Cold wave in Texas

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Low 30’s here in central FL on Fri and Sat.

Would love more of these temps down here without the snow.
 
-38F

I like how people preach that doesn’t happen,
last time we hit -40F I had a 1982 Diesel suburban at college with two 1200amp batteries, took a lot of cranking and got it to idle to the floor, finally fired off.

I was one of the only folks who got started, jump started several gas burners before I left for weekend work.
 
30 miles is small potatoes out west.

So you're saying that they have more than 30 miles of interstate shut down for 24 hours with stranded drivers on it?

Because that's what happened in Virginia, and the report from the state showed one screwup after another that lead up to it.
 
So you're saying that they have more than 30 miles of interstate shut down for 24 hours with stranded drivers on it?

Because that's what happened in Virginia, and the report from the state showed one screwup after another that lead up to it.


Interstate 90 just reopened today. The traffic was stopped for about 120 miles.
 
Interstate 90 just reopened today. The traffic was stopped for about 120 miles.

Reopened? So it sounds like they closed the interstate?

Virginia never closed the interstate. Conditions became impassable and thousands of drivers were stranded for 24 hours or more.
 
Reopened? So it sounds like they closed the interstate?

Virginia never closed the interstate. Conditions became impassable and thousands of drivers were stranded for 24 hours or more.


There were people up there.

If you look at a map you will notice that there is not a lot of options out this way. Last year Interstate 5 was closed from Portland to Seattle. There is really no other route. The only thing one can do is hunker down or try to get off the freeway somewhere and do the same. In the winter it’s advisable to have survival items in your car if you plan to travel.
 
There were people up there.

If you look at a map you will notice that there is not a lot of options out this way. Last year Interstate 5 was closed from Portland to Seattle. There is really no other route. The only thing one can do is hunker down or try to get off the freeway somewhere and do the same. In the winter it’s advisable to have survival items in your car if you plan to travel.

I'll just leave you with this..

 
The fact is that they build houses with basements in other parts of the country with highly expansive clay soils.

Shallow bedrock and high water tables, as well as perhaps the desire to build the cheapest way possible, are more likely reasons why Texas houses are not typically built with basements.

I believe the primary reason (but not only) for basements in the north is to get the foundation below the frost line. You can build a basement in expansive clay but it requires a fair bit to stabilize the soil and you need to make sure its properly drained and backfilled with aggregate.

They don't put basements in the South - or out west - because there not needed structurally and expensive. I am sure High end homes they do it, but likely not "builder" quality homes. They don't do it here at all that I have seen - likely due to the low water table.

More than likely true. $500 up front on a cheap house in the South is likely more than the builder wants to pay and no one is smart enough to pay extra for.

All my houses have had gas heat and DX cool. I think I prefer that to the heat pump as well.
Yes frost protected foundations are required in northern climate.

When I lived in Houston it is pan flat so not even multi million dollar homes had basements. They just built out and up. There was a rumor that an old home owned by Howard Hughes had the only basement at time it was built.
 
Yes frost protected foundations are required in northern climate.

When I lived in Houston it is pan flat so not even multi million dollar homes had basements. They just built out and up. There was a rumor that an old home owned by Howard Hughes had the only basement at time it was built.
We have only one in my small village - they have a bar & bowling alley in the basement - and 3 stories above that. It’s concrete and stucco - so always figured they needed the footing for this massive Mediterranean style home …
 
-38F

I like how people preach that doesn’t happen,
last time we hit -40F I had a 1982 Diesel suburban at college with two 1200amp batteries, took a lot of cranking and got it to idle to the floor, finally fired off.

I was one of the only folks who got started, jump started several gas burners before I left for weekend work.

We hit -40F in Chicago in 2019 I think. Then the next day it was over 30F :confused:
 
Screen Shot 2022-12-21 at 11.55.36 PM.jpg


Wind down to 3.74GW now, lol.
 
cold front hasn’t even settled yet and the power is already down in my area. This is gonna be bad
 
Ok, the weather man says it’s starting to freeze in Houston. Really it shouldn’t be anything like last year, but good luck anyway. Is this what they called Blue Northers before the days of high tech forecasting?

18AA2CC2-1283-4D40-8022-AEE422E622E6.jpeg
 
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