Models also hinting at another round of precip on Monday night. Too early to say for sure, just an early trend to watch.

The Lakewood hail last night was gnarly. My wife woke me up at midnight and it was as loud of hail as I've heard for about 20 minutes. No damage as best I can tell other than a wife that didn't sleep much last night.

Does anyone actually cover their pool equipment? I have a freeze seniors so it will run as long we will keep power. does a tarp or blanket over it really do any good?

I throw a tarp over my pool equipment pad with a 100W lamp underneath. Have had issues in the past with random small lines freezing up (valve on in-line chlorinator for one). Also makes it easier to get to the plugs for an emergency drain operation if necessary and not have to clear a bunch of ice/snow.

Guess I run out and grab a tarp

I use a large blue tarp over my equipment. Never done towels etc but may this time. I am shutting down but will just be to limit impact on the PVC pipes.

Obvious statement but be sure it doesn't lay flat on your pump motor....need some way to keep it elevated above...the motors put out some heat so dont want an issue there....

My DE filter will create enough space

TXAGGIES said:

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Does anyone actually cover their pool equipment? I have a freeze seniors so it will run as long we will keep power. does a tarp or blanket over it really do any good?

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Have heat cable all along pipes. Toss tarp over to keep precip off too.

Yup. my DE Filter and my in-line Chlroinator are my "high points" to keep the tarp over equipment. I have a fence surrounding and i actually just use large binder clips haha

Do you guys also have you temperature senor under the tarp? Does this negatively impact the pool pipes if the temperature is freezing but under the tarp it shows 40 degrees? I am thinking about the water features we have, I assume those would freeze, or is there enough room for them to expand without bursting?

Or do you manually have it running?

I need to stop reading this thread. I'm so terrified.

I don't rely on the temperature sensor. I just alter the program to run constantly. Easy enough and removes a variable.

Typically I haven't covered mine. But was going to tonight. Just a loose tarp to keep it clear. Not really trying to insulate or anything.

I've done the tarp thing a few times before including snowmageddon 2021. Mainly for what others said of being able to have access to drain and/or put a propane heater in there if we did lose power. I don't recall it ever getting warm enough to trip the freeze protection off.

However, when we are going to have an extended freezing period (especially down to single digits or teens), I will try to remember to clear out all programs on my system and just leave the main pump on constantly on low speed.

Both the tarp and leaving the system on 24/7 instead of relying on freeze protection to keep it on are lessons learned from previous ice storms.

For this particular freeze, I do not plan to do the tarp (although I may reevaluate tomorrow depending on updated rain/ice/snow forecast) but do plan on clearing programs and setting to run 24/7 starting tomorrow night.

For my pool, I run my heater on the lowest temp possible, lean-to tarp the equip as I have a fence next to it, and lay moving blankets across all the pipes. The heater is 4ish feet from edge of tarp and on the north side of equipment so the exhaust, in effect, blows under the tarp to add to the heat envelope. Worked in 2021 and last year with no problems; talked to my pool guy this morning about it and he says lots of folks do similar.

Pepper Brooks said:

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Coates said:

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FTAG 2000 said:

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AggieMPH2005 said:

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Everything I am seeing has the highs well above freezing every day. As long as that remains the case what do we have to worry about other than the predicted rain on Friday before the freeze?

The only thing I am worried about so far is my staff and patients calling in on Friday due to the hype.

* I am not a weather nerd so if there is a good weather resource predicting doom let me know

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Find POW Ponder on Facebook and YouTube.

He's not a doom and gloomier but he uses other weather models besides just the ones all the local tv Mets use. Theirs (GFS) only resolves well about 48 hours and in.

For example there's two other models that handle arctic air masses better and further out. The ICON and the Canadian meteorological model.

Both of those predicted 2021 snowmageddon over a week out while the locals didnt until about 36 hours out from the start. Those models also pegged the cold last December when the locals were still predicting mild weather in the 60s.

Those two models have us getting mixed precip this Friday, then rapid cooling, staying below freezing all weekend and another storm on Monday giving us more snow and ice and staying below freezing much of next week.

Highly recommend POW as he does a good job distilling the models down to layman's terms, and if you follow him you won't be surprised by some of the weather that hits, especially in winter.

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When was the last time you've been surprised by weather in the winter? There hadn't been a snow or ice storm out of the blue. All the POWs of the world just look at the most extreme models, and they're correct once in a while.

If he's actually calling for next week to be below freezing for mkst of the week as you say he may need a new hobby.

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Bump

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Had a few items right and few wrong:

Those two models have us getting mixed precip this Friday, then rapid cooling, staying below freezing all weekend and another storm on Monday giving us more snow and ice and staying below freezing much of next week.

Also, all of the local meteorologists have been on this all week, so not sure how anyone would be 'surprised' by the weather. Guess I don't get the hate for local guys, just because they aren't accurate 10 days out?

Why run the heater? I have heard that is a bad idea but I also know there are a lot of different opinions on a lot of subjects when it comes to pools...including freezing weather. Is the idea just to keep the heater going or are you trying to keep water warm even though it is moving?

Coates said:

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Pepper Brooks said:

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Coates said:

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FTAG 2000 said:

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AggieMPH2005 said:

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Everything I am seeing has the highs well above freezing every day. As long as that remains the case what do we have to worry about other than the predicted rain on Friday before the freeze?

The only thing I am worried about so far is my staff and patients calling in on Friday due to the hype.

* I am not a weather nerd so if there is a good weather resource predicting doom let me know

---

Find POW Ponder on Facebook and YouTube.

He's not a doom and gloomier but he uses other weather models besides just the ones all the local tv Mets use. Theirs (GFS) only resolves well about 48 hours and in.

For example there's two other models that handle arctic air masses better and further out. The ICON and the Canadian meteorological model.

Both of those predicted 2021 snowmageddon over a week out while the locals didnt until about 36 hours out from the start. Those models also pegged the cold last December when the locals were still predicting mild weather in the 60s.

Those two models have us getting mixed precip this Friday, then rapid cooling, staying below freezing all weekend and another storm on Monday giving us more snow and ice and staying below freezing much of next week.

Highly recommend POW as he does a good job distilling the models down to layman's terms, and if you follow him you won't be surprised by some of the weather that hits, especially in winter.

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When was the last time you've been surprised by weather in the winter? There hadn't been a snow or ice storm out of the blue. All the POWs of the world just look at the most extreme models, and they're correct once in a while.

If he's actually calling for next week to be below freezing for mkst of the week as you say he may need a new hobby.

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Bump

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Had a few items right and few wrong:

Those two models have us getting mixed precip this Friday, then rapid cooling, staying below freezing all weekend and another storm on Monday giving us more snow and ice and staying below freezing much of next week.

Also, all of the local meteorologists have been on this all week, so not sure how anyone would be 'surprised' by the weather. Guess I don't get the hate for local guys, just because they aren't accurate 10 days out?

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Ah pretty sure you brought the hate last week for anyone not on TV.

I don't hate the tv guys. I do hate that they cling to weather models that only come into range and accuracy 72 hours out and have notorious flaws instead of stepping back and looking at the other global models with better handling of things like Canadian cold.

But i get it. They get destroyed on social media if they are wrong so they all just stick to the same models that show the same thing on the same timelines. They freely admit it.

planoaggie123 said:

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Why run the heater? I have heard that is a bad idea but I also know there are a lot of different opinions on a lot of subjects when it comes to pools...including freezing weather. Is the idea just to keep the heater going or are you trying to keep water warm even though it is moving?

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More of a preventative for if there's any loss of power so as to keep things warm enough to prevent anything from bursting until power comes back.

North Texas will be getting a winter storm watch for Sunday - Monday. Not sure when they will issue it. Hopefully tomorrow to give the Coates of the world time to go shopping.

Oh no, we suck again? said:

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planoaggie123 said:

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Why run the heater? I have heard that is a bad idea but I also know there are a lot of different opinions on a lot of subjects when it comes to pools...including freezing weather. Is the idea just to keep the heater going or are you trying to keep water warm even though it is moving?

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More of a preventative for if there's any loss of power so as to keep things warm enough to prevent anything from bursting until power comes back.

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I have a cart buddy propane heater so if power does go out ill break that out for a day 2 max as i only have 6;mini tanks here

FTAG 2000 said:

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North Texas will be getting a winter storm watch for Sunday - Monday. Not sure when they will issue it. Hopefully tomorrow to give the Coates of the world time to go shopping.

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Shopping for what? Is the storm of the century coming?

Lows in Montana have already busted forecast, and it's not the lowest it will get tonight. Seeing similar in South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas.

So it's coming in colder than forecast, and it looks like the deep cold is ahead of forecast. TV mets are talking 6 PM tomorrow for below freezing, think we will get there before that.

Yes, you shared lots of info. Including how everything was going to be worse, with ice friday and Saturday, and no temps above freezing until next Sunday.

May need more wine, good call. I'll go to the store tomorrow afternoon.

Back to weather. Front is already into Oklahoma. Wasn't supposed to be there until tomorrow morning.

System is over performing. Going to be colder and winder. Sooner tomorrow than expected.

Things are now showing front coming through mid-afternoon. And it'll be COLD!

Precipitation? Just a chance of "wintery mix" early Monday.

I'm frankly hoping for a sheet of ice so I can work from home, but we'll see.

fc2112 said:

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Things are now showing front coming through mid-afternoon. And it'll be COLD!

Precipitation? Just a chance of "wintery mix" early Monday.

I'm frankly hoping for a sheet of ice so I can work from home, but we'll see.

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Pass on ice, need the kids back in school. I like working from home but with younger kids there isn't much "work" happening.