Posted on 02/18/2006 7:25:32 PM PST by AmericanMade1776
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - More than a quarter-million homes and businesses still lacked power across the Northeast on Saturday as temperatures plummeted following a storm with hurricane-force wind gusts that was blamed for four deaths.
Wind was still blowing at about 30 mph through the region Saturday. On Friday, wind of more than 60 mph buffeted the Rochester area and a 77-mph gust was recorded at the city's airport, the weather service said.
The storm swept out of the Midwest on Friday, carrying a wave of bitterly cold air. Temperatures in some parts of western New York plunged from 60 degrees to below freezing within a few hours. Hayward, Wis., had a morning low of 26 below zero, and afternoon temperatures in the Upper Midwest were in only the single digits Saturday. Parts of Arkansas had 5.5 inches of snow Saturday and freezing temperatures extended across the state.
Utility officials in upstate New York said crews would work through the weekend to restore power to 160,000 customers, down from at least 328,000 customers who were blacked out Friday.
More than 40,000 homes and businesses had no electricity in New Hampshire, and more than 35,000 in Maine.
Vermont, where the National Weather Service reported a wind gust of 143 mph on Stratton Mountain, had about 7,000 customers still without power, and some 1,800 customers were blacked out in Massachusetts.
Several states opened shelters, providing havens with light and heat for those without power.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
I can borrow a wood splitter, hopefully. My son-in-law's brother has one. And I have a couple of chain saws.
I use a splitting maul and wedges most of the time, but if I start cutting four or five cords a year I want to borrow the wood splitter.
That poor bird!
January last forever in the Northeast..forever.
I picked up a nice Coleman Powermate 1850 watt generator at a hock shop. They had it on the shelf for $299.00
I looked at it a bit, hemmed and hawed about it, asked if it worked, they said Yeah, it works great, so I said 200 bux take it or leave it.
The gal went back and talked to her manager and came out and started writing up the sales slip!
All I can say is that living on five wooded acres I'm well supplied with fallen cherry and locust trees for my old "Papa Bear" Fisher stove. Fill it up and open the dial two full turns and within a half hour the basement is at least 85 degrees.
What someone else posted about keeping the wood shed close is excellent advice. I always start emptying the pile farthest from the door so that if the snow gets too deep there is less to clear. I can store 3/4 cord inside so that means I don't need to move wood inside all that often.
I love that picture.
Squirrels are tough little buggers and do their best to survive,as we all do.
I'm a very urban person from Massachusetts.
The thermostat is my friend !!!!!!!!
Underground powerlines are the answer.
Peepboys Auto is selling generators @ $179.99, 209.99, 249.98, 329.99, 479.99...
I used to live in Reston, Virginia where everything was underground. Power went out all the time, because of out lying areas that were on the old system. Got to get it all coordinated underground!
The problem with car idling is that if the power outage is prolonged like I've heard in the news this year in several parts of the country, you cannot go to the gas station and get more gas where I am. All the pumps are run by electricity as well as the cash register. When the power goes, they shut down!
It was really wild around here in MA yesterday. On the way to pick my son up from high school, I saw two HUGH Norway Spruce trees that had fallen over. Their shallow root systems couldn't hold them in the ground, probably helped along by the moisture from the 20" of snow that had fallen on Sunday and had melted furing this week.
LOL! I have the same knock-out thermometer. I'll shoot a digital and toss it up in a couple minutes...
Two questions. How much do you pay for pellets per month. Also do you need to vent the stove?
That's a beautiful picture! I moved from Traverse City area to North Carolina in August. The weather has been averaging 45-65 and today it was 35 degrees. We had about 1-2 inches of wet snow today and it was gone by 5 PM. I went to work today and my boss man thinks I am superman! I told him that I was going to wear sandles and a sweater today since it was "BLIZZARD" conditions. I drove through the city and about 20 cars had there hazard lights on going down the expressway. I think if they would see conditions as your photo depicts, they would probably be on their cell phone to the National Guard!
I wondered how the Russians got by that one horrible winter when Moscow was beseiged by can't remember, the last bad war, but I don't think the Nazis got that far or did they? Anyway, I read that they had shepherd's stoves and burned books in them to survive.
There really aren't any optimal solutions. I considered a woodburning stove, but the house two doors down burned so bad a couple winters ago that it frightens me. They were fortunate it was not condemned and was insured; workmen tore out everything except the frame and rebuilt the whole thing. I would not want to leave the house with any hot embers in it any stove. That's why I don't like to use my fireplace; I like the fire completely out if I need to go someplace.
You can buy those shepherd's stoves mail order, but they need to be vented.
I really worry about this happening in my area, but procrastinate and will probably end up in trouble.
I feel for you son but I know he is prepared for this kind of weather. We are not. It was 71 a few days ago. I have a high school friend who lives in the northern part of Alaska. The wind chill is 12. I looked out on our raised patio a few minutes ago and it is a full sheet of ice. So, I do not think we will be going anywhere tomorrow.
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