Texas Fall/Winter thread!

[Western]

Well figured I'd start one to cover the up coming cool down Especially since every one on TBN, except maybe 3, are Texans:laughing: If your one of those "3", please post all ya want:thumbsup:

I did hear on the news that Cities in North Dallas have gone to stage 3 water restrictions, that's water the yard 2 times a month! They're saying probably going to stage 4 by Spring!!

I guess the close to 7" over the last month has done little to build up our reserves.


As usual, deer season will likely be warm, after a cool front blows through Wednesday, warm weekend then rain Monday and Tuesday. We'll see.

 

[txdon]

In central Texas all we have is perfect (60-80 degrees) weather with no moister. That last 1 1/2" rain we had over a month ago was it for the summer. My "Frog" pond clean out project is complete. I'll post a before/after picture tonight on this thread tonight. I even planted rye grass to stop the erosion if it ever rains. Cold front will be down here Thursday and we have 20% rain prediction.

 

[blueriver]

Local news stated this morning that the drought conditions are expected to last another year. Thats going to be tough to handle.

 

[houstonscott]

Once that high pressure system that was over Texas all summer moved off it seems to me our weather has turned to normal for this time of year. While this doesn't mean we will recover the lost rain totals I see no reason why normal rain falls would not be in our future. I understand the public water utilities have to plan for the worst I myself am not worried.

HS

 

[jinman]

Cold front will be down here Thursday and we have 20% rain prediction.

You should go down to Paige and see if you can wring a better forecast out of that retired weatherman who lives down there.

Every rain storm we get, I look at central TX to see if there's any rain there. While our rains up here have normalized for fall, yours are continuing to be drought conditions. I hope things change for you soon. The only critters who seem to like it dry are snakes, mice, and fire ants.

Edit: Oh yes! ...and grasshoppers.

 

[Bird]

I did hear on the news that Cities in North Dallas have gone to stage 3 water restrictions, that's water the yard 2 times a month! They're saying probably going to stage 4 by Spring!!

I'm surprised that Corinth is still in Stage 1, which actually means no restrictions, just a request for voluntary conservation.

 

[Western]

I haven't kept up with our lake levels, they where down severely, not sure which ones the cities draw from though.

Last I heard we where only about at an 8" deficit, of course it was more over the summer.

Should get our first freeze Thursday night at least at my place, did the wood splitting thing yesterday, man I need to get a gas powered splitter!

 

[Larry Caldwell]

You guys need to jack the Canadians up to share some of that arctic air. We pushed plenty of Pacific storms across the continent last winter, but they busted right through the northern states because the Canadians were so chintzy with their arctic ridges.

Same deal with that bathtub you call a Gulf. It puts out plenty of moisture, but it takes a cold snap to ripen it into a rain crop.

Maybe you need to occupy Ottowa.

Or Saskatoon.

 

[Western]

You guys need to jack the Canadians up to share some of that arctic air. We pushed plenty of Pacific storms across the continent last winter, but they busted right through the northern states because the Canadians were so chintzy with their arctic ridges.

Same deal with that bathtub you call a Gulf. It puts out plenty of moisture, but it takes a cold snap to ripen it into a rain crop.

Maybe you need to occupy Ottowa.
Or Saskatoon.

:laughing: Right!! The high pressure has been the biggest factor, keeps pushing the gulf moisture SW and the jet stream from your way North

 

[Bird]

I haven't kept up with our lake levels, they where down severely, not sure which ones the cities draw from though.

Last I heard we where only about at an 8" deficit, of course it was more over the summer.

Should get our first freeze Thursday night at least at my place, did the wood splitting thing yesterday, man I need to get a gas powered splitter!

I saw something in the news a couple of days ago that we have about a 10" deficit, but I think that was for the state as a whole instead of any particular area.

Our water comes from Lake Lewisville and it is supposedly about 6.74' low right now.

 

[jinman]

When I saw the news piece about the stage 3 restrictions, it made me wonder if the recent rains and cooler temperatures made city officials think that people didn't need to water as much? Of course, that's giving a lot of credit to cities' bureaucracies that they might not deserve.

 

[Western]

Bird, from what I understand that is probably our local deficit, I think further South and West are even worse.

Jim, Channel 4 said it was the current conditions combined with the El nino weather pattern foretasted through the Spring, but from where I sit, it "seems" better now then 2 months ago, but then again for now, I'm on a well.

One of the ladies my wife works with said her water bill has been over $600 in Mineral Wells with the added surcharges from the city for having to buy water from the NTXWD (?), I almost fell over when she told me that!

 

[jinman]

One of the ladies my wife works with said her water bill has been over $600 in Mineral Wells with the added surcharges from the city for having to buy water from the NTXWD (?), I almost fell over when she told me that!

Our October electric bill was $158. Of course, that includes electricity for our water and sewer system, two refrigerators, deep freezer, electric dryer, etc. Our garbage is $1 per bag dropoff at the Wise Co. collection sta. once per week. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have a $600 water bill and still have to pay electric on top of that.

 

[Bird]

If I got a $600 water bill, I'd not only quit watering the yard, I might have to quit drinking water.

 

[Western]

My wife was talking to the lady on the phone when I read you guy's post, so I ask her again what she was paying for city water, the bill for Oct she say's is $400 and change!! but was over $600 through the heat of summer. I think I would be looking at putting in a well if the city would allow it, that is just insane. How much could Ft Worths water cost?? man alive.

 

[txdon]

Almost had to turn on the AC today. Here are a couple of pics of my latest tractor work with the FEL and BH. This pond was very dusty to work on. I had to put the tooth-bar on the bucket to get the clay out of the bottom. I used the clay and sand I got out to raise the road that leads to the pond. Over the years between the wind and the rain was about a foot lower than the field.

In front of the fault line it is black land (first pond on Texas heat thread) and behind the fault line it is powder sand. (this pond)

 

[ronjhall]

Almost had to turn on the AC today.

Did you manage to keep electric bills below $150 a month this summer?
Hope TX weather improves by the time us Snowbirds get down there.

 

[txdon]

No Ron, between the pool, the a/c shack-in-the-back, and the 90 days of over 100 degrees (some 112). our highest summer electric bill was $160.

This morning 49 degrees!

 

[Bird]

Almost had to turn on the AC today.

Almost? Two days in a row we used both heating and cooling at different times of day.:laughing:

No Ron, between the pool, the a/c shack-in-the-back, and the 90 days of over 100 degrees (some 112). our highest summer electric bill was $160.

This morning 49 degrees!

40 degrees here this morning with 32 forecast for tonight.

And I wish our electric bills were that low. Our average for the year has been $208. Of course our house is total electric, with several months of $250 to $270.

 

[Western]

In front of the fault line it is black land (first pond on Texas heat thread) and behind the fault line it is powder sand. (this pond)

Don, that "white" looking sand looks almost like beach sand! If you had enough you might could sell it to your local golf course!

Almost? Two days in a row we used both heating and cooling at different times of day.:laughing:

Ditto for us yesterday, I think we hit 77* prior to the front blowing through, had another tree blow over and hit the kitchen exterior wall, thank goodness it was a glancing blow and no damage. I think the winds gusted more than the 30mph they where talking about.