Three more inches

Yup, they are predicting three more inches of snow tonight.

At least it is supposed to get above freezing for a few days starting Sunday, which should melt the ice that is creating a bit of a problem because for the second year in a row, the plumbing vent stack has frozen up. The layout of the house sets two bathrooms far apart, and the system, though not venting properly, doesn't back vent and no sewer gas is getting into the house.

According to Tom, vent stack freezing was rare in older houses, because the vent stack pipes were typically cast iron, and the cast iron would carry the heat from the house up the stack enough to prevent freeze under anything but the most extreme conditions.

Vent stacks now are made of PVC, which doesn't conduct heat, and houses are built so that attics aren't warm anymore. In that sense, vent stack freezing is a byproduct of energy efficiency.

This house is tightly wrapped and energy efficient, resulting in an attic that is at or close to the outside temperature -- and that has been near or below zero for a while. The vent pipe is at outside temperature for about ten feet, and the moisture from the plumbing system hits the top of the vent and freezes, closing off the opening.

He has discovered several options for dealing with it, but this is no time to climb up on an icy roof. So that will have to wait until summer. Meanwhile, we are waiting for a few warmer days to melt our own little polar cap.