Third Day Of Snow - Noooooooooooooooo

[Genenut 8]

8 inchesof snow today, -30 degree f wind chills tonight .... I "love" winter in new england ... The drive this am at 5am was "challenging" and "exciting" ... tomorrows should be "chilly" ....

[Aegis 256]

I've seen birds sticking around longer during the cold and animals still scurrying in the snow due to migration and hibernation routines being screwed up, but this is the first time hearing about animals dying because of it. >.o Poor swans indeed.

 

Minus 30 is certainly unpleasant, but the real killer hits when you go around minus 40 Celsius and below, windchill or actual temperature alike. Those are the temperatures you really don't want to expose your skin to. I remembered a year when we had, along with lots of snow, so many weeks with minus 40-like temperatures that when it 'warmed' up to minus 20, I found it feeling warm in comparison while my father was out washing his car. :/

[chattius 2,519]

We had -16 celcius this night.

 

For swans in lakes, firefighters do training classes for this:

 

 

Myself I had only 3 cases of swans in 20 years. All 3 were swans who left not frozen parts of a lake and walked on frozen part to warm up. When unfolding wings to warm up in sunshine the water went down their body and the feet were frozen to the ice in seconds. More common are other water birds frozen to ground.

 

We don't have paid firefighters or paid animal rescue as in bigger towns. So volunteer firefighters are called in such cases here. Remove hornet nests, the famous cat in the tree, .... Swans are always watch for the wings, they can break an arm. On the other side, their wings are strong so approaching from behind and throwing a blanket does the trick, Not much risc to injure them. Bussards catched in a snow covered wire fence are more tricky, you can break their wings easily. most of the time it is best to cut a piece of the fence out and bring the whole piece inclusing the bird to a vet. Cormorants and herons with their flexible necks and sharp beaks: protect your eyes. I do a big helm mounted visor.

 

We do animal lessons with our youth department of volunteer firefighters each summer. At home we have a big collection of animals we care for till spring. hedgehogs, a Baumfalke(translates 'tree falcon' =Eurasian Hobby) with an injured (luckily not broken) wing, a Sperlingskauz(translates sparrow owl,/Eurasian_Pygmy-owl), ...

 

The Baumfalke will be ready to move to the water hose drying tower of fire department next week. Tower is big enough to learn flying again indoors and it can hunt living grasshoppers for training. The owl sadly has only a half wing left, probably a fox biting it. Phoned a falconer who will take it.

 

While looking at wiki I learned something:

 

Only german language makes a difference between Kauz (plump robust owls) and Eule (longer body owls), french make a difference in language between owls with and without ears, in english all is just owls.

Edited December 28, 2010 by chattius

[chattius 2,519]

Just got pre-warning orange for tomorrow and pre-warning red for friday on my phone from firefighter central. Warm rain clouds coming next days. Temperature should climb from -10 celcius to +10 in just a day. Living in germany's mid mountain range: the clouds will let go a lot of rain when climbing up to pass the mountains. So rain and melting snow may cause severe river flooding in valleys. Luckily home and work are close to hill tops, but I fear we will be called out to pump water from cellars of people from valleys at weekend.

 

Think I posted some weeks ago that this is what troubles me most at snow in my area: if it is ended suddenly by warm rain. Not so funny ending of winterbreaks for kids.

[cider_steve 26]

There is a video clip of the swans here :- swans in trouble.

 

A bit sad to start with, but at least they saved a lot of them.

 

Steve.

[chattius 2,519]

Nearly whole half metre snow melted in a single afternoon when temperature raised from freezing to 10celcius and heavy and warm rain. Our neighbour villages were lucky, just 8 cellars had to be pumped out. Luckily the flood waves at the river crossings didn't arrived together. so the first wave was already getting weaker when the second started. Our house is near top of hill mid in forest so we still have snow and even melting of the polar ice shouldn't affect us.

 

At my parents the Lahn was filling whole valley till first dam. So from normally being 5 metres broad it went to 230 metres. But no houses except one of a friend on a river island in this valley. The place is located river down from a river crossing with both rivers flooding.

 

The house of my friend is save for flood warning condition 3(=red) +2 metres. This night it was at red +0.80 centimetres at peak level. He lives in the house which is used to operate the river lock at this place.

 

Now Lahn river flood moves towards Rhine. And prediction is that people there are not so lucky, floods summing up.

Edited January 10, 2011 by chattius

[Aegis 256]

We finally got ourselves a real winter a few days ago with snow that isn't melting the next day (wow), though still nothing severe as others in terms of the amount in itself. On the other hand, it still doesn't stop people from getting into road accidents.

 

Oh, and I somehow managed to catch the flu along the way. >>;

[Knuckles 904]

got another 16-20 inches coming tomorrow (had 6-10" over last weekend too)

[cider_steve 26]

Just wind and rain here, but I will certainly not complain considering what is happening in Queensland, Australia. So very sad that lives are being lost.

[lujate 574]

Our predicted snow pretty much fizzled, and right now it is sunny with a wind chill of -8 (I think that is about -22 for those of you in the rest of the world).

[Knuckles 904]

I feel like a postman right now : Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail shall keep (Knuckles) from (his) appointed rounds

 

Got a blizzard going on outside my door but just got a call from my boss (who's home and can't get out (his driveway goes up a steep hill)) that a police department radio system is down. So now I got to travel 60 minutes each way to this place. This ought to be fun

[gogoblender 3,066]

U keep safe, and bring a shove, our cold spell here continues... -13 yesterady, nose hair icicles were all the rage

 

not mine of course

 

 

gogo

[Knuckles 904]

What a winter so far

 

already over 50 inches of snow (average is 42 inches for entire season) and have another storm coming in Tues/Wed that right now is forecast for 1-2 FEET. If you find any thread where I ever said winter was my favorite season - well I lied lol

[cider_steve 26]

What a winter so far

 

already over 50 inches of snow (average is 42 inches for entire season) and have another storm coming in Tues/Wed that right now is forecast for 1-2 FEET. If you find any thread where I ever said winter was my favorite season - well I lied lol

 

Hey there Knuckles mate, how goes it ?

 

I don't know whether you are in a small village or a big city. I was just thinking, in extreme weather like what you are experiencing, is someone looking out for the elderly and infirm ? They are always so vulnerable in times like that.

 

Steve.

[Knuckles 904]

At least as far as my neighborhood goes it's fairly small and over half the houses are summer-only residents. That said we have a higher than average senior population. Only have a couple people on my street and I'm always the one to call if something goes wrong. Plus I clear out their driveways as I'm the only one around with a snowblower and under the age of 60 lol.

 

If the snow wasn't enough, temps this weekend will be the coldest in 6 years

 

In fact I just went and bought some fairly expensive boots (battery operated heaters in them) as I got a lot of outside work coming up. Last week spent 3 days in a frozen swamp working on cable pullers and no matter what I tried I just could not keep my feet warm. I had to leave van running with heat on high and every 2 hours or so, jump in and warm up. I'll see if I can find a pic of the pullers

 

Here's the link for the boots

http://www.columbia....default,pd.html

[cider_steve 26]

At least as far as my neighborhood goes it's fairly small and over half the houses are summer-only residents. That said we have a higher than average senior population. Only have a couple people on my street and I'm always the one to call if something goes wrong. Plus I clear out their driveways as I'm the only one around with a snowblower and under the age of 60 lol.

 

If the snow wasn't enough, temps this weekend will be the coldest in 6 years

 

In fact I just went and bought some fairly expensive boots (battery operated heaters in them) as I got a lot of outside work coming up. Last week spent 3 days in a frozen swamp working on cable pullers and no matter what I tried I just could not keep my feet warm. I had to leave van running with heat on high and every 2 hours or so, jump in and warm up. I'll see if I can find a pic of the pullers

 

Here's the link for the boots

http://www.columbia....default,pd.html

 

That's a sweet pair of boots my friend, but my lord what a price ! I sure hope they do thier job and keep your toes nice and toasty.

 

You sound like a great neighbour, and I hope they appreciate your help.

 

Steve.

[Genenut 8]

Knuckles, I'd like to borrow those boots Monday at 5am when I have to go to work ..... the high monday for me is supposed to be a "balmy" 6 ... at 5am its probably going to be -15 or so ... and thats without the wind. I live in the shadow of Mt Washington, where some of the highest wind speeds on earth have been recorded... I really dont want to go to work monday *g* ...

[Knuckles 904]

yeah Monday should be fun...high of 12 here

[Genenut 8]

I checked the forecast... they down graded it ...2 is the predictd high monday... I think I need to move south. Even 100 miles more south would do it at this rate.

[Aegis 256]

Currently watching the snow falling outside, and expecting the temperatures to dip on Sunday with added windchill. Heard on the news as well that a senior went missing from his senior home, and given the fact that the windchill has made today's temperature feel like -12C, that's the worst timing to have someone run around in the cold.

[gogoblender 3,066]

Currently watching the snow falling outside, and expecting the temperatures to dip on Sunday with added windchill. Heard on the news as well that a senior went missing from his senior home, and given the fact that the windchill has made today's temperature feel like -12C, that's the worst timing to have someone run around in the cold.

 

 

News like that about Seniors always frightens me. We have a neighbor across the hall, 94 years old, and she still tries to get around as much as possible. Cold weather's her nemesis, and we're always so afraid of her falling.

 

Good thing is, today's montreal winter was Sunny, though cold. A brisk Saturday day.

 

 

gogo

[Aegis 256]

It was definitely concerning, given that the man was apparently gone for hours, and from what I heard, not in the best of health. My grandmother used to frighten us like that because she would refuse to sit still and wants to leave wherever she was at. In her early nineties, balance not as perfect, body more frail, yet still strong enough to walk, not a great combination.

[Knuckles 904]

Yesterday never got above 10F in the swamp. Was out there 9 hours and all I can say is WOW !

 

The boots kept my feet toasty all day My hands and face did not fare quite as well. Took about 10 minutes for the boots to warm up on max and after about an hour, I went to the medium setting. I could have gone to the lowest setting but wanted to see how long it would work on medium.

 

What a difference in productivity too. No running back to the van to warm up (or leaving van running to keep heat going). Stood in snow most of the day and it felt like a parking lot during the summer.

 

I was really worried they wouldn't work as advertised and had done several hours of research looking for reviews/comments. They do make a 'lighter' version of the boot, but too many negative reviews for it. But the ones I got were praised almost every time, and now I know why.

 

They are pricey but if you work in cold climates outside like I do, they are really worth it (so far)

[cider_steve 26]

Yesterday never got above 10F in the swamp. Was out there 9 hours and all I can say is WOW !

 

The boots kept my feet toasty all day My hands and face did not fare quite as well. Took about 10 minutes for the boots to warm up on max and after about an hour, I went to the medium setting. I could have gone to the lowest setting but wanted to see how long it would work on medium.

 

What a difference in productivity too. No running back to the van to warm up (or leaving van running to keep heat going). Stood in snow most of the day and it felt like a parking lot during the summer.

 

I was really worried they wouldn't work as advertised and had done several hours of research looking for reviews/comments. They do make a 'lighter' version of the boot, but too many negative reviews for it. But the ones I got were praised almost every time, and now I know why.

 

They are pricey but if you work in cold climates outside like I do, they are really worth it (so far)

 

In life you usually get what you pay for, and you got quality.

 

It's great that they keep your feet warm, that's important. The feet being so far away from the heart, it is difficult for the body to keep them warm.

 

Those boots being good quality should mean that you get some good years out of them too.

[Aegis 256]

The only lucky thing is that the snow is typically dealt with by the time I have to go out for work. I don't exactly have the greatest of footwear, though that gets countered by the fact that the vehicle warms me up real good.