always been extreme, but the variance has increased further. More "record" rainfall events. Longer periods of little or no rain.

4. Winters on average aren't any colder or warmer, but the variance has increased. Some winters are warmer, some colder. Extreme events are more frequent. In my first 17 years in College Station we had 3 ice storms, a few snowflakes. No nights in the teens. It snowed once in the 1980s. The only snow my kids ever saw was the Christmas. Even 2004 snow miracle in Houston and the Gulf Coast. However, from 2008 - today we've had 8 snow events. Nights in the teens, and just had 2 single digit nights this week.



Like the Boy Scout motto, we're going to have to be prepared in the future for weeks like this. Because there will be more.

jasons2k wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:00 am A co-worker of mine lives on a couple of acres outside of Magnolia. No power for 36 hours and when the power & water came-on he had 6 different busted pipes! Yikes!

The Space City Weather guys say probably not another freeze south of I-10. Probably true but a bit early to make that call in my opinion. This pattern favors a surprise late season cold snap.

BlueJay wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 3:19 pm It feels good to thaw out!

Kingwood36 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 1:14 pm

jasons2k wrote: ↑Mon Feb 22, 2021 10:00 am A co-worker of mine lives on a couple of acres outside of Magnolia. No power for 36 hours and when the power & water came-on he had 6 different busted pipes! Yikes!

The Space City Weather guys say probably not another freeze south of I-10. Probably true but a bit early to make that call in my opinion. This pattern favors a surprise late season cold snap.

Space city is like Dr Jim...

jasons2k wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:51 am A few of our cold weather cheerleaders have suddenly gone quiet

cperk wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 9:20 am

jasons2k wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 8:51 am A few of our cold weather cheerleaders have suddenly gone quiet

Yeah I don’t think anyone wants to see another of we we got last week. .

txbear wrote: ↑Tue Feb 23, 2021 10:39 am I really think that had energy generation not been an issue (not starting political talk here; just pointing at that piece of the puzzle), we would probably be having a much different talk about the super chill of last week. Not to say that the warm weather lovers wouldn't still be happy with the current weather

Heck, I'm a cold weather cheerleader, and didn't even allow for real enjoyment of the snow because the power was out and no real way to warm up; much less the in-and-out of the house letting more cold air in. There would still be some pipe bursts and the tropicals would be torched, but much more would be avoidable because water pressures would've stayed up and warmth would still be directed to sensitive areas of homes. I believe everyone is going to have a cost of the freeze, but I really feel for those that suffered the worst of the worst.