Texas Winter 2023-2024

[wxman57]

If you have exposed, uninsulated pipes then it wouldn't be a bad idea to head to HD or Lowe's to pick up some pipe insulation before it's all gone. Should not be so bad down here in Houston, but will be a problem farther north.

[txtwister78]

For an ensemble run still 6 days out...I mean c'mon now. But then again, those of us tracking this said it would correct colder and it has. Pattern recognition. Now it needs to stop. Lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the cold storm 2k weather fanatics but that's getting into wicked territory now.

[HockeyTx82]

For an ensemble run still 6 days out...I mean c'mon now. But then again, those of us tracking this said it would correct colder and it has. Pattern recognition. Now it needs to stop. Lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the cold storm 2k weather fanatics but that's getting into wicked territory now.

https://images.weatherbell.com/model/ecmwf-ensemble-avg/conus/t2m_f_anom/1704801600/1705363200-D5BTecZ3PHw.png

Too warm, any snow or ice won't stick.

[weatherdude1108]

I never understood dripping a spigot. I mean if a waterfall can freeze over how will a little dripping help?

Not asking you. Just asking the group as a whole.

If it gets cold enough does dripping really help?

In my case, one of my bibs in built into the wall on the north side of the house. When temps were in the teens, I started by covering it in a styrofoam bib protector you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot. Later when I uncovered it and checked it, the faucet turned, but it wouldn't flow. Had to pour warm' water on it for several seconds before it started flowing.

The next time it was in the teens, I put a layer of towels between the house and hose bib seal. The edge still froze. So the next time in the infamous 2021 freeze, I decided to wrap it in towels and put some duct tape over the towels below the faucet (for the water to slide over so it wouldn't accumulate on towels). I set a little drip, and that worked. It got down to 6 degrees here with 8 inches of snow. Probably doesn't work for everyone, but mine gets the brunt of the arctic chill. My other hose bib is out in back on south side and also let drip a little, but I have never had an issue with that one.

My neighbor just covered his in 2021, and his was fine. His wall faces east. My other neighbor dripped hers and was fine. Hers faces west. I did both.lol

I've never dripped an outdoor spigot (not that you shouldn't!). But I do drip indoor faucets when temps reach the mid-teens. Running water doesn't freeze as quickly as still water. Plus when you have a small amount of water moving through the pipe, you are moving slightly warmer water through the sections that are prone to freezing, instead of leaving water in one spot allowing it to freeze.

For outdoor spigots, just insulate them as much as you can with styrofoam and towels/blankets, if necessary.

Yeah, I dripped the indoor faucets adjacent to the outer wall of the house also. I'm not a plumber, but I'm just afraid if I don't drip my outdoor spigots, I might get a busted pipe somewhere behind the wall where spigot attaches.

[TeamPlayersBlue]

My family and I are going to Kalahari in Roundrock on Monday, staying overnight for my daughter's birthday, heading back Tuesday. Only 25 minutes away, but not jazzed about the timing.

Guess I'll be wrapping a few plants and wrapping/dripping spigots..

I never understood dripping a spigot. I mean if a waterfall can freeze over how will a little dripping help?

Not asking you. Just asking the group as a whole.

If it gets cold enough does dripping really help?

In my case, one of my bibs in built into the wall on the north side of the house. When temps were in the teens, I started by covering it in a styrofoam bib protector you can get at Lowe's or Home Depot. Later when I uncovered it and checked it, the faucet turned, but it wouldn't flow. Had to pour warm' water on it for several seconds before it started flowing.

The next time it was in the teens, I put a layer of towels between the house and hose bib seal. The edge still froze. So the next time in the infamous 2021 freeze, I decided to wrap it in towels and put some duct tape over the towels below the faucet (for the water to slide over so it wouldn't accumulate on towels). I set a little drip, and that worked. It got down to 6 degrees here with 8 inches of snow. Probably doesn't work for everyone, but mine gets the brunt of the arctic chill. My other hose bib is out in back on south side and also let drip a little, but I have never had an issue with that one.

My neighbor just covered his in 2021, and his was fine. His wall faces east. My other neighbor dripped hers and was fine. Hers faces west. I did both.lol

My .02, i dripped my pipes just to be extra extra precautious. A friend of mine, thats very handy says you can drip the pipe furthest away from the entrance into the house and be good. Spigot covers work well.

For my sprinklers, which was a large pipe that came out of the ground then back into the ground, i covered this with a bunch of "metallic bags" that received from food being delivered to my house. Works great as an insulator.

Now for my pool, i did something i entirely came up with once the power went out and had to do something. Instead of running the pool pump the entire time, I turned the pool pump off, drained the cylinder with the filters in them, and opened the catch can. This lowered the pressure and amount of water in the pipes, allowing the little amount of water in the pipes to freeze and expand without exploding the pipes. Unfortunately only able to use this tactic for the last freeze i had in Texas.

[bubba hotep]

 https://x.com/AgWxMan1/status/1744803190128726056

[Stratton23]

txtwister78 looks like the cold is off the scale on that EPS run, absolutely nuts

[bubba hotep]

Heading in the right direction!

[cheezyWXguy]

Heading in the right direction!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDbRmfTXwAAJkij?format=png&name=large

Sign me up for 9” pls

[foulbeast]

Heading in the right direction!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDbRmfTXwAAJkij?format=png&name=large

Sign me up for 9” pls

Where is the Steve Carrell meme when you need it??

[TeamPlayersBlue]

Dude, the Euro upper pattern is crazy cold. Block is still there after ten days and it slings down 4 different cold waves from the source region during the run.

[orangeblood]

Heading in the right direction!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDbRmfTXwAAJkij?format=png&name=large

GFS or CMC ENS not really buying it...

[jaguars_22]

Why does the euro show the front push through south Texas Sunday night and then backs up and then comes through again after the precip?? Weird then that would mean all the precip should be ice of some kind right??

[Gotwood]

12Z Canadian ensembles now in. Low of 29 in Houston Wed vs. 9 on operational. Ensembles are not nearly as cold. Much more realistic. This is no "Uri". For Austin-San Antonio-Houston, just a dry cold for a couple of days. D-FW area will have icing issues. By Thursday, temps well above freezing.

http://wxman57.com/images/12ZJan9Models.png

I like how you used the word Will.

[Itryatgolf]

Heading in the right direction!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDbRmfTXwAAJkij?format=png&name=large

GFS or CMC ENS not really buying it...
https://images.weatherbell.com/meteogram/gfs-ensemble-all/KDFW/indiv_snow_24/1704801600/1704801600-ciEAWpxMIIQ.png

https://images.weatherbell.com/meteogram/cmc-ensemble-all/KDFW/indiv_snow_24/1704801600/1704801600-UtHjcX8wtOs.png

Upgrade hurt the euro for sho!!

[Ntxw]

Why does the euro show the front push through south Texas Sunday night and then backs up and then comes through again after the precip?? Weird then that would mean all the precip should be ice of some kind right??

When there is SW flow aloft models will do everything they can to hold up the cold air and slow it down.

[bubba hotep]

Heading in the right direction!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GDbRmfTXwAAJkij?format=png&name=large

GFS or CMC ENS not really buying it...
https://images.weatherbell.com/meteogram/gfs-ensemble-all/KDFW/indiv_snow_24/1704801600/1704801600-ciEAWpxMIIQ.png

https://images.weatherbell.com/meteogram/cmc-ensemble-all/KDFW/indiv_snow_24/1704801600/1704801600-UtHjcX8wtOs.png

I'm hugging the Euro EPS! Seriously, the trend over the last 24hrs has been impressive. Will it hold at 00z? Will the Euro swing towards the EPS at 00z?

[Ntxw]

For an ensemble run still 6 days out...I mean c'mon now. But then again, those of us tracking this said it would correct colder and it has. Pattern recognition. Now it needs to stop. Lol. Don't get me wrong, I love the cold storm 2k weather fanatics but that's getting into wicked territory now.

https://images.weatherbell.com/model/ecmwf-ensemble-avg/conus/t2m_f_anom/1704801600/1705363200-D5BTecZ3PHw.png

Upstream cold air source is upper echelon. Not your run of the mill mid winter cold air. It's also very expansive with the -20s and -30s.

[jaguars_22]

So ntxw you think the front stays pushed through and all the precip could change to sleet? Even for us in south Texas?
Also just for knowledg… were there models back in 2004? when the Christmas miracle took place here? Could a disturbance come out of Mexico like it did back then? Or different setup?

[Texas Snow]