Oak Ridge Today

NWS: Temps above normal in 2022, but record cold Christmas Eve

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Image courtesy National Weather Service Morristown

The average temperatures in 2022 were above the normal temperatures in East Tennessee, but there were record cold temperatures reported on Christmas Eve, the National Weather Service said.

The number of cold hours around Christmas in late December might have seemed long, but it was not a record-breaker, the NWS said.

“The arctic front that ushered in this outbreak of cold weather moved through during the early morning hours on December 23,” the NWS said. Between then and the end of the cold streak, several locations recorded more than 100 consecutive hours at or below freezing (32 degrees Fahrenheit). Wise, a city in southwest Virginia north of Tennessee’s Tri-Cities, reported 107 hours below freezing, the NWS said. That’s equivalent to about 4.5 days. Oak Ridge was below freezing for 106 hours and Knoxville for 104 hours, both also close to 4.5 days.

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TVA reviewing mandatory power outages

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Tennessee Valley Authority offices are pictured above in June 2021. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Tennessee Valley Authority on Wednesday said it takes “full responsibility” for the impact of the first-ever mandatory power outages during the cold weather on Friday and Saturday last week, and it is reviewing what happened.

“We at TVA take full responsibility for the impact we had on our customers,” the electrical provider said in a press release posted on its website. “We never want to impact anyone’s energy at any time. This is not the way we want to serve our communities and customers.

“We are conducting a thorough review of what occurred and why. We are committed to sharing these lessons learned and—more importantly—the corrective actions we take in the weeks ahead to ensure we are prepared to manage significant events in the future.”

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Snow, cold weather in forecast for next two days

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Photo courtesy NOAA/National Weather Service

Photo courtesy NOAA/National Weather Service

 

Snow is possible, and temperatures are expected to plunge in the Oak Ridge area on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the seven-day forecast by the National Weather Service in Morristown.

The snow is expected starting overnight Monday and continuing into Tuesday morning. The low on Wednesday night is forecast at 9 degrees Fahrenheit.

“An arctic cold front will move across the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians late tonight and Tuesday morning, bringing with it widespread precipitation,” the National Weather Service said in a winter weather advisory. “The precipitation will likely begin as a mixture of rain and snow but quickly transition to all snow around daybreak Tuesday morning. Snow and ice-covered roadways are expected area-wide, causing travel problems.”

A winter storm warning is in effect for the Great Smoky Mountains in Blount, Cocke, Sevier, and southeast Monroe counties from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with heavy snow expected. [Read more…]

City: Higher energy bills on the way again due to cold weather

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Electric power bills for residents across the region for energy used in December were much higher than normal as a result of the extreme winter temperatures experienced in the area, officials said Monday.

“Judging from the local weather patterns, customers will continue to see significant increases in their utility bills for energy used in January,” a City of Oak Ridge press release said.

“We frequently receive calls from customers who say they have not changed the temperature on their thermostat, but their bill has increased,” said Marlene Bannon, manager of the Oak Ridge Utility Business Office. “Although you may keep the thermostat temperature consistent, your HVAC unit has to work harder to heat the air when temperatures drop, therefore using more power.”

The “degree-days of heating” is used as a measure for how hard your unit has to work to keep your home at a set temperature. In Oak Ridge during December 2017, there were 591 degree days of heating—almost twice the number from November, the press release said. [Read more…]

Public Works director: Shifting soils can cause water line breaks

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An Oak Ridge Public Works Department crew repairs a broken water line underneath Northwestern Avenue near Nevada Circle at lunchtime Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. The crew here is supervised by Oak Ridge Public Works Department Utility Line Maintenance Crew Chief Michael Brown. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

An Oak Ridge Public Works Department crew repairs a broken water line underneath Northwestern Avenue near Nevada Circle at lunchtime Saturday, Jan. 6, 2018. The crew here is supervised by Oak Ridge Public Works Department Utility Line Maintenance Crew Chief Michael Brown, left. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Soils can shift during extended periods of cold weather, which can cause water lines to break, Oak Ridge Public Works Director Shira McWaters said Tuesday.

On Monday, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told City Council members that crews had responded to 35 water main breaks since January 1, an average of about five per day.

“It is not unusual for water systems (nationwide) to experience above-average breaks during extended cold weather periods when the ground starts to freeze and the subsequent thawing when warm weather returns,” McWaters said when asked about the water line breaks on Tuesday. “This is due to the shifting of soils that can cause the breaks.”

In Oak Ridge, the age of the municipal water system is a factor in the frequency of the breaks because many of the lines are older and reaching the end of their useful life, McWaters said. [Read more…]

Arctic cold expected, starting Saturday night through at least mid-week

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Bitterly cold air with prolonged sub-freezing temperatures are expected early next week. From Saturday night, Dec. 30, 2017, through at least mid-week next week, temperatures will be at or below freezing across much of the area. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)

Bitterly cold air with prolonged sub-freezing temperatures is expected early this week. From Saturday night, Dec. 30, 2017, through at least mid-week next week, temperatures will be at or below freezing across much of the area. (Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown)

 

Bitterly cold air with prolonged sub-freezing temperatures is expected early this week, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

From Saturday night, December 30, through at least mid-week this week, temperatures will be at or below freezing across much of the area, the National Weather Service said.

The forecast in Oak Ridge calls for a low of 18 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday night, a high of 30 on Sunday, a low of 15 on Sunday night, a high of 25 on Monday, and a low of 9 on Monday night. The high on Tuesday is forecast at 29. [Read more…]

TVA sets all-time power demand record; stores sell out of heaters

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Downtown Hardware on Nov. 2013

The Downtown Hardware crew is pictured above in November 2013. Co-owners Ann Clary Bratton and Roger Clary are pictured second from right and at left. (File photo)

 

The Tennessee Valley Authority set an all-time record for power demand in February on Thursday morning, and local stores have sold out of heaters.

TVA said the record set at 7 a.m. Thursday was 32,109 megawatts, with an average temperature of 7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Downtown Hardware in Oak Ridge reported that they were down to two electric heaters.

“We’re completely sold out of kerosene and propane,” said Ann Bratton, who co-owns the store with her brother Roger Clary. “That seems to be what people are asking for.” [Read more…]

No one injured in Foxwood Circle fire in Oliver Springs on Thursday

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Foxwood Circle Smoke in Oliver Springs

Heavy smoke and fire was visible at the rear of this house on Foxwood Circle in Oliver Springs on Thursday. (Photos by Tom Scott)

 

There were no injuries in a house fire late Thursday morning on Foxwood Circle in Oliver Springs.

The Oliver Springs Fire Department was able to respond quickly—arriving within four minutes—because of a new standby program. That program uses the Fire Department’s volunteers to staff the station with firefighters to improve staffing levels and allow faster response times, said Justin Bailey, Oliver Springs assistant fire chief.

He said Thursday’s porch fire at 120 Foxwood Circle was reported at 11:50 a.m., and it extended into the home’s attic. The fire was brought under control within 30 minutes with help from the Oak Ridge Fire Department and Marlow Volunteer Fire Department through an automatic mutual-aid program. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Schools on two-hour delay Thursday as temperature plummets

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Bitterly Cold Temperatures

Images courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown

Note: This story was updated at 7:12 p.m.

The temperature in Oak Ridge is expected to drop to 7 degree Fahrenheit Wednesday night, and Oak Ridge Schools will be on a two-hour delay on Thursday morning because of the cold weather.

The high on Thursday is forecast at 25 in Oak Ridge, and it’s expected to climb to 34 on Friday, when President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden, and Biden’s wife Jill visit Pellissippi State Community College in west Knox County and Techmer PM in Clinton. [Read more…]

TVA asks consumers to reduce electricity use; offers money-saving tips

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TVA LogoKNOXVILLE—The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking for a voluntary reduction in electricity use until Thursday afternoon because of frigid temperatures that are causing high demand across the Southeast.

The request extends to all electric power consumers—residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

The voluntary reduction will help ensure a continued supply of power to essential services throughout TVA’s seven-state service territory and avoid interruptions of service, a press release said. [Read more…]

Frigid temps lead to high electrical demand; TVA asks for reduced consumption

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Frigid temperatures are causing high demand for electricity across the Southeastern United States, the Tennessee Valley Authority said Thursday.

As a result, TVA is asking all electric power consumers—including residential, commercial, and industrial customers—to voluntarily reduce their use of electricity until Friday afternoon.

“Any reductions in electricity use can help ensure a continued supply of power to essential services throughout TVA’s seven-state service territory and avoid interruptions of service,” the public utility said in a press release. “All available generating resources are being used to meet the peak power demand.” [Read more…]