2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

[miguelito 11451]

This might be one of those times when we need separate threads for Texas Winter, and Other Winter.  For San Antonio, looks like next Wed. has a low of 35 and a high of 45.  But 70's before then, and a steady warmup after.

And still no rain.  "It's been a long hot winter, not a drop of rain."

[miguelito 11451]

double

Edited February 4, 2021 by miguelito

[Guest Lobo]

It's going to touch damn near 90 degrees today in South Austin with the heat index.  And in less than a week, we'll have 4-5 days with overnight lows below freezing.  

This is fucked up. 

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

If I had to wager, I'd be willing to bet that February has the biggest temp swings of any month in a lot of places.

In 2019 we had -35 in early February and 50 in late February.  85 degree swing in the same month.

[MNLonghornFUKM 8964]

This might be one of those times when we need separate threads for Texas Winter, and Other Winter.  For San Antonio, looks like next Wed. has a low of 35 and a high of 45.  But 70's before then, and a steady warmup after.
And still no rain.  "It's been a long hot winter, not a drop of rain."

It’s fun to engage while northerners laugh at Austin schools for closing after it drops to 31 degrees and it’s 50 by noon, meanwhile Texans laugh at northerners for being indoors once it reaches 91 during summer

[Guest Lobo]

4 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

If I had to wager, I'd be willing to bet that February has the biggest temp swings of any month in a lot of places.

In 2019 we had -35 in early February and 50 in late February.  85 degree swing in the same month.

Yeah, in Texas...that's certainly true.  November and February are fucking insane here.  Got up early to do some yardwork this morning and changed into short sleeves within 30 minutes.  Figured while I was up and at it, I'd disconnect the hoses and put the faucet covers back on for next week.  Felt weird as weird as my first time with South Austin's Mom.  

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

7 minutes ago, MNLonghornFUKM said:

It’s fun to engage while northerners laugh at Austin schools for closing after it drops to 31 degrees and it’s 50 by noon, meanwhile Texans laugh at northerners for being indoors once it reaches 91 during summer

You go inside at 91?

Fuck, I enjoy the heat.  As long as I don't have to be dressed up nice in it.  Buddy got married in August one year and it was actually 100.  I was an usher and had stand outside of the church greeting people in a fucking tux.

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

6 minutes ago, Lobo said:

Yeah, in Texas...that's certainly true.  November and February are fucking insane here.  Got up early to do some yardwork this morning and changed into short sleeves within 30 minutes.  Figured while I was up and at it, I'd disconnect the hoses and put the faucet covers back on for next week.  Felt weird as weird as my first time with South Austin's Mom.  

Those are generally wild months here, as well.  I've seen 80 degrees in November, and I've seen it hit zero in November.  Beautiful fall days, and brutal blizzards within a week or two of each other.  Similar to February.  There are times when February is basically spring, and times when it's the coldest month of the year.  You can't set your clock to anything in those months, other than chaos.

February is the more cruel mistress.  One of it's favorite games is to get a nice thaw going, and have all your snow melt.  Only to turn around in a couple of days and get buttfucked with 8" of snow and sub zero temps.

[Guest Lobo]

February was weird to me growing up.  Because technically the days were getting longer again, but it always seemed to be darker earlier than in December.  I dunno why.  

By the time I was 13 between Nov-Mar, I was at school before the sun came up and I was either at a job or a sport until well after the sun went down and that was typically Mon-Sat.  Only time I saw the sunlight outside for that middle chunk of the year was on Sundays.  But other than a handful of times where I was in real danger of the elements, I don't ever remember being cold.  But in Texas, It's fucking hot way too much of the time.  But as said upthread, you get older...you get used to it.  Actually you don't, you just stop giving a fuck.  My blood just never acclimated to the heat here.  But it's only annoying when you're dressed up.  And when you wanna hang out on the patio and have drinks at 10pm but it's still 95 degrees despite the sun having set 3 hours prior.  

[TexasHooch 5166]

55 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

You go inside at 91?

Fuck, I enjoy the heat.  As long as I don't have to be dressed up nice in it.  Buddy got married in August one year and it was actually 100.  I was an usher and had stand outside of the church greeting people in a fucking tux.

Yeah, I was going to let his comment slide because I think he's just throwing a bone, but no.  No one under the age of 65 up here changes their behavior over hot weather.  Do they bitch more about it?  Absolutely.  

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

3 minutes ago, TexasHooch said:

Yeah, I was going to let his comment slide because I think he's just throwing a bone, but no.  No one under the age of 65 up here changes their behavior over hot weather.  Do they bitch more about it?  Absolutely.  

Yeah, I make a point to not even bitch about it.  I think it's easier to warm yourself up than cool yourself down, but heat doesn't really prevent any activities the way that snow and cold do.

[Underdog 29106]

I don't miss the heat one bit and it gets a bit toasty up here in August, and funny thing is, it can feel a bit warm in the 60s with the sun out.  

[Hate 20232]

Yeah, I make a point to not even bitch about it.  I think it's easier to warm yourself up than cool yourself down, but heat doesn't really prevent any activities the way that snow and cold do.

I am exactly the opposite. I can always cool down, but I get cold and have to take a hot shower or jump in the spa to warm up. I pretty much hate the cold unless it is snowing, and that doesn’t happen very often here.

[phdhorn 6224]

On 1/31/2021 at 7:52 AM, phdhorn said:

Possible coldest weather of the season could drop down next Saturday.  More here if it happens.  Talkin' daytime highs maybe < freezing.

Yeah, I'll believe it when I see it, too.  But... models gonna model.

Edit:  Forecasts are split right now, many of them are going with highs in 60's next weekend, and these things are always a crapshoot until about 3 days out.  We'll see.

Update:  Biggie Ice Age front not happening this weekend; polar vortex broke down but most of the coldest air remaining far NE U.S. Our temps 60's.

However.. looks pretty clear now that about in a week (next Wed.) we'll get a cold shot with daytimes < 50°.  Mos Def winter.  Stay tuned.

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

10 minutes ago, Hate said:

I am exactly the opposite. I can always cool down, but I get cold and have to take a hot shower or jump in the spa to warm up. I pretty much hate the cold unless it is snowing, and that doesn’t happen very often here.

I was referring more to protecting yourself with clothes.  I have (layers of) clothing that can keep me comfortable well below 0.  North of 90, I'm going to sweat just being outside (unless I'm in a dry climate), and there's no clothing that can stop that.

That said, I'm the same way as you with core temp.  I'll sweat, and my internal temp will be fine.  It just makes me uncomfortable to be sweating in a quasi formal situation.  I don't really overheat in terms of being able to function.  If I'm not layered up for the cold, and I get too cold, I'll sit in the shower until the water heater is empty.

When I was a kid, we'd routinely be outside with not enough shit on, and the mid 90's were some of the coldest recorded winters on the northern plains.  I remember that my folks had a bitchin' water heater, and I'd sit in one shower for what seemed like an hour, and my brother would sit in the other shower, and we'd never run out of hot water.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Al_4_ISU

[Parliament 14564]

You go inside at 91?
Fuck, I enjoy the heat.  As long as I don't have to be dressed up nice in it.  Buddy got married in August one year and it was actually 100.  I was an usher and had stand outside of the church greeting people in a fucking tux.

I don't hate the heat, but my body sure does. Lotsa sweating.

[bolverk 30245]

Went for a breakfast taco run earlier this morning and noticed a green tinge along the bare branches of some trees in the neighborhood. I left my glasses at home and couldn't make them out precisely but am pretty sure those were the first green shoots of budding trees.

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

15 minutes ago, Parliament said:

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

You go inside at 91?
Fuck, I enjoy the heat.  As long as I don't have to be dressed up nice in it.  Buddy got married in August one year and it was actually 100.  I was an usher and had stand outside of the church greeting people in a fucking tux.

I don't hate the heat, but my body sure does. Lotsa sweating.

Yeah, I sweat my ass off.  But I like not having to jump cars, worry about freezing water lines, push snow, deal with shitty roads, and being able to do all the outdoor stuff I like.

Edited February 4, 2021 by Al_4_ISU

[MNLonghornFUKM 8964]

Yeah, I was going to let his comment slide because I think he's just throwing a bone, but no.  No one under the age of 65 up here changes their behavior over hot weather.  Do they bitch more about it?  Absolutely.  

No I don’t go in at 91. Maybe if the dew points in the 80s tho

[SimonBolivar 11039]

9 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Yeah, I sweat my ass off.  But I like not having to jump cars, worry about freezing water lines, push snow, deal with shitty roads, and being able to do all the outdoor stuff I like.

Next week sure is looking nice and fun for y'all. My wife has family in Ottumwa and her mother is thinking about driving up to visit family for a few days. Fuck that.

[Hate 20232]

It's trending to be very cold late next week.

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

Next week sure is looking nice and fun for y'all. My wife has family in Ottumwa and her mother is thinking about driving up to visit family for a few days. Fuck that.

I wouldn’t visit Ottumwa on a nice day

[SimonBolivar 11039]

Just now, Al_4_ISU said:

I wouldn’t visit Ottumwa on a nice day

Yeah there's a good reason they always visit us instead of the other way around.

[ABSR 5359]

10 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Yeah, I sweat my ass off.  But I like not having to jump cars, worry about freezing water lines, push snow, deal with shitty roads, and being able to do all the outdoor stuff I like.

As I tell people, I have never had to shovel heat out of my driveway.  With shade and a light breeze I like most heat.  If too hot I either  get in the pool or go inside to sit in air conditioning.

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

Yeah there's a good reason they always visit us instead of the other way around.

I’m an unapologetic Iowa homer, but that town is a fucking dump

[Willfully Horn 8205]

16 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

 

In 2019 we had -35 in early February and 50 in late February.  85 degree swing in the same month.

On Feb. 10, 1981, the low temperature in Dalhart dipped to -3 degrees. On the same day, more than 860 miles to the south, the high temperature in Brownsville reached a balmy 90 degrees — a difference of 93 degrees between the two cities.

February. 

[phdhorn 6224]

Week from today, polar vortex effect.  When this happens, the majority of the time, the air starts down towards us but Coriolis Effect spins big cold air invasions SE so they most often end up only impacting E/NE U.S.  This means cool but not frigid days.  This happened like 5-6 years ago and we had several outbreaks, 1-2 really cold freezes at night (< 20°) and daytime highs in the 30's.  But most of our hits were glancing blows - the really cold air scooted off to our east and we only got a moderating warmer boundary, else our daytime highs would have easily been in the 20's.  We never really got the worst of it.

Next Thursday-Saturday, a vortex frigid mass is breaking off and heading towards us (Europe has had most of these so far this year).  Heading down the continent, at this point looks like a fairly decent hit, which means temps in 30's for us, overnight lows mid-20's.  Yes, this is going to be the coldest weather we've had in maybe 2-3 winters.

If it stays on course.  If not, more like daytime 40's, overnight lows high 20's.  In any event, it's gonna get cold.  How cold won't be clear for another 2-3 days.  Get stuff prepped (pipes, plants, animals).

Cold blast over by late next weekend.  More in a few days.  Till then, pretty nice 60's and 70's continue.

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

NM

Edited February 5, 2021 by Al_4_ISU
Delete

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

7 hours ago, Willfully Horn said:

On Feb. 10, 1981, the low temperature in Dalhart dipped to -3 degrees. On the same day, more than 860 miles to the south, the high temperature in Brownsville reached a balmy 90 degrees — a difference of 93 degrees between the two cities.

February. 

I realize there's a long god damn ways between Dalhart and Brownsville, but that's still crazy to see that difference in temperature in the same state on the same day.

Dalhart is actually (significantly) closer to Iowa than it is to Brownsville.

[Trey3216 15450]

2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I realize there's a long god damn ways between Dalhart and Brownsville, but that's still crazy to see that difference in temperature in the same state on the same day.

5-6 years ago, I drove up from Waco to Dallas for our family Christmas gathering on a Saturday. I left Waco at around 11am, and it was 81 degrees and muggy with a wicked 40mph south wind.  It was 78 in Dallas.  
 

At 7:00 that evening the cold front hit, and it went from 78 to 30 in about 90 minutes.  I drove home the next day and it was fucking 10 degrees.  Miserable shit.  

[Trey3216 15450]

4 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I realize there's a long god damn ways between Dalhart and Brownsville, but that's still crazy to see that difference in temperature in the same state on the same day.

Dalhart is actually (significantly) closer to Iowa than it is to Brownsville.

Yep.  El Paso is closer to Los Angeles than it is to Dallas.  

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

Just now, Trey3216 said:

Yep.  El Paso is closer to Los Angeles than it is to Dallas.  

That is a truly mind blowing geographical stat, but it doesn't surprise me either.

I'll never forget the first time I visited a buddy from college in Houston.  We left Des Moines around 5PM and drove through the night.  Sometime in the wee hours of the morning we crossed the Red River at Denison and were stoked that we were in Texas and therefore "almost there".

5 hours later...

[Trey3216 15450]

8 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

That is a truly mind blowing geographical stat, but it doesn't surprise me either.

I'll never forget the first time I visited a buddy from college in Houston.  We left Des Moines around 5PM and drove through the night.  Sometime in the wee hours of the morning we crossed the Red River at Denison and were stoked that we were in Texas and therefore "almost there".

5 hours later...

And I was actually incorrect, I meant San Diego not LA.   But the point remains.  
 

Another fun one about Dalhart: 

It’s closer to 6 other state capitols than it is to Austin.  

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

1 minute ago, Trey3216 said:

And I was actually incorrect, I meant San Diego not LA.   But the point remains.  
 

Another fun one about Dalhart: 

It’s closer to 6 other state capitols than it is to Austin.  

Let me guess:  Denver, OKC, Topeka, Santa Fe, and Cheyenne?

[Trey3216 15450]

2 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

Let me guess:  Denver, OKC, Topeka, Santa Fe, and Cheyenne?

and Lincoln.  

[Al_4_ISU 12612]

1 minute ago, Trey3216 said:

and Lincoln.  

You said 6, I see.  Math is hard.

[Spaulding Smails 1610]

22 hours ago, bolverk said:

Went for a breakfast taco run earlier this morning and noticed a green tinge along the bare branches of some trees in the neighborhood. I left my glasses at home and couldn't make them out precisely but am pretty sure those were the first green shoots of budding trees.

All my fruit trees have buds on them right now.  They gone next week, I'm afraid.  

[Biff Tannen 46063]

On 2/4/2021 at 8:11 AM, Lobo said:

It's going to touch damn near 90 degrees today in South Austin with the heat index.  And in less than a week, we'll have 4-5 days with overnight lows below freezing.  

This is fucked up. 

Welcome to February in Texas brah

[Post Oak 20551]

21 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

All my fruit trees have buds on them right now.  They gone next week, I'm afraid.  

What kind? Are you gonna be able to do anything to save them?

[Knoxtnhorn 6262]

There was a front that hit around 84/85 (Dallas area) in which I'll never forget.   I was playing basketball in my shorts and sweating.  That night it dropped into the low teens.  The main water pipe in our street blew, shooting water several feet in the air for a good chunk of time.  The street was under several inches of ice for a week.  Good times.

/csb

[clapclapclap 9000]

4 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

NM

I don't think Frankie forecasts that far west, but Santa Fe and Las Cruces look to be near normals next week.

[Pato del Muerto 53338]

It rarely gets to 91 here and when it does it’s bone dry and feels great, other than the sun feels really close so you get sunburnt quicker and heavier if you don’t take precautions. 
 

a few days ago it was in the low 50s. Now it looks like I’m making a grocery run tomorrow because next week is the first extended cold snap of the season. 
 

funny, Monday I have a job interview that would move us back to Austin. 
 

 

[Biff Tannen 46063]

4 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

It rarely gets to 91 here and when it does it’s bone dry and feels great, other than the sun feels really close so you get sunburnt quicker and heavier if you don’t take precautions. 
 

a few days ago it was in the low 50s. Now it looks like I’m making a grocery run tomorrow because next week is the first extended cold snap of the season. 
 

funny, Monday I have a job interview that would move us back to Austin. 
 

 

At least the air quality is good.

[Nueces River Rat 5753]

I’ve looked at some of the temps in the Arctic and NW territory and we need to be concerned.   Most of Texas south of Waco hasn’t had a pipe busting, prolonged freeze for awhile.   Maybe going back to the 80s when it got way down into the teens in the RGV and wiped out the citrus and many of the palm trees.   Some of the states all time records have been broken in February.   Take a look at the Freeze of 1899 when Galveston and Corpus Christ Bays had ice form. Not saying it will be anywhere close to that, but it could be something that damages your landscaping and a concern for exposed pipes. 

[Hate 20232]

Holy Shit.  The latest from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). 

[Pato del Muerto 53338]

12 minutes ago, Hate said:

Holy Shit.  The latest from the Climate Prediction Center (CPC). 

Wait all that shit on the northern west coast of British Columbia is ours too?

[Hate 20232]

That's where Juneau is.  Didn't Juneau that?

[Updawg 2378]

Wait all that shit on the northern west coast of British Columbia is ours too?

I think we bought Iceland as well. Or was it Greenland. One of those shitholes

[Willfully Horn 8205]

8 hours ago, Nueces River Rat said:

Take a look at the Freeze of 1899 when Galveston and Corpus Christ Bays had ice form. . 

It’s snowing on the bayou, they say it’s all in your mind

But the moccasins are treading ice and leaving strange designs

The Cajuns say the last time this happened they weren’t here.

Now Beaumont’s full of penguins, and I’m playing it by ear

-TVZ

[Spaulding Smails 1610]

22 hours ago, Post Oak said:

What kind? Are you gonna be able to do anything to save them?

Peach, plum and pear.  They're too big to cover.  My citrus trees are in pots, so I move them into the greenhouse for the winter.  Not much I can do other than let mother nature take her course.