St. Valentine's Day Massacre..

[BobbyinNY]

This looks like a monster is about to hit us... Snow, Rain, & Ice with 50mph wind-gusts..... I am SOOOOOOOOOO Not happy right now and S@#TTing my pants as I write this....     I can deal with the cold & the snow, but if we get an Ice storm and the power goes out, I'm gonna be one miserable palm guy

[ruskinPalms]

Hi Bobby, that sounds pretty awful. Do you have a generator to run your heaters in the greenhouses and palmscraper?

[iwan]

Better rent a generator or two before the mad rush hits.

[BobbyinNY]

Hi Bobby, that sounds pretty awful. Do you have a generator to run your heaters in the greenhouses and palmscraper?

No, I'm basically Screwed if the power goes out.... All I can do is hope & pray.. I have one Portable Propane heater that I would be able to use to keep whichever structure I felt was more important above freezing, but that's it...

[Rusty on Pine Is.]

Bobby...this will help only if any power outtage is minor, but filling as many large containers with water and putting them by the plants now will hold some residual heat in the structures if the power goes out for short periods of time....and it may enable you to switch the propane heater from one structure to the other for brief periods......

Best of Luck!

[BobbyinNY]

Bobby...this will help only if any power outtage is minor, but filling as many large containers with water and putting them by the plants now will hold some residual heat in the structures if the power goes out for short periods of time....and it may enable you to switch the propane heater from one structure to the other for brief periods......

Best of Luck!

Thanks, Rusty...

I'm actuall on my way to Home Depot now to see if I can buy 2 more propane heaters - just in case.

[Walter John]

Good luck. Keep your spirits up, play some tunes.

[SubTropicRay]

Bobby,

Although not as severe here, the GFS (MEX) model now has 33F forecasted locally for Saturday morning.  The media outlets including thre NWS are a bit higher but will fall in line later.  Expect the worst and hope for the best.

Ray

[BobbyinNY]

Bobby,

Although not as severe here, the GFS (MEX) model now has 33F forecasted locally for Saturday morning.  The media outlets including thre NWS are a bit higher but will fall in line later.  Expect the worst and hope for the best.

Ray

Absolutely, Ray.......

I went to HD after I spoke to you and bought (2) more 18,000btu portable propane heaters.. I now have (3) one for each enclosure - that should do the trick for a few hours in the event of a power failure.. My house will be freezing, but at least the palms will be warm...

[SubTropicRay]

My house will be freezing, but at least the palms will be warm...

Bobby,

You and I both know how to keep our priorities straight.

Ray

[spockvr6]

(Ray, Tampa @ Feb. 13 2007,17:51)

QUOTE

Bobby,

Although not as severe here, the GFS (MEX) model now has 33F forecasted locally for Saturday morning.  The media outlets including thre NWS are a bit higher but will fall in line later.  Expect the worst and hope for the best.

Ray

Still holding onto the NW wind over here in 34689......as such the forecasts are 4-5 F warmer than downtown Tampa at this point, and almost 10F warmer than inland north sections of Tampa (which is not all that rare).

But, those winds can shift in an instant (this has become all too clear since Ive gotten a weather station) and the temp gradient can change very quickly.

I have seen the words "frost" pop up in various forecasts and that wasnt mentioned until recently.  So, the usual downgrading as we get closer to the event is right on cue.

[BobbyinNY]

Well what a mess it is here right now, and while we don't really have much more than a dusting of snow on the ground, the Ice Pellets sound like a bunch of pebbles falling down from the sky. The wind is aound 40mph and it's just plain Nasty and Raw....

[oppalm]

(BobbyinNY @ Feb. 13 2007,13:53)

QUOTE

This looks like a monster is about to hit us... Snow, Rain, & Ice with 50mph wind-gusts..... I am SOOOOOOOOOO Not happy right now and S@#TTing my pants as I write this....

Bobby good luck.  Propane Heater - Good thing .   s@#TTing ones pants - bad thing (unless you have adult diapers on).   The snow, ice and winds certainly make it exciting for us northern palm growers.   That storm is certaiinly leaving it mark as it crosses the country.  Hopefully that will be the last winter/arctic storm of the season.    You survive this one and that should be about it .  Don't forget the propane.   Are you at home or at work today ?

[Bilbo]

Good luck Bobby,

Recently we in the UK were forecast some very dire weather and all we got, at least here on the coast, was one frosty night.

I hope you too get away with it!

Regardez

Juan

[BobbyinNY]

Are you at home or at work today ?

Unfortunately, I'm at work today, Kent... but I'm only 15 mins from my house... and Can get there in a flash if need be... I'm monitoring the outtage areas and they seem to be dancing all around my house right now.

look at all these outages... uggghhh

[JakeK]

Bobby,

This same storm rumbled through Cincinnati yesterday. 10's of thousands without power to go along with temperatures in the teens. Sleet accumulations over 3 inches with another 4 inches of snow under that. Last night we had 40mph wind gusts all night long as the front passed. Trees are breaking in half all over from the weight of the ice.

For the next two nights the area is expecting lows between 0-5*F.

[BobbyinNY]

Bobby,

This same storm rumbled through Cincinnati yesterday. 10's of thousands without power to go along with temperatures in the teens. Sleet accumulations over 3 inches with another 4 inches of snow under that. Last night we had 40mph wind gusts all night long as the front passed. Trees are breaking in half all over from the weight of the ice.

For the next two nights the area is expecting lows between 0-5*F.

WOW, Jake.. that's really cold... We don't get anywhere near that.. We'll be down to about 17f tonight and around the same for the next 2 night, then it'll moderate a bit.... Still just ridiculous... I need  to get outta here....

[Exotic Life]

Bobby,

Good luck over there, i look almost every day to the weather forecast for new york, what a long cold wave you have got there, and it's a really cold one. That could you have there now, that i don't have see here the last 3 years!

Robbin

[BobbyinNY]

Bobby,

Good luck over there, i look almost every day to the weather forecast for new york, what a long cold wave you have got there, and it's a really cold one. That could you have there now, that i don't have see here the last 3 years!

Robbin

Robbin,

This is the longest cold spell I can ever remember..... And the ironic thing is that it was so warm up until the 2nd week of January, then it's like someone turned a switch and put us into Antartica..... But, it looks like we're in for a decent warmup next week.. I see temperatures going up to the 50's.. I never thought I'd get excited about that.....

[happ]

Thankfully this monster storm is beginning to exit northeast into Labrador Sea. Unfortunately followed by another surge of upper Arctic air.  Primarily MidWest/GreatLakes/Northeast event.

Keep stoking the hothouse furnace, Bobby and you'll be fine  

[BobbyinNY]

Keep stoking the hothouse furnace, Bobby and you'll be fine  

I just got my electric bill for the months of Jan/Feb....... If I told all of you how much it cost, you either #1 - wouldn't believe me, or #2 - would want to have me commited... well, either way - for (2) months,  I used $2379.00 in electric - running a total of (7) heaters to keep my 3 structures from going below 45f.

[SubTropicRay]

keep warm brother.

[BobbyinNY]

keep warm brother

Thanks, Ray..... I can't believe how much I'm at the mercy of the power company.... they control my world right now...

[Walter John]

(BobbyinNY @ Feb. 15 2007,12:31)

QUOTE

Keep stoking the hothouse furnace, Bobby and you'll be fine  

I just got my electric bill for the months of Jan/Feb....... If I told all of you how much it cost, you either #1 - wouldn't believe me, or #2 - would want to have me commited... well, either way - for (2) months,  I used $2379.00 in electric - running a total of (7) heaters to keep my 3 structures from going below 45f.

Eeh Gadzookas ! Bobby. There was an old rock song by a great aussie rocker named Johnny O'Keefe called "Move baby Move". This song came to mind immediately on reading this particular post.

[Neofolis]

Bobby, I wish you luck, but I really think you should go get a generator.  After already spending over $2000 on electricity, it would be a killer to have all that money wasted due to a short power outage.

[Exotic Life]

(BobbyinNY @ Feb. 14 2007,15:15)

QUOTE

Bobby,

Good luck over there, i look almost every day to the weather forecast for new york, what a long cold wave you have got there, and it's a really cold one. That could you have there now, that i don't have see here the last 3 years!

Robbin

Robbin,

This is the longest cold spell I can ever remember..... And the ironic thing is that it was so warm up until the 2nd week of January, then it's like someone turned a switch and put us into Antartica..... But, it looks like we're in for a decent warmup next week.. I see temperatures going up to the 50's.. I never thought I'd get excited about that.....

I hope for you that the warming up is going on ... and let the cold behind ...

Robbin

[BobbyinNY]

Bobby, I wish you luck, but I really think you should go get a generator.  After already spending over $2000 on electricity, it would be a killer to have all that money wasted due to a short power outage

I really want to Corey, but I don't know if I can find one that can handle all the amperage that I'm drawing....... My home service is 200amps.. Most of these generators are 50 at best - and that's a for a powerful one.

[oppalm]

(BobbyinNY @ Feb. 14 2007,21:31)

QUOTE

I just got my electric bill for the months of Jan/Feb....... If I told all of you how much it cost, you either #1 - wouldn't believe me, or #2 - would want to have me commited... well, either way - for (2) months,  I used $2379.00 in electric - running a total of (7) heaters to keep my 3 structures from going below 45f.

[spockvr6]

(BobbyinNY @ Feb. 14 2007,22:31)

QUOTE

I just got my electric bill for the months of Jan/Feb....... If I told all of you how much it cost, you either #1 - wouldn't believe me, or #2 - would want to have me commited... well, either way - for (2) months,  I used $2379.00 in electric - running a total of (7) heaters to keep my 3 structures from going below 45f.

You are one hard core palmer Bobby.

[BobbyinNY]

Bobby - with that kind of electrical use you might get a visit from the DEA.    My brother-in-law is a US Marshall in Iowa and he says the power companies notify them of excessive electrical usage in private residences because of the potential of drugs and other illegal activities, i.e. grow lights and hydroponic gardens (wink, wink).

They might just take you down to the station for questioning when they see the palm scraper

They can come and look all they want...... I'll show them my Palms, Bananas, Oranges, Lemons, Hibiscus, and all my other tropicals.

[BobbyinNY]

You are one hard core palmer Bobby

Larry, I can't wait to come and bring my entire landscape down to FL.....

[Kathy]

So is the nasty weather still ongoing?

I gotta show my hubby your power bill figure.  He'll stop complaining about our $421 January bill.

[BobbyinNY]

So is the nasty weather still ongoing?

I gotta show my hubby your power bill figure.  He'll stop complaining about our $421 January bill.

Kathy,

the nasty Ice/sleet/snow left but now the brutal arctic air came back - I just can't get a break... These have been the most miserable 3 weeks I can ever remember. According to Accuweather, the jetstream is supposed to flatten out next week - which means that we'll be getting temps back to more "normal" readings for this time of year (40's/30's respectively)...

[Kathy]

So are you job hunting yet so you don't have to go through this next winter?   You've definately got some people-networking power around here to help.    Is it going to be Tampa area?

[Alan_Tampa]

$2379.00 ?  I would need new underwear.  I might need new underwear just from reading your e-mail.  You might need to start cultivating to pay for that juice.

Holy crap - my electric bill was like 100 bucks.

Alan Crappants

[BobbyinNY]

So are you job hunting yet so you don't have to go through this next winter?   You've definately got some people-networking power around here to help.     Is it going to be Tampa area?

Kathy,

I started sending out Resumes and already have 3 people that wrote back to me.... So there is definitely an interest....   We've made a plan to be out of our house by next summer, so we're gonna go thru this summer, put our house on the market in February (on advice from RE agent), and hopefully it'll be sold pretty quick, then we're outta here....

[SubTropicRay]

Bobby,

By virtue of the Winter Elimination Proclamation (W.E.P.), I'm arranging that this cold snap be the last down here forever.  By the time you get to Tampa, it will be like Panama all year long.  Sound Ok to you?

Ray

[gsn]

(Ray, Tampa @ Feb. 15 2007,18:57)

QUOTE

Bobby,

By virtue of the Winter Elimination Proclamation (W.E.P.), I'm arranging that this cold snap be the last down here forever.  By the time you get to Tampa, it will be like Panama all year long.  Sound Ok to you?

Ray

Ray,

So would followers of W.E.P.  be called WEPERS?

I hope the WEPERS aren't WEEPING come Saturday morning.  So the way I am reading this,W.E.P. doesn't take effect until THIS cold snap is over,according to the proclamation BY-LAWS!

[steve 9atx]

Lord, Bobby, $2400 would keep me in juice for a year and a half!  Whatever you do, don't listen to the Home Depot types that will tell you you can buy a 50 amp generator and backfeed your service through a 220v range outlet or something like that.  I know you're smart enough not to mess around with the possiblity of burning your house down!

You're gonna sing "cry me a river", but we're going to break the record of 29F tonight set for this date in 1951 by a degree or two.  The worst part is that it's supposed to stay below freezing for the better part of nine hours which seldom happens in Houston.  Usually when we get a freeze it's for a 2-3 hours overnight and warms up considerably the next morning.  So, I actually had to get off my a$$ and dolly all the cirtus into the garage and a 7' spindle into the dining room.  The way houses are built here, I'll have to leave the water dripping all night to keep the pipes from freezing.

Here's to Spring,

Steve

[SubTropicRay]

WEPpers unite.