Mild Winter -Stretching my wood supply

[DavidV]

Every year I toil to make sure I will have enough wood for the next season. All year I am working at it. cutting , hauling, splitting , stacking. Every year, once I get into the heating season I start to get a little freaked out that I miscalculated some how, and I won't have enough wood to make it thru. It won't be a total crisis if that happens. I'll just turn the thermostat on and use the heating system that was built with the house.
I think I can safely say that this year will not be a problem. There have been enough days where I didn't burn or let the fires go long enough between reloads that I have the majority of my wood still left to burn. Only 2 months of winter left. I guess I will be more than set for next year. I might have 5 cords available for next year, and don't know if I could possibly burn that with 24/7 burns for Nov-March.

 

[Rhone]

Although December 21st is scientifically where the days start to get longer I think February to be the coldest and most brutal month and what I call the middle of winter. Considering I start to heat sometime in November and stop the end of April/beginning of May, that puts February in the middle of my winter and woodwise the month I worry most about.

 

[Sandor]

I always stock extra wood just in case I turn the thermostat on and nothing happens.

 

[got wood?]

I like Eric Johnson's approach! Stack more than you could ever burn in a season...about 5X more! ;-)

https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/43/

 

[Todd]

Here in Wisconsin the weatherman says the average temp for Jan is going to set a new warmest ever record. It hasn't even gone below zero yet this month! Highs have been in the 30's and even 40's. Nov and Dec were colder.

I have plenty of wood since I haven't had to burn 24/7 every day. Last year at this time I burned up about 2/3 of my supply, this year about 1/2.

 

[DavidV]

Well. The fat lady ain't sung yet so we might still have some serious weather. El Nino is really working a number on us. I wonder what the summer has in store for us this year. With all this warm weather I hate to think about what's happening to the water in my pool. Bet it's green as an emerald when the cover comes off.

 

[precaud]

El Nino is really working a number on us.

The national weather service says that the El Nino event (warmer than usual water currents off the western South American coast) is NOT responsible for the warmer weather we're experiencing this year...

 

[Todd]

Yeah, they can't predict 24-48 hrs ahead let alone 10 days. Then you have that Dr. Gray so called huricane expert predicting how many storms every summer. What do these weatherman do, look into a crystal ball? They should be paid by how accurat they forcast.

 

[Rick]

I've always said that weather people should be forced to start every forecast with "I'm going to guess that it is going to rain, snow, be sunny... etc." That's all they are really doing, guessing based on some data.

Rick

 

[Michael6268]

55 at my house today. Went outside an split some wood for the fireplace. The weather channel said last night that 2005 was the warmest year on record. I was kinda surprised. I know we had a hot summer but didnt think the year was all that warm. As far as Elnino. The also said warm weather we are having is not because of Elnino. They said its definetely a sign of global warming and pointed out that the "five warmest years on record" all happened in within the last eight year period.. Who knows, maybe this site will become a "air conditioner/swimming pool site someday!

 

[Todd]

It may be warm on this side of the globe, but over in Russia it has been the coldest winter in decades and shows no signs of letting up according to Fox News Channel. The high in Moscow was -22 today, I hope they build good wood stoves over there. It seems like the weather channel likes to sensationalize global warming and try to scare everybody. (good for ratings) Look at their new program about weather disasters, "It could happen tomorrow" I think it's all bull, and everything averages out over time.

 

[precaud]

The high in Moscow was -22 today, I hope they build good wood stoves over there.

That is Celsius, or about -8F. Not unusual for this time of year. What's unusual is how little snow they have on the ground.

I think it's all bull, and everything averages out over time.

All the research that isn't being bought and paid for by special interests indicates otherwise.

 

[Curtis Koble]

If I can remember the Farmers Almanac says that the average temp does not fluctuate more than 2 degrees the entire season. So expect a very cold Feb

 

[DavidV]

El Nino is really working a number on us.

The national weather service says that the El Nino event (warmer than usual water currents off the western South American coast) is NOT responsible for the warmer weather we're experiencing this year...

interesting. I was watching one of those national morning shows last week and they had some weather person on wh said it was. Experts are great.

 

[DavidV]

HAH. Good wood stoves in Russia? man...can you imagine? I wonder if they have anything like EPA over there. I imagine not. I would guess your idea of a good wood stove is one that keeps you from freezing to death. ......might be food for another thread.....instead of heating in the middle ages....heating in Russia......intersting.

 

[Todd]

That was -22f not Celsius according to the media.