Winter weather weirdness

[madrone]

We've had the worst winter storms for 40 years here this last week, and I learned a few things. I learned what ice dams are. I learned how fast wood goes when it's 20 degrees colder than normal. And I learned what ice can do...

I couldn't seem to get draft this morning. I never have a problem, just 3 or 4 knots of newspaper and some pallet kindling, that's all. Today I stuffed wad after wad of paper in, and kept getting smoke in the house. I finally got things going, but very poorly. I had to keep the primary open most of the way to get any secondaries. Then I went outside to see how the gutters looked. There on the ground was the lid to the cleanout on my external ss chimney. Ice built up, and then pulled it off when it melted a little and fell. Hard to keep a draft with a 6" hole in your chimney.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

It is funny but I've had that same thing happen....but it never seemed to affect the draft on the stove! For the life of me, I don't know why. Still, I was quick to put it back on.

As for the winter weather, winter is only about a week old now! Prepare for more.

 

[Rockey]

2 degrees Sunday night and a predicted high of 71 tomorrow. Quite a swing in one week. I'm filling the swimming pool tonight.

 

[Valhalla]

Yes, winter can be very cruel and beautiful at the same time. Midwesterners also live in huge temperature swings.

Keep warm and enjoy your stoves!

 

[LLigetfa]

Weather guessers are saying +3C and rain so I have to go pull the foot of snow off the metal roof of my woodshed before it comes down in one big clump and packs solid where it falls. Of course the wife has a contrary opinion on it saying I don't know what I'm doing and should leave it up there to absorb the rain. {sigh} I don't know how I managed to get old since in her mind I should be up for a Darwin Award.

How does that saying go about saying and doing? If you don't say anything, you say nothing wrong. If you don't do anything, you do nothing right. I need to learn to just keep my mouth shut!!

 

[Valhalla]

Yes, also until the sun warms it in late January and it comes sliding down. If it is on the north side, then maybe March.

Hey, I love my wife but she has some real "interesting" ideas about the winter we actually like, and do look forward to.

Enjoy this winter and keep warm.

 

[LLigetfa]

North or South makes no difference since it gets the warmth from underneath. As soon as the frozen bond between the snow and the steel breaks, it comes down in one huge clump and hits the ground hard enough to pack. If I don't stay ahead of it, it usually happens when I'm not around to shovel it right away and the wet heavy packed snow freezes solid and I nearly break my neck going in and out of the shed.

My dad's barn had a metal roof and if you let the barn door slam, it would dislodge the snow. Had a city cousin visiting and as we were leaving the bard, he let the door slam. I heard the avalanche start so I stopped dead in my tracks, just beyond the fall zone. Of course he was behind me, right in the fall zone and it nearly killed him. I never liked him anyway since he thought himself so superior. I'll save the pissing contest and the electric fence story for another day.

 

[madrone]

It is funny but I've had that same thing happen....but it never seemed to affect the draft on the stove!

Huge difference here. When I put it back it was returned to normal. I'd never seen smoke in the house before. I assumed it was an electrical fire at first.