Winter Weather

It is cold in Central Texas.  From what I can tell, it is cold everywhere in the continental United States except southern California, so it appears we are in this boat together.  On the one hand, we certainly can't complain about the cold here, as the winter weather is more treacherous each mile as one heads north.  The difference, however, is that other parts of the country are better equipped to handle the cold than we are in Central Texas.

Houses in this region do not have basements, and often water pipes are exposed to the cold.  The inevitable happens in a lot of residences--burst pipes. The local news reported that many plumbers would be working all night tonight to come to the aid of homeowners whose pipes have burst.

Many homes do not have central heating, and in fact even houses with central heating often rely on heat pumps, a mechanism that is best suited to areas where there is minimal cold.  Many people rely on space heaters, which are often the cause for fires when they are not kept in good repair.  In short, generally residents of Central Texas are not prepared for sustained cold spells.

Last winter we had nothing that could pass for cold weather.  Our cannas, for example, never died back completely all winter long.  This winter is proving much harder on those plants that cannot tolerate the cold.  I have noticed damage to our lantanas and oleanders already.  It will be interesting to see what actually survives the weather which has already been described officially as the coldest temperatures in the area for 20 years.  For the sake of people unprepared for cold temperatures and the farmers who depend on mild winters for crops such as citrus and strawberries, I hope the weather moderates soon.

In the meantime, we continue to have spectacular sunsets right outside the back door.