hard winter in USA. Are you ok?

[sbrofio]

Hi, I'm reading in newspaper that in Montana and near Montana there are -53°C ( -63.40 F ).
Are you and your family ok? Pet and plants?
Hope it will get a bit less cold

Filippo

[terracotta7]

BRRRRRR! Here we are in the single digits, but the wind is fierce. Have to take my orchids away from the windows at night!

No word from Montana...hope they are not frozen!

[Laserbeak]

I was OK until I found out my mother turned on the GIGANTIC old-style radiator (from the 1920s) in my apartment above which all my Masdevallias, Draculas and other Pleurothallids were on because she was "cold" (it was 74°F inside).

She killed at least a few of them.

[Paul]

LB, tell your mother what my mom tells my dad should he complain of being cold -- "put a warmer sweatshirt/sweater on". heh

We had a "high" of -1F yesterday (not counting windchill) here in southern Michigan. Today we were supposed to get up to 10-15F for our high. Didn't check to see if we actually did. Definitely a bit "nippy" out.

[fotofashion]

Of course, the rest of you are going to say we here have nothing really to complain about when the temp gets to 20. True, but it has to do with just what you and your plants, pipes and puppies are used to.
The houses here have much exposed piping so they need to be wrapped. Sometimes we have to resort to leaving the water dripping to avoid frozen pipes. Our semi-tropical plants (we can grow bananas here) need protection. The bananas just freeze because they are too big to wrap. They will come back in the spring.
DH has several tomato plants that he wrapped up and put heaters inside the wrappings. I hate to see our electric bill this month. He said it was too cold today to even go out to check the tomato plants.
The GH has been kept above 40 so far. See above comment about electric bill. At least tonight supposedly will not be quite as cold as last night.
It is amazing how unused to cold weather 40+ years in semi-tropical climates will make you. DH was born and raised in Michigan. Our family moved there when I was eight. It may be old age and decrepitude but I have less resistance to cold weather as the years go by. I really feel for those of you in such cold weather. Take care.
Beverly A.

[Polarizeme]

Originally Posted by Laserbeak

I was OK until I found out my mother turned on the GIGANTIC old-style radiator (from the 1920s) in my apartment above which all my Masdevallias, Draculas and other Pleurothallids were on because she was "cold" (it was 74°F inside).

She killed at least a few of them.

I am so sorry! I'm sure your mom didn't know what she was doing. Poor plants, poor mom and poor you!

What Pleuros did you lose? I might have some divisions or "spares"

---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------

We had our brutal cold snap back around the first of December here in Oregon. It was cold, and for those of you in the midwest and areas affected by this latest cold snap, I feel your pain! I used live in KY which was a balmy 5F according to my mom.

Here in Oregon, the weather is chilly, but no where near as brutal as you folks in the middle of the country.

Take care, keep your plants warm and I'll keep sending well wished your way!

[Leafmite]

Our weather was at about -10'F last night and very windy but we were fine, except maybe for that lotus overwintering in the garage and perhaps some of the perennials outside. Tomorrow, it should go into the twenties and then it will steadily warm into the forties for the end of the week. Ohio has crazy weather!

[My Green Pets]

It's amazing to me how latitude has nothing to do with temperature. I'm living further north than I've ever lived before (48.5°N, orginally from 38°N) and it hasn't dipped below freezing yet this year. Meanwhile back home, highs far below freezing.

[Jayfar]

Temps dropped to 6 here Monday night, but I had trouble before it even got down to 20. Beginning in the wee hours of yesterday frozen hot and cold water pipes to my third floor apartment - bah! Took me all day to unfreeze them. The ultimate solution involved hooking a hose and funnel to the shower pipe and pouring boiling water with almost a whole container of salt down the pipe. Apparently the pipes to the shower are the ones all my other pipes branch off from; the pipes up to the shower run close to an exterior wall in a courtyard that is never lit by the sun.

Lesson learned: when forecast calls for temps dropping below 20, leave water running at a trickle through the night.

Landlord had contacted 2 plumbers and both said that, other than waiting for a thaw, the only quick fix would involve breaking through the walls in the 2 downstairs apartments.

[nikkik]

Fotofashion, I'm with you when it comes to the heating bills. We heat the solarium (an all glass room) for my orchids. Even with it being 45 degrees in there the doorwall still freezes shut from the moisture around it. I have to put leashes on the dogs and walk them out front to relieve themselves! The snow is so deep they don't want to go to the bathroom. And they aren't dogs that are close to the ground (mastiff and great dane).

My husband works outside in this, so it's been rough on him. He doesn't get home until late because they are so busy. And since my kids are so young I haven't left the house since Friday. We're getting a slight case of cabin fever at this point. Lol! I can't wait for the warmer weather.