PREP It is 21F near Austin, Tx today, and...

[phloydius]

It was forecast to be 26F this morning as the low, but it hit 21F as of 8am near Austin, Texas today. Colder coming... but all is well and good.

However, before anyone belittles the effects it has on the locals here, we all understand in areas up North get so much colder than that as a course of normality, and that it is colder up North.

I woke up to happiness this morning in my chicken coop:

My birds have a house they sleep in when it is cold, and it lets out into a protected area. I keep the door that lets out into the free roaming yard from the protected area closed during the rain or certain events require it. The protected area is just a wood frame covered with chicken wire with a plastic roof to keep out the rain and hawks. When it gets this cold & windy I staple-gun up some card board boxes to provide a wind break.​

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In the protected area, I use the deep-litter method for dealing with waste. One of the planned by products of that method is that the waste is composted on-site on the floor of the protected area.​

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When I went out this morning, I had left a couple of gallon jugs of water on the ground in the protected area. The temperature gauge outside the coop read 21F, and the one inside the protected area (at 4 foot off the ground) read 23F. The water bucket outside the coop had a thick frozen cap on it, but the gallon jugs on the ground inside the protected area did not have a hint of ice in them.​

Sometimes it is the small things that bring happiness to our lives. I hope everyone is having a blessed morning. I would love to hear about any happiness ongoing in your lives, even if it is the smallest of pleasures. And maybe it will help to spread some happiness...

 

[WalknTrot]

Even the cold can be beautiful. Sea smoke this morning on Lake Superior - Duluth (MN) canal harbor entrance.

Live cam.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k_sg8rhsgk

 

[TxGal]

Heck, I thought we were just an hour away from Austin. Family members reminded me we're actually about 2-3 hrs NE of Austin, depending on traffic. Either way, it's cold.

We're at 23 right now, and we aren't going to get warmer any time soon...4 days from now, I think is the forecast. Light freezing rain is forecasted to come in midday/overnight, but it's not supposed to be heavy. Fingers crossed. I'm trying to not have flashbacks to the big freeze of Feb 2021.

 

[Sherrynboo]

It's a balmy 43* here in the deep south heading up to around 60 this afternoon. I am taking advantage of the extra time before the cold hits here. Gotta run to Home Depot to get a heat bulb for my well so my pump doesn't freeze like it did on Christmas Day in 22. I will also add scratch grains to the chicken feed as the corn helps them stay warm. I feel for y'all already dealing with this!

 

[Countrymouse]

Even the cold can be beautiful. Sea smoke this morning on Lake Superior - Duluth (MN) canal harbor entrance.

Live cam.

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9k_sg8rhsgk

what are all the motor noises / roaring sounds I'm hearing on this video? Is there a highway or airport near the canal? Don't see any vessels moving in the video right now?

 

[WalknTrot]

what are all the motor noises / roaring sounds I'm hearing on this video? Is there a highway or airport near the canal? Don't see any vessels moving in the video right now?

It's vehicle traffic on the lift bridge over the canal. It has a funky, noisy, metal grid deck. Duluth icon.

 

[Capt. Eddie]

It was -21 at 0800 in western Iowa when I got awoken to "make the furnace work". Fortunately it was just ice in the air intake (a usual problem when you hit 20+ below). By passed it slightly to give the reed switch a little bit of inside air to supliment the outside air. I'll go put a heat gun on the intake once it warms up to -12 this afternoon. Ah, winter in the northern great plains.

 

[Mercury3]

Zero was our high yesterday here in Broomfield Colorado. Low was -7. I think tonight is forecast to go down to -11.

Staying inside but the dang heater seems to run continuously trying to keep up with it. Hate to see my next energy bill.

 

[Elza]

North Texas is at 13 degrees. It's come up all of one degree since this morning.

 

[Blacknarwhal]

Zero was our high yesterday here in Broomfield Colorado. Low was -7. I think tonight is forecast to go down to -11.

Staying inside but the dang heater seems to run continuously trying to keep up with it. Hate to see my next energy bill.

Likewise in SW lower MI. But we're cheery out here; by a week from Thursday it's supposed to be back in the 40s! It'll feel like winter for a while, but not for long.

 

[Hognutz]

 

[medic38572]

View attachment 455804

Avista Electric posted something similar yesterday. It is always this way in the wintertime. Meanwhile, people are throwing a fit because it is minus 20s and 30s and they never ever spend money on infrastructure, and it happens every year. The city planners are allowing the building to go unchecked adding thousands and thousands of customers every year. Me, the power goes out it goes out. Will deal with it when it happens.

 

[SlipperySlope]

At least Dennis won't be hot on top of all his other problems! Just don't get any snow or ice.

 

[Intestinal Fortitude]

soon the mastodons will freeze!

 

[Yogizorch]

Gee, it's 69 here way out in west Texas. I watched that cold front advance on YouTube but I don't think it'll reach us.
Have some hot tea and soup and think warm thoughts.

 

[SSTemplar]

11 degrees here in Anna Texas( north ) with light snow.

 

[BUZZ]

It was 2 degrees when I left for work at 3:30 this morning , it is now 13 degrees .35 miles N.E. of Amarillo . And as expected everything is frozen and uncooperative hear at work .

 

[medic38572]

Good news it is 5 degrees now and the sun came out!

 

[SusieSunshine]

We are under hard freeze warning through Wednesday. I'm about an hour south of Austin.

 

[Firebird]

Beautiful, sunny, crystal blue skies and 62° here in Florida! I thoroughly enjoyed being outside. Next few days we will be in the 20's

 

[AddisonRose]

13 in Dallas.

 

[Old Greek]

9 by A.M. - north of Pittsburgh, Pa.

 

[gizbe]

The last 3 days I drove an hour to and from work with temps hitting -40 C which is also 40 below F. I want to come visit the southern states in a year or two just to escape these kind of days. I’m in Saskatchewan.

 

[Ozarkian]

8 for a high today and forecasted low of 4 tonight. It's been snowing most of the day.

 

[TxGal]

20 right now, going to a low in the low teens...wouldn't be surprised to see single digits. We now have some goo coming down from the sky...either light freezing rain or tiny snow bits. Wind still going strong. This is people and livestock killing, pipe bursting weather. Praying the grid holds.

 

[Signwatcher]

6 degrees right now in central lower MI.

 

[West]

Let it snow, let it snow.....

It's good for business.......,

Really to all...keep warm, and have a secondary and another plan to stay warm this season and every season.

Best to all!

 

[et2]

1 degree in SE lower MI. Dropped 9 degrees in 2 hours.

 

[AlaskaSue]

We warmed up a whole lot here in Wasilla. A few days ago was minus 22. Today a few more inches of the white stuff was added to the many feet that have fallen since early October…but, lovely day - at a nice warm 21 degrees.

Perspective is everything.

But having spent time in Texas I quite know that my 21 is not your 21. Time for flannels and flapjacks!

 

[Hermantribe]

We’re freezing here in So Cal! 50 degrees! I wasn’t sure the temperature could legally get down that low here.

ok, I think I ”rubbed it in” enough ;-)

 

[donstoy]

-5 in sw lower mi ,berrien co.right now

 

[jward]

However, before anyone belittles the effects it has on the locals here, we all understand in areas up North get so much colder than that as a course of normality, and that it is colder up North.

Aw. Ignore the snarkistas- someday they'll learn nothing is more tiresome than vapid banality, and the automatic seal clapping will stop encouraging them. Or so we can hope.

Awesome job with your Chick system! I'd just got my compositing on site deep litter make the gals work o'er the winter system in place and some f'nn predator found an opening. Unfortunately I never IDed the menace, and my shoulders still too banged up to take care o' em the way they shoulda been, even had I found out if it was hawk or cayote/wolf/cat
:: sad eyes blinkin :: anyway, so my few survivors have moved themselves into the bucks barn, where I still have to hand deliver water daily+

Was 12 below here at 5am, when I couldn't stand snowaggedon one moment longer and snuck outta the house and into the office, which is somewhat similar to your situation in that it's a relative drop from what is normal and thus a definite pita to work around.

 

[SusieSunshine]

20 right now, going to a low in the low teens...wouldn't be surprised to see single digits. We now have some goo coming down from the sky...either light freezing rain or tiny snow bits. Wind still going strong. This is people and livestock killing, pipe bursting weather. Praying the grid holds.

I just got an alert from Ercot.
Conservation from 6 a.m. till 10 a.m for Monday and Tuesday.

 

[Elza]

11 degrees here in Anna Texas( north ) with light snow.

You and I are neighbors (Windom).

 

[thompson]

I just got an alert from Ercot.
Conservation from 6 a.m. till 10 a.m for Monday and Tuesday.

ERCOT expects tight grid conditions, requests conservation Monday morning

ERCOT is asking Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, Monday, January 15, from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. CT.

www.kbtx.com

ERCOT expects tight grid conditions, requests conservation Monday morning

By Katherine Griffith
Published: Jan. 14, 2024 at 5:56 PM CST|Updated: 5 hours ago

AUSTIN, Texas (KBTX) - The following news release has been shared by the ERCOT:

Due to continued freezing temperatures, very high demand, and unseasonably low wind, operating reserves are expected to be low during the morning hours of Monday, January 15, prior to the solar ramp up. As a result, ERCOT is asking Texans to conserve electricity use, if safe to do so, Monday, January 15, from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. CT. ERCOT is expecting similar conditions on Tuesday, January 16, and will continue to closely monitor conditions and keep the public informed through our communication channels.

Tomorrow’s conservation appeal does not indicate ERCOT is experiencing emergency conditions at this time. ERCOT will remain vigilant and communicate further if conditions change because of continued freezing temperatures and very high demand in the morning hours. At this time, if you are experiencing an outage, it is local in nature and not related to overall grid reliability. Please check with your local electric provider for more information.

Conservation is a widely used industry tool that can help lower demand for a specific period of peak demand time, which is typically during the morning hours in winter.

ERCOT is requesting all government agencies (including city and county offices) to implement all programs to reduce energy use at their facilities until at least 10am tomorrow.

ERCOT continues to use additional tools to manage the grid reliably, including using reserve power, calling upon reductions by large electric customers that have volunteered to lower their energy use, and bringing more generation online sooner. ERCOT is also working with out-of-state Independent System Operators (ISOs) and Market Participants to obtain additional power generation capacity, if available. ERCOT has obtained Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) enforcement discretion, which allows a generator to extend its service/run-time/operations to help meet demand, if needed, and maintain grid reliability.

Energy-saving tips can be found on the TXANS webpage at ercot.com/txans.

Why the Request to Reduce Usage?

• Weather. Most of Texas is seeing extremely cold temperatures for an extended period of time.
• Demand. Texas is experiencing record breaking demand due to the cold weather.
• Solar. Solar generation isn’t available in the early morning hours, which is a peak demand time during winter, and slowly ramps up as the sun rises.
• Wind. Wind generation is forecasted to be lower than seasonally expected in the early morning hours.

Peak Demand

• In 2023, January peak demand reached 65,632 MW, with the current all-time peak demand record of 85,508 MW set on August 10, 2023. The all-time winter peak demand record of 74,525 MW was set December 23, 2022, in the 7-8 a.m. hour during Winter Storm Elliott.

Consumer Assistance

• Public Utility Commission of Texas Hotline: 1-888-782-8477

Stay Updated

• Sign up for TXANS notifications on the TXANS webpage.
• Download the ERCOT Mobile App for additional notifications: iOS | Android.
• Monitor real-time and extended conditions at ercot.com.
• Subscribe to ERCOT Emergency Alerts, which are not sent through TXANS notifications.
• Follow ERCOT on Twitter (@ERCOT_ISO), Facebook (Electric Reliability Council of Texas), and LinkedIn (ERCOT).

 

[ShyGirl]

Today in Holland Michigan: Very cold, snow up to my arm pits, 5 more inches expected today, and more lake effect snow the rest of the week. Come spring, someone please remember to dig me out.

 

[Papacub]

Here in Conroe, TX it's 25 degrees and a light mist. High today of 32 deg and low Tuesday morn of 16 deg.

 

[Elza]

Nine degrees and a layer of ice this morning. High of 23 predicted. Not supposed to get above freezing until Wed. I won't be driving for a few days. Thank God for a well stocked pantry. At least we'll be able to eat!

 

[Firebird]

Sitting outside now watching the birds on the feeders, 67° and beautiful sunny skies! But in 2 days we will get hit with the cold

 

[ShyGirl]

Got another 6 inches today and it is really cold. More snow and cold on the way. That's not a snowman, it's me!