My brother just texted me that the walls of his house are making popping noises.

[bearssoapbox]

It's a pretty old house and the last time it happened was a few years ago when we had 'frost quakes' around here.

He says the popping seems to be louder this time. There are no pipes in those wall so no danger of frozen pipes.

At his house, surrounded by open fields; -19F/15-25mph winds. He has a little weather station that measures several things. So far the coldest wind chill tonight has been -47F.

According to my wife, the thermometer on our deck; -16F with less wind. Maybe 10-15mph. Trees are making strange noises.

Supposed to shoot up to 5F today. But that's around Dayton. We're about 25 miles NW of there in one of the flattest counties around. Right next to Indiana.

Glad she doesn't have to go anywhere for the next few days. Been out only once since the 18th.

The pantry is stocked with people and cat food good until the end of the month if need be but they say it should get better by Thursday or Friday.

Maybe even get above the freezing point (34F!).

HEAT WAVE!!!

Stay warm and safe everyone that is in this nasty cold that has hit the country.

Don't forget the furbabies.

[Cha]

1. Brrrr bears!

Stay safe and warm you all!

[bearssoapbox]

2. Thanks. 4 cats in bed with me now.

Although I think that one of them (Snuggles 19yrs. old) just wants fed.

She keeps tapping me on the hand and arm and yelling at me.

'spose I better listen before she 'chomps' me.

From us.

[AgingAmerican]

50. Cats make good heaters

I implemented them during the last winter power outage we had.

[chillfactor]

3. I live in New Mexico....

+10F here now..very cold for this time of the year..

stay safe and warm...and love those kitties to death...they are nice and warm with you....my puppy sleeps in my arms all night long....I love her so much...would never ever keep her outside in cold weather...

[bearssoapbox]

9. Thanks

You take care too.

The babies are all snuggled on their fleece blankets.

[Voice for Peace]

23. I'm in Abq, we've been running around ten degrees above average lately..

you must be up in the mountains?

[chillfactor]

36. yes I am in Sandia Park...

about 8000 feet high in the mountains.....6:30 AM here now +10 degrees..high were I am 31 degrees today

[Voice for Peace]

37. you're significantly colder there! it's 28 here now, and going up to 52 today.. that's how it's been

lately.

isn't weather marvelous!

[Voice for Peace]

38. what is your dogeweather forecast?

http://dogeweather.com/
29degrees
wow sky is clear
such amazing
so lovely

[jamesatemple]

35. My mom was born and raised about 14 miles northeast of Clayton, New Mexico.

Her father made a homestead claim in Union County in 1907. He was a tough old farmer that used "colorful" language when discussing livestock, crops or weather. Mom told me that she would hear him recite poetry on some particularly cold mornings:

Clear as a bell;
Colder'n hell;
Damndest freeze,
That ever fell.

The weather man reports that my locale, East Texas, should get nearly up to 70 deg F in the next few days. I have considered that the cause of the heat in Texas is merely the Omnipotent Creator of the Universe preparing Texans for the afterlife. But I'm not totally inexperienced in surviving cold weather; I saw some snow when I was a kid. And local old folks don't freeze to death when the temperature drops down to around 60 deg F; they just turn blue and get the hell off the front porch.

[LuvNewcastle]

4. Posts like this one make us look pretty silly here in the Deep South.

We're forecast to get a quarter-inch of ice and some snow here in the next couple of days here on the Miss. gulf coast and everybody is hunkered down. The schools will all be closed as well as a lot of the businesses. The coldest temps. we're supposed to see will be about 20 degrees, so y'all would probably enjoy some of this weather. But it's all about what you're used to dealing with.

This has been one hell of a winter, and it's not even over yet. I really feel for y'all up north, especially regarding the propane prices. Y'all really need some help with that, and I hope you get it. They should have been prepared for this 'shortage.' Everyone knew this was going to be a bad winter for quite some time before it started. Anyway, take care, and I hope y'all make it through all of this unscathed.

[bearssoapbox]

10. It's all relative.

But ice is bad no matter where you are. Be careful.

We are all electric but a neighbor one one side of us is propane and the other side has fuel oil.

They are having a little trouble but are doing ok so far.

Yeah. They sure do seem to be short-sighted at times, which is bad when it comes to peoples lives.

You take care.

[RoccoR5955]

12. If it was 20 degrees here

I would take my coat off, and put on shorts, and short sleeves!

[hollysmom]

5. I never heard of frost quakes, now I have to look it up

and my fur baby is lying on my feet, why do they do that? I can't move them and I really want to. But she is a sweet girl who deserves all her treats

[bearssoapbox]

13. A couple of mine like my ankles.

Either to wrap around or lay across when I'm in bed.

One likes my chest. Disconcerting when I first wake up.

When she decides it's time to wake up she taps my cpap mask, then stands and looks me in the eyes as I wake up.

This is her. 4 1/2 months old. Sassy

?w=460&h=345

Sassy and JJ (brother)

?w=460&h=345

[Hekate]

6. I've heard of "frost heaves" from the expansion of the soil with temp changes

Take care, all you in the Big Chill ~~~and pray for some rain for us out here in California.

[bearssoapbox]

16. Thank you

I've been reading about the drought and lack of snow in the mountains out that way.

Bad news that doesn't look like it's going to get better anytime soon.

Fires could be really bad this year. It won't take much for a real disaster.

Here's hoping for rain.

[Enthusiast]

7. My house in Ohio has been making popping noises all night.

I have -25° on my thermometer.

[LuvNewcastle]

8. That would freak me out.

Of course, down here it would mean you had a termite and/or roach infestation if you're walls were making popping noises. Does it sound like the seams in the walls and ceiling are separating? Damn, that's some scary shit!

[aquart]

11. What LuvNewcastle said.

[Enthusiast]

14. It is freaking me out.

Sounds like something is going to bust loose.

[Are_grits_groceries]

15. Any wind movement at all could probably cause them

if any section of the house no matter how small shifted even a little. The house is so frozen into place that even small shifts might create loud noises. Just a guess.
Could be true of trees too.

[B Calm]

17. He might want to check his crawl space and look at the girders,

and sill plate for rotten wood.

[bearssoapbox]

19. That's what he said he's going to do.

Soon as it gets light enough and when it gets and says warm he'll check everything real close.

[B Calm]

22. I had the same problem a few years back. I live in Indiana

and ended up calling Crawl Space Doctor. Cost me around 5 thousand dollars, but now my crawl space is completely dry and I have electric lighting down there. Money well spent and my home would pass inspection if I would ever want to sell it.

[bearssoapbox]

27. Hmmm

Thanks. I'll pass that on.

Saw a program on PBS about sealing crawlspaces. Can see where it can help.

[jdadd]

18. Guess I should be happy with -12

I'm up here in the Mansfield area, -12 this morning. My old Dog, is curled up on his mat. The furnace ran almost continuous last night. Stay warm

[bearssoapbox]

20. The furnace has been getting a workout this year.

You stay warm too.

[Voice for Peace]

21. someone shared this with me - such weather

http://dogeweather.com/

for your weathery pleasure

[Madmiddle]

24. Popping sounds are nails.

Frost pulls nails half way out sometimes.

[bearssoapbox]

29. I'll tell him that.

Thanks.

[WhiteTara]

41. Thanks!

I'll hammer the deck back together next spring. I went out to feed the birds and it sounded like a gun battle as I walked across the deck!

[watoos]

25. Central Pa. here, about -12 right now.

I used to have some popping noises but 2 years ago I bought a 30,000 BTU ceramic gas heater which I installed in the basement. Great investment. It heats the basement and the floors basically on a pilot light. The furnace doesn't come on nearly as often.

Wife and I ended up with 2 stray, feral cats. We have to leave the garage door open just enough for them to come in. The cats are so skittish we can't quite get that close to them. We made a couple places for them to sleep since they don't get along that well with each other. Wife even bought a disc that you can heat up in the microwave that stays warm up to 8 hours. One cat has been around longer than the other and he/she made it through last winter so they'll probably make it this winter if they get through the next couple of days. My garage is unheated so it doesn't help having to leave the door open a bit. Canned cat food freezes in minutes so they better eat quick.

[spinbaby]

28. We have a feral, too

He's discovered the cat door on the garage and the other one into the basement, where he's taken up residence. We're putting food down there and pretending not to notice him because he's very, very nervous about being inside.

[bearssoapbox]

32. Good on the feral cats.

Usually all they need is a place out of the weather and/or a little bedding.

Please check this out. They have great info and programs about ferals.

http://www.alleycat.org/

[bearssoapbox]

33. Please look at my response to spinbaby.

Here's the link though;

http://www.alleycat.org/

Thanks for helping the cats out. Their situation is not heir fault. At some point, someone owned them, their parents, etc.

[fleur-de-lisa]

47. Great website! Thanks for posting.

I have 4 semi-ferals in my house right now, along with my 2 house cats. I can pet and pick up the oldest feral. He is the first cat I ever TNR'ed and he is a sweety. The other 3 ferals are about a year old and won't let me hold them yet, but they are not alarmed if I come close to them. They willingly come into the house each night for dinner and a warm, dry bed.

Two more ferals shelter in my garage every night on bedding I made for them. At least it gets them out of the wind. I put their bedding in a cardboard box set on top of several old blankets to keep them off the cold, concrete floor.

I think a couple more have taken up residence under my house. I think they burrow into the sand underneath. It keeps them out of the rain and wind.

I feed all of the ferals twice a day and make sure that everyone who shows up gets his/her own bowl of canned food, along with a constant supply of kibble. I find that it makes it easier to trap them for TNR if they are fed canned food versus only kibble.

I live in an area that was overrun by abandoned cats after Hurricane Katrina. Most of the ferals in my neighborhood have been TNR'ed, but every couple of months another one shows up. There's just an unending supply of ferals around here!

[liberal N proud]

26. We had the glass in our sliding door shatter last cold spell

We were sitting in the living room and heard a something that sounded like a gun shot in the other room. When we let the dog out to do her thing later, the inside pane of the glass on the door shattered.

Expansion and contraction.



Remember all men are created equal in cold weather.

[countryjake]

30. Been following the wind-chills in your neck of the woods all night...

and where I'm looking hasn't had much wind to worry about, but the temp right now stands at -15 degrees.

I hope you stay safe and warm.

[Divernan]

31. Pittsburgh, 6 a.m., minus 6 degrees/windchill minus 22 degrees

Now, at 7:30 a.m. we're up to a "balmy" minus 5 degrees/windchill minus 21 degrees.

Locally, not only the schools, pre-school and after-school programs, but libraries, garbage pickup, food banks, & Meals-on-Wheels programs & the federal court system are closed/cancelled for the day. I note that a number of schools have cancelled classes but demand that staff must report - tells you exactly which ones have assholes making the decisions! Obviously a lot of working parents will have to stay home today.

I am very concerned for the USPS mail carriers. I've gotten to know the guy who delivers my mail because of being out puttering around the yard/garden when he brings my mail. One day a few weeks ago, I (being retired & not expecting anything of import in the mail at the moment) just forgot to bring my mail in on one of the very cold days. The next day when he saw the mail there, he knocked on my door until I answered, to make sure I was OK. I was really touched by this act of kindness.

As Sgt. Phil Esterhaus used to say on Hill Street Blues, "Hey, let's be careful out there."

[LittleGirl]

34. frost quakes scared the crap out me

a couple of years ago. My husband was out of town and I couldn't sleep. I was reading a book about midnight and a frost quake developed in my neighborhood. It felt like the ground shifted under our home and I jumped up thinking something like a truck had hit the house! Scared me to death. A few days later, I mentioned it to the neighbor and she heard it too. It was loud and frightening. I lived in Indianapolis back then and it wasn't as cold as it is right now.

[Greybnk48]

39. I absolutely kid you not!!

My husband and I are still sitting here with our mouths gaping. I was reading this post to him and some responses because we have had those loud bangs going on here for about 2 months in NE Wisconsin; frost heaves, worse this year than I can ever remember. They still scare me even though I know what the loud bangs are.

We were discussing this and "bang" went a really loud one on the dining room wall right next to where I am sitting!! After we got over our shock my husband said "And then the phone rang." LOL!

It's -31 here with the wind chill (actually -12). Definitely had enough of the cold and the scary banging.

[MineralMan]

40. House go boom!

That's how my neighbors' kid put it. Our house does the same thing, consistently, as soon as the temperature hits -15 degrees. Sounds like someone threw a very large snowball at the back wall, most of the time. Sometimes, it sounds like a branch fell from our maple tree onto the roof.

Nope. Just a 60 year old house making noise with temperature changes. No big deal, but the dogs sure don't like it. Later this summer, when it gets into the 90s, it'll do the same thing when the AC is on and the outside heats up. Expansion and contraction.

Living in an older house is always an adventure.

[bearssoapbox]

42. I think his house is about 80yrs. old.

He knows it's going to make noises but these are more often and louder. His pets and mother-in-law get plenty freaked out.

He thinks it's funny but checks things out anyway. You never know.

[MineralMan]

44. Well, the older the house, the noiser it's going to be in

sub-zero weather, I've found.

I can't remember what novel it was, but I once read a novel that referred to such things as "the clockworks." When something unusual and rare happened, the character just said, "Oh, that's just the clockworks." That's pretty much what's going on with these old house noises in very cold weather. Spring is just around the corner, but the noises will be back next winter.

[Greybnk48]

43. You described the sound to a T.

My husband said it sounded like a bird hit the wall. I told him it would have had to have been a fricking Eagle! LOL!

Edit: Our house is 53 y/o, so right in the ballpark.

[MineralMan]

45. Yes. It can sound pretty loud.

If you could actually find what had moved slightly, you'll be surprised. A very slight shift that's due to expansion and contraction can make a pretty loud noise, which is amplified by other parts of the house, kind of like a big bass drum.

Lots of people have spend lots of money getting their home inspected due to noises like this. The inspector ends up telling them that it was just expansion and contraction, and then hands them a bill.

[MineralMan]

46. Think about the temperature differentials.

Inside your home, it's probably about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Outside, in some places, it's almost -20 degrees F. That's a difference of 90 degrees between the inside and outside of your home. Cold causes contraction of just about everything, including the building materials in your home. They shrink. Inside, the warm temperatures keep parts of your home much warmer.

So, the siding or sheathing on the walls of your home, along with the roof sheathing and other materials cool down, while the materials, like studs, rafters, and joists in the walls, floor, and roof of your home stay warmer, due to the heating in your home.

When the cold materials shrink and the warm materials they're nailed or screwed to don't, something has to give. So when it does, and it often happens suddenly, you get a sharp noise, like a pop or a bang.

That pop or bang is amplified by all of the materials in your home, like a huge bass drum being struck by a drumstick. So, a sudden movement of less than 1/32" becomes a big bang or boom from your perspective inside the house.

Isolated pops and booms in houses in below zero weather almost never mean anything important. You shouldn't be alarmed by them. Only if a noise isn't momentary and continues, sounding like a ripping, tearing, or collapsing, should you be concerned.

Old houses make more noise than new houses. It happens when there's a large temperature differential between the interior and exterior of the home. Houses make noise in the summertime, too, when the differential is caused by air conditioning in very hot weather. Poorly insulated houses, like a lot of older homes, make more noise than well-insulated houses.

[JNelson6563]

48. We in northern Michigan feel your pain!

Our wind chills are -20 to -25 today. They called school off for today yesterday around noon. At least it's snowing less today so visibility is better. Snow plowed so high on every corner, you can't see if there's on coming traffic on side streets. So looking forward to warmer temps. Will appreciate this coming summer so very, very much!

Warm regards to our friends in Ohio!

Julie

[Egnever]

49. Holy cow the temperatures people are posting in this thread

are insane. I dont know how you folks do it. I am sitting here in Vegas and its supposed to reach 72 tomorrow. So strange with the weather so cold in so much of the country and we are having our mildest winter in a long time.

[Jamastiene]

51. Soylent Green?

I read this line so wrong:
"The pantry is stocked with people and cat food..."

I stayed awake from yesterday afternoon until now in order to maybe get to see the little snow flurries that we are supposed to get where I live. It'll be the first time in years that I might get to see snow, if it decides to get here before dark, at least. If it doesn't get here until after dark, I guess I won't really see it.

Wow, it's really cold where you are. I'd probably even find those temps cold and I usually love cold weather.

Here is hoping all is well and safe for you, your brother and his home, and family.

[countryjake]

52. Wind chill was 32 below zero in Darke County this morning!

I was just listening to a report at the WHIO web page and they are asking that everyone try to conserve their power usage today, especially right now, between 6 pm and 10 pm. There are already mentions of scattered but isolated outages north of Montgomery County, probably from drivers skidding off the roads, clipping down light poles.

Hey, they say it may get back up into the 20s tomorrow, but more snow coming by Friday.

Brrr! Keep warm, Ohio!

[mike_c]

53. rec'd especially for the graphic....

Stay warm!