The Cold Snap of January ’24

We get one of these every few winters, a few days of sub-freezing temperatures. Most years when the temperature drops below freezing the perpetual drizzle turns into snow, and the cloud cover keeps the temperature from dropping too far. We get an inch or three of snow that shuts everything down for a day or two, then the rain returns and everything melts and life goes back to its normal dreary gray dampness.

This year, however, the temperature dropped but at the same time the sky cleared. There was barely a dusting of snow and then the temp plummeted into the teens at night and low twenties during the day. That was near the coast where the ocean keeps the weather pretty mild as a rule. A friend of ours in Spokane had extended weather below zero.

Now, first off, anyone who thinks this is particularly cold, or that weather like this is especially dangerous, should read the Little House books, especially the Long Winter. Things could be way worse.

Still, even as insulated as modern technology allows us to be from the vagaries of nature, it does come with its own inconveniences.

At 20 degrees, the chickens and geese still happily wander around the pasture, although the small goose somehow got separated from her posse. Of course the chickens can’t scratch for bugs or worms, because the ground is frozen, so they need extra rations. The geese end up taking over the chicken house, because they are selfish, snobby feather-snakes, but we only have two heated water bowls so we have to let them in there to get water.

The heater in the shop failed, so the temperature dropped to around freezing. We are not yet sure of the extent of the damage, but it appears that at least the onions froze, and possible some of the squash as well.

The pigs happily eat pumpkin, so it’s an ill wind and all that, but still, the loss of the onions is very disappointing.

The biggest challenge has been keeping the pig water from freezing. As you can see, easier said than done. Then the pipe leading into the garden froze and cracked, and the access cover to the shutoff valve is frozen, so…

Once our pies come out of the oven, we will be heading over to deal with that.

Such is life.