[MzJag]

Hey folks, it's beginning to look alot like a white Christmas is in the makings for the deep south/gulf coast region. While absolutely thrilled of the prospect......since I've never had a white Christmas in the 43 years I've lived here; the fear factor is setting in.

We are not equipped to handle snow or freezing rain. The very few snows we've had completely paralyzed our entire city. The government completely shuts down, police only dispatch to critical emergencies and we generally lose electricity for days since our lines are not insulated. This is not to mention that our homes are not insulated completely as those of you in the north, only our exterior walls and attic. Our cars don't plug in to anything to prevent the fluids from freezing. Most of us have never seen snow tires. We generally have major situations of busted water lines in and around peoples homes. And most importantly, we do not have the types of winter clothing to shelter us from the elements as northerners do. My WINTER coat is a flannel-lined all weather jacket.

I just mowed my grass again today if that gives you any indication of our normal climate. Okay, following the ice storm a couple of years ago which left us without electricity for 5 days in an all electric house, I had a wood burning fireplace installed and I have alot of firewood so I know we can stay warm. I also bought a good generator this past summer so hopefully (if I get under the house and wrap all of the pipes really well) I will be able to keep my water well running & most of my lights & refrigerators with no problems. I plan to cook ahead my Christmas meal as well as having my stock of home canned soups, gumbo's, chili, and such already so that cooking will be minimized.

Any other prep ideas or suggestions for this Cajun girl who isn't use to dealing with freezing temps let alone a snow event? :confused:

[Renegade]

Don't know about Louisiana, but here in north Fla or LA we're about due for a snow. Seems like we get one about every 10 years or so. IIRC we only lost power because of it one time due to wind and ice. That storm was in March. The only reason I remember that one so well is because one of my hunting buddies was stranded at the camp because his truck wouldn't start.

The rest of the time, it's get the kids up early so they can go play in it before it's gone.

As far as freezing temps go, it seems like I've had to drain the lines more this week than I did all of last year! We've had enough frosts now that the cows have given up on trying to graze any leftover grass in the field. Now they just want to belly up to the hay rings.

Oh well....could be worse...could live up north!

[Arubi]

MzJag,

Wrap the pipes, shut your home up and come up here for Christmas! We've got plenty of room and we're used to it. :)

[Key]

Our cars don't plug in to anything to prevent the fluids from freezing.

I sure don't know what you mean by that. :no: I live up north and have never plugged my car into anything. The only fluid in it that might freeze would be if you had plain water in the windshield washer reservoir. If your car battery is pretty old, it might be reluctant to start in cold weather.

If you are worried about pipes freezing, find whichever indoor faucet is furthest from the well and leave it running at just the tinest trickle possible. Even that amount of water running would usually keep the pipes from freezing.

Otherwise, just snuggle in and enjoy it! :beer:

[Pepper]

MrsJag, how exciting for you! I've only seen snow 3 or 4 times in my life while living in Georgia. Let a few flurries drop and we go nuts with excitement. :P

I have a friend in Nova Scotia, CA. who has to place some kind of heater under the hood of his car in the winter time. Is this what your talking about? I may have it wrong but I think they use this more to keep the battery in the vehicles warm than to keep the fluids from freezing. ?

If I where you, I would still have some extra water on hand "just in case". And wrap all the pipes you can. Lowes sells stuff to wrap your pipes in that makes it really easy. I don't know the name of it because I haven't had to buy it very often. But it last for sometime.

Enjoy your snow!
:)

[Chills]

If you put some anti-freeze in the rad of your car..... to about -36c you wont have to worry about pluggin in your vehicles.... If you need to, use a long extention chord.. of course you need a block heater for that.... hmmmmm best to see if you have one....

Winterized...to the teeth in Canada :beer:

If all else fails I will send you floor plans for an Igloo.. :D

[big kumara]

We have block heaters on all our vehicles and the tractor. We don't need to plug 'em in when they're parked in the garage, but I carry a 50 ft extension cord in my car so I can plug it in at work in sub-zero weather. Poor old tractor, though, has to kept plugged in even in the garage during the bad cold spells. It has to get below zero before the cold is a real problem.

If you have pipes that might freeze, let the faucets drip. Make sure there are no drafts or air leaks around water or drain pipes. Yes, drain pipes can freeze up if you leave the water dripping and don't have normal water flowing through the drain (like going on vacation for a week when it's below zero). BTDT, helped pay for the plumber's new boat, lol.

Good tip for everyone in cold weather country: if you're leaving town for several days, have someone come over to flush the toilets and run ALL the faucets for several minutes every day.

You won't need a heavy coat if you dress in layers. My normal winter outdoor dress is t-shirt, turtle neck, chamois shirt, hooded sweat shirt, jeans, insulated bibs and a light Goretex jacket. The down parka and fur hat is for those windy, 20 below days.

Best advice for Southeners: if it gets snowy or icy, stay home, bake cookies and have snow ball fights. Even if YOU know how to drive in it, odds are no one else does, lol.

[Seldom Seen]

Least someones gonna have a white Christmas. Looks like another warm one here in the Portland OR area. :(

[HeadachesAbound]

They haven't quite decided if we are going to have a white christmas here or not. (Northeastern Oklahoma) But they have been warning about it actually getting cold here. We've had unusually warm weather compared to what we would normally deal with. The latest forecast says we'll drop to the mid-teens by Christmas and stay there with highs in the 20s for a few days. Of course, they have also increased the chance of precip as well and this could spell for a white Christmas here as well.

As far as plugging in your vehicle...That normally refers to either a block heater (for the extreme northerners) or if you have a diesel (for anywhere it gets below freezing). If your in Louisiana and it you're not driving a diesel then you won't need to worry. Unless it gets really cold (below zero) in which case I'm heading to California. I'd rather deal with an earthquake than freeze something off.

Letting the water drip, making sure the pipes are wrapped, avoiding drafts, and just staying inside will generally make the cold a bit more bearable.

You could always do what my grandmother did this year, take a cruise for Christmas.

**All Temps are expressed in Fahrenheit**