February 2021 Winter Storm

[clueliss]

Texas has rolling blackouts due to this stupid storm rolling through with record low temps, snow etc.

 

Now I've seeing this from Kansas

Followed by this notice for Missourians.  Apparently here are issues across the plains including Kansas & Nebraska.

 

[Caroline]

Stupid question ahead:  Why rolling blackouts during a winter storm?  Is it because people are turning their heat up  higher than normal because it's colder than usual?  

I live in a cold region with regular winter storms and cold temps and we've never had to worry about planned blackouts.  Our power gets knocked out from time to time because of wind, ice, etc., but never a planned outage.

Even in summer when it's unusually hot for this region we don't have planned blackouts because people turn up their air conditioners.   

Good luck to all dealing with the unusual cold and snow, and stay safe.  Even when you're used to it it's not much fun (IMO).

[clueliss]

I think it's due to power usage (Also - Texas isn't made for this crap).  And I did hear via work that Windmills that generate power (I know they have some on Oklahoma for instance) have frozen up due to the severe cold.  Once we start impacting the power grid it begins to spread because in reality - it's all connected. 

Oh and my company's facility in Juarez shut down today.  It's too cold and they may have power issues there too.  (we've lost a day of production there)

 

 

Hitting closer to home for me with this one.  I'm on city electricity.

 

[FiveAcres]

Elsewhere I was told that about half of Texas houses are heated with electricity.

 

[RosyDaisy]

Fuck you, Mother Nature!  Just, fuck you!  I HATE winter weather!  I'm in north Alabama, and we are in the middle of this ice storm!  I think we may lose power before long.  We've had power flashes off and on all day.  At least I stocked up on supplies and non-perishable food.  Oh, and what part of "all roads in the county are closed" aren't people understanding?  Do they have a death wish?  Everything is closed!  Stay off the damn roads!

 

[Caroline]

29 minutes ago, FiveAcres said:

Elsewhere I was told that about half of Texas houses are heated with electricity.

 

That would be a reason energy use is up.  Here it's unusual to have electric heat.  Also, the windmills affected by ice is interesting.  (It's another thing we don't have for energy production).  So many interesting differences between regions of the same country.   It still sucks to lose power when it's so cold.  That is not something you can get used to no matter where you live.

 

[TheWayTheWorldWorks]

Oof. Where I live, electric heat is 100% a reason to never sign a lease at that residence (unless the landlord pays it of course). Interesting about the windmills. We have plenty but I guess I don't know if they have to shut down in certain conditions... off to find out.

So... long story short, they install heaters and/or deicers here in the North.

Edited February 15, 2021 by TheWayTheWorldWorks
More info

[clueliss]

Let’s see if this works.  A friend shared a video explanation behind power issues going on.  This aimed at metro KC.

https://www.facebook.com/greg.razer/videos/10158836908460395/

[Cartmann99]

36 minutes ago, clueliss said:

I think it's due to power usage (Also - Texas isn't made for this crap).  And I did hear via work that Windmills that generate power (I know they have some on Oklahoma for instance) have frozen up due to the severe cold.  Once we start impacting the power grid it begins to spread because in reality - it's all connected. 

Yup. When we drive towards Dallas, we end up going through a stretch where you can see the windmills from the highway. We haven't lost our power so far today, wondering if it will hit when I start making dinner?

33 minutes ago, FiveAcres said:

Elsewhere I was told that about half of Texas houses are heated with electricity.

A previous owner decided to make our house all electric as that's considered a selling point for some people.

We've warmed back up to double digits, I may have to get out some shorts. ?

[47of74]

Right now in Iowa it's just really cold right now.  It was -10 when I got up this morning.   Right now it's one degree above zero.  Light snow expected tonight.  It's supposed to be cold for the next couple days then start warming up later this week. 

So far no electrical issues here but MidAmerican Energy put the word out today to conserve natural gas.

Quote

MidAmerican Energy is asking its customers to conserve their natural gas use as extreme weather conditions are impacting supplies around the country.

MidAmerican Energy said its systems are operating as expected but the flow of natural gas to Iowa has been impacted due to frozen wells in the southern U.S. The energy company said it is working with its largest customers to ensure uninterrupted gas service for residential customers.

The cold has definitely affected the range on my Bolt too.  The car's only getting about 2 kWh per mile now, so that means about 110 miles of range given that GM has a temporary restriction to 90% on the battery while they investigate issues with the batteries.

Some of my law school classmates down in Texas are being affected by the rolling blackouts and the roads being in bad shape.  One lives near Tyler and she said they're stuck due to side streets not getting plowed at all.   

[indianabones]

We got a foot of snow in the neighborhood where I'm house-sitting (I'm on the west coast, though.) The house's owners don't have a snow shovel so I had to get creative with a broom. I had to drive on Friday and was slipping and sliding all over the road so I've decided not to go anywhere until it's melted. We only get snow maybe once a year and rarely this much.

[47of74]

4 minutes ago, indianabones said:

We got a foot of snow in the neighborhood where I'm house-sitting (I'm on the west coast, though.) The house's owners don't have a snow shovel so I had to get creative with a broom. I had to drive on Friday and was slipping and sliding all over the road so I've decided not to go anywhere until it's melted. We only get snow maybe once a year and rarely this much.

That reminds me I should ask my mom how my aunt and her family in Louisiana are doing now.  They don't see winter weather quite as much there.  One story I do remember is that one time she and my uncle had to go a couple days without power due to an ice storm so my uncle had started up the fireplace and they camped in front of that for a couple days. 

[clueliss]

Linking to this article because it has a map of the southwestern power pool - which is the area that is really struggling 

https://fox2now.com/news/ameren-customers-should-not-expect-power-outages-as-blackouts-begin-in-western-missouri/

[RosyDaisy]

Here in Tiny Town, Alabama we still have power for now, but it's 10°F outside.  Roads are covered with ice, and will probably stay that way for a few days as even more wintery weather is expected Wednesday and Thursday.  FUCK YOU, MOTHER NATURE!

[clueliss]

I think it's due to power usage (Also - Texas isn't made for this crap).  And I did hear via work that Windmills that generate power (I know they have some on Oklahoma for instance) have frozen up due to the severe cold.  Once we start impacting the power grid it begins to spread because in reality - it's all connected. 

Oh and my company's facility in Juarez shut down today.  It's too cold and they may have power issues there too.  (we've lost a day of production there)

 

 

Hitting closer to home for me with this one.  I'm on city electricity.

Okay I thought I had posted all the above yesterday.

Came here to post this: (Um one of the names involved in those screen shots I may recognize from work)

 

[Tangy Bee]

Meanwhile in NC it's been raining for 2 weeks. The sun is actually making an appearance today. Some of us were hoping for at least 1 snow day, but not now. 

[clueliss]

Um, Mexico.  (Speaking of places not made for this)

 

[Cheetah]

Where I live (CA) we are having our normal February weather - 50's and some days rainy some dry.  But it's strange timing that both my parents/sister in Houston and my college kid in Portland OR had major winter weather events over the same days as each other (since they are so far apart and neither place gets a lot of winter weather).  The roof of the gym at my daughter's college collapsed yesterday - no injuries but they were keeping their covid testing supplies there so now they have to scramble to replace those plus of course fix the roof.  My sister had power all day yesterday but lost it around midnight and she's reporting that it's down to 52 in the house so far.  

[Alisamer]

27 minutes ago, Tangy Bee said:

Meanwhile in NC it's been raining for 2 weeks. The sun is actually making an appearance today. Some of us were hoping for at least 1 snow day, but not now. 

Yep! I've not actually seen a single snowflake so far this winter, though I did see evidence that there was some one morning (a tiny clump of melting ice in a very shady spot). It's almost 50F here right now. It's been a strange, very wet winter. 

I hope everyone is doing well - I remember many years ago an ice storm knocked out our power for about a week, and that was no fun. 

[47of74]

I hope everyone is doing OK this morning.  Currently -0.something and sunny around here now. 

I asked my mom if my aunt in Louisiana is doing OK and it sounds like she is.  Said the roads weren't in the greatest of shape and it was really cold. 

Now they're saying that western Iowa might have rolling blackouts.

Quote

Energy companies are dealing with an increased demand for power as much of the country experiences dangerous, record cold. Some companies have implemented rolling power outages in several states and that could impact Iowans.

Our coverage partner at KCCI-TV reports that companies calling for rolling outages are part of what’s called the “Southwest Power Pool,” made up of a group of utilities across 14 states including Iowa. Much of western Iowa is serviced by the Southwest Power Pool.

Alliant Energy said it projects it has sufficient supplies to provide natural gas and electricity to its customers.

Alliant is the main provider in NE Iowa for electricity.  We're not on them but on Maquoketa Valley which hasn't said anything yet. 

[clueliss]

@47of74 - that part of Iowa is on the Southwestern Power Pool - that's the one that's having issue.  And asking for conservation/rolling blackouts again today.   (note the Duggars are on this power grid)
Map:

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I hate working from home, but there were two fatal accidents this morning on my normal commute both going off road (overpass and ramp) so I wasn't about to tempt fate.

[Cartmann99]

From my electricity provider's website:

We never lost power last night, but according to Oncor's outage map, people not that far from us have. Charged everything up in case the electricity goes out today.

[indianabones]

My sister lives in Louisiana and all of her pipes have frozen. She still has power, though! I'm not sure what I would have done if we had lost power during our storm where I'm staying... that would have SUCKED. Fingers crossed Texans start getting back on the grid ASAP.

[zeebaneighba]

It went down to -17 at the NWS station here last night, but it is all the way up to 9 now.  We've been warned to conserve electricity and gas, but at least it is sunny today so we don't need to have the lights on. 

The only issue we have had so far is that our dishwasher drain line has frozen up; it loops around behind the dishwasher and the idiots who renovated the kitchen not only did not insulate behind the cabinets, they tore out the plaster and lath back there so there is nothing between the back of the DW and the outer wall.  We insulated where we could, but there is just no room for more than a thin reflective panel in some areas.