Speedster Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) Hopefully the rest of you are having better weather than we've been having here in WI. Since the last week of October we've been having unseasonably cold temperatures, rain, wind, and snow that have made it very difficult to setup our outdoor Christmas display. We already had a White Halloween, so a White Thanksgiving and White Christmas are sure things. So far I've only managed to string up the icicle lights on our gutters and attach 3 firesticks to the corners of our house. The wind, early snow, and colder-than-normal temps for this time of year have made it hard to be outdoors long enough to get anything done, including yard work. This week I woke up to temps in the single digits with wind chills of almost 10-below. At noon yesterday the wind chill was still below zero. The high temps so far this week were only in the low to mid 20s. And today we're getting hit with an additional 2 - 3 inches of snow, which will make it really difficult to put any props/décor on our lawn. I'm resigned to thinking that I'll have to forget about putting on our usual full-fledged LOR show this year, and will have to settle for a boring non-musical static display with the only lights being on the house itself and nothing on the lawn. Unless the snow miraculously melts soon and we get warmer temps for 2 weeks, looks like our house & yard will not be going blinky-flashy this year. Anyone else experiencing similar frustrations and challenges? Edited November 13, 2019 by Speedster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 We're having just the opposite. It seems to get hot every weekend - as in around 90. Makes working on the roof hard as it gets too dang hot! We're in the 70s most of this week, but going into the high 80s again this weekend - argh! The only good part is that my lemon tree might have the first of the lemons ready to pick - Can you say "Fresh lemonade"? Ah, refreshing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 (edited) Um hello, Michigan here. We wish you would stop pushing all your Wisconsin weather east. Also, can't you just put string lights behind your "natural" icicles? Looking at the peak of my house I think that might just work here. And for those of you in California or Florida, you are welcome to push your weather this way. Edited November 13, 2019 by MichRX7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kapkirk Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Last week we were complaining about the above average temp's in the high 80's, today My buddy's were complaining about the cold 54 degrees, Me, first day in Levi's but not complaining, I like the cool weather, makes it seem more like decorating weather. MichRX7, we are pushing the 50 degree weather your way as hard as we can but don't think it is going to make it to you, sister in law called complaining about the snow in Tennessee and all we could do was tell her of our 54 degree cold day and mowing the grass hoping it's the last mowing so we can set up the mega tree's. Keith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougP Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 I started early around the 4th week of Oct. so I have the roof and house done. Now we have snow and windchill's that are very low. Trying to get the yard done. Going to get in the high 40's over the next 3 or 4 days so I should be able to get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Mitchell Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 I hurt my back two weeks before setup start and it has put me about a week behind where I would normally be. Luckily we have the extra week this year. I should just barely make it. I now only have two more days and a couple mornings that I can work on it before light up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Martin Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Here in Canada / Ontario I started earlier this year then ever but we to have now have 6" of snow cold temps. and wind. On Saturday raked snow off the roof to put props on it Sunday didn't get all up so raked the lawn to put props out. Then Monday 6" of snow. The weather forecast warmer next week around 4 - 6 degrees. maybe then I will get it done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichRX7 Posted November 13, 2019 Share Posted November 13, 2019 Be careful taking that snow off the roof. we'd have to have many feet of snow before I tried that at my age. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgrant Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 Here in western Arkansas, its been cold and even a little sleet. Down in the teens a couple of nights, rain before that and at this instant, 29 outside. I'm about %50 done so far. Still have to do the roof somehow and with a messed up leg, that's going to be difficult. The neighbors have asked their adult son to come over and do my roof lights which I will gratefully accept. Just yesterday, got most of the controllers connected to power and communication cables as well as the first pixel tree connected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Martin Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 I only took the snow off the porch roof standing on a ladder, most of the props are on that roof and then I can reach the second story eves from there. I not even considering putting lights on the peak now. HMMMM more snow this morning is falling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orville Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 (edited) 17 hours ago, MichRX7 said: Um hello, Michigan here. We wish you would stop pushing all your Wisconsin weather east. Also, can't you just put string lights behind your "natural" icicles? Looking at the peak of my house I think that might just work here. And for those of you in California or Florida, you are welcome to push your weather this way. In Florida right now we're having mild chilly weather, but comfortable to be working outdoors. I did decide to do a Christmas Display and have gotten my Blow Molds up, one controller set up and connected, got a 2nd to get power to and finish up the Blow Mold Candles it will control by adding a few extension cords from them to the controller. But today {Thursday} I had planned on getting some more done, but it's RAINING, so can't do that. And then on top of that last night when I was finishing up getting the cat5 cable from the front controller to the one in the back, I did something really dumb, I forgot to close the lid and left it open all night long. Can you say DUMB? LOL Fortunately I found it BEFORE the rain started and no wet dew this morning, so thank God it was still DRY inside, and I got it closed up and locked before any water could get in there. Good thing I planned on getting up at 6:00am this morning, otherwise, if I'd waited 'til 8 or 9am to check things out before starting the next set up options, I'd have had one soaked out Controller internally. So hopefully that's my only really DUMB error for this years set up. So since it's raining, I can't get anything done outside today, and of course the weather casters got the time WRONG again when the rains would start, they said it wouldn't be raining 'til 5pm or there about and then rain all night long and into Friday morning. Was hoping to get power run to the 2nd controller and get some of my RGB Pixel Bullets up on the front of the house and it's controller today, but it's a no go today. And Friday I have Church both in the morning and evening, so I won't have time to do anything with the Christmas set up until Saturday. Sure hope there isn't any rain over the weekend! Have all day Saturday and all Afternoon/evening Sunday after I get home from church. Hoping I can get this all finished up by this weekend, and get my sequences updated to the new Controller set up for this years display in 2019. Well off to check on other things, work on updating sequences and adding in some new ones since the rain has me inside for today. Edited November 14, 2019 by Orville Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radioguy1007 Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 I'm in the same situation with all the upper Midwest displays. I did get all my 1/2 EMT conduit pins into the lawn on Saturday in the mud. Also got the bigger props up and guy wires anchored. The rest can be done in the frozen tundra, although things will take much longer with the extreme cold. I fought an ice and wind storm last season on the Sunday after Thanksgiving that flattened about half my display, but this year the single digit cold is making me think twice about doing it again next season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedster Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 After today our weather improves (temperature-wise, at least) with high temps in the low to mid-30s and not too much wind. But I'm seeing a bit too much snow in the 2-week forecast, include the possibility of 5+ inches on Thanksgiving Day. Something tells me we're going to get hit hard with colder-than-normal temps and more snow than usual this December, and I don't relish the thought of trying to dig up a mile worth of extension cords & SPT1 wire buried under 4 feet of snow in sub-zero temps when it's time to tear down in January. So my choices are either 1) go dark this year, or 2) just plan on a non-musical static display with lights only on the house (gutters & windows) and no props/décor on the ground. I'll have to make that decision this Saturday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jfuller8400 Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 I was fortunate in that I was able to complete my setup before this latest blast of frigid cold (one benefit of being between jobs right now). But it's supposed to get into the 40's by this weekend and into next week, so hopefully that will help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 2 hours ago, Speedster said: and I don't relish the thought of trying to dig up a mile worth of extension cords & SPT1 wire buried under 4 feet of snow in sub-zero temps when it's time to tear down in January. So my choices are either 1) go dark this year, or 2) just plan on a non-musical static display with lights only on the house (gutters & windows) and no props/décor on the ground. I'll have to make that decision this Saturday. 3) Let the mile of wire sit there under the snow until it melts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary N Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 This is year 5 for me in Northern Wisconsin, I have learned well. Started Oct 11, finished by Oct 26. I was replacing halloween with Christmas before the cold. 50 hours of set up and I don't like the cold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedster Posted November 14, 2019 Author Share Posted November 14, 2019 16 minutes ago, k6ccc said: 3) Let the mile of wire sit there under the snow until it melts. I considered doing that, but parts of our front yard resemble a shallow swamp when the snow starts melting in spring and I'd rather not have to deal with the mess at that time. One thing I started doing a few years ago that has helped is that after every snowfall I would walk around and pull all the cords and wires up so they were sitting on top of the newly fallen snow instead of under it. That method works pretty well as long as the snow doesn't get too high and if there's enough slack in the cords & wires. The orange, green, & brown cords & wires looked funny/ugly sitting on top of the white snow, but sure made it much easier to find them during January tear-down since they weren't buried and frozen to the ground. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted November 14, 2019 Share Posted November 14, 2019 We have had several days now with highs below freezing. It looks like the weekend will be 40s so I can get some work done, but the work day will be much shorter. I do still have several hours of work on the roof which is not safe when its wet or cold. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 This morning there was still ice on the roof. Spraying with the hose helped get that ice ready to be melted by the sun. Turned out to be a nice afternoon and I even took off my hat. I got all my roof work done on the mega tree. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DougP Posted November 17, 2019 Share Posted November 17, 2019 9 hours ago, ItsMeBobO said: This morning there was still ice on the roof. Spraying with the hose helped get that ice ready to be melted by the sun. Turned out to be a nice afternoon and I even took off my hat. I got all my roof work done on the mega tree. Looks great Bob. Nice seeing the hook head in action. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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