Winter storms in the US

[BlueRover]

We just finished having a record cold December, no record lows just every single day and then a start to the coldest January. Temperature has risen and the rain has started to wash away the snow. Very happy watching our weather report.

Then just to make us feel guilty, videos of the storms lashing out across our neighbours to the south. Some of the videos where of places we had visited in the past so where of special interest. Ice, snow, and even tornadoes do not make life enjoyable. TV reported at least 15 states that where hard hit and more to come.

Hope that nobody got hurt, suffered any property damage, or went without power and heat. Sometimes winter really sucks.

[ChewChewTrain]

Cold? Burrrrr. Never could understand why early people would settle so far north.

I lived through one winter in Reno, Nevada. Doesn't snow much in Reno, but even the simple act having to scrape frost off the car windows was too much inconvenience for me.

[R.I.D.E.]

Malaria and Yellow Fever tended to move people further north, or just kill them off.
Another thing is free refrigeration.

[ChewChewTrain]

I heard the key selling point for selling refrigerators to the Eskimos was "Put your food in this box, so it will NOT freeze!"

[Draigflag]

Quick question, I've always wondered, why do they keep building timber houses in Tornado areas? They blow away and people die (and if they survive, termites eat them) Here we don't have many Tornados, most are out at sea, but our buildings are Brick and Stone and last a few thousand years at least.

I'm assuming it's to do with cost?

[SteveMak]

Originally Posted by Draigflag

Quick question, I've always wondered, why do they keep building timber houses in Tornado areas? They blow away and people die (and if they survive, termites eat them) Here we don't have many Tornados, most are out at sea, but our buildings are Brick and Stone and last a few thousand years at least.

I'm assuming it's to do with cost?

Here, in Southern Ontario, Canada, I believe it's a matter of convenience, lower cost, and tradition (habit... we've always done it this way). It's common here for people to rent their hot water heater, where in other parts of the world, that would raise eyebrows.

Chalk it up to "weird ways of life."

[BlueRover]

Originally Posted by SteveMak

Here, in Southern Ontario, Canada, I believe it's a matter of convenience, lower cost, and tradition (habit... we've always done it this way). ."

I always thought there where many brick houses in Ontario or are the bricks just a facade??

Temperature here is rising and the rains have come to wash away the snow, sand, and salt. Now lots of frozen street drains and flooding in some areas, advantage to living on top of a hill. Local mountains closing ski hills because of avalanche warning and mountain rescue will be busy the next few days.

No El Nino this year.

[SteveMak]

Originally Posted by BlueRover

I always thought there [were] many brick houses in Ontario or are the bricks just a facade??

You see a lot of "brick" houses. When you do, they're practically guaranteed to be brick facade over wood frame. Ditto with stonework. I remember visiting Ireland and being amazed that it's common to have stone, concrete, or cinder block walls.

Houses are not built to last in most of Canada. The country is only 150 years old! The buildings, much less.

[BlueRover]

Originally Posted by SteveMak

Houses are not built to last in most of Canada. The country is only 150 years old! The buildings, much less.

Almost 150 I think they mixing up the birthday cake already hope that some of it makes to western Canada as well

Trees are growing faster than we can chop them down so good for the economy.

[ChewChewTrain]

Never thought of it like THAT. Hmmm. I have a solution. Since it would be silly for us to rebuild our homes with bricks and you guys rebuild with wood, LET'S SWITCH! You live here and we live there.