# SNOW IN TEXAS!!



## Baymule (Jan 16, 2018)

Woke up this morning to snow! Actually looked out the window at 5AM and went back to bed. LOL Fixing to start the boiling water brigade. Took these from the front porch, one of Prince out the back door.


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## greybeard (Jan 16, 2018)

I bet you aren't looking forward to the mess it creates when the sun comes out tomorrow either.
So far, just some sleet/frozen rain on the ground here.


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## Sourland (Jan 16, 2018)

That's just not right.  It's Alaskan's fault.


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## Baymule (Jan 16, 2018)

We have no equipment for snow other than the trucks that spread sand on the bridges. We got a WHOPPING TWO INCHES OF SNOW!!! 

Schools are closed all over east Texas, most will start two hours late tomorrow to give the ice a chance to melt.

Snow is great when it is gone in 2-3 days!​


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## Baymule (Jan 16, 2018)

LOL We got 2" of snow, it was 18 degrees. I suited up this morning to do the boiling water bucket thing. I put on flannel lined blue jeans, a thermal shirt, my sweat shirt my momma bought me in Scotland in 1980 that is so warm that I wear it maybe one day a year. Over that I put on Carhart overalls and my parka. I put a yellow smiley face knit hat on and pulled up the parka hood. I put on my blanket lined leather gloves. Then I lurched outside to meet the elements.


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## Latestarter (Jan 16, 2018)

Bay! You look like an Eskimo!   Good to stay warm though!


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## Baymule (Jan 16, 2018)

Supposed to go to 14 degrees tonight, freeze all the roads and be dangerous tomorrow. On the news tonight was a clip of Interstate 20 between Canton and Lindale-a solid line of 18 wheelers with a few unlucky cars thrown in-that can't go anywhere because of the ice on the road. TX-DOT was trying to sand the Interstate so the trucks could move. 

Schools closed again tomorrow.

 Texas knows how to throw a SNOW PARTY! Snow, cover everything up, ice all over and we all go out to PLAY! The stupid ones go have wrecks and boost the body shops business. Then, before we are REAL sick and tired of it all, it melts and goes away. Gonna be 65 degrees on Saturday.


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## Bruce (Jan 16, 2018)

Baymule said:


>


We have the same chairs! No stock trailer though.



Sourland said:


> That's just not right.  It's Alaskan's fault.


I don't think it is fair to blame @Alaskan since s/he is not even IN Alaska now. Can't really send bad weather from Alaska when one is in Germany.



Baymule said:


> We have no equipment for snow other than the trucks that spread sand on the bridges. We got a WHOPPING TWO INCHES OF SNOW!!!
> 
> Schools are closed all over east Texas, most will start two hours late tomorrow to give the ice a chance to melt.
> 
> Snow is great when it is gone in 2-3 days!​


And DW's specialty medicine is stuck at FedEx in Memphis. We are pretty screwed I think. It is NOT supposed to freeze and unless they get it here before 11 or after about 3 tomorrow no one will be here to get it. And if they wait until Thursday?? no one here between 7 AM and 5 PM.

18°F? That is jeans, shirt, insulated Carhartt overalls and gloves ... unless I'm only going out for a few minutes, then the winter coat will do instead of the Carhartt's. Boots in both cases of course.


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## Baymule (Jan 16, 2018)

I put on every warm article of clothing I had and carried boiling water to melt ice for the animals. I broke ice and scooped it out.






The dogs liked it.






The garden.






More snow!






A fence post snow cone!


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## kuwaiti-90 (Jan 17, 2018)

Wow .. I wish you a beautiful day ..

I do not know what to do with snow for livestock.

We are in a time of frost and our coldness is a bit harsh, because the weather in winter is not wet, it is very dry and crisp ..

At times we have very strong dust storms, lasting for hours and sometimes unpleasant, disruptive traffic, and lack of vision, most of the areas we have.


I see horses do not have a cover Do you bear the cold and snow?
I expect good spring weather after your snow season

You look beautiful in your photos and active ..


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## Baymule (Jan 17, 2018)

Sunrise over frozen Texas.


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## Baymule (Jan 17, 2018)

@kuwaiti-90 Haha I don't know much about Livestock in snow either. We get snow maybe every 3 years. Good thing, it never lasts long. It is usually gone in 3-4 days. The roads are ice so we don't go anywhere. This is the South and there is no snow road equipment like there is in the North part of the country. 

The horses have a 36'x36' barn that we leave open. They can go in or out as they please. In that picture, the chestnut gelding was running and kicking up his heels. He felt good! 

They have a round bale of hay at all times, 300 gallon water tank, fed a good feed every evening and get lots of love and attention. In this weather they mostly stay in the barn. The sun is shining today so they will probably pick a sunny spot to hang out in. 

Time for me to put on all my warm clothes and go out to care for the animals!


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## High Desert Cowboy (Jan 17, 2018)

Sunrise in the snow is always a beautiful sight.  I’d say y’all are so lucky right now but I imagine it’s tough when you’re not equipped for that kind of weather.


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## greybeard (Jan 17, 2018)

Ah yes--warmth and brightness have re-appeared!!. Helios has mounted his chariot of fire and has once again begun to move across the sky.


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## AClark (Jan 17, 2018)

I'll take your snow if you take our temps this morning! I've all but given up on watering. I'm still breaking it, but it freezes to the pipe I break it with in between walking to each one, and then to my glove. Boiling water, I wish. Our water pressure is so poor it takes me several minutes to fill a 5 gallon bucket in the bath tub. I can't wait for the 70 degrees they are predicting this weekend, at this point, I'd take 50's as long as the hose thaws out.


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## Baymule (Jan 17, 2018)

I broke two inch slabs of ice in the horse tank this morning. A couple hours later, it was refreezing. 



 

I poured boiling water in and over the chickens water tubs to get the ice out. 



 

The sun is up and bare patches are showing. 



 

Still plenty of snow to go around.


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## kuwaiti-90 (Jan 18, 2018)

hello Bay ...

In Kuwait, there is no snow
But we have ice, water pipes freeze and break in the desert areas and the cold is harsh and dry, and the temperature drops below zero but without snow.

We have to cover the horse with heavy and warm cover.
I do not fear the poor handling of the horses because you are interested in them and sponsored by good and form indicates good preservation.

Sometimes in winter we have bad weather, not suitable to work in this atmosphere of coldness.

In this atmosphere we remove all the ponds from the livestock, cold water is possible to cause pneumonia, and are given only at daytime.

We build her huts of wood and be warm to them either for horses or livestock .


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2018)

@kuwaiti-90 the horses grow a winter coat, in cold weather it fluffs out, trapping their body heat. They have the choice of shelter in their barn or being outside. Same with the sheep. They have free access to their shelter and choose when to be in or out of it. I have a small fence around it and can close them up at night if I feel it is needed. The Great Pyrenees dogs guard them. 

32Fis at freezing. For the city of Tyler, that we live near, the cold record has been broken. It got down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The recorded lowest temperature was 11 degrees Fahrenheit in 1957.

The high today is to be 44F and that will melt most if not all the snow. It does not snow every year here, the state, towns and cities do not have snow equipment to clear the roads. So we just stay home and do not get out on the roads. Yesterday I cleared ice and snow from our vehicles so we can go out today. It will go back down to 18F tonight, up to 50F tomorrow and tomorrow night the low will be 30F degrees. Then we will be through with freezing weather for awhile! 

We have kept the water on in the house, it did not freeze. But I cut off the water to all outside faucets and drained them. At least now we know that the pipes are good down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, 22 degrees below freezing! 

It is good for us to talk to each other and learn about each other's lives and how we care for our animals!

Our barn.


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## Bruce (Jan 18, 2018)

kuwaiti-90 said:


> But we have ice, water pipes freeze and break in the desert areas and the cold is harsh and dry, and the temperature drops below zero but without snow.


Is that 0°C or 0°F??
In either case, I am ignorant enough that I would have bet it never got anywhere near that cold in Kuwait!


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2018)

Low of 18F last night, look what showed up. Meet Winter. 



 

Lady Baa Baa is the proud mother.


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## Mini Horses (Jan 18, 2018)

How darling!   What a nice greeting at the barn for you.


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2018)

Tuesday




 

Today



 

Tuesday



 

Today



 

I told y'all Texas knows how to throw a snow party! It is gone in a few days!


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## frustratedearthmother (Jan 18, 2018)

OH my goodness - I didn't think I'd like any more winter - but that is the cutest winter I've ever seen!

Is that your rye grass peeking through from under the snow?


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## Simpleterrier (Jan 18, 2018)

Just wondering do u have heat in your house @Baymule ?  In Ohio two inches isn't very much. I had -11 degrees a couple of weeks ago and worked out side till noon just pants and long johns on. With two hoodies. Had 3 degrees this past Sunday and spent 2 hra shoveling snow at church before it started. Had a little over a foot of snow in the parking lot.


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2018)

Isn't she adorable? She was a little cold, so I bundled her in my coat and cuddled her for a little while. She went back to her mama and later she was nestled down in the hay in the sunshine. 

Yes that is rye grass and a non endophyte fescue, plus white Dutch clover, white arrowleaf clover and chicory. I am keeping sheep off the pastures, they are dry lotted right now.


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2018)

@Simpleterrier it doesn't snow much or very often here. When it does, it's  a mess. We don't have snow equipment for the roads, schools shut down, some businesses shut down, roads are icy and there are a lot of wrecks. 

Yes I have heat in the house. And we have air conditioning in the summer. You might be used to the cold, but I sure ain't!


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## Simpleterrier (Jan 18, 2018)

Yeah it's kinda bad I'd rather have below 10 degrees instead of 25 degrees. This year has been colder longer. We are supposed to get up to almost 50 this week end and out come the t-shirts. Oh yeah and the mud. I like cold and frozen over warm and mush.

It's always exciting to get snow no matter how much.


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## Bruce (Jan 18, 2018)

Winter is TOO CUTE!! I love the white crown with black ears and face


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## goatgurl (Jan 18, 2018)

are ya not just sick to death of the cold?  I know I am, i'm sick of the bucket brigade, frozen bunny bottles, keeping liquid water out for the ducks, chickens and the poor puppies.  they have lots of solid water but its hard to make sure it stays unfrozen.  was -6* here the other morning, I had forgotten how cold that really is.  when I lived in wva I carried 5 gallon buckets 2 at a time up to the barn and made several trips at a day.  that was  couple or 3 years ago and didn't have hands that hurt like thunder either.   ya gotta be tougher than the timber you cut I guess.  the animals are what keep me going and thankfully the cold has been around longer this year than since I can remember when but it won't last forever.
  what an adorable little piece of sunshine in winter bay.  and love the name, she is a cutie, congrats


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## Bruce (Jan 18, 2018)

All of you suffering with carrying water, how far do you have to go and could you maybe tote it with a riding mower and a trailer?


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## goatgurl (Jan 18, 2018)

I only have to go 60-80 feet for the sheep and goats and yes I would have loved to use to mower and trailer except for the fact that my mower, aka mini tractor, died week before last and not only won't crank but it just sits there making no sound at all, dead, kapoot, darn thing!!  that was a day after my tv died.   won't kill me to carry water but I still don't like it.  to old for this kind of crap!


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## Baymule (Jan 18, 2018)

Bruce said:


> All of you suffering with carrying water, how far do you have to go and could you maybe tote it with a riding mower and a trailer?



That would annoy me more than toting the buckets. Maybe if I wasn't able to carry the bucket, it might be an option. But I am able and will continue to do so.


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## Simpleterrier (Jan 19, 2018)

Carrying water? I use a hose and have tank heaters hores and mule share with the steer. And the goats get their own. Just carry a gallon to the chickens and one to the dog twice a day. U just have to make sure u drain the hose . I drag it down the hill and even on cold cold days if u do it right it won't freeze. 

Worst thing u can do is carry hot water to your animals. There is no reason for it. Actually it is worse unless it is to try to melt ice


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## Baymule (Jan 19, 2018)

It is to melt the ice. Since we seldom have this kind of weather, all the heated hoses, bowls and tubs don't make a lot of sense. What you deal with on a daily basis is a BIG DEAL here!


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## kuwaiti-90 (Jan 19, 2018)

Baymule said:


> @kuwaiti-90 the horses grow a winter coat, in cold weather it fluffs out, trapping their body heat. They have the choice of shelter in their barn or being outside. Same with the sheep. They have free access to their shelter and choose when to be in or out of it. I have a small fence around it and can close them up at night if I feel it is needed. The Great Pyrenees dogs guard them.
> 
> 32Fis at freezing. For the city of Tyler, that we live near, the cold record has been broken. It got down to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. The recorded lowest temperature was 11 degrees Fahrenheit in 1957.
> 
> ...




Hello   Bay ,
 It is good that you take good care of us as we enter the horses in all places and wear a warm cover, in the morning outside. 

Sheep and young goats have a warm, dedicated place. 
Our temperature is measured in Celsius up to minus ( -7 C ) and the cold is very dry (enters the bone) opposite you will be wet cold weather.

 I also love to take advantage of your information and exchange information with you


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## kuwaiti-90 (Jan 19, 2018)

Bruce said:


> Is that 0°C or 0°F??
> In either case, I am ignorant enough that I would have bet it never got anywhere near that cold in Kuwait!



We measure grades in Celsius, on the contrary, ask any questions you have for me...


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## Bruce (Jan 19, 2018)

goatgurl said:


> I only have to go 60-80 feet for the sheep and goats and yes I would have loved to use to mower and trailer except for the fact that my mower, aka mini tractor, died week before last and not only won't crank but it just sits there making no sound at all, dead, kapoot, darn thing!!  that was a day after my tv died.   won't kill me to carry water but I still don't like it.  to old for this kind of crap!


My GT was starting fine all summer, but it isn't liking the cold weather. Probably needs a new battery. Not something I want to do in really cold weather so I hook up the battery charger on "fast charge" every time I want to start it. Works OK most of the time but one day it was so cold even that didn't work, nor did the "engine start" mode (several attempts). So I dragged out the big AMP marine battery and jumped the tractor with that. Been OK with the charger since. I'm hoping the battery will last through the summer and I can get a new one for next winter.


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## greybeard (Jan 19, 2018)

Simpleterrier said:


> Carrying water? I use a hose and have tank heaters hores and mule share with the steer. And the goats get their own. Just carry a gallon to the chickens and one to the dog twice a day. U just have to make sure u drain the hose . I drag it down the hill and even on cold cold days if u do it right it won't freeze.
> 
> Worst thing u can do is carry hot water to your animals. There is no reason for it. Actually it is worse unless it is to try to melt ice


I do the same here with one 125gal trough that has an exposed 150' hose running to it, except I have no hill to drain down from. 
Break the ice, toss the biggest chunks out with a pitchfork or manure fork. 
Fill the tank. 
Turn the water off.
Disconnect the hose from the faucet.
Pick the hose up at the faucet end, lay it over my shoulder and slowly walk toward the other end, sliding the hose across my shoulder to the rear and let it fall behind me as I go. Hose will be completely empty when I get to the other end. 
Protect the faucet from freezing or let it drip so it doesn't freeze. 
Other than the time it takes filling the tank, the whole event takes less than 15 minutes. Just be careful not to kink or sharply bend the cold hose when you're draining it. 

Next morning or if needed, that afternoon, hook the hose back up to the faucet and fill the tank and drain it again when you're done.. 

This works and I been doing it a long long time.
I'll be 68 years old in a few months. Have never once carried water for livestock.


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## Simpleterrier (Jan 20, 2018)

Atta boy @greybeard  I've done it that way to. I just have a good hill to lay them on now.


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## Bruce (Jan 21, 2018)

Probably works better in relatively warm TX than cold places. I needed to drain my pressure tank in January a couple of years ago. Connected the hose, ran it all the way out (and it was downhill). Opened the guillotine valve. Water started coming out the end. Until it froze IN the hose outside.


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## Simpleterrier (Jan 21, 2018)

I would bet your hose was frozen before u started


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## Baymule (Jan 21, 2018)

Over 70 degrees today!


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## Southern by choice (Jan 21, 2018)

We had great weather too! 60 something.
Snow is really melting and leaving behind a real mess in some places. UGH


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## Latestarter (Jan 21, 2018)

66°f right now at almost 11pm. I had the window open here behind me till just a few minutes ago. Real damp due to the front that passed through. No heat or fire tonight   May even have the window above my pillow open tonight (did so last night). Gonna cool down just a bit tomorrow though. Back in the 50s daytime and 30's night time.


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## Bruce (Jan 22, 2018)

Simpleterrier said:


> I would bet your hose was frozen before u started


Nope, it was in the basement and full of air when I connected and deployed it.


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## Girlies' Mum (Feb 2, 2018)

Baymule said:


> I put on every warm article of clothing I had and carried boiling water to melt ice for the animals. I broke ice and scooped it out.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


A query I've been curious about for a while to all you guys that have very cold winters. Where I live in Scotland it goes down to freezing about 20% of winter (maybe less), I guess, so mild in comparison I am also by the sea which keeps it warmer). I break the ice on the water for my sheep religiously a couple of times a day, but is there a clever way of dealing with it? I used to use hot water, but quite honestly it didn't seem to make much difference as the ice is rarely so thick I can't break it and scoop it out. I know in the snow they will eat that.   When it is very cold, like <20degrees F, it must freeze over very quickly? When I asked the sheep farmer next door he just told me sheep didn't need much water,  but I am not buying that.


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## Bruce (Feb 2, 2018)

You might put a bubbler in the water. Moving water will freeze but at a lower temperature. It does depend on how MUCH motion there is.


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## Baymule (Feb 3, 2018)

Girlies' Mum said:


> A query I've been curious about for a while to all you guys that have very cold winters. Where I live in Scotland it goes down to freezing about 20% of winter (maybe less), I guess, so mild in comparison I am also by the sea which keeps it warmer). I break the ice on the water for my sheep religiously a couple of times a day, but is there a clever way of dealing with it? I used to use hot water, but quite honestly it didn't seem to make much difference as the ice is rarely so thick I can't break it and scoop it out. I know in the snow they will eat that.   When it is very cold, like <20degrees F, it must freeze over very quickly? When I asked the sheep farmer next door he just told me sheep didn't need much water,  but I am not buying that.


A lot of people in the colder areas have water heaters for their water. There is heat tape you can wrap around pipes and heating buckets. There is even a heated water hose on Amazon! Since we get this type of weather maybe every 3 years or so, and it doesn't last more than a few days, I don't buy  all the heat accessories.


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## High Desert Cowboy (Feb 4, 2018)

We have what they call a frost free hose bib which generally won’t freeze.  Sometimes I still put a heat tape on it just to make sure but that’s only for when it gets really cold.  To keep ice out of water trough I’ll use a stock tank heater with a thermostat so it will only kick on at a certain temperature.  I know lots of folks who just break the ice a couple times throughout the day but this leaves piles of ice next to the tank which will cause a muddy mess come spring.  Course most years it’ll be a muddy mess anyway


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## Girlies' Mum (Feb 5, 2018)

High Desert Cowboy said:


> We have what they call a frost free hose bib which generally won’t freeze.  Sometimes I still put a heat tape on it just to make sure but that’s only for when it gets really cold.  To keep ice out of water trough I’ll use a stock tank heater with a thermostat so it will only kick on at a certain temperature.  I know lots of folks who just break the ice a couple times throughout the day but this leaves piles of ice next to the tank which will cause a muddy mess come spring.  Course most years it’ll be a muddy mess anyway


 Wow I had no idea there were so many ways to manage this problem! I will have fun looking on Amazon US and see if i can maybe justify something. Going to be freezing and snow all week this week apparently.... And you are right about the ice becoming a muddy mess!


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