Winter Storm - 18 States declare state of emergency as of 1/24/26

ATM it is 22° with the feels like of 8° and it is the literal calm before the storm. We are supposed to get a “wintry mix” by 9 AM Saturday morning; beyond that I don’t know what to expect.

I do know we will not get above freezing at least until Wednesday and even then it will just barely be above freezing.

This is southern Middle Tennessee. Below freezing for this many consecutive days, followed by barely above freezing for a few days is not normal.

My area is in the freezing rain range. That means no matter how much attention our power company paid to cutting tree limbs back from the powerlines. they will go down somewhere.

The range of this storm is just unbelievable and so is the severity of it from one end to the other.
 

I have a busy day planned. Both my state and town have declared states of emergency and expecting up to 2 feet of snow but I'm seriously hoping for just one foot or less. I'll be:

1. Gathering candles, blankets, and flashlights.
2. Checking battery situation although I'm sure I have plenty.
3. Getting caught up with laundry.
4. Putting "ready to eat without heating" foods all together in pantry with manual can opener.
5. Making some hard boiled eggs. (Thanks again, @Kaila !)
6. Fully charge phone, tablets, and laptop.
7. Making sure my Mr. Heater Portable Buddy 9,000 BTU is ready to rumble should the need arise.
Already done: Car topped off with gas, plenty of water on hand, and windows winter-proofed.
 
Imogene said:
ATM it is 22° with the feels like of 8° and it is the literal calm before the storm. We are supposed to get a “wintry mix” by 9 AM Saturday morning; beyond that I don’t know what to expect.

I do know we will not get above freezing at least until Wednesday and even then it will just barely be above freezing.

This is southern Middle Tennessee. Below freezing for this many consecutive days, followed by barely above freezing for a few days is not normal.

My area is in the freezing rain range. That means no matter how much attention our power company paid to cutting tree limbs back from the powerlines. they will go down somewhere.

The range of this storm is just unbelievable and so is the severity of it from one end to the other.
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Our little bit of freezing rain stopped for a bit and looks like the area without power northwest of us has been restored. Bad news is freezing rain just started again.

You’re so right. The magnitude of this system is truly mind boggling. I do not envy lineman; they’ll be working many hours in bitter cold in days to come.
 
CallMeKate said:
I have a busy day planned. Both my state and town have declared states of emergency and expecting up to 2 feet of snow but I'm seriously hoping for just one foot or less. I'll be:

1. Gathering candles, blankets, and flashlights.
2. Checking battery situation although I'm sure I have plenty.
3. Getting caught up with laundry.
4. Putting "ready to eat without heating" foods all together in pantry with manual can opener.
5. Making some hard boiled eggs. (Thanks again, @Kaila !)
6. Fully charge phone, tablets, and laptop.
7. Making sure my Mr. Heater Portable Buddy 9,000 BTU is ready to rumble should the need arise.
Already done: Car topped off with gas, plenty of water on hand, and windows winter-proofed.
Click to expand...
I found being prepared for a hurricane or snow storm is the key having done both. Getting gas, fully charged devices and batteries not just working flashlights are key. Apartment living one is a little more restricted but a house should always be ready. I found in Florida sometimes if a hurricane is week out the stores can run out of water especially. Always prep early in the season.

Sound ready to go. Stay Safe

Note-Even though it's winter make ice ahead of time and freeze any ice packs you might have to help keep refrigeration food cold for a while if need be.
 
Bizarre weather right now. Freezing rain with thunder and lighting. We're rural with trees, some dense forest 300 yards or so from the house. I can hear limbs and trees falling (sounds like gunshots) but it's still too dark to see what's fallen.

I can see using exterior house lights that a massive limb split off a big oak and landed on my Travato (RV van). Looks like the thicker part missed the van so am hoping there's no damage.
 
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AnnieA said:
Bizarre weather right now. Freezing rain with thunder and lighting. We're rural with trees, some dense forest 300 yards or so from the house. I can hear limbs and trees falling (sounds like gunshots) but it's still too dark to see what's fallen.

I can see using exterior house lights that a massive limb split off a big oak and landed on my Travato (RV van). Looks like the thicker part missed the van so am hoping there's no damage.
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Oh boy. I hope the damage to your RV is minimal.

this weather is just gosh, awful nuts. I went from having to get a run to get up my driveway into the garage last night to temperatures going into the low 40s and pouring rain all night long. It is still pouring rain. I have water laying in my driveway where I rarely see Water

It is still 41° where I live. 90 minutes northwest of me in Nashville it’s at freezing and they’re dealing with freezing sleet and ice in a lot of areas. There’s over 184,000 people without power in their County.

The weather is going to turn cold probably below freezing by the time I go down to feed the horses at noon. If that happens, I’ll be riding the four wheeler down there, even though by then the rain will be sleeting rain.

everyone on my road has a generator, but we are still praying we don’t lose power. Nobody wants to fire up the generators.

This rain will no doubt turn into a solid sheet of ice and that’s when the trouble starts with the tree limbs coming down @AnnieA.


unless something changes, my area is not supposed to get out of the 20s at all next week.🥶🤯🥶🤯
 
AnnieA said:
Bizarre weather right now. Freezing rain with thunder and lighting. We're rural with trees, some dense forest 300 yards or so from the house. I can hear limbs and trees falling (sounds like gunshots) but it's still too dark to see what's fallen.

I can see using exterior house lights that a massive limb split off a big oak and landed on my Travato (RV van). Looks like the thicker part missed the van so am hoping there's no damage.
Click to expand...
I hope you will be OK. Hell, I'm hoping I will be OK.
 
We have a skiff of snow so far. I let my dog out, and he had a ball playing in it. I would cheer him on, and he take off running in circles and screech to a halt and look at me, so I'd cheer some more, and off he'd go again, always stopping and looking at me for approval. Finally it got too cold for me, and I went in the house, and a few seconds later he wanted in too.
 
My van is okay! She’s not going anywhere soon because the smaller end branches of the limb are hugging both sides and the main part of the limb is behind it but there’s no damage!

ETA. Probably some paint scratches but that’s okay considering!
 

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It's 16°F right now.
We first got rain yesterday, then a layer of sleet, making solid ice. I've been up 3 hours and not one car has been down the street. Below is a picture of my front yard from security camera There are many steps from the street up to my front door but only 5 steps can clearly be seen. Church is closed for the first time I remember.

steps.jpg
 
Imogene said:
Oh boy. I hope the damage to your RV is minimal.

this weather is just gosh, awful nuts. I went from having to get a run to get up my driveway into the garage last night to temperatures going into the low 40s and pouring rain all night long. It is still pouring rain. I have water laying in my driveway where I rarely see Water

It is still 41° where I live. 90 minutes northwest of me in Nashville it’s at freezing and they’re dealing with freezing sleet and ice in a lot of areas. There’s over 184,000 people without power in their County.

The weather is going to turn cold probably below freezing by the time I go down to feed the horses at noon. If that happens, I’ll be riding the four wheeler down there, even though by then the rain will be sleeting rain.

everyone on my road has a generator, but we are still praying we don’t lose power. Nobody wants to fire up the generators.

This rain will no doubt turn into a solid sheet of ice and that’s when the trouble starts with the tree limbs coming down @AnnieA.


unless something changes, my area is not supposed to get out of the 20s at all next week.🥶🤯🥶🤯
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You’re in the middle of it for sure! Those horses will be happy to see you with the calories they’re burning in this cold.
 
AnnieA said:
You’re in the middle of it for sure! Those horses will be happy to see you with the calories they’re burning in this cold.
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I have now locked them out of the main pasture, and they are not happy with me. Too bad too sad, they have a couple acres of flat where I can find them with the spotlight. We are going down to single digits with feels like below zero possibly tonight.

We are not going to be out of the 20° range until Wednesday , and that will only be for one day.

The Nashville news stations have been on all day today trying to tell people what to do who don’t know what to do when their power goes out. The state highway patrol have been interviewed and they are telling everyone if you don’t have to leave the house stay home, so the first responders can get to where they need to get to safely.

Along with trees crashing everywhere , they are showing lighthearted pictures of dogs, loving the snow. My dogs have no desire to go outside until they absolutely have to. They weigh 75 pounds apiece, but they also have very short hair. They have coats, but the boy dog thinks he can’t pee with the coat on, so I don’t dare put it on him to go out and do his business🫣

The hope on my road is we make it through the night without having to use our generators. Looking at the outage map, There are quite a few power failures in my county, but not nearby.

I have enough supplies for about three weeks for my critters and myself. That is standard practice for me given where I live. My hope is I don’t have to use it all up before I can get down to the main road. If not, Plan B is to have my neighbor, who is a deputy sheriff, pick up anything I need and pay for it over the phone with a credit card so he doesn’t have to worry about money. He has a specially built four-wheel-drive for the sheriff department so he can pretty much go through the field whenever he has to. Probably swim for all I know lol lol

I have two pieces of Ghirardelli’s chocolate peppermint rice crisp left. I don’t think it’ll make it to the end of this weather event.😂😂
 
Syracuse NY here,,, no wind, but it has been snowing thick and hard here all day. It is 5 degrees w/o wind chill. The rate of snowfall has not changed at all. Weather says we will get 2 feet before it's over. I am stocked and warm. We do not have a genni here for this apartment building so I hope the electric will stay on. This rate of snowfall is supposed to continue till tomorrow.
 

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