Is anyone else about to experience record cold temperatures this coming week? Why does this scare me a bit?

You’ve provided some reasons why it scares you in your details.

I don’t think my local area has experienced majorly cold weather since the last ice age, so I’m sure that we won’t be experiencing any frighteningly frigid temps for the next 5,000+ weeks.

Even though I live in So Cal, I have clothing and camping equipment that can probably keep me warm in temps down to -100º.

If you have such equipment and clothing, and your structure stays intact, you should do fine even if your heat fails.

Does your residence have a sloped roof? If it’s 100 years old, my guess is that it does.

Do you have a garage with vehicle-heating equipment?

I just saw on my Facebook one of my Chicago friends posting Florida photos stating he decided to get some relief from the cold weather, but I did t realize the weather was so extreme until your post here!

I haven’t looked at weather reports in days. I’m talking local. I have had no idea about weather around the country in weeks.

I don’t blame you for being wary of such extreme weather. Are you worried about your electricity going out? Or, about losing gas heat? Is the heat centralized for the whole building? I think parts of Madison have central steam heat, which would be (should be) separate from your electrical system. This is usually a big positive.

Remember you are not outside. You will be inside with blankets to pile on, and daytime temps will not be that cold. If you lose heat it will take many hours or days for your apartment to get life threatening cold. Do you have a space heater? If your electricity is working you can all get in one bedroom, shut the door, and keep that small space warm.

Did you tape up your windows? Even better plastic and tape. I’m assuming your landlord won’t care if you tape them since the building is headed for demolition. Seal up the windows as best you can.

Are you new to the region? Now that I’m a codger, it’s time to cash in those benefits that so annoyed me in my youth—this time it’s the old man “back in the day” lecture. From my memories the prediction in the link is par for the course and a primary reason I’m FROM the Northern plains. Growing up in Chicago there were cold snaps where the severity of the ordeal was gauged by the morning frozen wino tally. Then on to Nebraska where sleep would be impossible when tree trunks would snap like artillery fire from the cold. Funny, how I took it for granted til a punishing wind literally blew me across a frozen boulevard. It suddenly occurred to me that given the choice, only a fool would put up with it. Four days later I stood in the 70 degree sunshine and wondered “why hasn’t everyone moved here?”

I lived in a 100+ year old house with radiator heat in Northeast Ohio in the snow belt. I found the best way to deal with storms like this is to move south of the Mason-Dixon line.

Remember a couple of things. The house has survived. for a long time. It can handle it.
You can help by opening up doors so there is air flow.
Also, open up cupboards under sinks and plumbing fixtures that are next to outside walls.
If you have a pantry that is against an outside wall, make sure to open that as well.
This is not the time to try to save money on heating fuel. Turn up the thermostat a degree or 2, dress well and turn on the TV or grab a book.
You can do this. .

Look out a warm duvet and try to ensure your water pipes don’t freeze. Keep a small flow of water running through them.

I would also make sure I had a small space heater or two; electric and or propane in
case for some reason the heat does fail.

Get enough food in so that you don’t have to go out for a few days.

I haven’t experienced cold like that but preparedness helps e when a blizzard is coming.

All good concerns. I would be very concerned, too. My only addition to all the above good advice is to get a kerosene heater. I used one for years in an old drafty house I lived in. They are a lot of work but worth it.

Fear of cold and storms is real enough, and it’s wise to prepare. The advice above is good.

I think the underlying reason for anxiety may have less to do with the actual temperatures themselves than with the fact that they’re happening. To go so far outside the norm means that things are out of control and in some real sense unpredictable. (And that affects all of us, and not just those in the path of the storms. Fires and floods and earthquakes are threatening and scary too.) Explorers and adventurers nonwithstanding, most of us are built to prefer things to stay within some known range so we know we can handle them and know how to prepare.

A lot of our culture and traditions are about teaching us how to deal with what comes up in life—and wild extremes tend not to be in the book. At least we do know how many cubits our ark needs to be.

You also have to brace yourself for the idiots who will parrot the notion that a cold snap disproves global warming. Climate change, of course, is change, and that’s not all about warming. Melting of polar ice has the effect of letting colder temperatures occur farther south of the poles.

Others have been giving some good advice, only thing I want to add if your vehicle isn’t in a garage and has a plug in block heater keep it plugged in through this so if you do need it it will start.
Oh and I thank God we live on the west coast our winters seem so mild compared to yours even when we are having a bad one, and this year it’s been rather mild.

We aren’t. It’s supposed to get down to 9.

I’m sure there will be safety / shelter procedures in place for that possibility. Call your local city office and ask. It should make you feel better know you have some place to go and exactly where it is.

And, BTW, I’m pretty the “frostbite in 5 minutes” is for exposed skin, like hands or your neck or face so as long as you’re bundled up good you’ll be OK going outside for a while.

I live in Alaska, so frigid temps are nothing new to me, tho’ note that such temps occur in other places. Bundle up is the best advice, which translates to layers. A warm, cozy hat on the head will help hold in heat should the temps get that drastic. Gloves are always recommended but make it hard to function, I know. I use what are called wristies, which are essentially socks for the fingers but fingerless. You could sacrifice an old pair of socks, cut off the foot part, and use the upper part the same way to keep your lower arm, wrist, and the palms of your hand warm. Tuck in your fingers at times if necessary.

The advice above about preparing your house was good. Nudge up the thermostat a degree or two. I’ve found that tho’ I’m perfectly comfy inside much of the time at 68/69 degrees, when it’s cold outside I need more. My home is largely kept at 70/71 here, tho’ if I’m cold, thermostat goes up another notch or so. Yes, it’s expensive, but getting sick from the cold can be, too.

Open the doors under cabinets attached to sinks to let the heat get to the pipes better. Leave a trickle of water running. I used to go with the drippity drip but was told the trickle keeps the flow going better, hence less likelihood of freezing. I’m on a private well, so, yes, using water needlessly is a concern but, well, it’s a lower priority than the cost of frozen pipes will be. Do NOT run hot water. As I’ve learned here in AK, hot water freezes faster than cold, or so they tell me. Kind of counter to my expectations but having seen them toss boiling water into the air in freezing temps and see it turn to icy crystals/steam instantly, I’m a believer. there is a science to all this one can look up but I tend to listen to those who have been around long enough to know how things work, even if they don’t necessarily know the science behind them.

Do you have pets? Please, please bring them inside if possible. Many of our AK husky dogs have coats that keep them perfectly comfy in temps that have me shivering but most dogs don’t have that sorta natural fur coat. Provide them with blankets or covering of some sort if the heat goes off, too. They need water and food, too, just as you do. I’m sure you know the ol’ basics of not opening the freezer/fridge if the power goes off, so have some foods for all involved that can be stored atop a cabinet or whatever and easily reached without opening the fridge. A supply of water would be handy, too, of course.

I could go on and on but you should be getting the drift by now. Stay inside if possible. Keep animals (and car) inside if possible and use common sense. You’ll be okay.

I like going out in the cold with proper clothing. -11F is predicted for us Wednesday. Yesterday it was near 0F all day. The gas bill will be bothersome.

The one precaution I don’t see mentioned is, if your boiler has a pilot light, (rather than electric ignition) buying a spare thermocouple.

It’s the most common failure point heaters. They are less than $10US. Take pictures of your pilot light to identify it, and you will find Youtube how-to advice on how to replace it.

She is concerned about the heat going out all together @AlaskaTundrea.

Thanks for your help! I’ll try to answer some question that have been asked.

We don’t have a garage and there are no parking garages close enough for us to use. We are stuck with street parking.

We plan to cover the windows that are drafty. This home has its original windows.

I’m not very familiar with radiator heating. My uneducated concern is frozen pipes that would lead us to having no heat.

@JLeslie Yes, it’s central steam heat. Only the manager of the building has access to the basement.

Our pets are all indoor pets. I’m not looking forward to taking the dogs out to do their duty, especially in the morning when it’s usually the coldest.

We are new to Wisconsin and being a cold weather lover I expected this. I’m miserable if the temperature reaches above 75 degrees F. I can usually handle the cold weather but this will be extreme, record breaking, so it’s making me a bit anxious.

I’m sitting in my room right now with the window cracked open. The house is a cozy 75°F and that’s too warm for me. It’s 2°F outside right now and that little bit entering my bedroom feels divine. I won’t be doing this in a couple days though when the very cold temps set in.

@AlaskaTundrea So good to see you here! Thanks for responding. :)

@Aethelwine Pipes don’t usually freeze when the heat is running. It’s generally if you go away and leave the heat off that it is a concern.

Steam heat is a good thing. I think don’t worry at all. A bonus of being in a building rather than a house. Seal up the windows, have plenty of food for a few days, open the cabinets for the pipes, you’re all set.

If you do have a space heater that runs off of some sort of fuel make sure it’s ok to use inside. Some are probably for outside use and can poison you with carbon monoxide.

Right now I am extremely glad that our nearly 40 year-old furnace was replaced back in November.

I don’t think steam or gas pipes can freeze? Water pipes can because the water in them freezes.

@Dutchess_III Yeah, my blonde is showing and I recently watched The Day After Tomorrow. I have images of everything freezing stuck in my head. ;)

@Aethelwine, much of what I posted would help even if the heat goes out, tho’ sounds like you are at the mercy of the elements regarding your car. One thing I’ve done with my dog is to put a long lead on her, open the door, and sorta shove her outside to do her duty. A couple leads clipped together would work the same. Even tho’ born and raised in a much further north Native Alaskan village than here, she doesn’t tend to dawdle when it’s freezing cold, so the opening and closing of the door is usually quick.

If you can get pets into even a t-shirt, that would help them if the heat goes out. Same theory as with us humans, layer, layer, layer, the mantra up here when telling people how to dress for cold. I honestly haven’t checked the weather forecast in what is probably your general area but it’s understandable to be nervous about something “unknown,” in this case the potentially frigid weather.

You mention street parking so I assume you’re not in an isolated area, so that is good and should be reassuring. Even strangers came out to help others here recently when Alaska had a serious (7+ magnitude earthquake), so don’t hesitate to ask or give help. I had a broken arm at the time, no fault of the weather, and people were wonderfully helpful, so I hope your neighbors are the same.

@Aethelwine My sister flew in last night and I asked her about the weather in NY (where she lives) and after telling me it wasn’t bad she launched into Madison being one of the coldest places in the country right now. She must keep an eye on it since she went to school there. I immediately thought of you.

How are you and your family doing?

Thanks for asking @JLeslie. It’s the calm before the storm. It’s sunny right now. Snow is supposed to move in around 6pm tonight and continue until tomorrow afternoon, then the winds and brutal cold. We’re right in the middle of the heaviest snows of at least a foot. I’m loading up on coffee before I go shopping for supplies. We’ll probably be stuck in the house for most of the week.

@Aethelwine How are you doing?
The cold front just hit us here in Western NY. the temp is 4 F and will continue to drop for the rest of today.
I don’t know how the deer survive.

It’s about 10 am and it’s -25°F with a windchill of -49°F. We’re only supposed to warm up to -13 today with windchills in the -30s all day. I’m trying to muster up some energy to take the dogs out. They are being very patient. I need a cup of coffee first.

Good news is our car started early this morning so Jon could get to work. Our bedroom where the thermostat is located is the warmest room in the house. The bathroom is chilly but we have the water running so hopefully the pipes will survive in there. Our living room is about 15 degrees cooler than the master bedroom. Our spare room that Jon uses as his studio is freezing cold. Thankfully no one sleeps in there. Our son’s room is a bit chilly as well. I have a feeling the two of us will be hanging out in the master bedroom for most of the day.

Old houses are cool and all but I think I’m over my love affair with them. We might look for housing that was built within the past decade when our lease is up in July. ;)

Of course, new furnace or not, when you live in a 150 year-old house that’s drafty as hell it’s still too fucking cold.

I just read that there are massive power outages in south central Wisconsin. So far we are unaffected. Hope it stays that way.

@Darth_Algar We have a nice little draft in the bathroom. My nose starts running just sitting in there for a minute or two.

This is a post from our police department. A sense of humor sure does help.

“Due to the extreme cold and wind, the Madison Police Department is canceling all misdemeanor and felony criminal activities. Criminals, please take note, it is too cold to commit crimes. Stay inside and read, watch Netflix, go on Madison Area Crime Stoppers and help catch other criminals, anything, but for the love of polar bears, do not go outside and commit crimes.”

LOL!!!

Oh. Now I’m perusing the Madison Police Department page. Looks like they are currently battling a house fire that’s already done extensive damage. I take it it isn’t your house @Aethelwine.

@Dutchess_III Our home is fine. I read a kitten was saved from the house fire. No mention of people so I’m assuming they are fine or weren’t home.

I think I recall somewhere you mentioned hot water baseboard heat. It is absolutely imperiative that you keep the water flowing and do not have any areas on the pipes that can get colder than 32F. if you have a cold room make sure to open the door so there is room air circulation. Turn on a fan if you need to. If even a small section of pipe freezes, it stops the flow to the rest of the circulation loop and things go downhill quickly. Don’t try to save money now! Turn the heat up! I few extra dollars on your fuel bill is a heck of a lot cheaper than a water damage repair bill.
I repeat. Don’t close off cold rooms. And keep the cupboards under the sinks open.
Good luck.

Been thinking of you, so glad you’ve posted updates. Hope all continues to go well.

Thank you! Tonight will be rough but if we can get through it okay tomorrow afternoon and evening will be much better. The dogs weren’t happy going out and it took my breath away. The second I opened the door I had to catch my breath then I coughed a bunch.

We hit -20F. The heat (hot water) runs 24/7 but the thermostat never exceeds 68F. My concern now is the electric motor circulating the water, it’s been going for 2 days straight.

I went outside to shovel and sweep snow at -18F. Walking around the block just for fun I was very comfortable (good winter clothes) except for my fingers. Ouch! Cold!

In the afternoon I took a long walk at -13F. 5 miles. I work from home and need the exercise. I have the outfit down and kept my fingers balled so my glover were like mittens. It was easy. Traffic was light, but I met a few fellow superheroes on bikes and on foot.

@Call_Me_Jay My scarf kept my face almost too warm. I had to remove it from my face a few times for comfort but then my nose got too cold. What’s the trick to staying comfortable? I get warm easily and I don’t like it. I’d rather be chilled a little bit but I don’t want frostbite on my nose.

Yeah, our furnace has been running non-stop as well.

Do any of you living in the frozen zones have a fire place?

Oddly enough I do (our temps drop below 32º about once a decade), yet I’ve never used it.

Yikes. I worry about my 84 yr old father living alone near Peoria, Illinois. His cold temps are almost as bad as it is where I am and he’s been very ill the past few days. His furnace is about 20 years old. A lot of my anxiety has to do with him.

I’m happy to hear that others are holding on without many troubles.

@Brian1946 I really wish we had a fire place. It’s on my dream list.

@Aethelwine Will neighbors check on your dad?

@JLeslie He lives on a secluded hill. There’s one neighbor who might check on him. My sister and I have been communicating with him several times a day.

I was curious about the temp in my husband’s studio. It’s 57 F in here with the heat on. I usually use his room when he goes to sleep at 7pm. It’s midnight now. It’s the coldest room in the house and the coldest temps will be here in a few hours. I’m shivering and not sweating. Bonus.

How are you today?

Woo hoo! We hit 0 F this afternoon in Chicago. Heat wave!!! And unusually, the temp is predicted to rise during the night,

20 F tomorrow!

I feel so guilty. Our temps are a balmy 19 and 20 degrees. It’s supposed to hit 65 this weekend!

Next week we are getting our first cold snap this winter temp is supposed to hit minus 24c by Monday.

We survived the 2019 Polar Vortex.

Where’s my shirt?

Well our western cold snap is here, and boy is it fecking cold will have to see if the old truck starts tomorrow morning I am having my doubts ,already -22c.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

@SQUEEKY2

Do you live east of the coastal mountain range in BC?

^^Yup just south of a Kamloops.