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

I'm running low on tea. I knew this a day or two ago and that I'd have to get some more very soon. I get my tea from a shop about half a mile away that specialises in foreign foods, particularly from the Mediterranean. They have a good selection of British food including McVities, Robinsons and suchlike, and Brooke Bond, Ty-Phoo, Tetleys tea bags. They have some... interesting loose tea too, which is what I buy. As well as half-pound packets of Lipton's Yellow Label they have tea from or destined for other parts of the world such as India, Iraq and Turkey. Ordinary black tea, nothing special or fancy. Their tea is at least half the price of the Yorkshire tea that I was buying for a while from the local foodie supermarket. Those places are great for convenience and have a fantastic selection of organic and speciality foodstuffs, but man, they don't half rip you off on some things.

Any road up. I could have gone there yesterday but I had a greater need for some other food supplies from a shop in the opposite direction so I thought I'd get the tea on Monday. I know I have enough to last until then. But I forgot about the weather.

We've had a really up-and-down winter so far. Yesterday, for instance, it got up to 71F/21.6C, which is 10°F above normal for the time of year. But we've also had several cold snaps since the middle of November - at least four times I've had to bring the plants in because of sub-freezing temperatures, one of which was only a few nights ago. We've had at least one day I can remember, in December, when the temperature didn't get above freezing all day.

And tonight it's forecast to be colder than we've seen for at least three years (the last two winters have pretty much been non-events). This is part of the system that's set to bring record-breaking temperatures to the midwest. Obviously it's not going to be anything like the -40 to -60 (-40 to -51C) wind chills that they're predicting for several northern states, but 23F/-5C tonight and 20F/-6.7C on Monday night is plenty cold enough for me.

And so, tomorrow morning I'm going to have to make the half-mile journey to the deli, in sub-freezing temperatures and without decent cold weather gear because my warm, toasty, quilted and rather elegant jacket that's got me through every winter since I bought it at that discount place in Pennsylvania more than 20 years ago finally gave up the ghost last year. It literally fell to bits.

I have a leather jacket, I have warm jumpers and a very nice knitted cap that's guaranteed to keep your bonce warm at the top of a Scottish Munroe with a force ten blowing in the dead of winter in the middle of a snowstorm with a mouth full of porcupine quills, but I'm still not looking forward to the trek, as brief as it is, especially as I have no gloves.

But running out of tea would be worse. Much, much worse

*nods gravely* Much, much worse.

get gloves. Immediately.

Yeah, I really should. I used to have a pair, leather with a rabbit fur lining, many years ago that kept my hands warm while cycling to work in freezing temperatures along country roads in Sussex one winter. If there's anywhere in Austin that sells something similar, I haven't found it yet. A pair of ordinary woollen gloves would be fine. I didn't really need them when I had the jacket because the pockets were so good.

Even now I really can't walk around with my hands in my pockets. Or if I do I feel terribly guilty.

Is that so. Lay down on this couch and wait a few weeks while I grow a professional-looking beard, then tell me all about your childhood while I take notes and do my best to look competent and scholarly.

we don't have long enough, buddy

Just as well. I don't fancy growing a beard either. Nasty, itchy things.

Okay chaps, I'm going out. The temperature in Austin at 8.51am, 40 minutes ago, was 24°F/-4.4°C with a wind chill of 16F/-8.9C

If you don't from me after two hours have passed... I'm probably sitting in the local diner (which just happens to be half-way between Fort Gosho and the deli) having a nice hot cup of coffee

That sounds like the best thing in the circumstances. At least you'll be able to make tea when you eventually get home.

Well that wasn't so bad. I'm not sure about that wind chill factor - it's almost perfectly calm out there and I felt barely any chill at all. It's definitely cold, but by the time I got home I was almost starting to overheat. Even with a watery sun and even at this time of the year and even with all the cold air, the sunshine can still warm you up.

Tea is purchased, kettle is on

This is the sort of thing that can send a simple London lad like me doolally

The average temperature in Austin for this time of the year (I won't call it 'normal temperature' because that implies an expectation whereas 'average' is a statistical calculation of fact) is in the low 60s F, mid teens C during the day and the low 40s F, mid 10s C at night. Obviously there can be a lot of variation from the average, as we've seen these past few days with daytime and night-time temperatures a good 20-30F below average. Here in town our lowest temperature for both Sunday and Monday night was 22F, but at the airport, on the outskirts of Austin and only about seven miles from Fort Gosho, Monday night's minimum was 14F/-10C.

Although it's being said that this is an exceptional meteorological episode and that we haven't seen temperatures like this for decades, we actually had two much colder episodes a few winters ago when the temperature in town went as low as 17F/-8.3C and it stayed cold for at least a week with a period of three or four days where the temperature never got above freezing. It was so cold I had to nail bedsheets over my patio door and window to make some kind of barrier to the cold, and wear two T-shirts, socks and a hat in bed These apartments were never built for that kind of weather.

And in a few days from now the temperatures will not only be back to average, but 10-15° above it. We'll have gone from temperatures as cold or colder than any I've experienced in a London winter (ice on the inside of the bedroom window when I was a kid kind of thing) to what I'd consider to be a pleasant June day (low 70s F/low 20s C), in the space of 72 hours. From minimum temperatures of 22F/-5.6C (Sunday and Monday nights) to a low of only 57F/13.9C forecast for Thursday night, and then up to 72F/22C on Friday afternoon.

Oh my brane Still, at least there's a 70% chance of rain forecast for Friday

I read this thread as 'I might have micturated'. Just thought you'd want to know.

B

*is not surprised*

*Nods in agreement*

I've spent the last month knitting arm socks. I could have sent you a snazzy pair

There's every chance that this was our winter for the year, but you never know, I might still need some

arm socks? what are they?

It's not cold enough here for me to wear my snazzy new hat, scarf and smartphone gloves (oops, nearly used a verboten smiley there!)

Arm socks? I am guessing they are wrist warmers, rather like those eighties leg warmers? I bet they're quite useful to keep drafts from going up your sleeves.


And in other news, apparently the cold weather has crossed the ocean and is making it a bit cool in the Canaries. Here's a photo from a friend near Mt Teide.

Caption says "It seems we have a new little snowfall on the Teide"
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=715708938446805&set=a.224658390885198.65272.224469524237418&type=1&theater

Snow is not that rare on Teide, due to its height. But as long as they keep it there, I am not too worried.

we're expecting it to get cold here tomorrow. If it snows I predict several grumpy articles in the newspapers (and comments in other social media) about how a bit of snow can throw the whole state (which generally doesn't get much in the way of snow) into complete chaos