General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA major snow storm moving into in the east coast!
Hoping everyone will make it thru without a lot of issues! They are calling for a possibility of 3 plus feet of snow and high winds!
JustAnotherGen
(31,781 posts)Thanks for the heads up.
Warpy
(111,169 posts)I guess they don't want you to call in sick during a blizzard. Gotta keep business running!
I hope it fizzles, that it stays close enough to the coast to be rain or far enough out to be wind. I don't live there any more, but I remember Boston blizzards all too well.
ETA: Looks like the storm is in western Oklahoma now. NM got nothing but clouds this time.
brooklynite
(94,362 posts)SUMMARY
Temperatures return to more seasonable levels today with increasing cloud cover through the course of the day. Temperatures will be in the lower to mid-30s.
A few flurries are possible tonight with passage of a cold front. Breezy, dry, and cold weather is expected Thursday through Friday with temperatures several degrees below seasonable.
The potential for a significant winter storm continues for Friday night into Saturday night.
Currently there is moderate potential for 6.0 inches or more and a low potential of 12.0 inches or more. In addition to heavy snowfall, the potential exists for high winds and coastal flooding. The National Weather Service continues to monitor the possibility of a significant winter storm.
PRECIPITATION/TIMING
No significant precipitation is expected between today and midday Friday; however, there is an increasing potential for a significant winter storm this weekend
Uncertainty remains as to exact timing and accumulation totals for this storm.
This is expected to be an all snow event beginning Friday night through early Sunday.
Accumulation totals may range from approximately 6 inches to over a foot of heavy, wet snow.
Fantastic Anarchist
(7,309 posts)... do I get to go home from work???
Yes, I'm asking the serious questions.
Atman
(31,464 posts)We'll get some snow, but not expected to be much. Most of it will be in the mid-Atlantic states. The mountains will be crazy because we've had very little snow this winter. All the city folk will come up to ski and it will be a nightmare. So I'm going snowboarding tomorrow, let the snow fall over the weekend, them head up to Vermont during the week when the weekend warriors are gone.
Be safe out there!
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)redwitch
(14,941 posts)I just hate driving in it. I really, really do.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)so .... stay home and play with teh cat
redwitch
(14,941 posts)Ugh. Came within a hair of smashing into a guardrail. I was absolutely terrified!
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)I'm glad you made off the mountain safely.
redwitch
(14,941 posts)It was beautiful last Tuesday as well but I was too scared to really see it once I started sliding. My new to me car has a great feature though! When you lose control of it and start sliding it beeps really loud and fast just to add to the thrill! It also has a little orange car with orange skid marks that flashes. I didn't notice that until I was almost in my driveway and only slid a little bit so I actually noticed it.
MiniMe
(21,709 posts)imanamerican63
(13,744 posts)MiniMe
(21,709 posts)And their momma.Hoping we don't lose power
leftyladyfrommo
(18,866 posts)You shouldn't lose your hot water if it's gas.
MiniMe
(21,709 posts)And a woodburning stove. 18-24+ inches expected
leftyladyfrommo
(18,866 posts)That should help. Everybody stay in one room.
ProudToBeBlueInRhody
(16,399 posts)Look, I live in New England. We know about it. It will be four feet by tonight.
catnhatnh
(8,976 posts)Those Southern bastards down in Connecticut are going to catch it now!!!
(Connecticut native who moved to New Hampshire decades ago)
Waldorf
(654 posts)forecast range.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)They have already said we may experience loss of power. My neighbor tells me if the snow is wet, that increases the chances. If a huge volume of people lose power, it will take PEPCO weeks to restore all its customers.
I do not have an alternative source of heat. I used to have a huge Kerosene heater. I bought it new for emergencies but never used it in like 10 years. The thing was too heavy for me to move, so I gave it away. I have been looking at alternative sources the last three days, and finally decided to try to get a smaller kerosene heater, one I could have no problem working with. (I am 5'1" tall and weight about 110 pounds. I can't move a lot of heavy-duty stuff.) I was told I had to fill the heater outside before bringing into my home. So I am having a difficult time figuring out how I can do that, not to mention no store I have contacted can sell me one before January 25th.
I also do not know if a kerosene heater can sit on carpeting. The whole upstairs is carpeted except for the kitchen and the bathroom. I also have a furnished apartment downstairs which is rented out, so I need to worry about finding heat for the renter as well.
I am not so worried about myself, but I have a blind dog almost 14 years old, and still have 4 of Nikita's kids. I cannot leave them. I have been offered places to stay, but my animals cannot go. Really, I can't imagine leaving this house and not taking them with me.
So if you have any ideas, please shoot them my way.
Thanks.
Sam
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)If electric goes out. Turns gas oven on.
Edit- my friends and I have used kerosene to heat in garages and studios. It's safe provided you read up on all safety procedures, like getting a carbon monoxide alarm.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)I believe the upstairs stove has electronic ignition, but I keep the Roper because it does not.
Sam
KittyWampus
(55,894 posts)as long as you have a carbon monoxide alarm and crack a window or open a door every so often. Just don't close it into a sealed room.
And you don't have to fuel it outside. Not if you are careful filling it.
If you are worried about spillage, go to Home Depot and look for a sheet of something like concrete board to put under it.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)Smoke alarm downstairs needed new battery. Fixed that one, and one by one are checking others.
Sam
PS Actually, I was not worried about spillage; a safety person told not to have anything around it for 36 inches that catch on fire. That is when I started wondering about the carpeting. When I had the one before, it sat downstairs on vinyl flooring....
FSogol
(45,452 posts)and cannot tip over.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)As you might have picked up, I obviously don't know what I am doing regarding kerosene heaters, but here is the good news.
I JUST GOT ONE, PAID FOR IT OVER THE PHONE, AND THEY ARE HOLDING IT FOR ME TO PICK UP TOMORROW A.M.
So if anyone else has anything they would like to volunteer, I am all ears. I am going to have to put it upstairs and I do not think I can set it on carpet, is that correct? The bath and the kitchen are the only things without carpet.
You guys are great.
Sam
FSogol
(45,452 posts)Asking the guys at the store is a good idea too.
A 2 foot x 2 foot piece of cement board (used for tile backing) would make an excellent base too. Most hardware stores would have that.
Response to Samantha (Reply #25)
LiberalArkie This message was self-deleted by its author.
sweetapogee
(1,168 posts)Couple of things:
- find out now which gas stations sell K-1, even in rural PA, only a few stations sell it
- You must have a Blue Kero can to buy/transport it.
- In PA if you buy more than 10 gallons at a time you must present ID and they will log the transaction.
- Kerosene stinks. You can buy scented kero at Home Depot/Lowes but it is expensive
-Kerosene heaters require assembly
-Using Kerosene puts a lot of moisture in the air (room)
-You must have some sort of siphon to transfer the kerosene from the Blue storage container to the heater unless the heater you have has a detachable fuel tank.
-Kerosene costs more than gasoline
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)Though in my experience with kerosene as a backup heat for power outage, you'll cut it off after a few hours anyway. A heater running for an entire day will have the house at 80F+.
imanamerican63
(13,744 posts)Samantha
(9,314 posts)So whatever I am going to do, I need to line up quickly. A lot of stuff is already sold out, but I am getting ready to call Lowe's to see if they have perhaps one of these heaters or will be getting more in soon. Worth a shot I guess. I already checked REI for camper stoves, but they don't seem to have any. I know this would have to be well ventilated.
And thanks for saying a prayer for me.
Sam
Heeeeers Johnny
(423 posts)http://www.kerosene-wicks.com/Kerosene-Heater-Safety.htm
Even with those safety tips, using a kerosene heater indoors in a residential dwelling
might be illegal in your community (check with the local FD).
Samantha
(9,314 posts)I am only going to use the kerosene heater for emergency situations such as this big storm. So while there is a chance it might be illegal, I don't have much choice about to do with this storm. And believe it or not, I already have talked with someone who was a Federal firefighter for 20 years, and he is going to continue to coach me tonight.
You guys are so great.
Sam
Samantha
(9,314 posts)the kerosene. Any thoughts on that subject?
My dog Cheyenne also has terrible allergies, and I don't know if it will bother her either.
I hope I get some answers on this. I got the K-1 kerosene which seems highly recommended over gas station kerosene....
Sam
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)I've used a lowes 24,000 BTU heater for emergency heat after a winter storm. I think the pets will be fine.
Ideal combustion of Kerosene produces only water vapor and CO2 (Carbon Dioxide which we also expel). There should be almost no CO, Carbon Monoxide, as long as the room isn't sealed.
B2G
(9,766 posts)Set it up in a small room (interior walls are best) that can be sealed off for a sleeping/living area.
You can dress for the arctic in other areas of the house, but at least you'll have one semi-comfortable room with no fire risk.
We're supposed to get major ice. Planning for power outages now.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)mostly what kept cropping up were propane, and I know even less about those than kerosene.
Sam
Response to Samantha (Reply #26)
LiberalArkie This message was self-deleted by its author.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)B2G
(9,766 posts)We're supposed to get major ice.
Hoping the storm moves south so we get more snow. Last ice storm in 2002, we lost power for 6 days. It sucked out loud.
haele
(12,640 posts)And any external hallways and stairwells, also. If you can pull your mattress into the front room or dining room (whichever one is large enough and central enough to the kitchen and bathroom), do that, or plan on sleeping on a couch or on pillows.
Get a bunch of emergency candles and tea candles. Not the Yankee Candle type, scented candles put off gasses that can cause health issues.
Candle tapers are good for lighting, but not so much for radiant heat unless you have a fire-place mocked up to put dozens in and sit in front of. (hmmm, a cardboard and foil emergency fire place?)
Tea candles can provide a "pre-heat source" for blankets - if you put them in wide bowls, with some punched foil or a trivet/cooling rack over the opening and carefully move the blanket over to catch the heat. (I've done this with socks and blankets camping out at SCA events)
You can also create short term radiant heat with tea candles and aluminum foil if need be, but remember - candles must never be left unattended.
If you're going to have to sleep on the floor, you need to be off the floor, or be sleeping on layers (pillows, cushions, and a quilt underneath you). The layers under you will keep you warmer than the layers over you.
Tack up towels around the doorframes to those closed off rooms and window frames, and vent systems to cut down on draft. Keep your dogs in the same room you will be staying in if the power goes out. Bring all the things that you will need for a week into the bathroom or main room.
Remember to layer, layer, layer. If you cut down on the drafts, layer, and narrow your living into two/three rooms, you should be able to survive a few days with no power in sub-freezing weather.
Also, get a couple gallons of water in pots standing by for water/pipe emergencies.
Another primary issue would be keeping your phone charged when the power goes out, because you will need communication for emergencies. You can get extra USB power packs if you need to at most hardware or department type stores.
Basically, if you don't have a space heater that doesn't depend on electricity, you're going to have to go with layers and body heat, and work on cutting down as much draft as possible.
I remember my grandfather talking about surviving winters in Lancaster County, PA once the firewood ran out when he was a kid (middle of 10) living in a rickety wooden house with stone foundation. They brought the animals in, and all slept on quilts bundled in the front, and put grease-coated rushes in the fireplace to smolder and keep heat going until they were between storms and it thawed out enough his father and uncles could cut some more firewood.
I don't know how you're going to be able to help your downstairs renter; if y'all are comfortable enough with each other, your renter might need to come upstairs and stay with you and the critters in case of a power outage, unless s/he has a place already set up to stay.
Just be prepared to give him/her a discount for any time that the apartment is too cold to live in; that's only fair.
Good luck, and hope your power doesn't go out.
ON EDIT - SAFETY ALERT ON INDOOR HEAT SOURCES! Never run natural gas, sterno, propane, kerosene, bio-fuel, or even clustered candles in a moderately sealed room without some sort of overhead vent nearby. E Asphyxiation is a serious problem, and people have died of CO2 poisoning during the winter trying to heat their house with their gas ovens or camping stoves without working ventilation.
You cannot "smell" CO2, and you will not notice anything but a mild headache or drowsiness before it's too late.
Haele
NutmegYankee
(16,199 posts)Last edited Thu Jan 21, 2016, 07:26 AM - Edit history (1)
Your body will notice CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) and at levels around 3% you will start breathing a lot faster. High CO2 levels in the blood give you that sense of "air hunger" if you hold your breath.
CO (Carbon Monoxide) is the gas that you cannot detect and which can kill you silently. That will only form if the O2 levels in the room are allowed to drop.
haele
(12,640 posts)They're learning the basic ecology cycle, and are into plants. CO2, O2, H2O, and N2 is on the brain.
Haele
Paper Roses
(7,471 posts)Like you, I am all electric. I can get through a power failure but if the pipes freeze and burst, I have no money to pay for repair.
I wish you luck. Keep those pets safe.
Console yourself with this fact:
New England make it through 2015, could it be any worse? Good grief, I hate winter.
leftyladyfrommo
(18,866 posts)And pile lots of blankets for it to bury in.
If you have gas hot water you shouldn't lose that. Use hot water bottles for the old dog.
Is there somewhere you could board the old dog where it might be safer?
I wouldn't leave my animals, either. Young dogs should be ok as long as they have good coats. My dogs don't even notice the cold.
Samantha
(9,314 posts)I am not really sure she could cope at all outside of this environment with a stranger. We will stay together.
Thank you for your advice, I will get out an old coat for the dog.
Sam
leftyladyfrommo
(18,866 posts)But wearing a warm coat really helps. Or a sweater and then put a coat 9vwr the top of it.
I am just like you. No other heat source. We don't get enough snow to bring down the lines but once every 10 years or so we get a bad ice storm. Always in the dead of winter.
Just pile up blankets for them.
HereSince1628
(36,063 posts)And if you're shoveling that stuff, remember to exhale while lifting.
Baclava
(12,047 posts)LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)Baclava
(12,047 posts)of course for N.E.ers, it's probably time for that la dee da crab cakes and chowder
LiberalElite
(14,691 posts)maybe I'll make some during the upcoming snowstorm.
Response to imanamerican63 (Original post)
LiberalElite This message was self-deleted by its author.
B Calm
(28,762 posts)Samantha
(9,314 posts)I have acquired one, and my brother set it up for me. We put it in the kitchen since the rest of this level is carpeted. He looked down at the kitchen floor, which is a pergo (fake wood) type flooring and said I guess it will be okay on this floor. It is wood.
Will the heater be okay on this type of floor? Now that I am thinking about it, my gas cook stove is not that far away from this kerosene heater -- is that a problem?
Got the batteries, got the food, brought the snow shovel inside in case I cant get out the doors! I think I am ready. Will put containers of water out tomorrow morning, and I know if a pipe bursts I am to immediately run to the main shutoff valve.
Thanks for all the help you guys have given me. I feel really prepared and have set my brain to thinking all I have to do is get through tomorrow afternoon thru Saturday evening and then this stuff will quit. They are predicting winds up to 50 miles per hour, trees will go down, and the power will fail since this is a wet heavy snow.
Sam
I am really worried about the feral cats outside. Any thoughts?