2020-21 Winter weather; bring it on

[GhostOfTomJoad 9,308]

Nice day to add some layers

Weird bump on thumb. WNB.

[BrickTop 474]

I’ll say another thing there’s enough of a layer of ice on the roads that a 60k pound truck isn’t cracking it at all

[deadshank 24,651]

The morons are now out in my neighborhood.  Saw the first idgit blow down the street doing about 35 mph and then apply the brakes like during  normal dry conditions when she came up on the 4 way stop.  
 

She seemed genuinely surprised that she slid right through intersection.  
 

Thanks for participating in the Dipshit Winter Olympics!!

[Eastwood 4,394]

4 minutes ago, texhorn said:

So, can we all expect like $10k electric bills this month? Serious question.

I'm expecting around $500 to $600, maybe. I heated my hope for 86 hours in December. I've accumulated around 18 hours in the last two days alone, so far. But there's no way they'll charge people that. They would have to use disaster relief funds to make up the difference.

[Anastasis 23,394]

 

[Spaulding Smails 1,551]

Power went out in Dripping Springs at 2:30.  I went out and drained all the pool equipment.  Power came back on at 3:30.  I put all the plugs pack in, and started up the freeze mode on the pool.  Power went out again at 5:30.  I figured it was another rolling blackout.  Still no power at 6:30, so I went out to drain the equipment again.  Frozen solid.  Now the hot tub has a solid layer of ice, and the pool is icing up.  

No power since 5:30.  Down to 58 in the house.  At least we have a big fireplace in the living room and a cord of seasoned firewood outside.

Ran water in several faucets starting last night, but not all.  Two bathroom sinks on the north wall have no water.  I guess I should've run them all, but they were fine until the power went out.  

Chickens lost their heat lamps.  I tarped the coop and added extra hay yesterday.  They're huddled up, but I have to go change their water every six hours or so because it's frozen by then.

I'm anticipating lots of busted pipes and broken pool equipment.  Our entire state was woefully prepared for this type of weather.

[MadTrapper 150]

Friends of ours who live in new garden homes by Lakeline Station have no hot water. Nor do their neighbors. Builder installed tankless units on the outside of the homes (I'm guessing to eliminate venting issues). Apparently they didn't think that one all the way through.

One of the ball valves froze on our tankless unit. Can turn off the heater (unplug, turn off gas line) and cycle water through it after thawing the lines out with a hair dryer or something. The inside of those units have electric heaters that keep it the elements warm enough when not in use, but it's just the intake lines that need to be kept thawed if possible.

But yeah had a crash course last night and this morning in proper tankless maintenance in crazy cold weather.

[boknowstecmo 216]

How does ERCOT decide who gets the outages and who does not? I haven't lost power yet in '51 (though now that I've admitted this it'll happen any second now). I am pretty close to Dell Children's so maybe that's helping my luck? 

[Bigpoppapump 529]

2 minutes ago, boknowstecmo said:

How does ERCOT decide who gets the outages and who does not? I haven't lost power yet in '51 (though now that I've admitted this it'll happen any second now). I am pretty close to Dell Children's so maybe that's helping my luck? 

It was said last night it was randomized. So luck of the draw if you still have power.

[Captainant 27,464]

1 minute ago, boknowstecmo said:

How does ERCOT decide who gets the outages and who does not? I haven't lost power yet in '51 (though now that I've admitted this it'll happen any second now). I am pretty close to Dell Children's so maybe that's helping my luck? 

The local news I was watching explained it as just directing the transmitting station owners to reduce consumption by a certain amount, and it's on the downstream folks to decide who to turn off

[phdhorn 6,224]

The latest from Bee Cave mayor:

tl;dr:  We're fooked.  Everything sucks.  But hey, let's just make it to Thursday!
One other note:  apparently the water lines into the subdivision are freezing because they're buried "Texas deep." (I'm on a well so no issues, more or less).
(not sure there's anything else she could say, but her Jack Kevorchiak beside manner is a little rough)...
This note seems like something the President would write at some point in "The Latest Asteroid About To Take Out Earth" movie or sumpin'.

Anyway, words words things suck words words...:

[Red Five 40,665]

HEB is closed??

[Skipper 6,103]

3 minutes ago, Spaulding Smails said:

Power went out in Dripping Springs at 2:30.  I went out and drained all the pool equipment.  Power came back on at 3:30.  I put all the plugs pack in, and started up the freeze mode on the pool.  Power went out again at 5:30.  I figured it was another rolling blackout.  Still no power at 6:30, so I went out to drain the equipment again.  Frozen solid.  Now the hot tub has a solid layer of ice, and the pool is icing up.  

We haven't been hit with a blackout yet but I'm anticipating needing to do this.   Of course I have zero idea where the drains on the pool equipment are or what they look like as I've never dealt with it. About to start googling.

[CleverNickname 1,293]

53 minutes ago, GhostOfTomJoad said:

Friends of ours who live in new garden homes by Lakeline Station have no hot water. Nor do their neighbors. Builder installed tankless units on the outside of the homes (I'm guessing to eliminate venting issues). Apparently they didn't think that one all the way through.

Mother did remodel to tankless and this is second time it frozen up (78759, NW Hills). She is already saying she's going to add back the gas waterheater in the garage.

[Nicole44 22,027]

[Biff Tannen 45,496]

7 minutes ago, MadTrapper said:

One of the ball valves froze on our tankless unit. Can turn off the heater (unplug, turn off gas line) and cycle water through it after thawing the lines out with a hair dryer or something. The inside of those units have electric heaters that keep it the elements warm enough when not in use, but it's just the intake lines that need to be kept thawed if possible.

But yeah had a crash course last night and this morning in proper tankless maintenance in crazy cold weather.

I'm fairly worried about mine as well.  It's on a north facing wall, but it also is right next to the output for the gas fireplace, which has been running since yesterday.  So maybe that helps?  Still have hot water as of now.

[Dutch 4,465]

3 minutes ago, Red Five said:

HEB is closed??

It is a Monday after all.

[phdhorn 6,224]

1 minute ago, Red Five said:

HEB is closed??

Not everywhere, but in ATX and environs (including mine):
 

Austin and Central Texas stores

Monday: Closed

Wimberley & Dripping Springs

Monday: Closed

[Brisketexan 104,625]

How does ERCOT decide who gets the outages and who does not? I haven't lost power yet in '51 (though now that I've admitted this it'll happen any second now). I am pretty close to Dell Children's so maybe that's helping my luck? 

We’re on what I understand is a “higher priority” circuit due to a large assisted living facility nearby.

That hasn’t helped this time. They are offline, too.

My parents on the other side of Spicewood have power. So that’s good. And if the wife and boy need to spend the night there, they can. I’ll probably stay here, sleep by the fire, and do what I can to warm up pipes if power comes on.

[immamac 42,519]

Spoke with my insurance agent. They are expecting this to be super disastrous on claims especially for pools. 

[Gourmand 7,774]

We've been without power in my Round Rock neighborhood since 2am. No cell data service either, I am only able to power up my wifi with a power bank on its last drips of juice....

[South Austin 52,144]

3 minutes ago, immamac said:

Spoke with my insurance agent. They are expecting this to be super disastrous on claims especially for pools. 

It’s a good thing that insurance companies typically pay on claims.

[UT_OB1 2,200]

1 hour ago, jofus said:

One hot water supply froze, so I put the hair drier on it until I lost power again. Didn’t work.


While the power was off I cut a hole above the supply line and had the blow drier ready for round two.

 

Why do you have 10 lb dumbbells?  Toys for your kids?  

[HenryJames 65,890]

11 minutes ago, Red Five said:

HEB is closed??

[jofus 2,266]

Why do you have 10 lb dumbbells?  Toys for your kids?  

My wife uses them to strengthen her forearms

[WBT 20,422]

Live stream from galveston.  Crazy the snow made it all the way to the coast.

 

[TwiceHorn 31,283]

Well we lost internet. Cable is still going. 

[HornOnTheBayou 8,881]

10 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

We’re on what I understand is a “higher priority” circuit due to a large assisted living facility nearby.

That hasn’t helped this time. They are offline, too.

My parents on the other side of Spicewood have power. So that’s good. And if the wife and boy need to spend the night there, they can. I’ll probably stay here, sleep by the fire, and do what I can to warm up pipes if power comes on.

Warming up the pipes while the wife is gone is always a winning move. But it'll be tough to find material to help you without internet access.

[dimyh 1,874]

Power still out and I just saw somebody just drive down my street in a dune buggy. Its turning into a really strange remake of Mad Max Frozen Road.

 

[Dutch 4,465]

Gas and electric are rotating outages in McKinney.  Of course, not coordinated, so the gas is on when the electric is off (and vice versa), which makes heating less than ideal.  House at 54 degrees.  Wife as family in Celina that haven't any power or gas loss.  Her and my daughter may head that way if this continues.

[Telegraph_it 3,354]

16 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

We’re on what I understand is a “higher priority” circuit due to a large assisted living facility nearby.

That hasn’t helped this time. They are offline, too.

My parents on the other side of Spicewood have power. So that’s good. And if the wife and boy need to spend the night there, they can. I’ll probably stay here, sleep by the fire, and do what I can to warm up pipes if power comes on.

Same for me. I can count one time we lost power for longer then 15 minutes in the 5 years I’ve lived here. 
 

I always figured the assisted living around the corner helped. Not this time!

[FORTY NINE TO ZERO 2,630]

Team stream Bowing out.   Found a hotel nearby with heat and booked a room. Will shut off water once the 11 month old wakes up. 
my only fear is that if this falls through we are fucked. The hot water was the only thing providing heat. Not sure i can get it back on once off 

[Message Board User 12,389]

 

[Pato del Muerto 52,342]

26 minutes ago, Red Five said:

HEB is closed??

President’s day

[Brisketexan 104,625]

Team stream Bowing out.   Found a hotel nearby with heat and booked a room. Will shut off water once the 11 month old wakes up. 
my only fear is that if this falls through we are fucked. The hot water was the only thing providing heat. Not sure i can get it back on once off 

That’s my other concern. If I shut it off....no flow means it will freeze in the ground, and we won’t get it back for days....weeks if the city line breaks.

[clapclapclap 9,000]

28 minutes ago, Red Five said:

HEB is closed??

What about the Rundberg Fiesta?

[ztejas 43,266]

13 minutes ago, dimyh said:

Power still out and I just saw somebody just drive down my street in a dune buggy. Its turning into a really strange remake of Mad Max Frozen Road.

 

It does feel a bit apocalyptic.

[elfenix 34,171]

Gas heating is partly responsible for electric issues:

Also, gas pipes are starting to freeze

[HenryJames 65,890]

18 minutes ago, jofus said:

My wife uses them to strengthen her forearms

[Mango4 189]

Pretty crazy that this is how people lived all the time less than a century again
 
even crazier that people in the midwest do this shit multiple times a year, every year

My location in South Dakota has been relatively mild until the last week or so, but even then it’s just been cold. I don’t know the last day we’ve been above 0. There’s spots in Texas that have more snow than we do.

Stay safe down there guys.

[RPM 26,228]

I just want to let everyone know these are badass heaters.

I bought one 3 years ago for my wellhouse and it's still kicking ass and taking names at -1°.

 

[ztejas 43,266]

3 minutes ago, elfenix said:

Gas heating is partly responsible for electric issues:
 

 

Also, gas pipes are starting to freeze

 

 

 

 

 

Oh... it IS now an emergency situation? I thought everything was cool this morning when it was 7 degrees outside and the power had already been out for 7 hours and there was 8 inches of snow on the ground. 

Thanks for the notice - better change my evening plans I guess.

[irishtexan 11,445]

I heard that Austin may shut power off for everyone for a period of time around noon. That was 5 mins ago and my power is still on. Fingers crossed.

[irishtexan 11,445]

Oh, also, the Sprout at William Cannon and Manchaca is open. But i haven't seen ANYTHING else - even gas stations - open. I'm concerned because I only have one bottle of bourbon and half a bottle of both tequila and gin. I did get three bottles of wine at Sprout.

[Aqua Buddha 14,520]

38 minutes ago, immamac said:

Spoke with my insurance agent. They are expecting this to be super disastrous on claims especially for pools. 

Might want to check in on the "Are Pools Worth It" thread.....

[Bigpoppapump 529]

3 minutes ago, Aqua Buddha said:

Might want to check in on the "Are Pools Worth It" thread.....

Can't wait for the thread title edit.

[SquishMitten 10,401]

All good around my casa. Team No Drip. Wrapped with hand warmers. No loss of power yet either. Fingers crossed!

Anybody driven today? Really missing our nanny, but I don’t want her to die trying to get here

[South Austin 52,144]

I’ve seen a decent amount of cars on Burnet, and not just if the truck/SUV variety.

And I’ve still been spared the power outage.  I figure it’ll be my turn sometime today.

[hayden_horn 11,360]

9 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Oh, also, the Sprout at William Cannon and Manchaca is open. But i haven't seen ANYTHING else - even gas stations - open. I'm concerned because I only have one bottle of bourbon and half a bottle of both tequila and gin. I did get three bottles of wine at Sprout.

i hope our corner store is open tomorrow. we will run out of...ahem...supplies tomorrow if not.

[ztejas 43,266]

55 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

The latest from Bee Cave mayor:

tl;dr:  We're fooked.  Everything sucks.  But hey, let's just make it to Thursday!
One other note:  apparently the water lines into the subdivision are freezing because they're buried "Texas deep." (I'm on a well so no issues, more or less).
(not sure there's anything else she could say, but her Jack Kevorchiak beside manner is a little rough)...
This note seems like something the President would write at some point in "The Latest Asteroid About To Take Out Earth" movie or sumpin'.

Anyway, words words things suck words words...:

Thursday? The low on Thursday is 16. The low on Friday is 25. Saturday is the first day where it isn't forecasted to go below freezing at night. There will still be a shit ton of snow and ice on the ground well into Sunday I would think.