Advanced notice! Ol' Man Winter is coming back for Round #2!

AllenOK

New member
I probably won't be online much tomorrow. Now that I've got my chainsaw up and running, I'm going to go get some firewood. Then I'm going to get some supplies. Non-perishable-type stuff.

The weather shamans believe a major winter-precipitation event is headed out way. They are calling for lots of ice and snow. I can live with the snow, but keep the ice away!

Memories of the '07 Ice Storm are still fresh in my mind. 9 days without power!

At least this time we are better situated to endure a major power outage event. We're in the city, instead of out in the sticks. Major roads will be cleared, so we just have to get out of the neighborhood. We have a 4-wheel drive pickup. We have gas heat, stove, and water heater, although the furnace is an electric ignition. Just in case, I'm going to get a small camp stove (need another anyway). I've got enough seasoned firewood on hand to last probably 24 hours. Like I said, I'm going to go get more.

If we do loose power, yes, we will loose the house phone, DSL internet, and cable. If that happens, we'll just do what we did last month, and take the laptop down to the coffee-shop and get online there to let everyone know what's going on.

I'll get back online once I get to the point that I feel comfortable. I'll try to give updates as it occurs. If I suddenly drop offline, y'all will know what happened.
 

homecook

New member
Stay warm and safe Allen. I hate the ice also and they're calling for it here too and then the snow.......we're probably going to get the aftermath.
Keep in touch when you can!
 

AllenOK

New member
Well, I managed to almost fill the bed of the truck with firewood today. I am going to be so frakking sore tomorrow!
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Good luck, Allen, and try to stay warm. We'll leave the light on for you if you are gone for a while.
 

AllenOK

New member
Well, it's on it's way. According to radar, we are getting freezing drizzle right now, but I have not seen any signs of precipitation. The weather shamans did mention that the rain might evaporate before it hits for a little while. Supposedly, after noon it's really going to get started.
 

Lefty

Yank
Good luck Allen, I heard the entire state is under a state of emergency.

Oklahoma City - With a dangerous winter storm headed for Oklahoma, Gov. Brad Henry tonight declared a State of Emergency for all 77 Oklahoma counties as state officials continued their emergency response preparations.
Because the latest weather event could include an ice storm and widespread power outages, emergency management authorities said it was important to issue the declaration tonight before the storm arrived so weight and size limits on state roadways could be waived to allow heavy power company vehicles to position themselves across the state.
"Our hope is the storm will not be as severe as many weather models have predicted, but we will be ready to respond to anything," said Gov. Henry.
The declaration provides a formal mechanism for local governments to seek reimbursement for recovery costs through the state's disaster public assistance program, should conditions warrant. The executive order is also the first step toward seeking federal aid should it be necessary.
A companion order signed by the governor waives certain size and weight restrictions for vehicles that will be needed to move emergency response equipment and supplies to affected areas.
"We began preparing for the winter storm earlier this week by pre-positioning assets across the state and putting the proper personnel in the field. As the storm moves Oklahoma, we will ramp up our response efforts. State troopers, National Guard personnel, emergency management officials, road crews and other first responders will all be on call, helping Oklahomans everywhere they can," said Gov. Henry.
"I'm urging all Oklahomans to do their part by staying aware of weather conditions and not taking any unnecessary risks. This may be a very dangerous winter storm and we want Oklahomans to stay safe."
 

suziquzie

New member
ugh, stay safe Allen..... I'm always jealous of warmer places but that ice crap is not anything I'd ever want to see!!!!
 

AllenOK

New member
I could post some pics of what the 2007 storm as like. I've got a working digital camera now, so I'll document this storm as it happens.
 

AllenOK

New member
And so it starts.

About an hour ago it started sprinkling off-and-on. Now it's starting to sleet. Hopefully we get more sleet than freezing rain.
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
Here in central NC, we are scheduled for a "Winter Event" Friday night and Saturday.
With the usual caution needed for this area, we are told to expect anything from freezing rain to 10 inches of snow, LOL!

Today... highs expected to be in the low 60s.

If you don't like a multiple personality winter, don't move here.
 

AllenOK

New member
That's what it's been like here as well. Yesterday as in the 50's. The cold front came through sometime last night before I came home from work. NOW, the storm bring the moisture is starting to slide over the edge of the dense, cold air mass that's also moving in.

They're calling for us to basically get EVERYTHING, freezing rain, sleet, and maybe 10" of snow on top of that.

Anyway, here's the first pic:

20100128winterstorm01.jpg


Well, I decided to move the truck off the driveway (with the 35 degree slope) onto the street, so that "just in case" we have to evacuate, at least one of the vehicles can go. I will probably move the van down into the street in a little while.

I got the word a little over an hour ago to stay home; my job is closing after lunch. As soon as I got that word, I fired up the fireplace. Man, I love bone-dry kindling! I had gathered some driftwood from a spot on my way to work the other day. I laid out several pieces of that (ranging from 1" thick to 3" thick), a few pieces of charcoal, and a Fire Stick (sawdust and pine pitch mixed together) on top of the charcoal, and lit it off. Within 10 minutes, the kindling was going good. I started laying larger logs on top, and within 20 minutes had a NICE fire going.
 

AllenOK

New member
Time for an update. We are still up and running! We've received about 1/4" of ice and a little sleet. Right now we aren't getting anything, but the weather shamans are forecasting some more freezing drizzle overnight. Areas about 20 miles north of us have about 2" of snow and sleet. We're expecting some snow by the time this storm exits the area Friday night.

Oklahoma City and parts south and west received the brunt of the crap. There's lots of power outages at this time. The last figure I heard was about 120,000 people without power right now.

I'm still planning for the worst. I have a flashlight in my pocket, and we have a few candles burning so that if we loose electricity, we won't be stumbling around in the dark.

The kids are out of school tomorrow due to weather. I was expecting that. I do not know if I'll have to work tomorrow. If the roads are still decent, I'm sure I will be.

I'll keep in touch.
 

BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
Site Supporter
stay safe my friend... my brother lives in Ok City so praying it passes by all of you guys
 

Doc

Administrator
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
I feel for you Allen. I saw a news report showing the ice and they predicted that you'll get up to 16 inches of snow on top of the ice. Absolutely the worst kind of weather for driving.
And here we are up north of you and not a snow flake in sight. Not complaining, jst weird weather.
Hang in there guy.
 

AllenOK

New member
Ok, morning update. We still have power. We've got a little over a quarter inch of ice on the trees. It's sleeting right now, and is supposed to switch over to snow sometime today. They're calling for this crap to move out of the area around midnight. Originally that were talking it would be over around "now". Go figure.
 

AllenOK

New member
It switched over to snow around 11 am. I had to run an errand. We had about 1/2" of snow on the ground when I came back. Now, we have around 4". My kids are whining about going sledding. I would really prefer to wait until the crap stops coming down. I do have plenty of hot chocolate mix this time, as well as hotdogs and marshmellows to roast in the fireplace, and popcorn to pop (already did a couple batches of those).
 

GotGarlic

New member
It's coming our way! :smile: DH went to the grocery store this afternoon and it was a zoo. But we're stocked. The snow is supposed to start tonight and continue tomorrow, with maybe a total of nine inches! We just don't get that here :lol:
 

AllenOK

New member
GotGarlic, I used to live in Norfolk, VA, from '79 - '82. My Dad was in the US Navy. I remember one bad winter storm. It started as sleet, maybe an inch of that, then about 6" or more of snow. My Mom emptied the deep-freezer, put everything OUTSIDE, and defrosted the deep-freezer during the storm.

We have about 6" of the Fluffy White Crap here, and it should be ending sometime soon. However, I've heard reports that parts of northwest Tulsa is experiencing strong winds, which are snapping branches and downing powerlines. We only had 139 power outages earlier today, then it jumped to over 3,000. So, I'm doing the same thing I did last night, preparing for immenent power loss. I have my headlamp in my pocket, and have a candle going. Those two, along with the light from PeppA's laptop, and the glow of the fire, should provide enough for us to at least get out the flashlights, latern, and pallets set up in the living room. However, I'm not really expecting a power loss. But, I feel more comfortable knowing that I'm ready.

BTW, my mother gave me a good tip about refrigeration without electricity. Keep some gallon milk jugs. Fill them with water, and freeze them. Pull one or two out, place in a pan to catch condensation, and place them near the top of the refrigerator. If you are expecting power loss, you can freeze them a day or two ahead. Otherwise, if it's a blizzard, just fill the jugs and place them outside. They'll freeze.

I was actually just expecting to cart all my perishables into the garage, as it will stay cool in there.
 
Last edited:

GotGarlic

New member
Here's the view outside our front door this morning. We have an unheated sunroom off the kitchen, so if we lose power, we can just put everything on the counters out there. They'll stay good and cold :smile: But since it's just snow and not freezing rain or sleet, it should be all right (knock on wood).
 

Attachments

  • outside-the-front-door.jpg
    outside-the-front-door.jpg
    92 KB · Views: 76
Top