# Company's coming! Winter storm Fern **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 23, 2026, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951 "2026-01-23T13:57:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/21 "2026-01-23T21:10:31Z")
I live in Atlanta (though I’m currently vacationing in London) and I’m keeping an eye on things. As usual for Atlanta, it will all come down to timing. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/22 "2026-01-23T21:30:10Z")
I don’t think we’re getting a lot of snow here in Michigan but the actual low temp tonight is -15F with wind chill up to -25F. The last time it got that cold, many years ago, our pipes froze. So here’s hoping they don’t. We have been pounded with snow for at least a couple of weeks now, it’s not all falling at once but I’ve got a pile as high as my waist in the driveway from where I’ve been dumping it from shoveling, plus a bunch was blown off our roof. I haven’t seen activity like this in years. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/23 "2026-01-23T22:14:28Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Tupelo, Mississippi > Ooh, worst rating yet > Saturday through half of Sunday > Crippling amounts of ice, prepare for power outages Here in Memphis, we’re hoping that stays well south of us. It’s 100 miles away but we are on the edge of possible. I’ve got a to-do list I’m going to tackle shortly to make sure the house is ready. I’ve got to move the car from under the trees and get the windshield covered. I don’t have alternate heating sources so if the power goes out, the cats and I are going to be fucking cold. I have a box of old blankets in the car that I’ve been meaning to take to Goodwill. That’s coming back inside to use them to cover windows if necessary. I’m having the occasional anxiety attack which I’ve never had before. Getting old sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/24 "2026-01-23T22:16:57Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Get out the woolies!! Exactly, **Beck**. I saw a weather report on CNN that showed the storm heading right through Arkansas, and it looked to be carrying a lot of nasty stuff. Stay warm! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/25 "2026-01-23T22:37:30Z")
We get the toddler-friendly version from about pre-dawn Tue to late Thu. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/26 "2026-01-23T22:54:29Z")
Don’t wait to find a warming center where pets are welcomed(in carriers at least). This worries me. So many people in the South still keep dogs and cats out doors all winter. We have a kennel but the beagles have an indoor place to get and it’s weather proofed. No live heat but it works for them. My garage cats have a heat source. And I will put them in the house if needed. Whatever Bear and Meeko (inside cats) say. I always worry about people with no other heat than electric. That’s scary. Be safe. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/27 "2026-01-23T22:55:39Z")
Public service announcement from the North for people in the south not used to ice storms. They can take power out for weeks, particularly when it is widespread and most states are dealing with their own issues and cannot spare crews to help. Make sure you know if there is a water shut off valve, and where it is. A week without power will likely freeze your pipes. And thinking that you have natural gas, so it won’t be a problem, will likely big a big wakeup call. Without power your fans don’t run, so exhaust can’t be pushed out, so natural gas furnaces just won’t turn on. You may have to abandon your house and head to a motel for a week or so. But if you don’t turn off the water, and drain everything you can from the lowest faucet you can, you have a big threat of frozen burst pipes, which will turn into flooding when the heat comes back on. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/28 "2026-01-23T23:03:23Z")
Good info. No kerosene heaters indoors. Please. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/29 "2026-01-23T23:11:24Z")
There are indoor safe kerosene heaters. I have one\* it still has a lot of warnings about being very careful to watch the wick and making sure the flame is perfectly color and the right size etc, for perfect combustion \*I have never used it. I drove a hundred miles in shitty weather to get it after 4 days of no power/heat, and no water shut off valve. And the power company website said “no estimate yet”, and the basement temp was under 40 so I bit the bullet and got it. And of course returned to a powered and toasty warm house, meaning it came back on about 5 minutes after I left. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/30 "2026-01-23T23:19:31Z")
Forecasts seem to be settling on about 6-12” in the St. Louis area. More to the south, which is where I am, so I’m sort of expecting about 8. Which is a decent snow fall for this area, especially considering that it will stick around for a while due to the cold temps. Right now it’s 7f. Fortunately for us, no ice. ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/31 "2026-01-23T23:21:05Z")
> [@Biotop](#): > > Black Mountain, NC. 25-ish years ago I dated a girl from Black Mountain. Lovely town. I hope you all get through the storm ok. I know how NC people are in the weather. During grad school in Winston Salem I was the designated snow driver, since I’m from Maine. After the week I had at work, loading exhibits on trucks etc, my back is not looking forward to shoveling snow. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/32 "2026-01-24T01:12:38Z")
It’s the possibility of a thick crust of ice on top of several inches of snow that could be a pain. If I hear sleet on Sunday morning I plan to shovel the snow off the walk and then put down salt while the dog has the time of his life playing in the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/33 "2026-01-24T01:20:55Z")
It sucks when this kind of weather comes to regions who aren’t used to it, because you don’t have the infrastructure. I remember when I lived in Jersey, you get some snow there, but not a ton, and I couldn’t understand why a little snowfall was such a big deal. But it’s because they didn’t have the infrastructure to easily handle major snowfalls. From what I remember, having a fleet of road plowing and salting contractors lined up to take care of the roads the second the snow stopped falling was just not a thing over there the way it is in Michigan. And what I further learned is that in and around the cities, there’s no place to _put_ the snow. It makes pedestrian travel very difficult. Then there was all the snow in parking spaces on the street and people fighting over them. Kind of a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/34 "2026-01-24T02:21:54Z")
**WARNING:** There are reports that this storm is causing _severely_ dehydrating diarrhea. Further the pink stuff does _not_ cure it; apparently the only thing that’ll work is eggs…lots & lots of eggs! Now I haven’t heard these reports myself; however I _was_ at the grocery store. Can you come up with any other reason why TP, water, & egg aisles look like Covid barrenness again? 🤔 Let’s all heed the words of [Sgt. Phil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jmg86CRBBtw&t=2s) & go get two or _three_ extra large packs of TP because you might be in your house for _two_ days. 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/35 "2026-01-24T02:26:02Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > Now I haven’t heard these reports myself; however I _was_ at the grocery store. Can you come up with any other reason why TP, water, & egg aisles look like Covid barrenness again? Whenever a snowstorm is bearing down in our area, my wife and I joke that it’s “French Toast Weather,” because there is always a run on eggs, milk, and bread. And TP. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/36 "2026-01-24T02:26:44Z")
I went out to move the car and cover the windshield only to find that I had a flat tire! Thank the stars for roadside assistance. Someone was here within an hour to put on the donut (little spare tire). I doubt I will be going anywhere for some days but at least I can if I have to. Wheew. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/37 "2026-01-24T02:34:18Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > Get out the woolies!! [Done!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZJiGu6Gz8E) > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > what I further learned is that in and around the cities, there’s no place to _put_ the snow Philly would remove a couple of sections of parapets from a bridge & just dump the snow into the river in Center City. The Riverkeeper got on their case because it killed fish & aquatic life because of how much salt was in the snow (because of what they spread on the streets, not that falling snow was salty) that it turned the river toxic for them. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Whenever a snowstorm is bearing down in our area, my wife and I joke that it’s “French Toast Weather,” because there is always a run on eggs, milk, and bread. And TP. The French toast stuff I get, but TP & cases of bottled water??? BTW, I prefer Irish Toast to French Toast; they both use bread & eggs but instead of milk you substitute cream… …Irish cream… …Bailey’s Irish Creme. 😜 _Extra_ bonus points for using [vanilla cinnamon Bailey’s](https://images.ctfassets.net/p1wk6poseifr/40ROKneNm58jly7pPZqjbO/c7dabc0db8869fe7095d888057770aed/Baileys_Vanilla_Cinnamon_Primary_Image_260x615.png) 😋 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/38 "2026-01-24T02:38:20Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The French toast stuff I get, but TP & cases of bottled water??? I’d suspect that that’s in fear of / preparation for losing power and/or being snowed in (or iced in) for several days. But, overall, a lot of it’s plain old panic shopping. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/39 "2026-01-24T02:39:02Z")
We usually keep stocked up. Of course the weekend upon us there was extra bought as our usual. The Lil’wrekker went in to get my very small skim milk and nearly got pinned in by a woman with 4 gallons of Milk in her buggy. I said, well she must have kids. Lil’wrekker said they have to be grandkids cause this lady was elderly. No rudeness detected. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951/40 "2026-01-24T02:45:36Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I’d suspect that that’s in fear of / preparation for losing power and/or being snowed in (or iced in) for several days. > > But, overall, a lot of it’s plain old panic shopping. I live in Greater Suburbia; we’re looking at ±12" of snow. I’d be surprised if anyone around here can’t get to the store/get a delivery by Tuesday morning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/companys-coming-winter-storm-fern/1026951.md?page=3)