# brutal storm here tonight



## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

All roads in the county are totally closed. Plows are off the road 50 mph wind and -25 with the windchill. I cant remember the last time I saw weather like this. I cant see my truck out the window 50 feet away. I will be glad when this winter is done. I cant remember one this bad in my lifetime.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

We had something similar Monday night. 15" snow, temps at 3 degrees, wind chills -15. Very uncommon for my area. 
We've had a half dozen or more snow storms where the snow was 20" deep, but never with sustained bitter cold like this. We're not going above freezing for 10 days. Highs mostly in the teens, lows around 5. My guest room over the garage has a bathroom and the pipes froze. 
Stay safe up there. I'd be a little scared in that kind of weather you're in. Keep the diesels plugged in and make sure you have diesel 911 in case you freeze up. Keep the cellphone charged.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

-7 here this morning on the way to the hay sale, -20 wind chill. Warmed up in the afternoon but the wind got stronger so in my book it felt even colder.

Just the kind of winters I remember milking cows in growing up.

We used to have some oil lanterns, would have to put those in the waterers at night as the electric heaters couldn't keep up.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

I got all the critters locked up in the barn. Just went and checked them. They look happy. I no alot of friends trying to get home took 4 times the normal time. Some went in the ditch. I dont know whats up with winter this year. Jd we haven't been above freezing for 2 months normally its not this bad. If anything the hay should grow good with all the moisture.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

It has been abnormally cold all over North America....started around the end of November here and continued. I am grateful that we have had just a trace of snow, but most folks have not been that fortunate. Glad you got your stock up Ontario as when conditions occur like what you are experiencing it is very deadly to the young and old.

Regards, Mike


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

ontario hay man said:


> I got all the critters locked up in the barn. Just went and checked them. They look happy. I no alot of friends trying to get home took 4 times the normal time. Some went in the ditch. I dont know whats up with winter this year. Jd we haven't been above freezing for 2 months normally its not this bad. If anything the hay should grow good with all the moisture.


Last year was like that for us. Went 53 days before it warmed up to the freezing point. I would rather have 2 inches of warm rain in April and send this snow to.......Florida? Someone must want it. Hunker down and turn up the thermostat, bout all a guy can do.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

There was a plane crash locally this week, pilot a little banged up, photoed for help. In the hour it took to find him he got hypothermia. Not dressed for the weather. -24 C and windy. Frostbite in minutes on exposed flesh.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Ya the wind is what kills. I hope nobody is stranded on the side of the road that would be dangerous. On another note my buddy called from florida today and told me itwas really cold this morning there. I said oh ya how cold he said 35f I had some choice words for him.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

ontario hay man said:


> Ya the wind is what kills. I hope nobody is stranded on the side of the road that would be dangerous. On another note my buddy called from florida today and told me itwas really cold this morning there. I said oh ya how cold he said 35f I had some choice words for him.


Ya I talked to a buddy of mine this a.m. from the Sarasota area said it was really cold there....35*

18* here, been lows like that for 3-4 days ....


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

ontario hay man said:


> I got all the critters locked up in the barn. Just went and checked them. They look happy. I no alot of friends trying to get home took 4 times the normal time. Some went in the ditch. I dont know whats up with winter this year. Jd we haven't been above freezing for 2 months normally its not this bad. If anything the hay should grow good with all the moisture.


 I just can't imagine not getting above freezing for 2 months....not getting above freezing for a few days is bad enough. What do y'all do up there in the winter to keep your sanity? I'm used to getting out and doing things in the winter and this unusually cold weather that is keeping me in the house is about to drive me crazy.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I agree Hayden.....I have been doing alot of internet searches lately due to the bitter weather and staying indoors and that is not good....it makes me want to daydream and spend money.

Regards, Mike


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

FarmerCline said:


> I just can't imagine not getting above freezing for 2 months....not getting above freezing for a few days is bad enough. What do y'all do up there in the winter to keep your sanity? I'm used to getting out and doing things in the winter and this unusually cold weather that is keeping me in the house is about to drive me crazy.


Might have something to do with my post count rising so fast lol. Gotta love hay talk. We also play hockey and stuff like that.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I would think snowmobiling would be a big past time up there. I had a Artic cat el Tigre 440 when I was young. Man that was a blast to ride.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Ya it is to. I cant see the fun of going through snow at 80 mph. I cant afford a new one and im sick of having unreliable used ones. One left me stranded 5 miles from home in garbage weather. That sure took the novelty out of a skidoo in a quick hurry.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

ontario hay man said:


> We also play hockey and stuff like that.


Hockey.....that's the stuff that horses drop in fields and paddocks......bet you wash your hands alot.

Regards, Mike


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Love those Canadian Companies, Bombardier....Arctic.......Molson....Pam Anderson....lol


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

Vol said:


> Hockey.....that's the stuff that horses drop in fields and paddocks......bet you wash your hands alot.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Lol thats how they used to play hockey we got pucks now.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

I feel for all y'all. Finally warming up here this mornin', think it only got down to ~ 45*. Been a bone-chillin' past few mornings, lows in low 30's with more wind than I like in that cold.

Yea, I know. BUT, when I'm used to lows in the 50*'s, ............. 

On the serious side, I hope *all* of ya come out of this cold OK.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Sometimes you might go 3-4 months if we don't get a several day thaw in Jan or Feb. Much better snowmobiling years without the thaw. Keep busy outdoors with snowblowing, skiing, cutting wood, logging etc. I'm not much for hockey myself. My shop isn't heated at the moment but I do work out there too if its not too cold. Built a shelf for my wife today, about -20 C (I think thats -5 f or so). Glue doesn't work so good at that temp though.



FarmerCline said:


> I just can't imagine not getting above freezing for 2 months....not getting above freezing for a few days is bad enough. What do y'all do up there in the winter to keep your sanity? I'm used to getting out and doing things in the winter and this unusually cold weather that is keeping me in the house is about to drive me crazy.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

FarmerCline said:


> I just can't imagine not getting above freezing for 2 months....not getting above freezing for a few days is bad enough. What do y'all do up there in the winter to keep your sanity? I'm used to getting out and doing things in the winter and this unusually cold weather that is keeping me in the house is about to drive me crazy.


For starters Wednesday nights the beers are a buck at the VFW. Always a fish fry somewhere around on a Friday night. Have the Daytona Party conning up as well at the club next month.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

mlappin said:


> For starters Wednesday nights the beers are a buck at the VFW. Always a fish fry somewhere around on a Friday night. Have the Daytona Party conning up as well at the club next month.


 Sounds like you have more fun in the winter than I do.

I normally do some fishing during the winter but it's been too cold this year to be out on the water. The somewhat warmer days this winter have been occupied tearing down and relocating two sheds to make room for the new hay barn. If it wasn't for working on that project I would be bored to death. I can't stand staying in the house....I like to have a productive day or at least be doing something.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Well plowing snow helps pass the winter. I actually spend some time at the office. Also its the time of the year to cut wood. We burn about 5 cords in the house and between 8-10 in the sugar house. Maple season is great, cause there isn't anything else to do that time of year.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Hauling corn, beans, hay or straw every day. Thank god the Volvo has a decent heater in it and it will start down to 0F with no heat or ether, but I plug it in every night anyway. Knock on wood, no problems with fuel or brakes yet this winter.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Dill said:


> Well plowing snow helps pass the winter. I actually spend some time at the office. Also its the time of the year to cut wood. We burn about 5 cords in the house and between 8-10 in the sugar house. Maple season is great, cause there isn't anything else to do that time of year.


Yes plowing is a great way to keep the tractors paying for themselves and keep busy, too.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Dill said:


> Well plowing snow helps pass the winter. I actually spend some time at the office. Also its the time of the year to cut wood. We burn about 5 cords in the house and between 8-10 in the sugar house. Maple season is great, cause there isn't anything else to do that time of year.


I always thought that would be really cool to tap Sugar Maple trees and make syrup. It reminds me of making sorghum molasses here in the South. If I lived in your country I would definitely see what it was all about. Do you cook the syrup down in a large rectangular shallow pan?

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

haybaler101 said:


> Hauling corn, beans, hay or straw every day. Thank god the Volvo has a decent heater in it and it will start down to 0F with no heat or ether, but I plug it in every night anyway. Knock on wood, no problems with fuel or brakes yet this winter.


Got about 12 miles from home Friday, truck started dropping speed, pulled over, let idle and dumped a whole bottle of 911 in. Drove another 10 miles before I had good flow again. Let the truck idle at the sale, water temp still dropped to about 100 degrees, was cold and windy. Got half mile away and acted up again. Babied it till got heat back then it was fine. Went to reload trucks that afternoon and the loader spit once, let it idle and went up and grabbed the last bottle of 911. All was treated winter fuel and all had additional anti gel added, did I mention it was freakin cold and windy Friday?

Brakes have all been 100% so far.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I was butt deep in snow on the other side of the planet and now I come home to a winter storm watch.....This global warming is starting to get serious.


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## ontario hay man (Jul 18, 2013)

How do they call it global warming when its so cold lol.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

ontario hay man said:


> How do they call it global warming when its so cold lol.


Because that is the word from AL Gore and his climate research scientist cronies.....when things do not go the way your research data says it should....change the parameters and skew the data to validate your research.

Regards, Mike


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

Vol said:


> I always thought that would be really cool to tap Sugar Maple trees and make syrup. It reminds me of making sorghum molasses here in the South. If I lived in your country I would definitely see what it was all about. Do you cook the syrup down in a large rectangular shallow pan?
> 
> Regards, Mike


On the maple forums there is a guy in WV who is sugaring, much farther south than I thought was possible. Yes we started in a shallow flat pan with buckets hung on trees. But its pretty technical now, almost all our sap is collected via pipeline with vacuum, and is then run through a Reverse Osmosis machine to remove water from the sap. Then we boil in an evaporator with a rear flue pan which has a series of ridges or flues to increase the surface area, and its finished in the front on a flat pan. Compared to VT or Canada we are small time, right now I'm boiling at a friend's sugarhouse until we build a new one at our farm. Currently we are in the 2800 tap range and 550 gallons last year. The nice thing about our area, is we don't have much in the way of competition so we have no problem retailing all of our syrup.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

FarmerCline said:


> Sounds like you have more fun in the winter than I do.
> I normally do some fishing during the winter but it's been too cold this year to be out on the water. The somewhat warmer days this winter have been occupied tearing down and relocating two sheds to make room for the new hay barn. If it wasn't for working on that project I would be bored to death. I can't stand staying in the house....I like to have a productive day or at least be doing something.


Too cold to fish? No such thing here. Just fire up the heater. Lakes become cities.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

deadmoose said:


> Too cold to fish? No such thing here. Just fire up the heater. Lakes become cities.


But they are going to cut off beer deliveries.LOL.

http://www.startribune.com/local/242852891.html


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