Freezing rain this morning, slithered to the newspaper box. We are supposed to get everything else on the winter menue - sleet, snow and ice-rain . Fun day .

The ten a.m. temp in my husband's home town of Mitchell, S.D. was -12 degrees and may go to -28, tonight. They have about a foot of snow, too. Not as much as many places inthe West, but they think it will suffice.

It is Brrrr here is Silicon Valley also Three nights of frost and the Lantana is dust. That's too bad, because the plants were in the middle of producing the ripe berries that the birds like to eat.
I don't know yet if the frost has damaged my citrus trees.
It will be about 2-3 weeks before I'll know.
When I see the weather reports from other parts of the country, I'm grateful that it is all I have to worry about.

It's currently 6F with wind chill of -7F. We are supposed to have a heat wave about 2 PM of 15F with wind chill of 0F. This has been going on for about 36 hours and I'm ready for it to be over. I've seen cold weather, now let's move on.....

Dallas/Ft. Worth area has been hit worse than we have - we have the clouds and cold but they have the ice. There has really been major damage to some of their beautiful trees. This is the second time in the last few years that they have had this happen.

Youngest son left here Thursday night headed for San Antonio which is usually a 9-9 1/2 hour drive from here. Took them over 15 hours. Ice on the roads south of here made it impossible to drive over 35 mph. Everyone who is out on the road, please be careful.

DS moved from CA to OR and have encountered challenge after challenge in cold and snow. His car locks froze and he was late for work, he needs warm(er) cloths, and shoes. He went to a restaurant downtown, and when he came out his car was covered in snow. Somehow got it out, but found that the roads to the condo was not cleared so his car is stranded downtown. He'll spend his weekend trying to get his car back home.
Living in Brrrr country is a whole new learning experience.

I've managed to be ill enough this entire cold stretch, I had to stay inside. I've been stir crazy, but realize, honestly, wouldn't want to be out in it. Even if I could. This is one cold winter so far! I can't imagine what January and February are going to be like. Whew! Of course, this is after the latest I've ever put the hardtop on the car. I usually do that no later than the third week of October, and really, could've waited until mid-November. I just did it a week early, because I didn't want to wait another week (no help then). Long Autumn! I'll take it, even if this is the result. Pilin' on the covers and wearing my double thickiness socks (I got at Walgreens)!

There was a lot of snow and what NOAA calls "graupel": icy rain mixed with very small hail, which covered the snow and the whole thing froze. Temps in the low teens - no water, or intermittent water since Wednesday last week, fortunately power is keeping on so far.
Joann could not get out of the driveway, hopes she'll be able to today and go to town to get to the P.O. and market.
She missed Saturday's work and may not be able to go tomorrow, that's a financial set-back.
We may thaw out by Wednesday or Thursday

Oh yeah!

Just back from a cruise. Saturday morning in Tampa was 82! Almost too warm and humid. Drove back to Illinois - Birmingham, Alabama was 42. That was not too back - except the hotel people were wearing multiple layers (indoors!).

Then the drive home - arriving about 4:30 Sunday to freezing drizzle and 26 degrees. Snow overnight, and the trip to the post office to pick up mail was a mess.

Jim

Our area received over 5" of snow, yesterday, and it was beautiful, although it caused many car and/or tractor trailer accidents on the interstates. Unfortunately, a couple of deaths also occurred.

Later in the evening, after the snow stopped, the sleet/freezing rain/ice pellets started and continued most of the night. Everything was iced over! Roads, trees, automobiles, anything outside was coated in a sheet of ice. The morning rush hour was not only a total mess, it was dangerous! Most school districts were closed for the day and those that weren't had a 2 hour delayed opening.

Not much melting occurred, today, so any moisture will refreeze, overnight. Plus, another storm is on its way, so we may have more of the same, tomorrow.

Lucky for us, we don't have to go anywhere, have plenty of food, and our electric power is O.K., so far, anyway. We have much for which to be thankful!

Jim, what a weather to come home to! Please tell us about some warmer weather during your journey.

I'Hi Jim, welcome back to the GP. Just about now, I'm ready to hear about your trip and see some pics.

Chicago had about 3 inches of snow on Sunday, no big deal but it was -6 this morning. Needless to say, the dog did his business very quickly and came running at full speed back into the house.