It's official

[rideau]

Coldest February in Southern Quebec and in Ontario since 1889 (records may be much less accurate or 1889 per reports...accurate records date from 1900).

How much and what species wood did you use in February, heating how big a home with what stove to what temp?

 

[Diabel]

Yup,
Feb was no fun in terms of burning. Gone through most of my 4 yr old BL, 2yr old ash and 5yr old hard maple! Not sure how much but my shed is more empty than ever before. And we have about 8wks of burning still....

As said before in the past 7 weeks my encore was a true space heater, the central NG furnace was working like never before (since the wood stove was installed).

House is around 3400 sqf

Stove temps steady around 550-650

 

[Offset]

Glad you survived Rideau. Bone chilling cold.

We burned a combination of Maple, Beech and Birch. Cannot recall what the coffee table was but it burned well.

The house is about 1500 sq ft, the stove never stopped vibrating the entire month. Love my stove.

 

[peakbagger]

Maple and birch, I went through double my normal usage.

 

[rideau]

I saw a PE burning when I picked up my flue damper at the stove shop in Westport. That is a pretty stove, and an impressive heater.

 

[Diabel]

I saw a PE burning when I picked up my flue damper at the stove shop in Westport. That is a pretty stove, and an impressive heater.

Westport? On the big Rideau?
If so, one of my favorite quiante towns around!

 

[rideau]

Yes, on the Upper Rideau. You travel North toward Ottawa and pass through the Narrows Locks to get to the Big Rideau. I'm on the south shore of the Big Rideau.

 

[Offset]

Rideau, that is indeed a beautiful area. I don't read many magazines anymore but one I really miss is Harrowsmith which I think was published near you. Years ago there was an article about a guy wanting to convert to wood heat and convinced himself that he could save a fortune by doing so. Coles version was buying the stove, chimney, chainsaw, splitter, log handling equipment, logs, a new pickup, a new trailer and on and on. It was a great story that was very humorous but probably true, I would love to read it again.

Take care.

 

[AnalogKid]

Yep, CT too. 15.9F was the average high. Spring can't come soon enough.

 

[transmogrifire]

Feeling for you guys out east, here in calgary we have been getting of easy.

I take care of the community ice rink so it not all good this winter.

 

[kversch]

coldest February in Rochester ny average was 12 something I cant remember. Wish I had a stove in. Electric and propane bills put a hurting on the bank this past month.

 

[rideau]

As you likely are aware, the entire Rideau Canal system has been designated a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Yes, I'm very fortunate. My sister, my aunt and I have 96 contiguous acres on the lake, over 3000 feet frontage, all woodlot. Has been in the family since the early 1900's. Had Ontario Nat Resources on the property in the 1970's. They wanted to manage my woodlot: told me I had (my piece of the property - 24 acres) the last ideal woodlot on the lake, that they had not known one still existed. The forester found everything he wanted to find, except cherry, which he finally found. (The rest of the property has had cows grazing and was to a great extent replanted). The property is blanketed with Spring ephemerals as soon as the snow melts, until June and full foliage. We have hundreds of varieties of mushrooms, some rare.
When I asked the forester for his opinion, he told me he wouldn't let them touch the property. They'd come in and make roads, cut a lot of trees, make a mess;the property would do it naturally in thirty years.

We originally had 160 acres. 40 were donated to conservation, 24 were sold. Before that, about 50 years ago, the Fed Govt was looking into expropriating the land and building a resort, as the property had been chosen as the ideal land on the lake. When they found my Mother had become a US citizen and they would have had to deal with US/Canadian laws/courts, they dropped the initiative. But as late as there study of the lake done around 2000, they were designating this property as an ideal site to be developed.

The property is now designated as a Heritage Woodlot by Ontario. And THEY are now telling US to conserve the land.

This time of year I have a great view of the lake. Have a problem with boaters trespassing summers, because I have a bay with a beautiful sandy beach, and you can't see my home from the lake once the trees are in foliage. We have left the property natural. Just a clearing for my home.

Sorry to derail the thread.

 

[tarzan]

February was exceptionally cold here in West Virginia but without googling it I think last February may have been colder. Cold enough to teach me a valuable lesson anyway. Had to borrow some seasoned wood from my Dad who was more than happy to help me get it home and stack it while I listend to the "I told you so's' ."

 

[osagebow]

rideau - Sounds beautiful up there, would love to see some pics! I'm glad you were able to stop the development and they finally see the light. I checked the canal out on Lazypedia, and this sentence jumped out-
"The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States"
Ironic considering the way Mom was able to get them to back off!

Anyhow, I'm in Western VA ,Similar to tarzan - Many record lows, similar to last year with less snow.
Used lots of locust and oak, heating 1200 SF older split entry from the basement. Ran the IS at 350- 500 with forays higher on our dips to zero. It usually kept us 70+ inside. We do some seasonal insulation of a big french door upstairs and hang a blanket to cover the walk out basement door with dog door. This year she finally figured out how to get out of it without disturbing the blanket!

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Cold here in S.NH. I burned 2 year old red oak, and lots of it. Almost through 4 cords this winter!

1600 sf log home, moderately drafty

 

[fossil]

All over the Northwest...Salt Lake City, Boise, Portland, Seattle...warmest February ever recorded.

 

[TX-L]

I think most of the northeast had the coldest February on record; Watertown NY had the coldest MONTH ever on record, not just February.

It's all relative, dependent upon where you call home.
For my locale (Watertown), the average temp was 6.1 (record);
20 of the 28 days had a low temperature below 0 (record);
There have been 35 days with a temperature below 0 so far this winter (record is 41 days, 1993-94);
186" of snowfall was recorded in Copenhagen (closest spotter location) through 30 January, no totals for Feb as of yet (about average).

I have used about 3 1/4 full cords of wood for the entire season, almost entirely red & white oak, heating about 1500 SF with a Blaze King King Parlor, and it's always in the 70's in the house. During extended below zero periods I run the stove fan quite a lot, and always run the ceiling fan in the dining/living room section.

 

[Bobbin]

I am looking forward to the "thaw".

I read once that February could be the coldest month of the year, and it's always stuck in my mind. Sooo... I'm not really that surprised. But it's still a drag. Despite increased sunshine I see little/no melting aside from areas that reflect light from buildings. Snow banks are still over 7' and any melt refreezes leaving icy right wheel tracks on already narrow road ways.

I know it will melt. When will it start? I'm dealing with the status quo admirably but I crave a crocus... . We have a ways to go, I fear!

 

[Dix]

I went through 2 cords from the end of January to now ... hardwoods ... oak, maple, cherry, pine... it all got mixed up, and I burned what I had to to get it done.

2000 SF, 2 stoves. Stacks took a huge hit, and I still can't get to the back stacks that were for back up.

I can say, that I did not have to touch the "insurance cord" on the back deck. How I did it, I dunno. But I'm looking forward to burning it in the spring

When ever that comes

It will be an interesting thaw, as there are layers of ice, wood ash, ice, wood ash ... I figure about 4 layers. I hope they wash out into the garden beds .... poor womans lime

 

[jatoxico]

I don't know if we made the records books here but it's one of the coldest I can remember. The biggest problem is that everything that hit the ground is still here. Roof covered in snow for > month. Shoveled my roof a couple times but its a recipe for trouble especially now that they're calling for rain.

Running out of places to put the snow. Busted my butt using a wheel barrow to cart snow mounds off my back patio out to the driveway then used the blower to send it far into the backyard. Did a bunch of other snow moving stuff after that trying to make room and ward off water damage. We'll see.

 

[TX-L]

There have been 35 days with a temperature below 0 so far this winter (record is 41 days, 1993-94);

Make that 36 days; it was -9 this morning.

 

[DougA]

I'm guessing that I went through a little under a cord in Feb. We had a fair number of sunny days and when the sun is out, the solar heats our home much better than wood. I burn anything that has fallen on the property. Mostly black locust, elm, walnut, ash. I even saw some Sumac in the pile. We've got Sumac that are 25' high with a 5" trunk. Sorta like balsa wood but dark wood.

I think I'm burning just about the same amount of wood on my newer 4 cu ft stove than I did on my old 2.4 cu ft. AND the temps in the house are much warmer.