Wisconsin, You’re Drunk

After our snow day on Monday last week, we had a cold snap.

And I mean COLD snap.

Our offices were closed, and I got to take Wednesday and Thursday off as we all prepared for ridiculous temperatures.

On Wednesday, it got down to -27, not counting wind chill.  We drove over to my parents’ to enjoy their wood stove.  I bundled up… there was only a strip of skin around my eyes visible because I don’t want frostbite OR windburn.  And my Subaru started but not without grumbling.

Local area towns were without power for part of the morning, including where my brother lives.  He got down to 60 or so in his apartment.

We called my father-in-law, and his cabin had gotten down to 40 or so before he woke up and stoked the fire.

Anyway, we got to my parents, and one of their neighbors had walked the quarter mile to their house for help.  He was staying in a camper, and the heat went out.  He got in his truck… and it wouldn’t start at first, and when it DID start it was too deep in the snow to get out.

So Dad got him warmed up in front of the fire, helped him call for help (no one picked up), and then drove him to a place he could stay.

We’re the nearest neighbor by about a mile or so.  I’m glad they were home to help him out!

The high that  day was -14 or so.

Then Wednesday night hit, and the thermometer bottomed out.  It only goes to -25 or -30 or so.  We had turned up our heat to prepare, and the temperature held steady.

I’m just going to say here, that this totally justified my insistence that we insulate under the great room.  My husband briefly worked two jobs, and when we discovered there was NO insulation under part of our house, I insisted we take FOUR paychecks worth of income or so and spray foam insulate the max amount they could.

This last week, that paid off.

We were comfortable, but the windows frosted up, and the doors frosted too.

The next morning, around 8am, it peaked at -37.  That’s 37 degrees BELOW zero, and it didn’t take in account the wind chill – because it was BLOWING.

We stayed home.  My husband went out multiple times and managed to get my car started… eventually.

It warmed up that afternoon to a high near -10. (I’m not entirely sure since I wasn’t watching.)  We didn’t take the dog out except to pee while supervised.  He was grumpy – two days without walks!  So he got an empty peanut butter jar, and then later he got a fresh bone to keep him busy.

And here’s the thing.  It’s Sunday today.  Four days after this cold snap.  And it is 40 degrees and RAINING.

Wisconsin, you’re drunk.  Go home.

How did this cold snap treat you?  Did you have any difficulties?  How cold did it get? If you have seedlings, are they okay? Inquiring minds want to know!