Its a bit Warmish today

This picture throned the front page of our local paper today. Above is
Chicago, below is San Diego

Last night the fuel pump on the furnace up and died at 2 am.

By the time the Trouble Shooter from the oil company arrived, coped and departed, it was 4 am.

I had to be up at 6 am to be out of the house before 7:45.

Some days all occasions do conspire against me.

Oh no Noddy!

Are you OK?

That kind of thing has laid me low a few times. Few things are so exhausting as being bone-chillingly cold with no real way to warm up.



It is absolutely gorgeous here this morning -- blue sky, sparkling snow everywhere, including gilding every branch and bough. Still not clear if there will be school today. I'm thinking yes, but some contradictory indications. I've sent out emails to some moms I know who have kids in all-day classes. (PM Kindergarten hasn't started yet but regular school, if it's in session, has.)

Soz--

All is well. The only problem was the fuel pump, but the electricity was on and the electric blanket worked. Also, this winter the kerosene heater was in the house, not the garage. In fact, I had to drag the kerosene heater out of the way to open up the furnace and get to the reset button.

Had there not been a repairman on duty, we'd have lit the kerosene heater and avoided the headache of warming up a chilled-to-the-core house.

I'm just very aware that I don't function as well as I used to on four hours of sleep. Once upon a time...when I was in my prime....

Well, I found the answer to my wind chill (when did they start commenting on it) question. Apologies if anyone answered and I didn't see it.


Wind Chill Blows by Daniel Engber
http://www.slate.com/id/2159370/pagenum/all/#page_start

A week on, it looks like that forecast was close, if just a tad ambitious - here's tonight's extended forecast:



Valentine's day may see a high in the low double digits above zero, but nights around zero/below-zero are gonna be here a while, with just mebbe next Monday seeing a high above freezing. Oh, well - at least it ain't snowing here the way it is in upstate NY. Cold as it is here, the days have been sunny, and the wind hasn't been too bad the last couple-three days ... pretty nice for woods walks, much to The Puppies' delight. The Ponies are happier, too; theyre spending most of daylight out in the paddock.

Ponies? Ponies? (I've seen some of your dog photos, but not pony photos, at least that I remember.)

Another snow day!

At least this one actually has snow.



I haven't found a webcam to match the view from my window -- white, white, nothing but white. I'd guess about 4 inches so far, still coming down fast.

Soz--

The Poconos is probably in line for your left-over snow. The forecast was just upped to 11 to 17 inches.

We're "retired" so, Dwane o' the Plough probably won't get to us until late morning on Thursday. He schedules by need.

The local tourist bureau is congratulating themselves on ideal white weather President's Weekend and hoping to draw ski/snowboard/tubing fans from NYC and Philly.

Jeez - it gets cold over there!

I just can't imagine it.

Where I live, in the inner suburbs of Sydney, and close to the upper reaches of the harbour, if it gets down to 0 degrees (that's 32F) I'm whimpering and whinging - and I'm not even a Pom (Aussie joke!) but it doesn't get that cold too often, thankfully!

But then, we're not really equipped to handle the cold. Few houses have any central heating, and are not well insulated. Double glazing is rare. I depend on reverse cycle air con to heat my place - with a 2-bar radiator to help in extreme situations. Plan B warming involves Possum-cat!

Mind you, there's been a fair number of 40+C days in the last 2 months. And the drought is a bummer.

Today, on the other hand, is just magic - I wish I was out there playing, instead of stuck in this miserable foetid office!

I live just north of Los Angeles. It's always nice here. I couldn't imagine moving back to a cold climate.

Having been-there-done-that both ways, I think I prefer blizzards to earthquakes. And while it does get cold and snowy here in the Midwest, we don't get multi-thousand-acre, days-long wildfires like those out West. Of course, I gotta admit here in the Midwest, there are tornados to consider ...

I've lived in L.A., and have lived in the Midwest. INFINITELY prefer the Midwest, for a zillion reasons but weather is one of 'em. (Not saying I'm not perverse...)

I love how absolutely clean and clear everything gets when it's seriously cold -- never get that in L.A. Right now I have this landscape of azure blue sky, sparkling white snow, and air so clear that it's easy to see the red of the cardinal in the pine tree about 50 yards away.


And finally, school! It's cold but isn't that cold (7 Farenheit, no particular wind so not much colder, windchill), was going to be REALLY pissed if they canceled school yet again. (So far it's been 4 days in 2 school-weeks.)