February 2021 - General Weather Discussion

[mugofbeer]

Spot prices have skyrocketed because of this massive increase in demand and declining supply.

Annnnnnnnwaaaaayyyuu....SNOW and cold. Back on topic lol. It’s really cold out. The hinges on my door have warped and I can barely close my front door as it’s hanging up on the door frame. Let’s get the last storm out of the way because the GFS is showing 80 deg next week!!! Bring it on!

Then, you're going to have to watch for breaking water mains.

[SEMIweather]

Most of the models are really honing in on about 6-8" of snow for OKC with this next storm. Snow should start tomorrow afternoon, with the heaviest falling tomorrow night and then tapering off during the day on Wednesday. We need 7" to fall at the airport to set an all-time record for snowiest winter in OKC history (we are currently at 18.3" and the record is 25.2" back in 1947-48).

After this storm passes, we'll finally begin a lengthy warm-up, though it'll be tempered at first due to a deep snowpack that'll take a while to melt. Once all of the snow is finally gone on Saturday or Sunday, the warm-up will become even more pronounced. Entirely possible that we'll be well into the 60's by this time next week.

[NikonNurse]

The pipes on my hot water heater froze last night. A hair dryer on the pipes helped thaw them temporarily but they’ve since frozen up again. Yeah I’m pretty ready for it to warm up now...

Yup my furnace condenser line froze around 900pm last night. Pretty convenient for nothing open and ridiculous HVAC rates to come out. Needless to say, Im pretty cold and want the sun to actually do its job and warm this crap up.

[PoliSciGuy]

As I’m sure a lot of you have noticed, rolling blackouts are beginning again. My power went out about an hour ago and is supposed to be back on at 8:30am. We’ll see if that happens.

[Libbymin]

Yeah my power just went out too. SO ready for this week to be over with.

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

From channel 5:
OG&E starts controlled power outages in areas including OKC as SPP declares Energy Emergency Level 3

[Anonymous.]

De Ja Vu. Snow will develop across NW TX this afternoon and spread into SW OK. Highest amounts look to be across SC and probably extreme SE OK. Bulk of snow in C OK looks like it will end overnight. This will be a quick one.

[TheTravellers]

From channel 5:
OG&E starts controlled power outages in areas including OKC as SPP declares Energy Emergency Level 3

Already happened to me. Completely pathetic that we're "the greatest country in the world" and it's 20+ years into the *21st* century and our power grid infrastructure is in such sh*tty shape. Where are the flying cars, automatic food dispensers, all the really interesting technology? Oh wait, we can't keep the power on...

[Bellaboo]

^^^ It's not just the fact the country is having record low temps in 40 states, and with those temps gas processing and well heads are freezing up. A lot of the wind turbines in Texas are froze up too. Blame the weather if you will ?

[TheTravellers]

^^^ It's not just the fact the country is having record low temps in 40 states, and with those temps gas processing and well heads are freezing up. A lot of the wind turbines in Texas are froze up too. Blame the weather if you will ?

So why can't the lower half of the country implement at least *some* of the things the upper half of the country has (or Canada, or Russia, or any other state/nation that gets this cold regularly) in order to keep the heat on? sciencenews.org published this a year ago (can't read it due to subscribers-only) - "The U.S. power grid desperately needs upgrades to handle climate change". I'd bet that power companies across the US have paid soooooo much money to shareholders that should've gone to capital investment or maintenance that it would disgust me, so I probably won't even look it up (had personal experience with deferred maintenance for years when we had ComEd in IL and that was a complete fiasco, and basically was exactly what I said above about shareholders, etc.).

[OKCbyTRANSFER]

Channel 4 now saying the rolling black outs have stopped as of 1030AM (ish)

[Bunty]

Yeeeesh, plumbers are gonna make *bank* these next few days with this rapid temperature change

Hopefully, plastic pipes are more resistant to cold damage than copper and other metal pipes.

[SEMIweather]

Still thinking about 6-8" for the Metro with this storm, which should start between 3-5 p.m. this afternoon. Vast majority of the snow should fall overnight as Anonymous was saying, and then maybe some wrap-around snow showers persisting into tomorrow afternoon. Snow will be over by sunset tomorrow at the latest, and that (thankfully) looks to be the last of the winter precipitation for the foreseeable future.

Temperature at Will Rogers hit -14F this morning, which is the second coldest reading in OKC history. (Coldest is -17F on 2/12/1899.)

[Bunty]

So why can't the lower half of the country implement at least *some* of the things the upper half of the country has (or Canada, or Russia, or any other state/nation that gets this cold regularly) in order to keep the heat on? sciencenews.org published this a year ago (can't read it due to subscribers-only) - "The U.S. power grid desperately needs upgrades to handle climate change". I'd bet that power companies across the US have paid soooooo much money to shareholders that should've gone to capital investment or maintenance that it would disgust me, so I probably won't even look it up (had personal experience with deferred maintenance for years when we had ComEd in IL and that was a complete fiasco, and basically was exactly what I said above about shareholders, etc.).

Probably for the same reason we can't move all electrical lines underground. It would be too costly.

I blame it mainly on the regulators who surely saw unprecedented intense cold was coming that wasn't going to promptly go away and get more ready for it. The natural gas price restrictions should have been released last week.

[Outhunder]

Guess my comment about stitt got deleted. I thought it was relevant since there is discussion ongoing about the rolling blackouts. Stitt did go on channel 9 this morning discussing this event and thus showing how clueless he is. Of well. Sure this will be deleted as well.

[Pete]

Guess my comment about stitt got deleted. I thought it was relevant since there is discussion ongoing about the rolling blackouts. Stitt did go on channel 9 this morning discussing this event and thus showing how clueless he is. Of well. Sure this will be deleted as well.

Making a statement of fact is one thing; anything else is political and should only be posted on the Politics forum.

[Anonymous.]

Our next wave of snow is developing now on the south side of the Amarillo radar. Should be coming into OKC around 5pm.

[C_M_25]

Our heater is down now too. Think it’s frozen condensate drain pipes too I think. Luckily somebody is able to come out.

[Pete]

I had to go to my office today and was surprised by how bad the roads are.

I suppose that's what happens when it's too cold for it to melt and there haven't been many people out driving.

[Libbymin]

And now my toilet pipes are frozen. Good thing we filled the tub with water.

[Pete]

Here comes the snow...

[corwin1968]

Here comes the snow...

None yet, in far NW OKC

[OkiePoke]

Snow in NW OKC

[Outhunder]

At least this snow will be prettier without the wind.

[BB37]

Snowing in Surrey Hills.