One thing in our favor, I believeâ¦. the moisture in the soil this year. Unless I'm remembering wrong, I think I read once that plants are much more likely to survive extreme cold if they are well hydrated. I hope that's true!!!!!

8ú in 2003; prior single-digit events were Jan 1996 & 1994. This looks bad, after all the rains. Water is good in marginal freezes, because of heat transfer from the soil. Not so good when we're due to see such extremes.
TWC says 5ú, NOAA says 10ú.

15 predicted for a low here. I decided years ago it wasn't worth it to me to push the envelope temperature wise. Too much covering and uncovering. It's still really hard because we lived in central Florida for 17 years before moving here. I'm trying to grow most of my plants from seed that will at least be annuals here.

I realize this is GardenWeb, but at the moment I'm more concerned about my pipes freezing (and bursting) than any of my plants suffering! Spring will arrive soon enough, and I'll find out then if I lost anything.

Allen, really glad you mentioned pipes. Oh, please Lord, no! I'm venturing out now to my shed to find a little electric heater which I'm going to place near the intake in the garage. Have to move a file cabinet, nearly empty, thank goodness, to do it.

If you leave your water running a little, it won't freeze. Shouldn't anyway. I have 4 sinks to turn on when it gets down into the lower 20's. My pipes run up the walls and through the uninsulated ceiling crawlspace. So I have to keep them moving. PEX is much better at tolerating freezing temps than PVC or CPVC. Better safe than sorry. I tried catching water in 5 gallon buckets last year when I did this and decided not to do that this year. Just not worth it. The buckets always overflowed (in the sink). I have no idea how much water I go through on these nights. Obviously more than 20 gallons. :-)

chris, you've saved me. It's been so long I'd forgotten about leaving the water on. Also, remember to leave cabinet doors open under sinks if they're on outside walls.

Found the heater, decided I wouldn't be able to sleep with it running in the garage. Thanks for taking the time for all of us!!!

Rosie, in Sugar Hill

Small lamps with the shade off shut in cabinets also will keep pipes warm. I do the drip thing with the tubs and stack bales of straw in front of the outdoor water spigots. I have bubblers in my ponds and hope that will keep a hole in the ice. The boys, cats, usually sleep in the garage curled up in front of the kitchen door but tonight they will get to come inside. I will make some cheesy potato soup and we will be ready for the cold.

frankielynn, great idea about the straw bales, but I don't have any. Arrgghh.

What do y'all recommend for the outdoor spigots. Have them covered, but not thickly. Wonder if I should weave some spare black plastic bags around them.

Worried in Sugar Hill.
Rosie

I have a frost free spigot on one part of the house. It extends back into the wall, so it had to be placed where there was a T with an internal wall inside. The water tap is back in the wall, so when you turn it off, the water drains out and it won't freeze 6 inches back inside. I found out the hard way that if you leave a hose attached, it will not be frost free or freeze proof. I'm going to have to fix it someday. I think it's probably just an O ring that needs replaced. Right now, there's a slow drip. Well, right now right now, there is probably an icicle.

The other spigots on the house are standard brass and are covered with those dinky Styrofoam cups with the elastic loop inside to hold them tight. Those combined with the running water inside have worked for me so far as I can tell. I'll really look tomorrow afternoon once everything thaws out.

We hit 9F for a low. Many schools in this area are on a 2 hour delay.

This morning when I got up, it was 4.8 degrees. Wow!