WHAT'S THE WEATHER IN YOUR AREA? How are you preparing for a daily chore of staying warm?

[Mt_Rider]

We were sunny but look out!  Very "air conditioned" ...due to WIND flowing over all this snow!    I bundled up and did walk the dog and was fine.  Yesterday I hung a few things like sox on the clothesline.  Glad I wasn't trying that today.  They'd all be frozen to the rope.

 

MtRider  - y'all be very careful in the fog!  

[Jeepers]

I drive on the highway between sons house and mine but that sounds better than it actually is. It cuts right through the country with a lot of open fields on both sides. It's dark out there. If there is any wind blowing across those fields, it rocks your car.  I already told them if it's snowing and blowing, I'm not coming into town unless it's an emergency. 

[Mt_Rider]

Yeah....one of those "out in the boonies" rules, Jeepers!

 

MtRider .....stay safe.

[themartianchick]

21 hours ago, Littlesister said:

It was cold yesterday running around shopping. That wind would go right through you.  DGD would not put a coat on that baby. She never does. She claims that they say it is unsafe to put a baby in a car seat with a coat on. Really! Everyone else does it. And no harm ever came to a baby that had a coat on in a car seat.

There is some data that indicates that it is unsafe to put a bulky coat on a baby/child in a car seat. In an accident, the coat padding can compress and the child can be thrown from the seat in a collision. However, that doesn't mean that you can't provide some sort of alternative warmth. There are some coats that are made from a Thinsulate-type material that is fairly thin, but has a lot of insulating value. There is no reason for a child to be cold in a car. The article below has some additional ideas:

 

https://www.consumerreports.org/babies-kids/car-seats/the-dangers-of-winter-coats-and-car-seats-a5483582251/

[euphrasyne]

I moved up here from the deep south around 12/13 years ago.  My roses used to still be blooming in December.  The first year here, I was in an apartment.  It snowed; I had NEVER seen snow that was more than an inch or that lasted more than an hour before I saw green grass again.  The power went out.  I was COLD.  My 2 southern born kids were cold. He was...Meh...  I knew intellectually about how to do things in power outages, but I had zero practical experience with being in such temps without power.   I told DH (he was dear boyfriend at the time)...either we move to a house with gas or I'm moving back down south...this is not south. 

 

He still insists that VA is south, but it is not and so we bought a house and made it so I'd never be too cold again. (He really wanted to be DH at this point--I'd made him so much good food/bread.) It helps that he is an architect/engineer.  I know what I want, but he knows how to make it happen from a schematic perspective.    10 years married this past April.  Sometimes the first choice isn't the right choice.   But sometimes the second is based on experience and is forever.  

Edited December 16, 2024 by euphrasyne

[Jeepers]

Love your story Euphrasyne. Virginia is south? Well, south of Canada I guess.   

 

You are very lucky to have Mr. Euph. Note to self, learn how to cook better. 

[Littlesister]

Euphrosyne, From Richmond going up towards Blacksburg is Nothern VA. We around here are the Mid-Atlantic or Southeast. We have southern cultural influences here but that is about it. We are warmer around here even though it does get cold, and we do sometimes get a lot of snow. But past few years we have been biting the bullet on snow. But once you go toward Washington DC up toward Richmond and beyond it is really cold and they have been known to have some very deep snows. The southern part of VA is located along the border of NC. But still, it gets cold. I think the deep south is a bit warmer than we are for sure. 

[Mt_Rider]

7 hours ago, euphrasyne said:

But sometimes the second is based on experience and is forever.  

 

   

 

MtRider  ....Very very good! 

[Mt_Rider]

Don't a lot of people see the North and the South along the lines of the Civil War?  My niece raised/schooled in northern VA definitely was taught "southern".  But obviously, VA is not "deep south". 

 

And that's the length and breadth of my North/South knowledge.    I'm Midwest (Iowa) and Maui and Out West CO Mountain person.  And that....represents quite a lot of differences.

 

Today...IN THE SUN (I'll take it any way I can get it) it got up to near 60*.  Sun sets early behind the ridge to the west,   I dress warm for dog walks.  Insulated coveralls or insulated pants and down vest and jacket that has 'certain pockets' for all the STUFF I bring.  (whistle, SAK, small flask of H20, I.D. packet, etc)  Plus hat with ear/under chin covering (not plaid LOL) - and headlamp on top of that.  Blaze yellow vest on my back.  Tall insulated boots.    All that is quite heavy but...it is for exercise.  

 

It's still 20* out there right now.  I looked at the full moon outside ..last night?..... Gorgeous!  Such a different picture of Full Moon with Tons of Snow everywhere to reflect it.  If it wasn't so cold, I could stare at the sight of that and the cloudless starry sky for hours!    Amazing! 

 

But.....    so I have to scurry back inside.  Full moon always fascinates me but with the snow...that much more. 

 

 ..yah, see.  I HAD to go out and look just now.  Partly cloudy so not as brilliantly BRIGHT tonite.  Still full moon is visible. 

 

MtRider    

 

[euphrasyne]

delete

Edited December 17, 2024 by euphrasyne

[Littlesister]

Today feels like it is in the high seventies. I can run around in shorts and short sleeves today. Though I am wearing short sleeves, my shorts are packed up for the winter. 

Everything was wet this morning and took forever to dry out. But it finally did. 

 

 

[The WE2's]

Guess one might call it "balmy"...50, sunny, not much wind, but humid..? If we were to get out and stay our for any length of time, we would definitely need a coat and head covering.  When in the car, we put our coats etc., in the back where we can get to them when we get out to walk for any length.  But, we've done our shopping and are tucked in.  Did have to get out yesterday for my annual doctor's check up.  My nurse practitioner isn't really happy with me because she's a pill pusher and I won't fall into that trap!  She can't believe we have taken any vax's since 2010 and won't take them now.  We have all the "stuff" we need "IF" we need it. She also thinks everybody should have a mamo (and I'm full of skin tags and moles) and a colonosco???  No go here!  I'm soon to be 78 and that's my stand!   She thinks I should take the statin drug and I refuse...my decision!  She says with the drug, 14% for heart/stroke and without 22%.  I'm a 22% er.  We take a whole lot of vitamins and minerals that are all effective in controlling "stuff" that the big pharma wants to push on us via doctors.  Just my opinion friends!

[Littlesister]

The WE2, I have to agree with you on the prescriptions. I hate pill pushing doctors. I haven't had a vaccine since I think 2000.  I quit getting the flu vaccine. And now that I heard they have mixed that with the covid vaccine or so I have heard. Not sure if that was true or not but I do know the flu vaccine isn't what it used to be. So nope I stopped getting them in 2000 and I am not about to start now. 

[Mt_Rider]

During the last issue with my ears, I was offered a 3 in 1 vxx.  Flu. C. and RSV.  I seriously do not like clumping everything together.  Or even getting 3 different shots on the same day.  How could you tell if you get a reaction...which one?  Methinks all this combining...doesn't bode well. 

 

I'm with you, WE2!  Definite NO.

 

MtRider  ...and DH just turned down a whole lot of suggestions from his P.A. today too. 

[Littlesister]

I am to the point that if I feel good then I am fine. I my sugar levels are where they need to be then I am fine. I do have to keep check on my diabetes though. But if it is normal when I get up in the morning then I don't take anything. If its high in the mornings or at night, then I will take a pill. So far that is working for me. And less medicine to deal with. Taking a pill when my sugar is normal even though I am supposed to take it anyway according to the doctor, then I get very low blood sugars and feel like I am going to pass out. So, my way works better.

 

We are going back up into the low 70's again. I am loving it. But so far, they say warm weather on Christmas day and DSIL will miss getting to use the wood stove. I'll play that one by ear.

[The WE2's]

Weather today is very chilly, a bit cloudy and again the humidity makes it feel even colder...high...45.

[Jeepers]

It's supposed to be in the mid 30's during the day and the low 20's for the next 6 days. Maybe a little snow toward the end of those week. With these temps it can't amount to much. Famous last words?  

 

It's 35° right now. 

[Littlesister]

It is still warm outside tonight. But I haven't checked the weather yet for tomorrow. I have been enjoying this low 70's weather. Might rake up some leaves for the raised beds tomorrow if the weather is still like this. They blow over from the neighbor's trees and they are bad. Oak tree is huge and now the leaves from my Japanese Maple trees are starting fall, so lots of leaves for the garden beds. 

[Mt_Rider]

We're fairly warm once the sun came out from earlier clouds. 

 

MtRider ....it looks like "Christmas" with the snow but temps are staying moderate. 

[Littlesister]

This morning is cool, and a brisk warmer Moreso than a cold breeze. Cooler today and 47*. But it doesn't feel the normal 47* out this morning. It actually feels good outside this morning. 

[Necie]

On 12/17/2024 at 2:19 AM, Mt_Rider said:

 

Don't a lot of people see the North and the South along the lines of the Civil War?  My niece raised/schooled in northern VA definitely was taught "southern".  But obviously, VA is not "deep south". 

 

I do. One of my favorite tv shows is The Waltons.  So culturally, when I think of Virginia, I think of southern Appalachia, beaches, military and Washington D.C. ... although D.C. seems more *northern*. But, overall, Virginia seems *southern*. And it is south of the Mason-Dixon line. 
Being from Michigan— definitely *northern*. I didn’t move to Indiana til I was 36. NE Indiana is still *northern*, but this crazy little-bitty town that I live in is culturally more *southern*. Probably 90% of the people here are from, or descended from, SE Kentucky. Most of them relocated here in the ’30s-‘40s. DH is 2nd generation... his mom came here with her parents when she was a teenager. On his dad’s side, I think he’s 3rd generation. The biggest differences (for me to get used to anyhow) are the food/cooking and the speech (different words and accent). Even DH has a different *sound* when he talks and uses different *slang*. When I started working here as a bartender, I can tell ya, I was BEYOND confused quite often during normal conversations.  Our house is definitely *northern*... it has ‘secrets’. Remember, it was built in 1850.   

 

I see different *latitudes* meteorologically though. I grew up in SW Michigan... winters are *hard* (between Grand Rapids and Indianapolis). North of Grand Rapids *hard-er*. North of the Mackinac bridge *harsh*. South of Indianapolis is *mild-er* down to Atlanta. And south of there is *mild*. That’s eastern US anyhow. The rest, I see in *regions*... west coast-mild, northern states-harsh, plains-hard, southwest-mild, and the Rockies have their own crazy weather. Then different regions have their own *disasters*— hurricanes, flooding, blizzards, earthquakes, tornadoes (how about that first recorded tornado in northern CA??? WOW! 😳)... stuff like that. 

[Littlesister]

I was born in Farmville, VA. My family was born and raised in Lynchburg, VA and the counties around there. Back then it was mostly all farmland and did have the southern culture. Here where I am now seems to have lost that southern culture as they have been building towns out of the farmland. Where I live now used to be all farmlands. But not now. Where my grandparents' house is they dropped a town on top of them. My grandparents house and my aunt's house are now commercial property. The property was up for sale, but my cousin took the property off the market. But my aunt's house that was across the street was sold. 

There are still a lot of people that have that southern accent, but around here where I am not so much anymore. But I think that is because of all the military moving in and out. 

[Mt_Rider]

2 hours ago, Necie said:

and the Rockies have their own crazy weather.

 

   you can say that again!  I believe that we judge weather more by altitude.  Lower altitude might have rain....freezing drizzle.....and when you get up higher: snow.  Being above the 8K range, we're "snow".  A. LOT. Of. SNOW!  But....there are certainly places and whole towns that are higher than us.  They call them SKI RESORTS.   

MtRider  ...and yet on a sunny day with no wind, it will beat midwest temps every time.  Solar gain.   

[Littlesister]

All we need to do is bring back the Barnam Bailey circus and we would get lots of snow. Seems that used to be a huge joke around here. Every time the circus came to town we got snow. 

 

Weather is getting colder here now. Haven't seen a weather report this evening as I have been so busy. 

[Jeepers]

Necie I know what you are talking about. I was born and raised in southern Indiana and nearly all of the people there are descended from Kentucky. I discovered, after I left, that we do have an accent. DIL said she can't understand half of what they are saying when she is down there for a funeral or a reunion. I catch her smiling at my son sometimes when I'm talking. It isn't too noticeable any more unless I'm tired or wound up over something. I loved the Waltons too. I always thought they were from West Virginia. 

 

I think of Virginia as being more of a  northern state with fancy people and military people. I forgot that they had a lot of plantations there. 

 

 

It was in the mid 30's today. It seemed colder due to the wind. A couple people mentioned, "Brrrrr, it's getting colder" to me while I was out running errands.  I remember the last two winters ago the temps were mild like this and then the week of Christmas, the bottom fell out. I'm braced for it.