Anyone else here really disliking their current weather?

[macraven]

Anyone else here really disliking their current weather?
All day, everyday.

Not anymore since I left Chicago area for Georgia ...

 

[bcla]

Actually, block heaters are not included in all vehicles sold in Canada. For my Mazda 3 it was an optional accessory, cost in the $150-$300 range (>9 years ago so I forget the exact $). It is possible they are included by some manufacturers (likely part as their "if it is sold in canada it comes with a winter package" package), or in some areas it may be required, but it is not a universal Canadian requirement.

It's not that hard to install one yourself if you like working on your own car. When I got my last car, I looked at some of the options that were never factory installed, and a block heater was one of them. One shouldn't cost more than $40 (US). The pain is usually in the location of the engine block coolant drain plug or freeze plug, and the resulting mess. My previous car would have been easy since the plug was on the front. My current car (or my wife's) are a bit tougher because of location of the plug. Still - a dealer or mechanic is probably going to charge an hour labor and for the cost of replacing the coolant.

 

[pryncess527]

Dislike is an understatement . . .

 

[mom2rtk]

Dislike is an understatement . . .

I forgot about you! I bet this is culture shock!

Not much of a welcome, is it?

 

[pryncess527]

I forgot about you! I bet this is culture shock!

Not much of a welcome, is it?

Well, Fall was SOOO welcoming, almost like home -- now I'm paying for it.
I'll confess, the cold I experienced on Saturday was like nothing I have ever felt before. I'm grateful it's not like that all the time, I think I've found my limits.

 

[mom2rtk]

Well, Fall was SOOO welcoming, almost like home -- now I'm paying for it.
I'll confess, the cold I experienced on Saturday was like nothing I have ever felt before. I'm grateful it's not like that all the time, I think I've found my limits.

Well, I was at my limit Saturday too......and I went to school in Chicago during one of their coldest winters on record. At least now you know you can take it?

 

[pryncess527]

Yeah. Everyone assures me that's about as bad as it gets. Which makes me know I could not handle Canada or Minnesota, but I think I'll survive here. I'm a homebody by nature, I'll be leaning into that trait for the next few months, lol

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I'll take this over the tornados we had a few days ago any day of the week.

 

[Pooh2]

It was -13 degrees here at 5am!
Had a blizzard Saturday, pouring rain Sunday, freezing roads Sunday night into Monday morning.
Might hit 40 by the end of the week, what's not to love!

 

[sweetpeama]

Today it is actually halfway nice comparatively. It is above freezing and in the mid 20's for wind chill. We had -30 to -50 degree temps over the weekend. Yesterday it was below freezing and wind chill in the mid teens. We are supposed to have some more snow tonight but it will be in the mid 30's until Christmas Eve when we get below freezing weather with snow and an ice storm.
While the snow has not melted there are some bare ground areas thanks to the winds blowing the snow around.

 

[Minnesota!]

Today is downright tropical. All the snow is melting into that lovely brown-grey slush that reaches to your ankles. The car spray plays a melody as you drive along, and the sun is up only when I am indoors.

It's amazing, this winter thing...

 

[FINFAN]

Not anymore since I left Chicago area for Georgia ...

see, you are one of the lucky one's. I'm STILL in Chicago...and DH isn't leaving here so yeah...all day, everyday

 

[macraven]

see, you are one of the lucky one's. I'm STILL in Chicago...and DH isn't leaving here so yeah...all day, everyday

Since 3 of my sons are still in that area, I watch what is happening there
(Weather and few other things)

Lived in Illinois my entire life and don't miss it
The weather was just too much for us to deal with

Hugs to you and those that have to deal with the cold, snow and low temps

I know how difficult it can be during the winters up North

 

[FINFAN]

Since 3 of my sons are still in that area, I watch what is happening there
(Weather and few other things)

Lived in Illinois my entire life and don't miss it
The weather was just too much for us to deal with

Hugs to you and those that have to deal with the cold, snow and low temps

I know how difficult it can be during the winters up North

I too, have been here my entire life (and how sad is THAT? to have your entire life stuck in one spot) It was just reported again for this year that Illinois the #1 state people are moving out of. I'm not really a "sheep" type but in this case, boy do I wish I was part of the flock. My DD bolted for college to FL and lives in CA now..my DS is AZ bound. My DH's sister and her family live in Alpharetta, his other sister in CA...DH may have to accept the fact that he might be in IL all on his own as our budget doesn't allow travel to the west several times a year and I am NOT staying here after I turn 60. My countdown is 6 years and then then I'll be a Gypsy if I have to.

 

[bcla]

I too, have been here my entire life (and how sad is THAT? to have your entire life stuck in one spot) It was just reported again for this year that Illinois the #1 state people are moving out of. I'm not really a "sheep" type but in this case, boy do I wish I was part of the flock. My DD bolted for college to FL and lives in CA now..my DS is AZ bound. My DH's sister and her family live in Alpharetta, his other sister in CA...DH may have to accept the fact that he might be in IL all on his own as our budget doesn't allow travel to the west several times a year and I am NOT staying here after I turn 60. My countdown is 6 years and then then I'll be a Gypsy if I have to.

I remember a trip to Chicago in December. It was an eye opener about driving in cold weather, although we saw no snow. It was kind of a work trip, but not mine. I was talking with someone about burst pipes and leaving the water barely running to prevent that. However, the big thing was our rental car. When the windshield iced over, the washer fluid was clearly a deicer, and the rental car agency placed an ice scraper on the floor.

 

[FINFAN]

I remember a trip to Chicago in December. It was an eye opener about driving in cold weather, although we saw no snow. It was kind of a work trip, but not mine. I was talking with someone about burst pipes and leaving the water barely running to prevent that. However, the big thing was our rental car. When the windshield iced over, the washer fluid was clearly a deicer, and the rental car agency placed an ice scraper on the floor.

Add in grey skies from dawn to dusk and bone chilling wind, pot holes beating the crud out of your tires/car and those iced windshields? Daily issue. You scrape them off before work and then again before heading home..driving over said pot holes. Your hands and lips chap from the cold, your eyes water, your face hurts, your back hurts from shoveling (twice because the plow comes thru RIGHT after you finish the driveway and covers the apron again ) you are extra tired because you have to get up an hour early to shovel to get out. Then hopefully your train is on time, the tracks aren't frozen over and are delayed waiting for them to be flame thawed. Your entryway is sludge and wet boots until April and you lose at least one glove every year. Somewhere around a week before the 4th of July we get summer, and then fall seems to hit a month later. Yeah, I'm Winter Bitter and it has just started.

 

[Phil'sFrontier]

For those of you who have extreme cold how do you keep warm and what extra precautions do you have to take to make sure pipes don't burst and cars will start? I was wondering about that this morning when I saw the weather forecast for the Plains.

The f9rst two weeks of December it was never warmer than -25 degrees C and got as cold as -37 degrees C... -42 if you include the windchill. To stay warm you just have to stay inside, as any exposed skin at those temperatures will freeze in 15 minutes or less.
For ur vehicle you want to use a synthetic oil(I use 5w30) and add an oil pan heater. for extreme cold like I live in I also add an engine block heater and a battery warming blanket. Some people will put a barrier like a piece of canvas over the radiator, which helps keep the engine bay warmer and helps keep the heater blowing nice hot air into the cabin of the vehicle. Hope that helps

Oh and to keep the water pipes from freezing you can leave the cold water running. I have a recirculating pump that goes from the city water pipe to my basement to keep the main line from freezing. Also disconnect your outside hose and drain using the small drain valve inside on the hose bib

 

[CdnCarrie]

I remember a trip to Chicago in December. It was an eye opener about driving in cold weather, although we saw no snow. It was kind of a work trip, but not mine. I was talking with someone about burst pipes and leaving the water barely running to prevent that. However, the big thing was our rental car. When the windshield iced over, the washer fluid was clearly a deicer, and the rental car agency placed an ice scraper on the floor.

And? What's the big thing about an ice scraper? I don't get it.

 

[bcla]

And? What's the big thing about an ice scraper? I don't get it.

Well - at that point in my life I'd never seen an ice scraper before except for that scene in Fargo when Jerry Lundergaard is madly scraping away at the ice on his windshield.

 

[Nurse Sully]

Other than it being really cold and snowy most of the time, Nah. I grew up here.