Posted on 02/05/2021 5:51:21 PM PST by rickmichaels
Residents in the Midwest are bracing for a 'flash freeze' set to send temperatures plummeting as low as -35 degrees Fahrenheit (-37 Celsius).
The severe cold snap will be caused by a polar vortex pushing arctic winds down into the US, where all 50 states - even Hawaii - are expected to experience below freezing temperatures next Monday.
More than 212 million Americans will affected by the bitterly cold conditions, CNN reports.
However, the icy weather will be at its most extreme in the Midwest, where preparations are already in place to close schools and roads for fear of fatalities.
In some areas, temperatures will be up to 30 degrees below average. Meteorologists predict it could get so cold that car antifreeze could solidify.
The National Weather Service has warned that the flash freeze will 'quickly turn any wet or slushy roads to ice,' and create dangerous driving conditions.
Areas of Minnesota and Iowa will likely get so cold that it could be unsafe for children to leave home and attend school.
'As temperatures fall some 25 to 30 degrees below seasonal averages, arts of the Upper Midwest will near the thresholds necessary to cancel, or in the case of 2021, virtualize classes,' CNN meteorologist Pedram Javaheri stated.
Officials in St. Paul, Minnesota, say they will cancel classes on Monday if the forecast still shows that the temperature will be below -25 degrees Fahrenheit.
Meanwhile, there are also concerns that rivers flowing through the Midwest could freeze over, creating water traffic problems.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Hawaii, in the Southern Hemisphere. Maybe Antarctica will experience cold also.
The ecoweenies will blame this on Trump. For this, it is more reason to get rid of Trump. He needs to be totally eliminated so Global Warming would stop hiding its true nature from mankind. That’s the ticket!
Yup. I was in a big one (ice storm) in W. KY in 2009. NOT fun. Generators were still running just up the road from us, 3 weeks later.
TWC is showing a low of 21 deg. F in Atlanta on Feb. 13. Not bad.
OTOH, they say St. Louis will see a low of -6 on 2/12, with winds to 15 mph. That’s reasonably brisk.
Also, while moderated a bit, the cold is going to stick around. Time to check the heat tape on the pipes, maybe let water run slowly.
The lowest temperature I saw in Great Falls, MT was -38 when I lived there (1977 - 79). I experienced wind chill temperatures of -70 or more a couple of times during my two winters there. My 1967 Dodge pickup still started at -38. I did not have a plug in heater attached to the front.
Cars are so much more appliance-like today than when we were kids. So many kids today don’t learn how to maintain them, so extreme conditions bite them in the butt.
I remember putting a 100W drop light between the engine and radiator as a poor man’s block heater, with an Army blanket over the top of the engine compartment. It made getting the car started to go to school a whole lot easier.
When it got that cold I used to have to shave with those broken frozen fire shards when my aftershave (91% alcohol) froze.
My wife calls me gritty.
I did the same until 100w incandescent bulbs became hard to get. (Brooder lamp types are still available, but pricey and rather too large.)
So, I found some flat metallic heating elements on eBay, and wired ‘em up. They are great: Overall lower temperature (less fire risk) over greater surface area, but the flat element is easier to place, lasts “forever”, and is essentially unbreakable. I think I bought those 7 years ago, but I’d guess similar are still available?
I’ve witnessed these temps in
northern Minnesota.
Somebody should inform the National Weather Service. They forecast no such doom and gloom for the next few days.
I know if you pee at -40F it freezes before it hits the ground. Makes a tinkle tinkle noise as it hits the ground.
Someone’s circulating the pseudo science term ‘Polar Vortex’ as scientifically legit. It is not.
1-2-3 Everyone get terrified. It’s the Covid Freeze.
Hysterics much? Yep. It’s going to be really cold. Living in Minnesota, this is called winter.
Just a few years ago on MN we had a week where the low temps in the twin cities were -40 with -61 wind chill. We all lived. No fear porn then. Just a couple days of no school and life was normal.
That was probably when the high school boys hockey had a fun, early “classic” tournament. One of the players got frostbite pretty bad sitting outside (iirc he didn’t play much).
The schools and coaches got hit pretty hard by the media. The players (including the kid with frostbite were “What? It’s hockey in Minnesota!”
From the age of 4 they have been playing on ponds or backyard flooded rinks.
Back in the late 70’s me and some buddies spent the weekend at our wood shack (no insulation) of a cabin in N. Minnesota. It got down to -45F in straight temperature. (No wind).
We ended up putting a couple of space heaters under the car with blankets draped over the hood in order to get it warm enough to start. And wishing we had taken my old man’s station wagon that had the plug-in heater.
It seems like only a year ago...
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