Not your fault, bub.

You need pretty dark skies to see auroras. Portland is way too bright unless it's a massive, massive solar storm.

Portland is too bright for viewing even moderately bright sky objects.

I was just out. The sky is mostly clear, but there are some high wispy clouds that seem too far south (straight overhead) to be aurora based on how I interpret the NOAA maps.

I don't see anything that looks very aurora-y right now (10PM), but my view to the north isn't great.

If you're in the northern half of the state and have a good view to the northern horizon, you may have something to see.

Agreed. My power consumption is outrageous and even I don't use that much electricity.

I drove for more than a decade with a front wheel drive car and snow tires, living in central and norther Maine. I did not "fishtail like a bitch" unless I was explicitly trying to do so.

If you have never driven in snow with snow tires, you cannot possibly comprehend how much more grip they have compared to all-seasons. My current car is AWD, and the only thing it offers over FWD is more grip from a stop, and the ability to get more sideways. The tires are the difference maker.

FWD = Front Wheel Drive

AWD = All Wheel Drive

RWD = Rear Wheel Drive

4WD = 4-Wheel Drive

These are common automotive industry acronyms. Nobody uses FWD to mean Four Wheel Drive.

You wrote >4WD and AWD must factor higher than 10%

And I replied that they do not. 4WD/AWD have relatively miniscule impact on the driveability of a vehicle in snow compared to a similar vehicles equipped with only 2WD. 4WD and AWD are effectively the exact same, with only a handful of minor differences in regards to the function of the system, NOT the driveability of the vehicle.

The only thing that actually matters, unless you're stuck in a snowbank, is the tires you have on the vehicle. That's it.

That's very specifically what I was talking about: FWD vs AWD.

They absolutely do not.

I've driven many winters with only FWD, and a handful with AWD, with otherwise similar vehicles. The step from all-seasons to winter tires was mind blowing. The step from FWD to AWD was almost negligible. The only times it matters are when you're stuck in your driveway or screwing around.

Honestly, without the skill, most people get themselves into way more trouble with AWD because they THINK they have more traction than they really do. Stopping distance and cornering grip are exactly the same with FWD vs. AWD, but massively different with all-seasons vs. snows.

Maybe I was high on PCP last time I was in Hannaford.

Or maybe your particular store doesn't have the same kiosks as most the rest of Maine.

Or somebody just lied to you.

At least one of these is true.

The Hannaford self checkouts absolutely do have a volume control. It links to your account, too, so if you key in your phone number before you start scanning, it will adjust the volume to your previous setting.

Once, after I snowblow the one time.

It's all Canada's fault.

Potentially silly question: which Springfield? There's one in every state they visited.

Heat pumps have an efficiency curve that is directly tied to the outdoor air temperature. As the temp drops, so does the efficiency. At some point, the efficiency of the heat pump will drop far enough that the comparable cost to heat with gas or oil is actually lower.

I recommend anyone heating with multiple heat sources set up a quick and dirty spreadsheet to show you what your crossover temperature is. The efficiency curves for heat pump outdoor units are published by the manufacturer, as are all the other values you'll actually need to create the spreadsheet.

What century did you grow up in?

I've never heard that expectation expressed in my entire life

Yeah, why does this whole post read so strangely?

Okay, so you saw 52 satellites.

But there's over 3500 Starlink sats in orbit right now. How often do you see those?

Starlink birds are only easily visible right after they are launched, while the orbit is still being raised. Once they reach their operational orbit, not only are they much further away, but the sun shield is in position to almost completely eliminate them from view. You would only possibly see them at certain times during twilight, and even then only faintly.

Calm down.

Yeah I don't think you could pay me enough to do that job. People don't see an 8ft tall flashing stop sign with a giant yellow pole, surrounded by concrete barriers. No way in hell will they spot a single person.

Cold-weather heat pumps retain their efficiency advantage until single digits. Mine will keep the house warm until about -4.

Also, CMP is offering programs to heat pump owners and high consumers to reduce costs. Anyone considering a heat pump should check these out to see if you can save some money.

For pure bang for your buck, you can't beat a wood stove, and one step off that is a wood pellet stove, which is far easier to deal with.

Heat pumps are able to serve as a primary heat source, but you're going to pay a premium for the "ultra-low temp" models. If you're able to keep your oil as a backup, the standard "cold temp" models will keep up as long as the temps are above zero, and will save you a serious amount of cash on the initial investment.

1. Welcome to Maine. It's the way life should be.

2. Thanks for doing your part to make Maine the way life should be.

I dunno, this is kind of a once-in-a-lifetime thing. I'd be willing to spend a few hours in a car for that.

Just drive north. The state isn't that big.

This has been the Republican strategy for more than a decade, on a variety of issues. Obamacare was going to get repealed and replaced the moment they got into power, but when the dog actually caught that car, it turned out that they'd spent several years complaining loudly, and exactly zero years crafting legislation to replace it.