Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: Dec. 28, 2025 - Jan. 3, 2026

feralferret

feralferret

Veteran Member
Hang on to your hats. Just a few days left in 2025.

Big swings in the weather starting today. Stay aware. Chances of everything from blizzards to severe thunderstorms depending on where you are. Expecting a high of 69 degrees today followed by a low of 15 degrees. Strong winds (see hats above) and a 54 degree temperature swing expected here Hope all will have a safe and productive week.
 
psychgirl

psychgirl

TB Fanatic
Weather here in central Indiana is gonna be crazy today, too! We’ve been in this weird damp warm spell for several days; already the temp is 58’ then after severe winds and rain this evening the temps are crashing to zero wind chill by tomorrow morning! Flash freezing with possible snow showers, and wind warnings are in effect from 8pm tonight to 8pm tomorrow night.
That’s why I never welcome winter “warm ups” because nastiness soon follows.

Local news (this very minute) is already talking about checking your car today and be prepared for weirdness
 
SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Good Morning!

It's raining this morning at 63 degrees. Our high today will be 78, and we might actually hit 80*. Tomorrow our high is to be 40 degrees. That's a huge swing. We'll probably be issued a high wind warning for tomorrow. It's going to be very windy, dropping the wind chill temps way down. Wednesday, temps back into the 50's.

Home fellowship this morning. I contribute it to the frontal system coming in for the reason I'm not feeling too well right now. No pain, I just feel bad. I hardly got any sleep last night, and I'm sure that has a lot to do with it, too. Nothing else planned for today.
 
patriotgal

patriotgal

Veteran Member
Warm today. All bets off for tomorrow.

Got home yesterday afternoon. Unloaded car and unpacked bags. Set up new ice machine. (Love it!) Kicked back in recliner when phone rings. Neighbor wants to know if we are home. Someone is riding a very quiet atv in our hayfield while running a spotlight and shooting. With the leaves off the trees the spotlight was easily visible from a distance. Caller says someone did the same thing a few nights ago but it was more than one person and they were loud, sounded drunk.

We heard shooting but whoever it was took off when our outside lights went on.

Neighbor called Sheriff's office. Deputy visited them and also called game and fish. Game and fish wanted to get into field but a downed tree made it impossible. Said there have been several reports of spotlighting in our area. We grabbed our good lights and took a long walk to hayfield. Ground is too dry and hard to view any tracks. Certainly got our exercise in.

Finally got to settle down. Making one hour drive to visit another DD. Great grands will be there so it will be fun. Back at work at 6:30 in am. Will set up heaters tonight and use fireplaces to warm house up. Furnace guys left everything in pieces so DH will be after them tomorrow to return and put it back together.

Snow predicted for weekend. Should be interesting.
 
D

Digger

Veteran Member
Good Sunday morning everyone.

Yesterday was a good day. I got everything on my list completed. The main thing was culling the 3 roosters that were in the grow out pen. I didn't want to have to deal with another pen in the freezing weather. I also didn't want to keep feeding them. I was going to cull my older rooster and keep 2 younger ones. But I kept the old one and one young one. The ones I culled were too aggressive with the hens. I tried 2 young ones and it was chaos all the time. I switch them out for a different young one and he is nice. I always keep 2 roosters so I added the old one back to the flock. A big racoon caught my other old one while they were free ranging. I don't know where that aggressive behavior came from, but I didn't want that in next years chicks. The hen house is peaceful now and it's a pleasant thing.

Friday we went to Hubbys specialist in Conway. While there we went to Sam's Club and got diapers for the great grands. Our granddaughter, her boyfriend, and the great grands go back to OK. I hope things work out for her and this young man. We all like him a lot.

Hubby is awake. Be back later.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Yes, a clipper system is coming in here: 30+ mph winds, rain changing to snow, and temperatures dropping to 12 or something nasty like that. I'm going to stay local and get in the rest of my steps (and check on two properties) as soon as I finish my coffee and then I'm in for the next two days. I'll stretch and do chair exercises inside tomorrow. On Tuesday the roads should be better, and I can go walk somewhere.

Wishing everyone a good day!
 
M

moldy

Has No Life - Lives on TB
DH had plow duty last night. I didn't sleep well. Very little snow, but lots of wind. It's chilly today, so I am being quiet and listing eBay items.

'Urgent' dental appointment tomorrow morning, and I need to have a couple discussions with various bosses that I am kinda dreading. To me, life feels like I am balancing on a giant ball. Most days it's easy, but some are wobbly, and some I feel like I'm gonna fall off. This last week has been really wobbly, and it hasn't quite stabilized yet.

Eating leftovers (yum) today and not really even thinking about cooking till new years.
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
Currently 10º/feels like -31º and wind steady at 25 mph gusting to 55 mph. Also snowing. Snow is light but wind is piling it up. DOT has recommended emergency travel only and be sure you have full emergency kit in vehicle. Even though I had offer of ride to church this morning, I stayed home and watched on U-tube. The older I get the less I want to deal with crappy weather. It looked like attendance was way down which could be weather or people still doing holiday stuff.

Did a big load of laundry and have it folded and put away. Haven't accomplished anything else. I have a friend who calls a lot, and I've started pacing from one end of the house to the other while on the phone. Getting in quite a few steps!! I still need to call my sister to see how her holiday went. Her d-i-l posted pictures of Christmas day with sister and rest of family, so I've got a pretty good idea she had a wonderful day.

My liberal sister posted a weird Christmas card on Facebook which I literally did not understand. I think some liberals are so blinded by their hate for Trump that they do not listen to any real news or at least refuse to believe anything that's not actively anti-Trump. I'm conservative but believe in looking at all viewpoints before deciding what I should believe.

I haven't shopped since the week before Thanksgiving and would like to soon, but with the holidays and crappy weather, I'm glad my pantry allows me to stay home. All I've spent for December is $2.99 for a half gallon of milk and a friend brought me a loaf of bread, and I gave her $2 for that. I love shelf stable milk and have some that needs used so I've been doing that. Typically, I'd be baking bread but no oven. I'm going to call repairman again tomorrow and if I don't hear back by noon, I'll call a different repairman. The second one charges an arm and leg, but I need the oven fixed. No matter what needs fixed the repairperson comes from another town so always a trip charge some of which are ridiculous. No choice so no point in stressing over it, just pay and be glad someone will drive here.
 
S

summerthyme

Administrator
_______________
Meemur said:
The winds are howling and the world outside is white. I'm going to go to bed in a few minutes and read. I didn't get a lot done today, either. I got side-tracked watching the blizzard and the odd pink that everything turned at sunset.
Click to expand...
That sounds like a excellent use of some time on a Sunday evening! Our world is truly amazing, and very few people ever notice even a tiny fraction of the beauty (and wonderful weirdness) God created. That "pink light" in a snowstorm is one of the ones worth slowing down for! Even those of us who live in the snowbelts only see those magical moments once or twice a winter!

Summerthyme
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Yep! The sun was at just the right angle and the clouds parted just enough.

Not my photo: from the People of Ames forum.

605335075_10224203644679210_3211660737685833664_n.jpg
 
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H

hd5574

Veteran Member
Siskiyoumom said:
I have been busy going through our flash lights, lanterns and head lamps. Changing batteries and tossing items ruined by crusty batteries. And packing up clothes that are too large on me now. Husband is watching the 49ers and a take and bake dinner is dinner. Yummy.
Click to expand...
I got tired of tossing things from rotten batteries some years back...I keep the batteries in a small ziploc bag...and the item in a larger zip lock with the batteries zip lock in there...the worst is I throw away the bag with the batteries...just keep one flashlight with batteries in it..easy to keep with just one..
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
Grandson called that he was stranded at I 35 truck stop at Williams I think. It's very good he didn't get stranded in his vehicle because he has never listened to my warning about having blankets and supplies in his car when traveling in winter. He bought a blanket at the truck stop to use while he spends the night sitting in a chair. I asked if he'd even checked the weather report before he left his mother's house and, of course, no he didn't. All afternoon the DOT has said only emergency travel and only if fully equipped with emergency supplies. Interstate is closed. This mess isn't supposed to end until around 9:00 a.m. I'm so thankful he was able to find shelter.

Snow is to be ending soon but the wind is the real problem and blowing snow that's already fallen. Ground blizzard, zero visibility.
 
D

Digger

Veteran Member
Yesterday was windy and warm, in the 70s. This morning it is 25*. We won't get out of the 30s today.

I had to fix the row cover on sons strawberries. The wind had blown it around in the middle. I put some more rocks, pine limbs, and concrete blocks on it. It seemed to be ok several hours later. I saw 3 strawberry blooms. The weather has the plants confused.

I worked in my garden some. I want to get my strawberries cleaned out and mulched. It's a slow go with my sciatica. It hurt a lot last night. I didn't sleep well because of it.

Today is the day to get the kids, so it's a long day for us. We have a couple of errands to run before picking them up.

Have a blessed day everyone.
 
AlaskaSue

AlaskaSue

North to the Future
I’ve lived here over 55 years now and have seen everything winter weather-wise (I thought), including many high wind days during the cold and dark. But this year takes the cake, the trophy and the gold ring. Week after week after week of very high winds in perfectly, beautifully clear, sub-zero weather. Very scanty snowfall but the winds just go on and on. We‘ve lost power, dealt with frozen pipes, and been close to being blown off the road in the Hay Flats. It’s roaring again since yesterday morning; steady winds at 50 mph with gusts to 70-85+ and the local airport recorded 100+ mph gusts. With sub-zero temps it’s no joke going out to the barn! But prior weeks were much worse with the wind speed and the temps.

I‘d almost say this beats all - but the worst would be to add an earthquake…and this is earthquake weather, lol! Supposed to slack off this afternoon, but more is stacking up to hit again. And here I am bundled up in my unheated room over an uninsulated, unheated garage. More hot tea, stat! ;)
 
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SouthernBreeze

SouthernBreeze

TB Fanatic
Our wood heater is cranked up and going strong this morning, after the temp hitting 78 degrees, yesterday. 32 right now with wind chill in the low 20's. Wind howled all night, and it's still rather breezy outside. 39 degrees for our high, today. 23, tonight. This is more normal for us this time of year. Sunny skies with no rain in our forecast, until Friday.

Didn't do much, yesterday, after home fellowship was over. We spent the afternoon watching soccer games. I'm feeling much better this morning.

I really feel for all of ya'll having to deal with so much snow. That's something we seldom get to do down here. It does happen, though. We're more likely to get ice storms.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
There's only around an inch of snow on the ground in my area, but it's the fluffy stuff and when that's combined with 45mph+ winds, it leads to whiteout (blizzard) conditions. I'm thankful for not much snow! I don't have to shovel, just sweep the porch and stairs at some point.

I'm glad that he made it to the rest stop, Anna. If he's got a decent phone, and no weather app, that would be a good addition to his collection. But I know what you mean: some drivers just get in their cars and drive wherever. They pay zero attention to conditions and won't even look at the Iowa 511 site, which shows current road and storm conditions at a glance. I guess that they will have to get stuck/towed before they learn.

Be careful out there, WanderLore! If it's like here, the wind chills are brutal.

Nope, I'm not venturing off the property today. This afternoon, I'll bundle up and do a quick inspection of the exterior, roof, and vents, plus maybe pick up some of the trash that's blown in, but that's the extent of it until it warms up tomorrow. From a quick glance of the local sites, it looks like a lot of places delayed opening several hours. It was still fairly windy up until about an hour ago.
 
kyrsyan

kyrsyan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
I am trying to figure out why my quiet voice is definitely not being quiet about getting a portable power unit and solar panel. It's kind of driving me nuts. I keep setting it aside. And it keeps tapping. I'm really debating. Because I really don't want a clue by four.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie
Warning you about an upcoming power failure maybe?

If it's not really in the budget, maybe think about what absolutely has to have power and get a solar cell? Example: charging a cell phone:

www.walmart.com

SOLPOWBEN 30000mAh Solar Power Bank Compatible for Iphone 17 Cell Phone 12W Portable Charger Power Bank for Outdoor Camping Hiking (Orange) - Walmart.com

Buy SOLPOWBEN 30000mAh Solar Power Bank Compatible for Iphone 17 Cell Phone 12W Portable Charger Power Bank for Outdoor Camping Hiking (Orange) at Walmart.com
www.walmart.com

I've had my eye on a Jackery, but it's not really in my budget right now, either.

www.walmart.com

Jackery Solar Generator 300, 288Wh Backup Lithium Battery with 1*Solar Panel SolarSaga 100W - Walmart.com

Buy Jackery Solar Generator 300, 288Wh Backup Lithium Battery with 1*Solar Panel SolarSaga 100W at Walmart.com
www.walmart.com
 
kyrsyan

kyrsyan

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Meemur said:
Warning you about an upcoming power failure maybe?

If it's not really in the budget, maybe think about what absolutely has to have power and get a solar cell? Example: charging a cell phone:
Click to expand...
I was looking at EcoFlow and Anker. Both have higher consumer ratings. And they are 65% off. I also asked both Dad and my brother who have been using and testing units in a variety of settings. Both nixed Jackery instantly.

For us, phone, son's movie phones and tablets, rechargeable batteries for different devices, and CPAP when the UPS supply dies. Additional bonus would be that I could take it if we have to evacuate, which I can't do with the UPS supplies. So I was looking at EcoFlow Delta 2 with panels and Anker Solix C1000 with panels.

And yeah, I was thinking about the possibility of upcoming power failure. This just will not let go. I've "set it down" three times now and it still just won't let go. And it's not just this. Extra rechargeable batteries as well, both NiMH and Li-ion. And that speaks to an extended power outage.
 
A

anna43

Veteran Member
Currently 12º/feels like -4º. Winds have dropped to 16 mph which in the country probably still means white outs but in town sunny and snow moving but not white outs. I went to the mailbox, and it was full of snow but no mail which I guess was a good thing. The back door of the garage does not fit and there is a drift inside from that. I didn't shovel it out. I did shovel the drift against the overhead door and scrape away the ice so hopefully the door will not freeze down. I keep telling myself only three more months of winter although we've had snow in May so maybe I'm being overly optimistic.

It irritates me that oblivious drivers go on the roads when warned against it causes others to risk their lives to rescue them. Also, people who do not dress appropriately for the weather. Dumb ... I've heard I go from my warm house to my warm car to my warm office, so I don't need to put on a coat/boots/gloves etc. I always ask them, what if your car breaks down or you have an accident or you get stuck in a snow drift? A friend who is an over the road trucker was stuck on the interstate due to a pile up in a weather event and ended up with several other people in his truck to stay warm. One was a realtor dressed in hose and heels with only a blazer, he was laughing at her especially after she had to get back out to go squat. Drivers whose cars were damaged or in the case of the realtor ran out of gas. Another winter prep, top off the gas tank.

When I was commuting 25 miles to work, I always put a sleeping bag, wool blanket, extra gloves and a small tote with candles, matches, tin, breakfast bars, large plastic bags and a coffee can with a roll of tp in the car. I put these items in the back seat not the trunk so accessible without getting out in the weather. Also, a collapsible shovel was included. Since I retired, I stay home when the roads are bad, but I do put a sleeping bag and blanket in just in case when I go to shop.

I'm really enjoying the SUN today ... from my living room. It is south facing and most pleasant on a winter day when it's sunny. I have a prism hanging in the window so have rainbows dancing around the room so enjoy that too. To me the rainbow is a promise from God not a symbol currently waved around to celebrate deviate behaviors.
 
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