Topic: Oh Baby, it's cold outside! Now it's hot! WTF?? NOW FREEZING - AGAIN!

[rb550four]

  I run 10 ply mastercraft truck tires all year long ,on the front and 4 on the rear end on all my trucks, they grip very well, been running them for years.  This truck is an 88 one ton  ,460 cu in, c6 auto 410 in the rear...not 4wd....never needed it ,I run about 9000lbs with tools on , and it seems to be enough weight to find the bottom of the snow for good traction and powerful enough to kick the rear around predictably by feathering or  back peddling the throttle.  The salt is a real killer  for sure , I replace panels and repaint every 3 years  or so, but once the frame rot starts , it's pretty much over.
   I have two 1990's in the wings for next year, I run the diesel in the summer because I don't like to plug them in ...and winters take their toll on starters at the end of the day at the winter jobsites. I wouldn't have another diesel since the fuel has been changed to make believe diesel....makes older engines run poorly,lack power, and is expensive now. When diesel was more like #2 fuel oil , I wouldn't run anything but a 7.3 idi diesel then ,a turbo was just something most other guys got off on and I never found it necessary until I got a newer diesel, they need a turbo on that crap fuel just to get out of their own way.

[Stev-o]

It as friiggin freezing here in Cen Tex last night, 31 degrees.   I don't like it!

You?

Seems like our annual winter storm is upon us, temp is 28 degrees with freezing rain! 
The City is pretty much shut down and they are urging everyone to just stay home...

[PeWe]

I guess that is cold for Texas, not here at latitude 60* north
28F,  -2.2C

Cold rain can cause heavy icing when freeze.
But usually more north when warm wet air from the Mexican gulf meet cold air from Canada as seen on TV, right?

Lets hope it will not go bad for you. Catastrophes often trig criminals to plunder others belongings.

I think "global warming" is an error while thinking or just a political thing, religion.
It can be something like "Maunder Minimum" 1640 to 1715.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00382-006-0188-7

I doubt people caused that.

Good to be prepared and be able to handle the situation while discussions goes wild and hot. Science vs religion.

Knowledge about the past can help to handle the future.

[CycleRanger]

Two hours ago it was 30 degrees. Now it's 24.

[Stev-o]

I guess that is cold for Texas, not here at latitude 60* north
28F,  -2.2C

Cold rain can cause heavy icing when freeze.
But usually more north when warm wet air from the Mexican gulf meet cold air from Canada as seen on TV, right?

Lets hope it will not go bad for you. Catastrophes often trig criminals to plunder others belongings.

Hey Per!   Yes, that is cold for Central Texas!  [Latitude 30° N]. 
We get the strong cold fronts from Canada, but typically only lasts for a couple days, will be back to 50F this weekend.

Global warming?  The "Ice Age" was 18,000 years ago, it has warmed up ever since!!

[Don R]

 My Dad remembered a winter that was extra cold, they had to tunnel through the snow to move and feed the farm animals. The summer stayed cool also, the crops sucked. I think it was in the 1920's or 30's. He may have been in Pennsylvania at that time. They moved back and forth.

[PeWe]

It can be a colder period as had happened before. Maybe not the real iceage with km thick layer of ice covering the nothern half

The colder period brings more heavy storms too.

If that is what happen now, more can come.
Early 40's during WW2  had extra cold winters around here.
The sea outside Denmark froze 1658 so Swedish soldiers could attack walking on ice

Lets see if we will get s longer cooler period.
They talked about a coming near future small iceage when I went in school for decades ago.

[ekpent]

6 degrees after I rolled out of bed this morning here in SW Michigan. See our big snowstorm we had recently is slowly heading east, enjoy you guys.

[Stev-o]

6 degrees after I rolled out of bed this morning here in SW Michigan. See our big snowstorm we had recently is slowly heading east, enjoy you guys.

Hey Eric...heard from a buddy last night, he lives near Ann Arbor, said they got about 12" of snow up there. Guessing you got about the same?

The storm here wasnt as bad as the weather forecasters predicted, only about 1/3" of ice.

[PeWe]

Steve-o, your houses are not that insulated as we have in the north, right?

3 glazed windows is standard here since decades ago. Thick roof with fluffy glass wool or similar, not only in the walls.

A well insulated house keep the hot sunny weather outside  and keep the electrically created coolness inside too

[Stev-o]

Steve-o, your houses are not that insulated as we have in the north, right?

My house is almost 20 yrs old and insulated fairly well, the windows are double paned. The attic has at least 8" of "blown in" insulation, wish it was foam as I feel that is superior.
It is two story so I have 2 HVAC systems, electric power, and my electric bill runs $200 - $300 per month all year 'round.
It is highest July - Sept when daily temps rise to 95-100F every day.  Pretty reasonable, I think.  The house is all electric, fairly common for this area, so I dont have a gas bill [the two hot water heaters are elec too]

[ekpent]

6 degrees after I rolled out of bed this morning here in SW Michigan. See our big snowstorm we had recently is slowly heading east, enjoy you guys.

Hey Eric...heard from a buddy last night, he lives near Ann Arbor, said they got about 12" of snow up there. Guessing you got about the same?

The storm here wasnt as bad as the weather forecasters predicted, only about 1/3" of ice.

Around that. Got to break out the snow blower for a 'ride' and did both neighbors also. Had been a pretty easy winter around here but finally getting a little late winter spanking.
   Saw the big traffic jam down in Texas where some people had been sitting for over 10 hours on a highway on a hill. Ice is bad wherever it is but salt trucks help.

[PeWe]

My house has no issues with -25C or colder. It will cost more though. ;(
We get very hot water from a power plant in my city that heat up most of the town via hot water pipes in the ground.

Heat exchangers in each connected building with measuring device that sends the heat consumption to the power company wireless, like a phone as most alarms do.
Tap water is cold when arriving, heated up by this. Radiators are waterfilled and has its own circuit to a heat exchanger.


I have got more thoughts about this when we like to purchase an apartment or house in Spain or Canarian Islands to the retirement. The latter less need of heating or cooling.

The increased costs of the electricity due to climate discussions make this to an important detail.
Be more independent.

Sunny countries when cold: Solar heated water circulate into a huge insulated tank of water where heat exchangers are connected to floor heating
and tap water that is used all year around.
House with roof terrace where the solar panel can be placed.

The tank on ground floor that can handle the weight.

Cheap version of aircon when needed
There are lots of informarion about the Bangladesh version air cooling device when compressed by its own flow.

Solar powered fans might help.
Make a better build in the air vent with metal net keeping the bugs out.
http://www.inspiraction.news/en/2017/09/11/plastic-bottles-as-air-conditioner-in-bangladesh/

[Stev-o]

6 degrees after I rolled out of bed this morning here in SW Michigan. See our big snowstorm we had recently is slowly heading east, enjoy you guys.

Hey Eric...heard from a buddy last night, he lives near Ann Arbor, said they got about 12" of snow up there. Guessing you got about the same?

The storm here wasnt as bad as the weather forecasters predicted, only about 1/3" of ice.

Around that. Got to break out the snow blower for a 'ride' and did both neighbors also. Had been a pretty easy winter around here but finally getting a little late winter spanking.
   Saw the big traffic jam down in Texas where some people had been sitting for over 10 hours on a highway on a hill. Ice is bad wherever it is but salt trucks help.

No salt trucks around here and glad there are not!  Some of the major highways in Austin were pre-treated with a "brine" solution [salt water?] but then it rained so not sure if that helped melt ice?

[ekpent]

6 degrees after I rolled out of bed this morning here in SW Michigan. See our big snowstorm we had recently is slowly heading east, enjoy you guys.

Hey Eric...heard from a buddy last night, he lives near Ann Arbor, said they got about 12" of snow up there. Guessing you got about the same?

The storm here wasnt as bad as the weather forecasters predicted, only about 1/3" of ice.

Around that. Got to break out the snow blower for a 'ride' and did both neighbors also. Had been a pretty easy winter around here but finally getting a little late winter spanking.
   Saw the big traffic jam down in Texas where some people had been sitting for over 10 hours on a highway on a hill. Ice is bad wherever it is but salt trucks help.

No salt trucks around here and glad there are not!  Some of the major highways in Austin were pre-treated with a "brine" solution [salt water?] but then it rained so not sure if that helped melt ice?

Around here at one time they were making some type of a brine out of sugar beets or material left over from the sugar process. Up around Saginaw and through that area some people call them "Sugar Beeters" as that is a major crop.

[scottly]

It's been 9*F here the last two mornings....

[scottly]

7.6F this morning with a high of 55.8 this afternoon!??

[Stev-o]

7.6F this morning with a high of 55.8 this afternoon!??

34F this morning here, looking forward to sunny and 61F this afternoon. 

The freezing temps are gone for now.

[PeWe]

Very short winter for you Stev-o!
The spring rides will feel extra good after 5 months of waiting as here!

This forum makes the winter to a bike season anyway. 

[BenelliSEI]

I give up!

[scottly]

15.5 F in the AM today, with a high of 69.8 in the afternoon, with clear blue skies. There's only been a couple of dustings of snow this winter, but the winters of 2019 and 2020 had record amounts of snow here, while last summer had record rain-fall, and the summer before had records for heat. Climate change is real..
 

[PeWe]

It would be better with max 3 months off when it's too hot for leathers and full protection.

Too much of this. 5 months of waste Nov-March. Fixing bike need less garage time.
More than 1 bike or always a bike up for a ride. Bike harem!
(This morning)

[Stev-o]

Beautiful day today, going up to 72 degrees F.  It was one year ago that we had the "once in a lifetime" [I hope!]  snow/ice storm in Texas...

[70CB750]

Saturday it was 16C and I rode 117 miles while Sunday was 0C, snow and wind.

[ekpent]

1 degree when I left a Superbowl get-together last night in SW Mi. Driving there around 5:00pm hit a major white-out on the highway. Those are always fun !