What is up with this crazy weather?

[tdeveson]

I'm up late printing some last minute stuff, so I check the weather while I wait for the printer. The forecast low for tonight is 42F which is basically unheard of in Miami. But the actual temperature is 37F and falling, and it's not even 3 in the morning here. It will probably fall another 5 degrees tonight, and it's snowing in Disney World.

 

I know how much tougher it is up north. I have a house in Canada. But houses here are built to dissipate heat, not keep it in. I've got the heater set at 68F and it's been cranking non-stop since 8pm tonight. This winter will definitely be one for the books.

 

Too bad I've only got two dogs. This is definitely a three-dog night. ;)

Edited January 11, 2010 by tdeveson

[Melissa in Australia]

could it be " climate change?":lol: just joking

[tex-mex]

I recall growing up as a kid -- hearing that the world would freeze. Nowadays, the global warming trend seems to be bit in the butt with recent weather like this year's freeze. :D I think it is hilarious. And yes, I'm freezing. ;)

[keptwoman]

I have to say your weather sounds mighty appealling because it's been the hottest summer we have had so far in Australia. It's stinking hot tonight and I'm seriously considering aircon for the first time because we've had more days so far this summer where I felt we would use it than all of last summer or the summer before.

I'd give a lot for a nice bit of snow about now.

[Ibbygirl]

I'm up late printing some last minute stuff, so I check the weather while I wait for the printer. The forecast low for tonight is 42F which is basically unheard of in Miami. But the actual temperature is 37F and falling, and it's not even 3 in the morning here. It will probably fall another 5 degrees tonight, and it's snowing in Disney World.

 

I know how much tougher it is up north. I have a house in Canada. But houses here are built to dissipate heat, not keep it in. I've got the heater set at 68F and it's been cranking non-stop since 8pm tonight. This winter will definitely be one for the books.

 

Too bad I've only got two dogs. This is definitely a three-dog night. ;)

 

It hasn't been this cold here since 1977 and that was the coldest winter ever recorded at that time in South Florida!! It's 36 degrees outside now here in Hollywood at 6:54am!! Unreal! :eek: brrrr I just wish I had clothing for this cold. I'm out there in hoodies freezing my butt off.

[Dirtroad]

Pretty cold up here in Alabama too. We have been in the teens for atleast a week. I remember it being super cold in the 70s with a couple of incidences hitting in 80/90s.... but it is hard to think of it when you are shivering.

 

Poor old heat pump wont' turn off & it is only set on 60...:001_huh:. We even have ice accumulating on ponds & lakes & pools... hilarious. My house has icicles hanging off it .... kids think it is super cool & I haven't seen that since i was a kid.

 

It is supposed to be leaving in next day or so. Glad to see it cold but my toes could use some warming up!:)

[Ibbygirl]

Pretty cold up here in Alabama too. We have been in the teens for atleast a week. I remember it being super cold in the 70s with a couple of incidences hitting in 80/90s.... but it is hard to think of it when you are shivering.

 

Poor old heat pump wont' turn off & it is only set on 60...:001_huh:. We even have ice accumulating on ponds & lakes & pools... hilarious. My house has icicles hanging off it .... kids think it is super cool & I haven't seen that since i was a kid.

 

It is supposed to be leaving in next day or so. Glad to see it cold but my toes could use some warming up!:)

 

 

Wow!! Icicles??!! Amazing! I can't even imagine it. We were praying so hard for snow. I mean, if it's going to get this cold, might as well get a few degrees colder and snow right? But alas, it never got quite cold enough here for that. :( Bummer. I'm glad it will be warming up again too. The weatherman said last night that it will start warming up tonight into tomorrow and we should be in the 80's again by the end of the week. :hurray:

[tdeveson]

Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Every one of my tomatoes and peppers look like boiled spinach. It's all dead this morning. Even the nasturtiums.

[Ibbygirl]

Waaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Every one of my tomatoes and peppers look like boiled spinach. It's all dead this morning. Even the nasturtiums.

 

Oh no!! And I take it they were in the ground so that you couldn't bring them inside. I'm so sorry to hear that. That stinks. :grouphug:

[tdeveson]

They're in raised boxes. I couldn't even see them until I walked right up to them. They basically look like greenish smears on the mulch and they were about a foot high. It's kind of sad -- all the hard work gone to waste -- but I feel a science lesson coming up. Ack. :(

[elegantlion]

I'm in south Louisiana and it's been freezing here, relatively speaking. Wind chill of 16 a couple of nights ago.:confused:

[Melissa in FL]

The power companies here in Tampa are asking us to use as little power as possible, including not doing laundry (they said that specifically). Our A/C units just can't heat the homes and are running non-stop. Did you read about the 100,000 tropical fish that have died at a fish farm near Miami? Our poor zoo is being over run with saved Manatees and turtles that were dying in the water. Out by the power plant there are over 200 manatees trying to stay warm from the heat released from the plant. There have been a lot of house fires this week from people trying to warm their homes with stoves and portable heaters (the units in our homes just aren't made to heat well). My sisters solar pool heater pipes burst all over her roof causing some damage. I'm really looking forward to a warm up!

Melissa

[Dirtroad]

Wow!! Icicles??!! Amazing! I can't even imagine it. We were praying so hard for snow. I mean, if it's going to get this cold, might as well get a few degrees colder and snow right? But alas, it never got quite cold enough here for that. :( Bummer. I'm glad it will be warming up again too. The weatherman said last night that it will start warming up tonight into tomorrow and we should be in the 80's again by the end of the week. :hurray:

 

Up here, we have all been worried about Florida farmers. I can't imagine the damage being done to the oranges & other crops! I also heard that it is doing damage to wildlife like manatees. We get colder than you guys for sure... but not for long & not too often (for any of us "down south").

 

Keep warm and enjoy! We are beginning to thaw today! Ice gone on house... just in shade & ditches now.

 

Ah, just read Melissa's post... the manatee stories are true then!

[Ibbygirl]

The power companies here in Tampa are asking us to use as little power as possible, including not doing laundry (they said that specifically). Our A/C units just can't heat the homes and are running non-stop. Did you read about the 100,000 tropical fish that have died at a fish farm near Miami? Our poor zoo is being over run with saved Manatees and turtles that were dying in the water. Out by the power plant there are over 200 manatees trying to stay warm from the heat released from the plant. There have been a lot of house fires this week from people trying to warm their homes with stoves and portable heaters (the units in our homes just aren't made to heat well). My sisters solar pool heater pipes burst all over her roof causing some damage. I'm really looking forward to a warm up!

Melissa

 

Wow! I didn't hear about the fish in Miami. The poor manatees. I know they like to hang out around the power plants here to in the winter for the warmer water discharge. They said on our local news too that FPL wants us to not run the heat unless absolutely necessary, but I didn't hear about the laundry part. This is a winter for the record books I guess. Stay warm ladies. At least the sun is shining nice and bright today. :)

[Ibbygirl]

double post. sorrrryyyyyyyyyyyyy :blushing:

[Ibbygirl]

I'm in south Louisiana and it's been freezing here, relatively speaking. Wind chill of 16 a couple of nights ago.:confused:

 

wow! Unreal! :eek: Did ya'll get snow?

[olan719]

Well, I'm here in central Mississippi, and it has been COLD!!! We missed the worst of the snow, ice and sleet here in the central part of the state, but the city of Jackson has totally shut down today because 70 water pipes froze and burst. City offices, state offices, schools - everything non-essential has closed. I don't ever recall freezing temperatures lasting this many days. Today is the first day we have gotten above freezing since Thursday night - lows have been in the teens and high in the 20s! This is still the "Deep South" and my bones aren't made for this - I cannot wait to get back into the 40s and 50s this week, which is a normal January for us. :lol:

[TKDmom]

Yeah, I'm in Fl, too. I'm mourning the loss of my hibiscus plants, my mango tree, my pineapples....

[Stacie]

I'm in south Louisiana and it's been freezing here, relatively speaking. Wind chill of 16 a couple of nights ago.:confused:

 

South LA here too and our low temps have been around 16-18 the last three days. I know the wind chills have been in single digits too. It's very unusual weather for this area, but not unprecedented. No :chillpill: needed!!

[mcconnellboys]

I believe I heard today that you've hit a 136 year low, or some such. I'm sorry (but you're much warmer than everyone else)!

[Slartibartfast]

It is a part of climate change.

 

It doesn't have the same effects everywhere.

 

http://news.softpedia.com/news/What-Caused-the-Medieval-Little-Ice-Age-video-41383.shtml

[Ibbygirl]

Yeah, I'm in Fl, too. I'm mourning the loss of my hibiscus plants, my mango tree, my pineapples....

 

Your mango might come back yet. I had one that I thought for sure was firewood (due to crummy neighbors and their pets rather than cold) but it would up coming back with a little tlc and it was a dwarf one too! And the mangoes were even better tasting after it came back so maybe yours will be alright too. :) I hope so. :)

[Mama Bear]

I've heard about snakes and such being a growing threat (species escaped during Katrina?) to local wildlife. Could this cold stretch knock them back?

[Slartibartfast]

I've heard about snakes and such being a growing threat (species escaped during Katrina?) to local wildlife. Could this cold stretch knock them back?

 

That could be an upside. Way to think positive! :D

[Hannah]

I have to say your weather sounds mighty appealling because it's been the hottest summer we have had so far in Australia. It's stinking hot tonight

 

Melbourne weather is something else. I couldn't believe the heat last night. I honestly don't think I have experienced anything like it before! We walked the 1.5 km (close on a mile) from the train station at 5.30pm yesterday afternoon and it was like walking in an oven with the fan on.

At 10pm it was still close on 40 °C (~104 °F)! The forecast said it will get better today... Our friends' house also does not have aircon and they're considering it as well.

 

We're leaving tomorrow and its raining at home. We are having an unusally wet summer with very heavy rains.

[Ginevra]

It's true. I'm so freekin' cold, I'm thinking about putting my snow pants on just to wear around the house. We have our thermostats on 69 F, but I listen to the furnace just crank and crank all day long. My car looks like a rolling pile of road scodge, because its barely been above freezing AT ALL since...last year.

[Melissa in Australia]

Melbourne weather is something else. I couldn't believe the heat last night. I honestly don't think I have experienced anything like it before! We walked the 1.5 km (close on a mile) from the train station at 5.30pm yesterday afternoon and it was like walking in an oven with the fan on.

At 10pm it was still close on 40 °C (~104 °F)! The forecast said it will get better today... Our friends' house also does not have aircon and they're considering it as well.

 

We're leaving tomorrow and its raining at home. We are having an unusally wet summer with very heavy rains.

 

that is interesting. I always thought that South Africa had similar temperatures to Victoria.

We have at least 10 days at 40oC or above every summer. People just forget about them until the following summer. I find it is the hot nights that are the hardest.

I don't have air conditioning either. I am really not interested in getting it.

[IsabelC]

We got to 38 (100F) yesterday, and that is not normal for down here in Tassie lol. I was perusing the thread about snow ploughs and thinking how nice that would be :D

 

(Note, many of us Down Under don't really appreciate that snow can be a nuisance and a chore. For us it is such a novelty that if the snow lies at your house you stay home from work/school for the day and play in the snow, adults and children alike. Most years it only snows on the mountains, so we all drive up the mountain, make a little snowman on the front of our cars and then try to drive home before he melts.)

[Hannah]

that is interesting. I always thought that South Africa had similar temperatures to Victoria.

We have at least 10 days at 40oC or above every summer. People just forget about them until the following summer. I find it is the hot nights that are the hardest.

I don't have air conditioning either. I am really not interested in getting it.

 

It was very uncomfortable here last night!

 

There are different climate zones in South Africa which depend on altitude and proximity to the ocean currents of the area. The climate ranges from Mediterranean in the Western Cape (South West of the country) to tropical in the East (KwaZulu Natal area) and a small dessert area in the North West.

There are hot-and-dry and hot-and-humid areas, but I've not lived in them and have been lucky with maximum temps during visits in the summer months. Some areas can get uncomfortably hot too.

I've lived in the Western Cape area which has wet winters and dry summers, and Gauteng (around Johannesburg) with dry winters and summer rains which mostly falls in late afternoon thunderstorms. Both areas have max summer temps of 35 oC, but the average is mid-20's oC.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Hannah
grammar error

[Elinor Everywhere]

Strangely warm weather out west! San Diego today was 74, even at the water. Beautiful, unexpected, perfect......but strange!

[Rhondabee]

I'm up late printing some last minute stuff, so I check the weather while I wait for the printer. The forecast low for tonight is 42F which is basically unheard of in Miami. But the actual temperature is 37F and falling, and it's not even 3 in the morning here. It will probably fall another 5 degrees tonight, and it's snowing in Disney World.

 

I know how much tougher it is up north. I have a house in Canada. But houses here are built to dissipate heat, not keep it in. I've got the heater set at 68F and it's been cranking non-stop since 8pm tonight. This winter will definitely be one for the books.

 

Too bad I've only got two dogs. This is definitely a three-dog night. ;)

 

I've been dying to ask someone - Are houses built differently up north?

 

I'm in Atlanta - it's been down into the teens at night. I've been baffled that while I can keep the heat out in the summer time, I can't seem to keep the warm in. Isn't insulation supposed to work both ways?

 

I thought I was just being silly thinking houses might actually be built differently up north, yet I honestly can say I would never make it if my house were this cold all winter.

[Marylou]

I have to say your weather sounds mighty appealling because it's been the hottest summer we have had so far in Australia. It's stinking hot tonight and I'm seriously considering aircon for the first time because we've had more days so far this summer where I felt we would use it than all of last summer or the summer before.

I'd give a lot for a nice bit of snow about now.

 

I think the earth must be tilting more than it used to ;)

[tdeveson]

Yeah, I'm in Fl, too. I'm mourning the loss of my hibiscus plants, my mango tree, my pineapples....

 

:grouphug:

[tdeveson]

I've been dying to ask someone - Are houses built differently up north?

 

I'm in Atlanta - it's been down into the teens at night. I've been baffled that while I can keep the heat out in the summer time, I can't seem to keep the warm in. Isn't insulation supposed to work both ways?

 

I thought I was just being silly thinking houses might actually be built differently up north, yet I honestly can say I would never make it if my house were this cold all winter.

 

I don't know what the architectural differences are, but I do know that houses in the south are built to dissipate heat and houses up north are built to hold it in. I know that the insulation in my attic keeps the house from heating up when the sun beats down on it all summer, but the windows are single panes which bleed warmth (that's why up north the windows have double panes -- the air in between traps the warmth). There are three extra wide sliding glass doors in my great room looking out over the pool and patio. It's a great view in the summer, but right now just standing near the glass doors you can feel how cold it is.

[Hannah]

The weather here in Melbourne has just dropped 12 oC in half an hour. A strong wind started blowing and then there was a downpoar. The kids were playing outside in the rain. I'm sure the locals are used to it, but I find these abrupt weather changes incredible!

[keptwoman]

The weather here in Melbourne has just dropped 12 oC in half an hour. A strong wind started blowing and then there was a downpoar. The kids were playing outside in the rain. I'm sure the locals are used to it, but I find these abrupt weather changes incredible!

LOL it took me a while to get used to it too. But actually that cool change was rather unremarkable, it's not at all unheard of for it to drop 20C in half an hour.

 

And it's always memorable because it's just at the point where everyone has escaped to the malls and the pools because they can't cope with the heat a moment longer. I've been at a public pool with hundreds of other people all waiting for the cool change. It comes; they all sigh with relief, get out of the pool and go home to open all the windows :lol:

[Melissa in Australia]

The weather here in Melbourne has just dropped 12 oC in half an hour. A strong wind started blowing and then there was a downpoar. The kids were playing outside in the rain. I'm sure the locals are used to it, but I find these abrupt weather changes incredible!

 

It is lovely isn't it. I live in the bush, and you can always hear the cool change coming. it sounds a bit like a train coming. it is a signal to rush and close all the windows until the strong wind gusts have past, then open them up again to let in the lovely cool weather.

 

I really thought that cool changes were like that everywhere. I think I had better do some study on weather in other places.

[keptwoman]

I really thought that cool changes were like that everywhere. I think I had better do some study on weather in other places.

No, it's very much a Southern Australia phenomenon where you have the airflows coming from such extreme opposites as the hot desert and the Southern Ocean.

[tdeveson]

I've heard about snakes and such being a growing threat (species escaped during Katrina?) to local wildlife. Could this cold stretch knock them back?

 

A state (or maybe county) biologist was out in the Everglades for a few days putting down boas which have become a huge problem. They were easy to catch because they're all trancing on the cold. They also inserted trackers in 10 and cut them lose to see how they fare during the cold weather. There's a chance it will kill them which, while sad for the boas, would restore the balance in the Everglades. They're not native, have no natural predators, and have become dangerous to animals and people.

 

Last year there was a photo of a huge boa with an exploded head and half a small alligator hanging out. The thing had tried to eat the gator which was about it's same size and it ripped out. That's what I call binge eating.