2022-2023 Winter Weather Thread

[South Austin 52611]

Made it to my office at First and Congress just taking Lamar from Brentwood.  The drive was a breeze; roads were just wet with no ice.  Driving down Lamar it looked like power was out around the Central Market area and didn't see much on until I got south of MLK.  For now, I'm just enjoying a heated office and coffee.

Edited February 1, 2023 by South Austin

[Wally Pryor 5263]

9 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Update: We have one more batch of precip entering the ATX area now. This is going to last to around after lunch, then I think we'll be dry for another stretch. A bigger round of rain is coming in tonight but temps will rise. It's going to be a race <sigh>.

Edit: Trying to provide some hope:

This is the phd we know and love. 

 

[utee94 15863]

Just now, South Austin said:

Ha!  That's not far from my fiance's house.  The owners lost a finger or more in the Feb. 2021 ice storm. 

Yeah I think it's completely cut down now, sadly.

[crash_davis 23115]

[wood 11268]

8 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Same, but 10 years.  The summer sun is going to be brutal on the grass.  First world problems and all that

Yeah it could be worse for sure, like our neighbors across the street who just got a leak in their roof from a falling limb. 

[Pato del Muerto 52603]

3 minutes ago, wood said:

Done ...

 

Nice. I hope someone also reminds him that he was bitching about this being a nothingberder a day ago. 

[Homercles 10206]

9 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

giant wooden dildo with some delicate chainsaw work.  

[South Austin 52611]

Imma pimp slap the next asshole who posts a picture of that harpy.

[Mrs Whiggins 13050]

If you do end up heading out today @woohorn, wouldn't hurt to add a bag of kitty litter and small dig out shovel to the trunk as a just in case. We went off road traveling through Kansas in an ice storm once and those two items got us back on the road in a jiffy. With all the precipitation, the ground can put your tires in a rut pretty fast and like Mona Lisa Vito said, " The ’64 Skylark had a regular differential, which, anyone who’s been stuck in the mud in Alabama knows, you step on the gas, one tire spins, the other tire does nothing."

[crash_davis 23115]

someone, probably

[TexArcher 38069]

That's just not the face of someone whose underwear should have any trade value.

 

[dittohead 92]

Quick question (I know, no math/physics here)..

If we get the rain while temps are above freezing, does that help the trees relieve some of the ice weight?  Or does this add more weight to those trees as the rain "sticks" on the ice?

 

 

[BrickHorn 18285]

Voluntarily driving or walking outside in Austin right now is stupid. It’s practically raining tree limbs. Stay off the roads. 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11821]

3 minutes ago, dittohead said:

Quick question (I know, no math/physics here)..

If we get the rain while temps are above freezing, does that help the trees relieve some of the ice weight?  Or does this add more weight to those trees as the rain "sticks" on the ice?

 

 

I was wondering that too, if it gets above freezing going out and spraying the shit out of them with warm water from the hose to get some of the weight off...  

[phdhorn 6224]

1 minute ago, dittohead said:

Quick question (I know, no math/physics here)..

If we get the rain while temps are above freezing, does that help the trees relieve some of the ice weight?  Or does this add more weight to those trees as the rain "sticks" on the ice?

 

 

Not an easy answer, and temps are part of it, so the answer is...



If the temps are at or near freezing, and the rain is heavy, and the air aloft is warm (like our situation today), it can actually bring warm air down with it and melt the ice, because both the air and rain > 32°. If you've ever poured faucet water into a cup of ice and it melts, you get the idea.

However, if temps are lower and/or rain is not as heavy, it can be worse and add.

If it's pouring out, it doesn't necessarily mean more ice accumulation... only so much water can layer up in a given instant, the rest will run off to the ground. 

But I don't think heavy rain is a good thing right now. And it won't be - until in many areas tomorrow morning, when it's been above freezing for several hours. In that case, it'll help scrub the trees.

Seems like an eternity to get to about 12 hours from now, though...

 

[Al Bundy's Napoleon Hand 13587]

23 minutes ago, Deej said:

The neighbor's shitty tree just fell on my deck.

 

[JesusSweatDuck 17810]

17 minutes ago, Mrs Whiggins said:

If you do end up heading out today @woohorn, wouldn't hurt to add a bag of kitty litter and small dig out shovel to the trunk as a just in case. We went off road traveling through Kansas in an ice storm once and those two items got us back on the road in a jiffy. With all the precipitation, the ground can put your tires in a rut pretty fast and like Mona Lisa Vito said, " The ’64 Skylark had a regular differential, which, anyone who’s been stuck in the mud in Alabama knows, you step on the gas, one tire spins, the other tire does nothing."

Yep, also some blankets, gloves and other things to keep warm if shit really goes sideways and you're stuck on the side of the road waiting

[BrickHorn 18285]

9 minutes ago, phdhorn said:

Not an easy answer, and temps are part of it, so the answer is...



If the temps are at or near freezing, and the rain is heavy, and the air aloft is warm (like our situation today), it can actually bring warm air down with it and melt the ice, because both the air and rain > 32°. If you've ever poured faucet water into a cup of ice and it melts, you get the idea.

However, if temps are lower and/or rain is not as heavy, it can be worse and add.

If it's pouring out, it doesn't necessarily mean more ice accumulation... only so much water can layer up in a given instant, the rest will run off to the ground. 

But I don't think heavy rain is a good thing right now. And it won't be - until in many areas tomorrow morning, when it's been above freezing for several hours. In that case, it'll help scrub the trees.

Seems like an eternity to get to about 12 hours from now, though...

 

It will be a dynamic situation even with warmer air / water. When it first begins raining, the initial rain will add force to the tree limbs before the warmer water has had time to melt any of the accumulated ice. That will make matters worse until enough of the ice melts that the remaining ice + rain is less heavy than the initial ice accumulation. How long that takes depends on the amount of rain and the temperature. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by BrickHorn

[JesusSweatDuck 17810]

33 minutes ago, Deej said:

The neighbor's shitty tree just fell on my deck.

Bradford Pear? Those are trash trees

[Pato del Muerto 52603]

18 minutes ago, dittohead said:

Quick question (I know, no math/physics here)..

If we get the rain while temps are above freezing, does that help the trees relieve some of the ice weight?  Or does this add more weight to those trees as the rain "sticks" on the ice?

 

 

Depends on what temp the ice and rain are. Does the ice freeze the rain that lands on it, or does the rain thaw the ice it lands on?  Need more data.  Localized temps will equilibrate, will that equilibrium temp be above or below freezing?  Or if 32, could be either. But ice at 32 with an air temp above freezing should thaw quickly. 

Edited February 1, 2023 by Pato del Muerto

[phdhorn 6224]

2 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

It will be a dynamic situation even with warmer air / water. When it first begins raining, the initial rain will add force to the tree limbs before the warmer water has had time to melt any of the accumulated ice. That will make matters worse until enough of the ice melts that the remaining ice + rain is less heavy than the initial ice accumulation. How long that takes depends on the amount of rain and temperature. 

Pretty good explanation here. It could vary almost house to house, too. Not an easy call. I prefer no more rain period, or at least temps get warm enough to start melting the ice and making it soft. Then the rain could wash it right off.

[Stringer 1439]

I have three large oaks in my yard in 78731. I’ve lost a few branches but nothing major. There are a bunch that are sagging like a mother fucker though. We made it through 2021 without losing anything, so not sure why this one already seems worse.

I can definitely hear the melting ice coming down when I go out but not enough yet. Need a few more degrees.

[NoName 16407]

3 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Bradford Pear? Those are trash trees

i've never hated anything in my entire life as much as tree people in Texas hate Bradford Pear trees.

they are trash trees btw

Edited February 1, 2023 by NoName

[hookemATL 11902]

3 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Bradford Pear? Those are trash trees

I love their leaves in fall and the flowers in spring.  However they are weak and fall down all the fucking time.  Removed one in the backyard after half of it calved off for no reason.

[dittohead 92]

Thanks everyone.

Super large 0ak tree in Bee Cave (Falconhead) that survived 2021 and everything else before that.  It is sagging to say the least.. The golf course looks like a war zone out there with the trees snapping.

 

[DaysOff 7975]

It's getting better. Maybe Abbott should go for a jog.

[Pato del Muerto 52603]

4 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

I love their leaves in fall and the flowers in spring.  However they are weak and fall down all the fucking time.  Removed one in the backyard after half of it calved off for no reason.

Was it calving season?

[dcar00 14367]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

we already have one futureman, don't need another.

yeah, but we don't know "twitter storm chaser's" hot take on Dak yet.

[The Dog 44140]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

best cup of coffee you'll ever have.

we have one of those. first time I tried it I made a mess.

[JesusSweatDuck 17810]

14 minutes ago, hookemATL said:

I love their leaves in fall and the flowers in spring.  However they are weak and fall down all the fucking time.  Removed one in the backyard after half of it calved off for no reason.

That's how all Bradfords die.  Usually about 15 - 20 yrs after being planted they will split in half.  People love them because they grow quickly and give good shade, but they don't last

11 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

It's getting better. Maybe Abbott should go for a jog.

[Biff Tannen 45742]

Still steady rain in 78751. The only sound I hear with no power is the rain hitting the roof. Kinda nice. Kinda annoying. Cmon power!

[South Austin 52611]

13 minutes ago, DaysOff said:

It's getting better. Maybe Abbott should go for a jog.

They'll just piece him together and bring him back, like Darth Vader.

[atomheartbevo 89805]

So it’s misting/sleeting in our neighborhood.   Not sure if this is good or not, as the temp is around 30, but whatever is falling is light enough, it feels like it could cling to icy branches and lines.

Outage listings have dropped off a bit - some Are still being added, but not as fast as before.   

Edited February 1, 2023 by atomheartbevo

[Homercles 10206]

20 minutes ago, NoName said:

i've never hated anything in my entire life as much as tree people in Texas hate Bradford Pear trees.

they are trash trees btw

[South Austin 52611]

I live near the state health services department (whatever it's called) off North Loop, and never was a part of the rolling outages in Feb. 2021, so I'm hoping I'm in one of the grids that gets some priority in restoring power.  I don't even have gas for cooking or showering. 

[UTexasFight 9528]

57 minutes ago, Deej said:

The neighbor's shitty tree just fell on my deck.

This (hackberry) is my concern, dude…

 

[atomheartbevo 89805]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

I don't even have gas for cooking or showering. 

[utee94 15863]

Hackberries are almost as bad as The Derrell.

 

 

[TexArcher 38069]

It's calm in 78730...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too calm...............

 

[Blotto 23579]

34 minutes ago, JesusSweatDuck said:

Yep, also some blankets, gloves and other things to keep warm if shit really goes sideways and you're stuck on the side of the road waiting

Also something to read, perhaps a few of the old school classics (hustler, swank, black tail). And maybe an extra sock or two.

[Orange&White 5539]

29 minutes ago, dittohead said:

Thanks everyone.

Super large 0ak tree in Bee Cave (Falconhead) that survived 2021 and everything else before that.  It is sagging to say the least.. The golf course looks like a war zone out there with the trees snapping.

 

I shot an 84 there on Sunday so this hits close to home.

[Pato del Muerto 52603]

Maybe a half inch of ice on the party light line. 

[faps 808]

1 hour ago, crash_davis said:

someone, probably

Perhaps

[hornian 5223]

1 hour ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Someone with a Twitter acct should call that douchebag out and ask him to stfu. 

 

[boknowstecmo 216]

Power just came back on. Aaand it's gone. Ok, power is fluctuating in 51.

[atomheartbevo 89805]

 

[South Austin 52611]

Just now, atomheartbevo said:

Can't they just pour warm water on that?

[Pato del Muerto 52603]

1 minute ago, South Austin said:

Can't they just pour warm water on that?

Pee on it. 

[atomheartbevo 89805]

Holy fucking shit, tell me that you have not lived very long in Austin and/or have never dug in your yard without telling me you have not lived very long in Austin and/or have never dug in your yard.

Do people really believe we could just bury all of our power lines?

 

[zman13 180]

Number of houses without power continues to go up