So far it’s been a mild winter up here.

[WiscWoody]

I know it’s still fall but up here “winter” can come early, as early as mid-October and it can be brutal sometimes but so far this year winter has been mild and that means I’ve been nesting with LP more since there’s no chance of overheating the house then and LP is pretty cheap here too. Today it’s 33 out and I‘m on the second fire so far and my hound dog is thrilled that he can lay in front of the stove and moan groan like someone who’s getting a happy ending at some massage parlor lol. it’s sickening to hear sometimes my goodness!

 

[NickW]

Agreed! It's been cool enough for deer season to allow success to hang a couple of days unlike some years, but not cold enough to have to go full hardwood loads overnight other than a couple of times. I was burning earlier this year than usual, but this is also my first fall with the new stove and being able to get heat from softwoods. I used to wait with the old stove to conserve wood usage, but not anymore.

I'm kinda waiting for cold weather to start burning my beech and hard maple. Been using silver maple during the day as needed and a mix of silver maple and ash overnight. Got decent shoulder season burning out of some pine and Aspen back in October. I've gone through a total of about 1/2 cord or so total so far...

 

[WiscWoody]

I'm kinda waiting for cold weather to start burning my beech

You got Beech here in Wisconsin? Oh I know, it’s what I call ironwood but I remember now it’s also called beech. Good wood, I have some of it too but not much. I have soo much wood I’m kinda waiting for some cold weather to get rid of the stuff lol.

 

[Gearhead660]

I dont think of it as winter until December, but it has been mild so far. Just wait, the cold will come like someone flipped a switch.

 

[NickW]

You got Beech here in Wisconsin? Oh I know, it’s what I call ironwood but I remember now it’s also called beech. Good wood, I have some of it too but not much. I have soo much wood I’m kinda waiting for some cold weather to get rid of the stuff lol.

Ironwood, hophornbeam and "blue" beech refer to basically the same tree from what I can find. American beech is different and grows in limited areas of eastern WI. I got some for the first time last fall from 2 different places - Oostburg and Wayne areas in SE WI. It's bark is very smooth, almost like Aspen, but darker grey. Very good coaler and burns hot, but not as many BTU's as the ironwood according to the charts.

 

[WiscWoody]

I just looked at our 14 day and it’ll be near 45 on Saturday, that’s crazy warm for up here then it’s lower 30’s for highs all the way to the tenth With 36 and 37 for highs on the 5th and sixth. Wow. Maybe next summer I’ll have to find something else to do instead of collecting and splitting wood. For three years out of course...

 

[NickW]

Not great photos since these logs were sitting in a pile since last fall, but here's my beech. Older guy I know doesn't burn, but sells firewood as a hobby. He doesn't like working with big stuff, so he saves it all for me...

 

[SidecarFlip]

Be patient grasshopper, it's coming... always does. Just put my big blower on one of the farm tractors. Always be prepared is my motto.

 

[begreen]

It's been relatively mild here too. No complaints. I like saving wood and the heatpump keeps us cozy on those 50º days.

 

[SidecarFlip]

It's been relatively mild here too. No complaints. I like saving wood and the heatpump keeps us cozy on those 50º days.

Isn't it pretty moderate there anyway?

 

[begreen]

Isn't it pretty moderate there anyway?

Compared to New England yes, but we haven't even had a frost yet this year. A decade ago that would have happened in early October. I would usually be burning 24/7 no later than Nov 1. That used to be around Oct. 15th two decades ago. There is no more normal anymore. We still have tomatoes growing in the greenhouse.

 

[peakbagger]

I am back on my minisplit, no need to run the wood boiler with temps like these.

 

[blades]

We are about due for the first plowable snow event here in SE WI. Mostly shows up about the first week of Dec. from past experience, never know though. Once the snow is down and sticks temps will drop like rock falling out of orbit.

 

[peakbagger]

I have seen years like this in past that are El Nino influenced. This up and down weather pattern with any precip being rain versus snow has in the past have hung around until January. Most of the long term weather models indicate temps above average for the Northeast.

I personally have some blame as I bought a new snowblower late last winter. By the time it got delivered I never needed to start it up.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Compared to New England yes, but we haven't even had a frost yet this year. A decade ago that would have happened in early October. I would usually be burning 24/7 no later than Nov 1. That used to be around Oct. 15th two decades ago. There is no more normal anymore. We still have tomatoes growing in the greenhouse.

Well, my wife likes the stove on and in as much as my fuel (dried field corn) is basically free, it's been running for a month now and the central condensing furnace has not been on one time. I am using propane however because my shop's floor heat is running. Once I get the slab up to 70, I never turn it off. Uses way too much fuel heating a 40 x 60 concrete slab, 8" thick, back up.

68 in the shop and 71 in the house. Good for her and fine with me. I'm in the Midwest anyway, not New England. I cannot afford to live out there, at least not owning the land I do.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Have my 84" rear mount Lucknow in the shop right now, servicing it. The front 10 foot power angle snowplow is read to go, All I need to do is put it on the SSQA mount on the front end loader and hook up the hydraulic hoses. When I get everything ready... It never snows (fine with me). Is nice to have a large 4 wheel drive farm tractor with a climate controlled cab so I never get cold...

 

[WiscWoody]

Well, my wife likes the stove on and in as much as my fuel (dried field corn) is basically free, it's been running for a month now and the central condensing furnace has not been on one time. I am using propane however because my shop's floor heat is running. Once I get the slab up to 70, I never turn it off. Uses way too much fuel heating a 40 x 60 concrete slab, 8" thick, back up.

68 in the shop and 71 in the house. Good for her and fine with me. I'm in the Midwest anyway, not New England. I cannot afford to live out there, at least not owning the land I do.

That is a real big slab to heat. I’m getting ready to build a 40x56 pole shed with a 5" slab but I can’t heat it, Can’t afford to but I might put the Wersbo tubing in for resale someday even though I’ll probably never sell it, my relatives will, when I leave here it’ll be in a bag Lol. But I will insulate the shed and put a wood stove in it and I’ll maybe want to hear it sometimes in the shoulder seasons. I doubt I’d be able to in the depths of winter up here. And BTW, I’m still waiting for the excavator to came and do the sand and gravel lift for the shed and extend my driveway. I booked him in June and he’s still not here But the mild weather will have him working well into December I bet.

 

[firefighterjake]

Mild fall here as well so far . . . and I suspect we will not have a huge year for snow based on my grandfather's old saying "If the farm ponds are full, it will be a low snow year; and if the farm ponds are low, we will get a lot of snow." Despite the drought from the summer, most of the farm ponds I am seeing look pretty darned full. Drats . . . I was looking forward to a good winter of snowmobiling.

 

[fbelec]

last time i checked the outside temp was at almost 1:00 am it said 60 degrees here in mass. on the cape it's in the sixty's

 

[Medic21]

We’ve had more winter in northern Indiana this year already than in the previous few years. Hoping we actually have a winter this year. Need the ground to freeze badly.

 

[Easy Livin’ 3000]

I know it’s still fall but up here “winter” can come early, as early as mid-October and it can be brutal sometimes but so far this year winter has been mild and that means I’ve been nesting with LP more since there’s no chance of overheating the house then and LP is pretty cheap here too. Today it’s 33 out and I‘m on the second fire so far and my hound dog is thrilled that he can lay in front of the stove and moan groan like someone who’s getting a happy ending at some massage parlor lol. it’s sickening to hear sometimes my goodness!

Mild down here, too.

If this keeps up, our wood supply will stretch out for many more years. I am not complaining, six months of cold (brutal for three or four) isn't getting any easier. And I don't like to shovel snow.

 

[Grizzerbear]

It's been warm here as well. Heck just two weeks ago I was deer hunting in a t shirt. 25 years ago I never would have conceived such a thing. I have three kids and two of them have never seen so much as an inch of snow whereas when I was a youngster we regularly got 4-8 inch snows often and a twelve incher wasn't impossible. I guess warm is actually the norm now and my perception of a normal winter is the rarity now. Makes me cringe that my kids don't get to enjoy the snow.....and probably won't really ever get to. O well.....like stated......I guess the wood piles will benefit.

 

[peakbagger]

I saw a December long range forecast for Northern New England, warmer than average and wetter than average.

 

[fbelec]

I saw a December long range forecast for Northern New England, warmer than average and wetter than average.

that's what i seen also

 

[peakbagger]

I still expect some "sloppy" events for the month and the potential power issues that can come along with it but it sure looks like the wet coastal storms are going to dominate. It definitely helps on the wood supply and plowing bill.