North Texas "cold snap"

[Bird]

LOL Eddie, that's what you'd feel like if you worked outside today..what is that a global warming thermometer??

I was reading on the Fox news page that this cold front will help with the "chilling " hours required by some crops like apples and peaches in the deeper South...if they are protected that is..

I hope this cold will at least thin down some of the pesky bug population going into this Spring..

Yep, I've always heard that the crops you mentioned needed some cold weather, so I reckon they're getting plenty of cold this year.

I've also heard that a good freeze in the Winter reduces the number of bugs we have to contend with in the Summer. On 12/2/2009, we had a little snow and I also had a doctor's appointment that day. The doctor mentioned that we needed a good freeze that would last 6 hours or more to reduce the insect population. I didn't ask how he came up with that number of hours, but I've also read that the hard freeze doesn't actually reduce the insect population. Personally, I have no idea which is right. But if a freeze does reduce the insect population, we ought to have fewer insects this Summer than ever in the last hundred years.

The NWS in Denton finally got their thermometer fixed and shows the temperature to be 24, while my own thermometer here is showing 21. The forecast for tonight is 11F.

 

[EddieWalker]

If any of you have ever hunted in Alaska, you'll know that cold temps in the winter don't do anything to the bug population in the summer!!!! The might not be very big, but there sure is allot of them.

Eddie

 

[Bird]

If any of you have ever hunted in Alaska, you'll know that cold temps in the winter don't do anything to the bug population in the summer!!!! The might not be very big, but there sure is allot of them.

Eddie

Eddie, I've spent a bit of time in Alaska and the cold doesn't bother the mosquito population. I read an article in the Anchorage newspaper many years ago about a study that was done by the university and there are supposedly several varieties or breeds of mosquito; some with very short lifespans (something like 3 weeks, if I remember right) and some that hibernate and live to come out again in the Spring. And of course there are the no-see-ums, but generally I think Alaska doesn't have the same kinds of bugs and insects that we have. And that's pure opinion and guesswork; not scientific proof at all.

 

[jayste]

I'm always wishful that a "good" freeze in the winter will kill out some of these ticks we have in the spring and summer and fall and....? Anyway, it's crazy but just the other day (this year) I was sitting in our living room and guess what?.....Yep, a tick crawling on my neck!
I still think it has something to do with these Blackjacks and sand rocks!

Jay

 

[mikim]

The sensor's up there must not be set to read below freezing for extended periods.
Maybe they need to get a retired tech back to repair equipment.
We should be OK down here. Temp is a balmy 38 degrees.

He's busy with more important things...spent 2 hrs with potential builder and another 2-3 hrs moving dirt --partly with a shovel....and worked on the boy's tree house for awhile until my shoulder screamed loud enuff that I am now inside for the rest of the evening. Course I still need to get a brain fart as to what to fix for supper.

 

[Uncle Doug]

A chilly 18F this morning, but still had water. Dog did not want to go outside but the wife is out of town and I had to leave for work. Made her (the dog) go outside anyway. My daughter says she will stop by later to check on her and look for water leaks.

I had an icecycle like Eddies on the outside faucet I left dripping. Had one small leak out by the barn last night where the water pipe crossed a small ditch, right at a coupling. Leave it to a freeze to find the poor glue joints.

 

[jinman]

At 6:00 AM this morning, I had one thermometer that said 7.5 and another one that read 5.9. I'm not sure which is the most accurate, but I think it's safe to say it's very cold. Brrrr! So far, no freezing problems, but I'm ready for some warmer weather. I have no intention of operating my tractor, and that's probably a good thing. I'd bet the diesel fuel in it is like jello. I think I bought it over a month ago and had it sitting in cans until Christmas. It was probably formulated for above freezing for sure.

 

[Bird]

I was surprised to see the NWS showed Denton got down to 7 F degrees this morning, but I reckon that was right since a few minutes ago my thermometer showed 9 F. It didn't actually feel as cold outside though this morning as it did yesterday simply because we had no wind at all this morning.

I have a thermometer mounted higher than my head in the shop and it showed 40 F, so I turned on the heat. It's a window unit air-conditioner with heat strip and it was working fine yesterday, but this morning when I turned it on, there was a VERY loud screeching noise produced and I turned it back off.

 

[jinman]

Screeching is probably a very cold blower motor bearing, don't you think Bird? I have two small heaters in my cabin and one in the laundry room in the back of my garage for additional heat.

Last night we went to Bowie for catfish at the Mexican restaurant. It sure was hot and tasty. Sorry...had to brag a bit since I know you've had first-hand experience with that platter of catfish.

 

[Bird]

Jim, I'm sure you're right about the bearing. I just wonder whether it will be alright later or whether I'm going to have a repair to do.

And yep, that catfish is sure good, but I haven't left home the last couple of days.