Prep Genrl Weekly Prep Thread: Jan 25-31, 2026

We have had sleet coming down for hours. I got up at 3:00 to clean off the Turkey pens. It was getting much to heavy and I was worried the kennel roof would collapse. It took about 45 minutes to clean off both pens. I was very glad to get back inside. The sleet has changed to all snow now. This has been quite a winter storm.

Stay safe and warm everyone.
 
Central Virginia
It is about 14 here..we started snowing around 9 or so last night...we have about 4 inches on the ground...it was in the teens all night so fine powdery snow....but it is now mixed with snow and sleet..then they say all sleet then freezing rain...
So far no problems...power is on and DSL is working and sat tv is fine..
Praying for all getting the thick ice...stay safe and warm...
Going back to bed...
 
Everything is white here…pretty sure it’s all sleet. I’m not going out yet to tell. I will need to go check on the chickens eventually but not yet. I heard Foghorn and Mickey, the roosters, crowing so they’re good. Foghorn chooses to sleep outside of the coop under the covered part of the run so if he’s good all is good. He’s a big ole Brahma so plenty of feathers. He has a coop that is big enough but he just won’t go in!
Mama broody is inside in the laundry room.. I brought her and her eggs in last night. I don’t want chicks right now but the eggs are pippin so…
Not planning on much this week except staying home.
If the weather doesn’t totally mess things up I’m getting a cyst removed Wednesday. It’s nothing dangerous or life threatening, no chance of cancer, just aggravating and I finally worked up the courage to go get it looked at. Doctor fear is real y’all. Anyway I’ll have to go into Charlotte but I can drive myself home so I’m praying this storm doesn’t totally shut things down for the week. At the same time I wouldn’t mind everything being shutdown. I’d love to hear the quiet of the world without the hustle and bustle you know?
 
This whole thing has turned into nothing but a rain event for us. We're good. Once it started raining yesterday, it hasn't stopped. Hard heavy rain, too. Thunder at times. Apparently, the below freezing line stayed above us by several miles. Ours stayed right at the freezing mark, but nothing is frozen. North Tupelo and the counties to the north of us are all snowed and iced in. Our power blinked off during the night just long enough to mess our clocks up.

High of 32 degrees with our low tonight of 14 degrees. Another forecast says 31 for our high and 11 degrees, tonight. The rain is supposed to stop sometime today. The temp outside right now is 31 degrees with heavy rain and thunder.
 
Six degrees and full sun here. There's a little snow here and there, but it looks like a March day from the window.

I wrote birthday cards and got those ready to mail (many seniors don't do eCards), baked a loaf of white bread and some meatloaf, and started a load of laundry. I'll check the furnace vent in a bit and go for a Sunday drive, plus get in some steps, maybe Walmart or the mall. I'll decide while I'm out.

There are people biking this morning. The trails are mostly clear (per local Facebook group), but it's far too cold for me!
 
We have nothing to do, today. I got the house cleaning done, all the laundry washed up, and a freezer meal thawed and ready for supper, tonight. I got all that done, before the icing was supposed to hit. Now, I have nothing to do. It's still raining hard outside at 31 degrees. Nothing is freezing. Cary will bring in more firewood, but that's about it.

We really dodged a bullet on this one. If all this rain had been ice, we would be buried by now.
 
It's sixteen degrees and we have the prettiest blanket of snow/sleet. It looks like about 6" to me. I'm going to get DH to measure it next time he goes out. We still have the lightest snow drifting down but the last of it should be over this afternoon unless something changes.

There's nothing on the trees or power lines but a dusting of snow...just enough to make a pretty picture. The problem is the road. It's paved and pretty heavily traveled but nobody has gone by that we know of this morning. Unless the forecast changes, our road is going to be in this condition for a few days. DH doesn't think an ambulance could make it out here. Praying everyone stays safe.

I feel beyond blessed to have all this beauty and power too after the forecast we had.
 
The rain has finally stopped, and the cold air is beginning to move in. All this water is going to freeze, but the roads should be ok, once they have time to dry. It's 27 where we are right now.

The north end of Tupelo and northward to the TN state line are all without power. Even our local TV station is without power. They should be running on generator power, but for some reason, they aren't.
 
SouthernBreeze said:
The rain has finally stopped, and the cold air is beginning to move in. All this water is going to freeze, but the roads should be ok, once they have time to dry. It's 27 where we are right now.

The north end of Tupelo and northward to the TN state line are all without power. Even our local TV station is without power. They should be running on generator power, but for some reason, they aren't.
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You and Cary must be living right. I feel so blessed to have come out of this with our electric intact. I was completely prepared to be without it. We have a system that works great when ours is down but I'm glad we didn't need it.

Edited to add...I think I've mentioned being happy about the electric a few times already lol.
 
Wildwood said:
You and Cary must be living right. I feel so blessed to have come out of this with our electric intact. I was completely prepared to be without it. We have a system that works great when ours is down but I sure am appreciating the electric today.
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LOL, I don't know about living right, but we were sure sending up a lot of prayers.

We have to stay prepared for our electricity to go out 24/7/365. It happens here year around. So far, we're good. North Tupelo is out, though.
 
SouthernBreeze said:
LOL, I don't know about living right, but we were sure sending up a lot of prayers.

We have to stay prepared for our electricity to go out 24/7/365. It happens here year around. So far, we're good. North Tupelo is out, though.
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It does here too but not as bad as it use to. Two major electric lines intersect at the corner of our property. Our house was on one line and the barn the other so we'd often have electric at the barn and not at the house. DH would carry the coffee pot down to the barn to make coffee. They redid all the lines here a few years ago so it's better.
 
It is cold here! It never got above 22 here at the house. Weather app said 30 but they lie! I’ve not been out on the roads nor will I be but I have seen a vehicle or two go up the road and at a good pace. They salted the main roads pretty good I think. Our road? Nope. Every time we’ve ever had a storm I’ve been able to watch people try to get on the main road from ours….not gonna happen going straight to main road. There’s just enough of a hill that you slide. If you go the back way you’ll be fine though.
Supposedly the next road is coming soon. Our co-op shows no outages in their service area so that’s good. Found a hole or two in my preps and those will be corrected as soon as I can be out and about. Might never need some of it but it will be nice to have it if we do.
 
Just got power back, it went out last night at 9:30 and with no running generator couldn't get online. We stayed warm with the two buddy heaters and the wood stove, although that was not burning all night, dh does not stay up to keep it going.

Now I've got to recharge things, at least half of my batter packs ran out of juice. Some held up better than others and the small Jackery ran out of juice, but the larger one got put in its place.

ETA: We've got snow on the ground and ice in the trees.
 
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Right now I have the unenviable task of disposing of emergency and hurricane preps and eating down the stores of shelf safe and preserved foods. My nightmare is being caught SHTF between finishing these tasks and reestablishing a home on the mainland with restocked preps. Sounds like a premise for one of Sara's or Kathy's stories.
 
nomifyle said:
Just got power back, it went out last night at 9:30 and with no running generator couldn't get online. We stayed warm with the two buddy heaters and the wood stove, although that was not burning all night, dh does not stay up to keep it going.

Now I've got to recharge things, at least half of my batter packs ran out of juice. Some held up better than others and the small Jackery ran out of juice, but the larger one got put in its place.
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It's good to know that you made it ok. I was a bit concerned.
 
We are about 20...everything still working...
Have heavy sleet mixed with freezing rain...may have just freezing rain soon..should end tonight
Nothing moving on the roads....not even sand trucks...unusual because the sand yard is down that direction...and we usually here them...
Local weather...said wind tomorrow and we could have power go down...may be some freezing on the lines..
 
8 degrees here, at least a foot of snow. It has just poured straight down most of the afternoon and they're calling for another 10-15 tonight. I helped the granddaughters with some sewing projects and stayed snug inside. Its going to be close to zero tonight, but thats manageable. Still no new lambs, thank God.

Summerthyme
 
10 degrees here and snowing. DH is out plowing for a bit. High tomorrow is over 40*, so I imagine it will be melted by the time I have to go to therapy. Trying to work on taxes. I did manage to design and send a brochure for my business to the printer (Canva) yesterday. It took me all day, but I was trying to learn something new - and computer stuff is always a challenge for me. Looks to be a somewhat 'normal' week. I can only hope!
 
We are spoiled with power outage experince, we've always had generators, but this time dh just could not be any of them to run, all three are dual fuel. I don't like sitting in the dark, never have which is why I've accumulated things to help with that.

Its been a years worth of time for things to get misplaced.
 
Watched church on U-tube this morning. Yesterday went well with the family but I had trouble sleeping last night and exhausted today. Two toddlers kept us hopping. Strange to have unrelated infants commanding the most attention at a family get together. One is grandson's girlfriend's and the other dd's boyfriend's grandson. Watching grandson with the little girl (age 2), I can see he will be a wonderful father. The little girl kept calling him daddy, but grandson insisted she call him by his name instead. Wise when this is not as yet a committed relationship with the mother and frankly grandson is not in a place in his life to make a commitment.

It's still cold here but daytime temps are supposed to be in the teens and 20's above zero this week. Below zero at night.

Nothing accomplished today although I still have hope I'll get dishes and therapy done.
 
Only got about four inches of snow total. Lights never flickered. We got out in the car and got what my wife was wanting, so the car is cleared off and I won't have to deal with that in the morning since I have a medical appointment at 11 AM. Road are fairly clear. Just a little snow packed. I hope they did a better job than usual clearing the parking lot at the Outpatient Clinic of the hospital.
 
SouthernBreeze said:
If ya'll get a chance, look over in the main weather thread and watch the video that Red Baron posted out of Oxford, MS. Post #723. That is what we barely dodged! I've experienced two ice storms like that.
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That is really close to DH's family. We had one like it 25 years ago. Our ice was a little thicker but the trees were a lot larger so it didn't bend them over as much as it broke them smooth off. With wooded areas all around us, we had to be very quiet when we went outside. If we even had a normal conversations, huge limbs would start crashing to the ground and a couple times the whole tree came crashing down...strangest thing I've ever seen.

That is exactly what several of us had a chance of getting. I don't need to tell you how relieved I was when we realized we weren't going to get that ice this time.
 
Years ago in the last house before this one we had a very large deck across the back of the house...just wooden planks with a rail..and stairs
We had a no power ice storm...at that house and all of a sudden ...we heard a gun shot...at least it sure sounded like a gun short....a few minutes later...there was another shot......we finally realized the the crack between each plank was cracking and making the noise.....it continued until each one had cracked...it was nerve wracking....
 
With the wind and heavy snow yesterday and last night, we have literal feet of snow.
Son will try to get tractor started to plow today. If that doesn't work, he'll get in truck and do the yard drive. Drive over everything to push down some paths.
Looks like another week of this off and on and then warming.
Got stove tended and having coffee. Looks like we all made it ok praise the Lord.
 
It's sunny and in the single digits here. It's supposed to warm up into the 20s tomorrow.

I've got to go do paying work in a bit, and I'll also find somewhere indoors to walk. I managed to make my step quota last week, but this week will be harder if the snow comes back.

At least it's the last week of January. About six more weeks of winter! I don't care what the groundhog says. I'm calling it, now!
 
Wildwood said:
That is really close to DH's family. We had one like it 25 years ago. Our ice was a little thicker but the trees were a lot larger so it didn't bend them over as much as it broke them smooth off. With wooded areas all around us, we had to be very quiet when we went outside. If we even had a normal conversations, huge limbs would start crashing to the ground and a couple times the whole tree came crashing down...strangest thing I've ever seen.

That is exactly what several of us had a chance of getting. I don't need to tell you how relieved I was when we realized we weren't going to get that ice this time.
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The last major ice storm we had in my area was back in 1993, IIRC. We had 37 huge tall pine trees in our yard. Every single one of those trees had the tops broke out of them, and limbs from other trees laying all over our property. We couldn't even get out the front door. It took us weeks to get all that cleaned up. After it was over, nothing but chainsaws could be heard all over the community. We lost power and water for a week. For entertainment, everyone in the community just took long walks up and down the road to check on neighbors and talk about the storm. It's all we could do. The following Spring, we had all the pines trees in our yard cut down. We still have a few right along our fence line.

Thing is, we missed all the ice, but we got up to snow this morning. It's only a light dusting, but that was absolutely not in our forecast from any source. 24 degrees for our high, today. 8 degrees, tonight.
 
Meemur said:
SB, we get "micro-climate" in my area. It might be clear on my street but dense fog down by the lake. The same can happen with snow. In any case, I'm glad that your power stayed on!
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With both the wood heater and wood stove going, we're staying toasty warm, have a way to cook, and plenty of potable water in the house. Now that the storm has passed us, I wouldn't be at all surprised if we lost power now that it's all over with. With our electricity being the way it is, it can go out on a clear day.
 
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