Random Thread ~Usagi-Chan ☮ Tūsurī~

[Celedam]

We had an ice storm today. Maybe you heard about it on the news.

We didn't get hit as hard as other regions to the north and west of us, but we got our share. The tree outside my balcony has a coating about a quarter-inch thick.

All afternoon and evening, there has been a significant chance of losing power. The lights have flickered a few times.

And they did it again just now, but what prompted me to mention it this time is that I'm pretty sure I heard a transformer explode somewhere nearby.

("Nearby" being relative, since the sound of an exploding transformer can carry for miles.)

I'm going to bed soon. I'll be disappointed but not surprised if we don't have power when I wake up.

[Zunu]

Let’s hope not, but if so, does that mean you will lose heat as well?

[Celedam]

So I woke up at 4:15 AM, about 20 minutes ago as I type this, and we have in fact lost power.

Yes, that includes heat. It’s already noticeably cooler in my apartment.

I’m posting this using my tablet, obviously. I’m conserving my phone.

[Zunu]

That’s pretty dire! I hope things have improved since the morning.

[Celedam]

Power company says, and I quote, "We estimate that 95% of customers will be restored by Sunday, February 26". It's a blanket statement for all of Southeast Michigan. Nothing more specific to my area.

But even that, I think, is overly optimistic because the ice storm yesterday is being followed by a wind storm today.

If I were by myself, I would try to tough it out. The roads are fine, it's just the trees that got iced, so I wasn't trapped at home or anything like that.

(You might be wondering, how could the roads be fine after a historic ice storm? This winter has been very mild, generally speaking, so the ground hasn't frozen. Ironically, that mildness is what made it an ice storm instead of a blizzard, like what hit everywhere north and west of us.)

But I'm taking care of someone else who can't tough it out, so we decamped to Toledo. We're fine now.

[Zunu]

Good to hear.

[Celedam]

The fun part is, we might have to go through this all over again Monday morning. Yay!

[boinsie]

Wow, glad you're alright! With that Monday forecast, might be worth just planning to extend the Toledo stay ahead of time.

[Amped]

Today it both snowed and hailed in all parts of Southern Cali. A wacky weather sight. I also threw some hail snowballs.

This wasn't just snow in the mountains, this was snow falling in lower elevation.

[erilaz]

Up here in the Bay Area, we didn't have any snow or hail in my neighborhood, but we did have a very loud and heavy thunderstorm last night around midnight. Glad I was at home and didn't have to be out in it. The news is reporting that there was snow in the Berkeley and Oakland hills, though.

Snow and hail are almost unheard of in my neck of the woods. I've seen snow falling in Berkeley only once, and that was only for a couple of minutes, maybe twenty years ago, but we had a spectacular hailstorm in my neighborhood in March 2011.