Author Topic: The Weather - 2021  (Read 4154 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline DCFan

  • Posts: 16722
  • What are you dense?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #75: February 16, 2021, 03:46:53 PM »
The weatherman undershot the forecast today: 70 so we went for a walk on the beach.



Online JCA-CrystalCity

  • Global Moderator
  • ****
  • Posts: 39418
  • Platoon - not just a movie, a baseball obsession
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #78: February 16, 2021, 05:32:44 PM »
I'm deeply suspect of electric heat and all electric appliances, even though that's what I have to have in my condo.  Mind you, we really don't get significant outages in Crystal City (underground lines, close to substations, etc...), but electric heat is just so inefficient (generate the power, transmit it, convert it to heat).  It's even worse if it is fossil-fueled in terms of efficiency because you have to combust something to generate the heat to power a turbine or to generate steam to power a turbine to generate the electricity.   All those conversions and transmission losses just is incredibly inefficient, especially in comparison to just simply burning gas at the end point and using the heat directly.  Ironic as all heck that in the middle of a natural gas boom in Texas all the heat is electric. 

Online imref

  • Posts: 42528
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #79: February 16, 2021, 05:42:41 PM »
I'm deeply suspect of electric heat and all electric appliances, even though that's what I have to have in my condo.  Mind you, we really don't get significant outages in Crystal City (underground lines, close to substations, etc...), but electric heat is just so inefficient (generate the power, transmit it, convert it to heat).  It's even worse if it is fossil-fueled in terms of efficiency because you have to combust something to generate the heat to power a turbine or to generate steam to power a turbine to generate the electricity.   All those conversions and transmission losses just is incredibly inefficient, especially in comparison to just simply burning gas at the end point and using the heat directly.  Ironic as all heck that in the middle of a natural gas boom in Texas all the heat is electric. 

I imagine most people have heat pumps in that part of the country?  I can't imagine furnaces are all that necessary.

Offline skippy1999

  • Posts: 19411
  • Believe!!!
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #80: February 16, 2021, 05:42:46 PM »
I'm deeply suspect of electric heat and all electric appliances, even though that's what I have to have in my condo.  Mind you, we really don't get significant outages in Crystal City (underground lines, close to substations, etc...), but electric heat is just so inefficient (generate the power, transmit it, convert it to heat).  It's even worse if it is fossil-fueled in terms of efficiency because you have to combust something to generate the heat to power a turbine or to generate steam to power a turbine to generate the electricity.   All those conversions and transmission losses just is incredibly inefficient, especially in comparison to just simply burning gas at the end point and using the heat directly.  Ironic as all heck that in the middle of a natural gas boom in Texas all the heat is electric. 
Moving from Connecticut with my lovely gas heat to Florida with stinky electric heat was like a slap in the face-yea your house gets warm but it never feels WARM. But because we way more need a/c than heat it's just easier I guess to have it all be one, I'd imagine that's why it's like that in Texas too.

Offline skippy1999

  • Posts: 19411
  • Believe!!!
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #81: February 16, 2021, 05:43:01 PM »
I imagine most people have heat pumps in that part of the country?  I can't imagine furnaces are all that necessary.
yep, electric heat pumps.

Online imref

  • Posts: 42528
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #82: February 16, 2021, 05:43:57 PM »
Moving from Connecticut with my lovely gas heat to Florida with stinky electric heat was like a slap in the face-yea your house gets warm but it never feels WARM. But because we way more need a/c than heat it's just easier I guess to have it all be one, I'd imagine that's why it's like that in Texas too.

we had the opposite experience in Italy. Central AC didn't seem to exist anywhere, instead every place we stayed had weak wall mounted AC units that on a good day would bring the temp down from 85 to 78.

Offline skippy1999

  • Posts: 19411
  • Believe!!!
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #83: February 16, 2021, 06:05:06 PM »
we had the opposite experience in Italy. Central AC didn't seem to exist anywhere, instead every place we stayed had weak wall mounted AC units that on a good day would bring the temp down from 85 to 78.
yea central a/c was not common there for sure, made me realize why people call us "spoiled Americans".

Offline KnorrForYourMoney

  • Posts: 16254
  • pissy DC sports fan
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #84: February 16, 2021, 06:09:57 PM »
It's an unmitigated disaster here in the Alamo City.

Periodic managed/rolling blackouts have turned into 24-hour+ power outages for most people.

I've been super lucky so far - only one outage that lasted all of 45 minutes - but we're dealing with no running water since this morning thanks to burst pipes (again, kind of lucky here because it was a neighbor of ours whose apartment actually got flooded).

It got down to about 10 degrees two nights in a row.  Needless to say I haven't seen anything close to that in my previous five winters here.  Hell, that was a rarity back in Maryland.

Offline skippy1999

  • Posts: 19411
  • Believe!!!
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #85: February 16, 2021, 06:20:45 PM »
It's an unmitigated disaster here in the Alamo City.

Periodic managed/rolling blackouts have turned into 24-hour+ power outages for most people.

I've been super lucky so far - only one outage that lasted all of 45 minutes - but we're dealing with no running water since this morning thanks to burst pipes (again, kind of lucky here because it was a neighbor of ours whose apartment actually got flooded).

It got down to about 10 degrees two nights in a row.  Needless to say I haven't seen anything close to that in my previous five winters here.  Hell, that was a rarity back in Maryland.
Yikes Knorr I didn't realize you were there! My daughter's friend in Dallas sent her a pic of their home thermometer - 39 degrees inside their house and falling! Bundle up man, really can't imagine how awful it is for y'all right now :(

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25690
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #86: February 16, 2021, 06:53:54 PM »
It's an unmitigated disaster here in the Alamo City.

Periodic managed/rolling blackouts have turned into 24-hour+ power outages for most people.

I've been super lucky so far - only one outage that lasted all of 45 minutes - but we're dealing with no running water since this morning thanks to burst pipes (again, kind of lucky here because it was a neighbor of ours whose apartment actually got flooded).

It got down to about 10 degrees two nights in a row.  Needless to say I haven't seen anything close to that in my previous five winters here.  Hell, that was a rarity back in Maryland.
That sucks but I guess it could be worse. 

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25690
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #87: February 16, 2021, 06:55:13 PM »
Yikes Knorr I didn't realize you were there! My daughter's friend in Dallas sent her a pic of their home thermometer - 39 degrees inside their house and falling! Bundle up man, really can't imagine how awful it is for y'all right now :(
We've had the heat go out in our home in northern virginia when we were away and it was still in the 50s inside the house.  Do these houses in Texas have any insulation?

Offline HalfSmokes

  • Posts: 21606
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #88: February 16, 2021, 08:28:16 PM »
I'm deeply suspect of electric heat and all electric appliances, even though that's what I have to have in my condo.  Mind you, we really don't get significant outages in Crystal City (underground lines, close to substations, etc...), but electric heat is just so inefficient (generate the power, transmit it, convert it to heat).  It's even worse if it is fossil-fueled in terms of efficiency because you have to combust something to generate the heat to power a turbine or to generate steam to power a turbine to generate the electricity.   All those conversions and transmission losses just is incredibly inefficient, especially in comparison to just simply burning gas at the end point and using the heat directly.  Ironic as all heck that in the middle of a natural gas boom in Texas all the heat is electric. 

When I lived in crystal square a transformer blew, so no heat for a week

Offline GburgNatsFan

  • Posts: 22277
  • Let's drink a few for Mathguy.
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #89: February 16, 2021, 09:13:03 PM »
We've had the heat go out in our home in northern virginia when we were away and it was still in the 50s inside the house.  Do these houses in Texas have any insulation?

You know some areas are at or near 0 F right? At least that's what I understand.

Offline Mathguy

  • Posts: 9162
  • Floyd - Truely Man's best Friend
    • Outer Banks Beach House
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #90: February 16, 2021, 09:47:02 PM »
Houses can be made more cheaply due to poor local/state government regulation because there is a thought the structure will be fine.  Then there is an exception such as this week's weather and residents wonder what happened to the needed regulations.

We've had the heat go out in our home in northern virginia when we were away and it was still in the 50s inside the house.  Do these houses in Texas have any insulation?

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25690
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #91: February 16, 2021, 09:49:33 PM »
You know some areas are at or near 0 F right? At least that's what I understand.
I understand. I just thought it would take a few days to get to that low of a temperature inside. 

Offline skippy1999

  • Posts: 19411
  • Believe!!!
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #92: February 16, 2021, 10:51:14 PM »
I understand. I just thought it would take a few days to get to that low of a temperature inside. 

It’s been at least two days

Online imref

  • Posts: 42528
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #93: February 17, 2021, 12:36:46 AM »

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25690
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #94: February 17, 2021, 06:58:43 AM »
It’s been at least two days
Got ya. It’s reassuring being in a well run state like Florida where we know nothing bad like this could happen.

Offline Natsinpwc

  • Posts: 25690
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #95: February 17, 2021, 07:00:16 AM »
Millions still without power in Texas:

https://news.yahoo.com/parts-texas-being-told-not-003824623.html
My understanding based on soem reading is that Texas has a closed power grid.

Online Slateman

  • Posts: 63109
  • THE SUMMONER OF THE REVERSE JINX
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #96: February 17, 2021, 07:27:57 AM »
My understanding based on soem reading is that Texas has a closed power grid.
Pretty much. Virtually none of it was winterized.

Online imref

  • Posts: 42528
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #97: February 17, 2021, 08:10:41 AM »
My understanding based on soem reading is that Texas has a closed power grid.

Yes. They largely aren’t connected to the rest of the country.

Online imref

  • Posts: 42528
  • Re-contending in 202...5?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #98: February 17, 2021, 10:45:00 AM »
given how every other storm has played out this winter, I assume most folks will be ignoring this one, but the threats are significant:

Quote
...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM THURSDAY TO
6 AM EST FRIDAY...

* WHAT...Heavy snow along with sleet and freezing rain. Total snow
accumulations around 3 to 6 inches with ice accumulation around
one tenth to one quarter of an inch.

* WHERE...The Washington and Baltimore Metropolitan areas.

* WHEN...From 3 AM Thursday to 6 AM EST Friday. Snow will begin
between 3 and 5 AM. Snow will change to a mixture of sleet and
freezing rain during the late morning and early afternoon
hours.

* IMPACTS...Power outages and tree damage are likely due to the
ice. Travel could be nearly impossible. The hazardous
conditions could impact the morning or evening commute.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Snow Thursday morning will be heavy at
times with snowfall rates around 1 to 2 inches per hour
possible along with visibility reduced to around one-quarter
mile at time.


Offline DCFan

  • Posts: 16722
  • What are you dense?
Re: The Weather - 2021
« Reply #99: February 17, 2021, 10:48:35 AM »
...but the threats are significant:

As are all the initial forecasts. Then they seem to vaporize.................