h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Drizzly and cold down here... miserable motorcycle weather.

I switched on the heat when I woke up at 6.50am, and it was so cold in here that the thermostat didn't turn it off until about 8.15, and I only have it set to a little over 70F. Looks like it got down to about 29F/-1.7C last night.

Tonight it's going to be around the mid 30s, tomorrow night almost 60. Two nights after that it's forecast to be even colder than it was last night

We didn't even make it out of the 30s today, and we sat at 29° for at least six hours last night. In fact it took us until nearly 11am to get above freezing. And I forgot to bring in my cacti They should be okay - they're in a little micro-climate between the wall of my apartment and a hedge.

We didn't quite get to freezing yesterday morning. We did have drizzly, nasty, visor-obscuring fog all day though. It was just as bad this morning. I'm really hoping that it doesn't repeat this afternoon and evening. Two idiots pulled out in front of me on the wet streets this morning on the ride to work. I got so mad at one that I steamed up my goggles and had to pull off the road to clear them. + = BAD

Texas drivers Their lack of decency, common sense and respect for anyone else is 99% of the reason I don't drive.

Winkers.

Fog!!!

And just to link to the previous post, there are three or four times more accidents being reported on the local news than usual. Why are so many car drivers so stupid?

Third day in a row of fog here. (Yesterday only my lunch commute was clear). I left the bike at home today... good thing too as it seemed to be the thickest fog of the week.

Bloody cold! We got down to 28/-2.2 last night, and we haven't been any warmer than 37/2.8 today. It's on days like this that you find yourself wishing for those sweltering 100° summer days. Strangely, you never find yourself wishing for those brisk 28° days of winter when it's 100° in July. Ah well, at least the days are going to be getting longer, starting today

It was 38°F/3.3C when I went to bed last night. The dogs didn't mind staying in at all (usually they want to go out mostly for the biscuit I give them on the way out).

They weren't even anxious to go out in the morning. The two of them had divvied up the sofas and were more than happy to sleep in as I got up and went to shower. (Usually they're antsy to go downstairs and get another biscuit and their breakfast.)

It was 55°F/13C and drizzling on the bike ride in this morning. It was raining just a bit more than I expected so I left my chaps off and got to work with wet shins.

We're still only a few degrees above freezing here, but we have had a little bit of drizzle in the past few hours. It's going to be in the low to mid 30s when I go to work in about half an hour, but close to 60 when I come home this afternoon. Now, saying 'layers' is all very well, but once you peel the layers off you've got to somehow carry them home, and if the temperature difference is as great as it can be here and you have to travel on the bus, it's not so easy.

Apparently we've already had our high temperature for today. It was 65/18.3 at 1.00am and for the next several hours it only dropped a few degrees until about 6.00am when the latest cold front came through, and suddenly we're down around 50/10 and getting colder.

This follows a maximum yesterday of 83/28.3. Not quite a record but not far off.

Friday 3pm: 30C
Friday 6pm: 32C
Friday 6:15pm: 18C

Saturday 1pm: 23C
Saturday 4pm: 13C and cherry-sized hailstones

Sunday max: 25C

This is the strangest country

It's -5º here in the Midlands, UK, and it has been trying to snow, but it is too cold I couldn't break or melt the ice in the bird baths today and everything was frozen solid. We are getting used to it now, as we have had a couple of weeks of it now.

Not having to go out for anything except to feed the birds/badgers means it doesn't feel so bad At least it is bright and sunny, not grey and dark, and the days are gradually getting longer thank goodness. We console ourselves with the knowledge that the cold might kill a few 'nasties'.

Websailor

I've been following the news about this current cold snap (or 'coldsnap' as a BBC story called it this morning ). It's been a while since I can remember the sea freezing around the UK, and particularly in the south west, which is usually the warmest part of the country because it gets the Gulf Stream full-on.

Any road up. We're about to have another rise and fall on that roller-coaster known as Texas winter.

Last Saturday we hit the aforementioned 83°. Then we had another cold front which took us down to the low to mid 30s at night and the 40s during the day. Yesterday (Tuesday was a bit nicer with temps in the mid 60s (around 18C). Today we'll be a few degrees warmer still and pleasantly balmy in the low 70s, and over the next few days it'll continue to warm up until Friday when we'll be close to 80 again... until the the next front comes through and cools things down to the 50s day/30s night before warming slightly on Monday, and then on Tuesday they're forecasting some Siberian air making it all the way down here and giving us yet another freeze!

Oy.

Last night, when the doggies started pacing by the door (their way of begging for snacks as I usually give them on on their way out), I checked the thermometer. It was reading 52°F(11C) and I thought, "Eh, the doggies can stay out tonight if they want out so badly."

When I got up to leave early this morning I checked the thermometer again and it was 36°F(2C). Poor Doggies

On the ride in I passed the only bank display that shows time and temp. It's not accurate and today just confirmed that. It was reading 45°/7C... at least their clock is only off by about 4 minutes.

Looks like we're in for a couple of cold nights. Below freezing tonight, just about freezing Wednesday and Thursday.

The last few days have been a bit like living in the desert - cold at night but sunny and warm during the day without a cloud in the sky. Textbook high pressure weather.

It's just COLD. Sorry I can't recall exact numbers, but our weatherman says it's the coldest we've had in the last 8 or 9 years. I think it's supposed to be around 0 in the morning (that's F, not C).

Sure could go for a nice warm hug!

Allow me



Care for a hot chocolate too? Our own spicy Alamo Drafthouse recipe

I've heard that this is going to be some of the coldest air to hit the US for decades - all the way from Siberia, no less. It's been down to -18F/-28C in Minneapolis today, and -27/-33 in Fargo

I just can't comprehend temperatures like that

Nice to see you back broe

I miss this place terribly. I'd really like to devote a time slot to it every week, even if it's only to pop on for a short while and chat. I certainly could use somewhere to vent some frustrations. Maybe I'll fire my journal back up.

Our visit to Houston in October was nice. broe jr was amazed at the variety of sex shops and "gentlemens" clubs. I was cold (the auditorium we were in was freezing, I had to go buy a jacket at lunch). On the other hand, I liked the rental car we had so much I went out an bought one last week. I love the smell of new car.

Heh, one of my best buddies works as the D.J. at one of the premier "gentlemen's" clubs just Southeast of Houston. If I'd known you were down this way we could have had a free steak lunch.