Huge winter storm coming...help?

[bill_e]

You could also tape plastic bags over windows(or shove them between the glass and screen if you have those types of windows) and put towels under doors to prevent heat loss/drafts. If they sell big battery cells with plug ins for computers, you might be able to use one to power a teflon free space-heater (but you would need to be certain the coils were pfoa/ptfe/teflon free within the heater.
or get a generator for $300 and run it outside.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Westinghou...KG2hzboGI5l05PXcYJtCu95coPcegm1UaAvBTEALw_wcB

hehehe, there are likely no generators for miles less than 24 hours before a big storm

There may not be any Mr Buddy heaters available either, I'm afraid it's likely too late to be trying to prepare for this.

If they are predicting power outages then it's likely that the town or city is going to open shelters. Give the police or fire department a call tomorrow to find out. It's also likely that both of those departments will be willing to transport you to the shelter or the fire station.

So in my mind, the most impactful thing you can do now is prepare to transport your pets. Make ready the travel cages, cat carriers, towels/blankets, food, whatever.

 

[Scott]

Please be safe, hoping everybody stays warm!

 

[SailBoat]

For Central and Eastern North America, we have not only the one that impacted the central areas yesterday, last night and now today, moving on the the east coast tonight. But there is an additional storm slated to run much the same path for Monday - Wednesday of this coming week.

Never assume it's to late to plan, prepare and act! Up until the storm starts in your area and you can still move around safely you can call around and either obtain the needed supplies or reserve and go to a safe place.

** Acting /Moving in advance of storm saves life's. Both you and yours! NOTE: As roads become dangerous, demanding that Law Enforcement and/or Safety /Fire staff save you places them and others in danger.

 

[SailBoat]

Does turning the heat up now while power is still on, help it take longer for temps to drop when it does go off? Stay safe!

Having a starting point that is higher does provide an edge as one creates a Heat Battery of one's apartment /home! There are limits to the effectiveness, five to eight degrees has merit. It all depends on how long the heat is off! If you are faced with a few hours, its very helpful. If you are faced with extended time periods, you have placed energy and time into something that will not save you.

The greatest reason for preparing in advance is that when done, it provides you more options.

Be safe out there!

 

[Scott]

Hope everyone and their companions are safe. Some low temps throughout the U.S!

 

[EllenD]

So central PA didn't get the 12"-15" they said, but we still got a good 8"-9" in State College (smack-dab right in the direct center of PA; east of us around Harrisburg got a bit more, Northeast in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre/Hazelton/Stroudsburg got more)...Now it's 5 degrees F outside and that's up from the -5 it was when I woke-up...BUT NO POWER-OUTAGES!!! I haven't seen or heard of any power-outages at all in PA, so hopefully everyone with birds/pets are in good-shape heat-wise...

Now we're supposed to get a ton of freezing-rain/sleet/ice and below-zero temperatures through Wednesday into Thursday...Horrible day to have to take Bowie to the CAV today (his beak got punctured/cracked yesterday)...I've got the small, plastic carrier insulated with fleece-blankets inside that have 2 packs of "Hot-Hands" underneath them, so it's toasty in there...I've got a big, thick wool blanket ready to put over-top of carrier for the sprint from the door to the car...Bowie is not going to be happy at all about this, I know I'm not...

I've got Under-Armor head to toe under jeans and the heaviest hoodie I have, under my Burton Snowboarding Parka, so I'm good...poor birds all see the carrier next to the door...The overall feeling of worry in my living room is palpable...

Stay warm everyone, don't go outside unless you have to!!! I ran to Walmart Saturday and grabbed tons of Hot-Hands, a few extra LED Lanterns, flashlights, and a new Coleman Sleeping-Bag that is good to 0 degrees, just in case...I also ran to Petco and stocked-up on pellets, seed-mix, and Superworms for the Beardie...We're "hunkered-down" here in Happy Valley....

 

[buurd]

Luckily my house is very odd and has 3 different heat sources, electric being the main one, but I also have 2 propane heaters built into the walls, one on the third floor and one on the main floor, and the tank outside is full...And the walk-out level has a huge, old wood stove that heats the entire house if I light it, so I just moved a ton of wood in...But I've been there where you're at, as I only started having the propane tank hooked up to the house this year as a back-up to the electric heat...

***One thing that I always have on-hand are a ton of "Hot Hands" and "Hot Feet", or sometimes they're called "Fisherman's Friend", the little packs that you open and they emit chemical heat for hours and hours...T.

These things? https://www.sportsmansguide.com/pro...0qdVKvrHYuuznGjx8yiJgoLZm9Fr7sPBoCm3wQAvD_BwE

Your birds obviously lived through it, but how did you know those didnt emit chemicals? And is it safe to have propane heaters and wood burning stoves around birds? I thought these all killed birds?

Not being a contrarian; Im honestly perplexed as to whether there are rules to using these other than wrap it in towels, and open a window. Which, in subzero temps, seems to not help the cause of keeping heat in the room, and Id be scared of the bird getting a draft, somehow.

I had a furnace go out in a subzero snap when I only had a dog, and electric heaters barely kept heat for more than two feet around him. I sat behind his cocooned crate, on the couch, 4 feet away, in 5 layers of clothes and 3 blankets, and froze to the point I was in pain.

 

[ChristaNL]

If it gets that bad... most people would have taken the dog and all those blankets to bed -> combined bodyheat and extra insolation.

One my collegues (in a job way then) was a squatter, and one of the ways to drive them off was making sure they did not have any heat available to them in the winter... so everybody just pitched tents inside the building they were occupying.
Camping in instead of camping out

-> just make the space small enough so your bodyheat is enough to warm it, and prevent your bodyheat from excaping. You'll live (and any pet you share it with).

Never put those hand/feet-heaters inside a birdcage/ carier: they get *really* hot, so you can overheat your animal easily!!
Get the ones meant for transportation of reptiles: they give a lower and longer heat!

 

[SailBoat]

30, January 2019: Well into the next storm in the upper mid-west of North America. This one is defined as the slipping of the Polar Vortex, South into North Central Canada and USA. Over Michigan today and then headed for the East coast Thursday and Friday. 85% of North America forecasted to have Freezing Temperatures this week as this week will be colder than last week's storms.
Keep warm, keep safe!

 

[ParrotGenie]

30, January 2019: Well into the next storm in the upper mid-west of North America. This one is defined as the slipping of the Polar Vortex, South into North Central Canada and USA. Over Michigan today and then headed for the East coast Thursday and Friday. 85% of North America forecasted to have Freezing Temperatures this week as this week will be colder than last week's storms.
Keep warm, keep safe!

It is -25 currently and they claim feels like -50 with winds over 23 mph. It freezing over here.

 

[dhraiden]

Stay warm out there PG!

 

[ChristaNL]

Oef -25 Fahrenheit is a minus thirtytwo (in Celcius) for me.... that is NO fun!!

We muddle a bit around the freezing point here and the country is reacting like it is the next ice-age or something. We've had a few way too mild winters lately and now it is remotely looking like sleet and snow a lot of people go apesh!t. (Soo not the dutch in general...that is even weirder than the changing weather )

Anyway--- good luck in staying warm overthere , do all those survivalthingies you can think off/ find on the internet and stay healthy!!

 

[AmyMyBlueFront]

Light snow here in South Central Connecticut but they are calling for sub-zero temps for tonight with wind chill. -20 to -30! Right now at 6:50 EST it's a balmy 18 degrees



Jim

 

[Flboy]

We are at 44f! Windchill, 37f! I am hunkered down in my room with JoJo!

 

[SailBoat]

Wednesday night in Michigan and we just had a State Wide "Emergency Alert" that at least one of the Natural Gas Suppliers are asking that users draw-back their set temperature to 65 degrees F because demand is so very high that they are experiencing drops in supply pressure.

 

[ChristaNL]

... so now you have to change you nick from 'sailboat' to 'icesailer'? Or are you going with 'icebreaker'


serious again: that is plain scary!

 

[buurd]

Has everyone checked in, after the polar vortex passed? There were some frightening stories on here, especially you guys around Penn & up noreast.

If it gets that bad... most people would have taken the dog and all those blankets to bed -> combined bodyheat and extra insolation.

Different people have different situations. I did what was best for my old dog, which was to set him up so that he had the maximum heat. I had just come back from the hospital, from surgery, when the temps went to down to -16F, a few days later. I was having to walk and move, and to change the bandages. I set him up like a king.

In a previous outage years prior, I did wrap him up with me in bed. Even under all our blankets and with my body heat, it was still too cold. (American housing seems to be generally larger than dutch housing, which seems more compact; unless maybe its rural.) And I move like a ninja when I fall asleep. I love the animals I have like theyre my kids. Turned out, that was the last year of his life. I ended up working at a sh!tty second job with a really nasty boss, for months, just to pay for all his vet bills & meds, and eventually euthanasia and cremation.

 

[bill_e]

Wednesday night in Michigan and we just had a State Wide "Emergency Alert" that at least one of the Natural Gas Suppliers are asking that users draw-back their set temperature to 65 degrees F because demand is so very high that they are experiencing drops in supply pressure.

Hehe, my temp is set to 60° in the winter which means that it's in the mid 50's in the far end of the house. My birds have never seen warm temps in the winter and knock on wood I've never had a bird get even the sniffles in 43 years.

Sent from my moto z3 using Tapatalk

 

[Scott]

On a somewhat related note, folks with electric cars have noticed a serious reduction in battery charging capacity. Perhaps the most numerous brand, Tesla, seems to have a roughly 60% maximum capacity with extremely cold temps.

 

[buurd]

bill e:

Hehe, my temp is set to 60° in the winter which means that it's in the mid 50's in the far end of the house. My birds have never seen warm temps in the winter and knock on wood I've never had a bird get even the sniffles in 43 years.

Say, what?

43 years of low temps in the 50s & 60s ... with tropical birds? That's got to be against all the rules!

I'm guessing you must've had really healthy birds?

How was their behavior different in those colder temps? Were they always fluffed up, and conserving energy?

Personally, low 60s & 50s in a home is too cold for me, as a human. When you're cold, you dont realize that your muscles are contracting, until your body starts to ache. I can wear layers of clothes, but my face/head, neck, hands will eventually start to ache. Eventually, I'll end up with a nasty head/neck ache.
I guess I could get habituated to those temps in a home, but then it would wear down my immune system. Healthy, loved birds dont have to go to a job and deal with all the stress humans do. That added on to any other kind of bodily stress, can start to wear you down.

What kinds of birds (that you can keep) are cold weather bird (besides Quakers, and wild ones like sparrows, starlings, etc)?