Getting some snow

[CowboyRam]

Dad talks about it being -40 out in the Red Desert during winter roundup, and not a single cowboy quit because of the cold. Dad would wear two pairs of jeans, wrap newspaper around his boots before putting them in the overboots, and wore mittens. They only got inside for the evening meal, and that was not for long; the tepee would still be standing after the poles were removed. His bedroll is very heavy will all the blankets, He still has it. He even put his horse blanket over him at night, but was still cold. His hands would be so weak he would take the rasp to pull loose the cinch. Yet not a single cowboy quit because of the cold.

 

[Dave]

Do these plastic coated Styrofoam things actually do any good in temps in single digits?
And what is the thing below the insulated cover? (there is one on each outside faucet)

View attachment 23936

We put those plastic coated styrofoam covers over our faucets. It gets into single digets every winter and negatives every few years. Never have had a problem with the faucets freezing. Our vents under the house are designed to close. Closing or blocking the vents would be a bigger issue in my opinion.

 

[Little Joe]

Like LittleJoe and others, we aren't really prepared for brutally low temperatures here and being new to a different part of Texas I'm not real sure what I need to do. Even tho I'm in a residential setting now, I still have the minimum outside water piping such as water faucets and of course, the pool pump and associated pipes/valves etc..

I always just left everything dripping back in East Texas and that worked except when the big deep freeze in 2021 came and the power went off.
Do these plastic coated Styrofoam things actually do any good in temps in single digits?
And what is the thing below the insulated cover? (there is one on each outside faucet)

View attachment 23936

I use those hydrant covers, work pretty well. The second item, as stated by someone else already, is a vacuum breaker so that your water hose water don't siphon back into your plumbing.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Looks like a lot of us are going to get hit with a blizzard Thursday. Accuweather predicted up to 59 mph gusts with the temps plummeting into the negatives. Even with heating tape on the pipes, heaters inside the well houses and deicers, the stock tanks and fountain will probably freeze - at least they did the past couple years with the polar vortex.

I am NOT looking forward to it either!!

 

[greybeard]

I use those hydrant covers, work pretty well. The second item, as stated by someone else already, is a vacuum breaker so that your water hose water don't siphon back into your plumbing.

thanks, and to the others that answered too. All I know about those brass gizmos is that they spray your pants legs when you turn a faucet off if there is a garden hose connected.
I do have a backflo preventer for the yard irrigation system and just happened that it's annual inspection was today. $85 bucks down the drain but at least it passed and the inspector drained it for the winter for me.

 

[TCRanch]

I am NOT looking forward to it either!!

Wind chill -37 Thursday night and up to 3" snow. Yeah, I'll be sacrificing a lot of bales for bedding. Fortunately, we're not calving, and all pastures have shelter. Good luck to you!

 

[MurraysMutts]

Wind chill -37 Thursday night and up to 3" snow. Yeah, I'll be sacrificing a lot of bales for bedding. Fortunately, we're not calving, and all pastures have shelter. Good luck to you!

I've not heard on the wind chills here. Only an inch Or so o snow coming.
I gotta check on my holdout at the lease. She should have it on the ground. I think last night maybe.

 

[gcreekrch]

-44c this morning.

 

[greybeard]

-44c this morning.

just, da*#!! that's hard to process..

 

[kenny thomas]

-44c this morning.

So that converts to -47F. I can't even imagine that.

 

[Silver]

-44c this morning.

I feel much better as we are only at -42

Edit: the weather man says the wind is 13 km/h, so that makes it -55C (-67F) with the wind chill, fwiw.

 

[gcreekrch]

So that converts to -47F. I can't even imagine that.

You can imagine, I will experience. No bugs today Kenny.

These old cows will eat 40 lbs of hay on these kind of days.

 

[Ouachita]

You guys and gals dealing with -60 windchill are tougher than woodpecker lips.

 

[Silver]

I wonder how @Rancher is making out.

 

[Dave]

We have only been above freezing 2 days in the last month. Not terrible cold like those Canadians. Just in the 10-20 degree range. The advantage is I haven't seen a mosquito or rattle snake in several months. Flies on the cows aren't an issue either.

 

[TCRanch]

I feel much better as we are only at -42

Edit: the weather man says the wind is 13 km/h, so that makes it -55C (-67F) with the wind chill, fwiw.

Just . . . . NO!

 

[Rancher]

I wonder how @Rancher is making out.

-41 dead calm no sun at all just a dim red glow on the horizon

 

[CowboyRam]

We have only been above freezing 2 days in the last month. Not terrible cold like those Canadians. Just in the 10-20 degree range. The advantage is I haven't seen a mosquito or rattle snake in several months. Flies on the cows aren't an issue either.

Years ago when dad was working out on the Sweetwater River the boss told him and his drinking buddy to go out and delouse some cows. I don't think it was ever got above freezing that afternoon; they got the tractor, filled the barrel up with water, had a fire built under the pump to keep it from freezing. They got one cow sprayed, the gun froze up, broke the pump, and that brand new John Deere was no longer green. Oh, and that cow was a sheet of ice on one side. The boss never said a word about breaking the pump and spay gun or turning his tractor black. It was a punishment for coming in late from out drinking. Dad said in those days nobody got fired, they would just make you so miserable that you would finally quit.

 

[Silver]

I think the cows handle -40 at least as well as +40c. These cows don't look too bothered at -42. The fog you can see is created by the cows themselves.


All the water is still in liquid form where needed so far:

 

[MurraysMutts]

I think the cows handle -40 at least as well as +40c. These cows don't look too bothered at -42. The fog you can see is created by the cows themselves.


All the water is still in liquid form where needed so far:

Do they calve in those temps outdoors?

And how in the heck is that water not frozen????