Cold weather has returned to the mountains of southern Appalachia and the laurel leaves are rolled up tight. Last week our temperatures were down right balmy and had Matt working outside in short sleeves. I don’t think he’ll be doing that this week.
Our local radio station WKRK is forecasting the low for one night this week to be 13 degrees. There’s also a rumor there might be some snow, but I’ll believe it when I see it 🙂
The cold weather is more appropriate for January although it’s not uncommon for us to have warm days this month too.
A few folks online have asked about ruling days recently. I never knew about them until I started writing the Blind Pig. Here’s a post I wrote last year that shares the details as well as memories from Blind Pig readers related to ruling days.
In a nut shell the twelve days from the twenty-fifth of December to Old Christmas on January sixth forecast the weather for the months in the new year.
Granny worries about any of us being out in the cold. Like many elderly women in Appalachia she believes it will make you take cold and become sick.
Here’s a list of cold sayings I’ve shared over the years. I’m sure many of them will be said this week in Western NC, East TN, and North GA.
- Cold as whiz
- It’s ooshie!
- Blue Cold
- Too cold to snow
- Cold as kraut
- Cold enough to freeze the nuts off a steel bridge
- Cold as a Mother-n-law’s heart (Not mine! Miss Cindy’s heart was full of warmth and goodness.)
- Cold as gouge (I don’t know what this one means, but it’s from Clay County NC. A blind pig reader left it in a comment one time, their mother said it.)
- Cold as all get out
- Cold enough for a 3 dog night
- Too cold to let the chickens out
Tipper
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Somebody forgot “cold as a well diggers toes”.
I’ve heard the brass bra and brass monkey jokes far more than I wanted to.
I love the weather here in the mountains. We settled in Murphy over 13 years ago and it has been one wonderful surprise after another. I know you like to see snow Tipper but I grew up in the cold and snow of the long winters in NH. One winter it snowed every day and my three young boys would walk up on the roof of the barn by using the drifting snow that wad over 8′ in areas around our house and barn. imagine telling your kids to get off the roof of the barn? Cold. Some winters we would have weeks where the highs during the day never crossed the zero mark. But we still went to work and went to school. One weekend a month during the winter I worked at one of the state’s ski areas. I would leave my house in Northwood at 6:00 AM to arrive at Cannon Mt. by 8:00 AM. When it was my weekend and if it wad snowing hard you just left a little earlier to make sure you were at work on time. One winter my brother-in-law and I went skiing at Wildcat during a big snow storm. We skied all day in a snow storm (really wonderful powder snow) and it took us about fours hours of travel on a one lane road with traffic going at best 20 mph. But it was worth it. The skiing was great. I wish you could experience the snow I’ve seen in my life so I hope for your sake we get enough snow so you can go sleding. Bless you and your family. Praying for Granny.
I’m watching your video from today of you makin your chess cake. One variation you will have to try is, adding a whole bag of fresh cranberries and a table spoon of orange peel to your second layer and a table spoon of orange peel to your base layer too. I make it every Christmas kind of like you do Matt’s orange bread. It’s Christmas in your mouth!!!
Lorie, that sounds so good! Thank you!
We say “cold as ice” or “awful chilly”. Also, we have a tendency to say ” I’m about to freeze to death” when we get cold outside. This past Sunday, after church, the wind was blowing so hard and the cold air coming off the mountain really did feel like ice hitting us in the face. We were so thankful to get in the car and turn the heat on.
We had a sprinkling of snow this past Sunday, January 11. It was so beautiful. We may have snow again on Thursday. I love to see the snow but I’m not so fond of the cold temperatures. A covering of snow seems to make everything look so clean and serene. There always seems to be a special quietness in the air. That is until everyone and everything gets to moving again. Stay warm and safe and enjoy the snow if it arrives.
funny you mention the laurel leaves. I have a large rhodedendran outside my bedroom window. When I get up in the morning I open the curtains and look to see how tight the leaves are curled and that lets me know how cold it is, the tighter they are the colder it is. Who needs a thermometer! This winter they have been curled up really tight many, many mornings.
Sitting here watching the news and weather continues threatening a little snow for later in the week. It has been so dry and then was so warm this past weekend, my hopes are kind of low for here in NC. Temps are supposed to be in the teens, so I did go out today and put some covers over the base of a few of my roses that might be a little tender. Just in case. I think the end of the week will definitely qualify for cold as whiz, snow or not. Everybody stay warm and well!
Cold as a banker’s heart!
“Too cold to snow” is actually true in many parts of the Northern USA. Might even be true at places at high-enough elevation in the Appalachians. The reasoning goes, the cold air from the polar regions is dry. The warm air from the Gulf is moist. Whichever front is stronger will determine where there’ll be snow, and how much, when the two collide. So, for example, if it’s single-digits-F. in, say, WV, Western VA, western MD into central PA, it’s too cold to snow, most often. Then the “warm” front comes in and temps get into the 20’s– still below freezing, so any precipitation is going to be snow. It’s counterintuitive, I know, but “It’s got to warm a little to snow.”
Speaking of hard freezes, any stands of maple you know about in West NC where they do maple sugaring? You need a period of freeze, and then a freeze-thaw cycle, before you can tap the trees. I know it’s more a Northern thing, but I once saw on YouTube a NC woodlot owner who sells maple to the furniture makers, and he says it’s touch-and-go every year as to whether everything will break just right for him to have any appreciable syrup crop. His deal is, maple syrup is a bonus for him.
V.A., I don’t know anyone that does that but I’d sure like to try it someday 🙂
There’s other trees that can be tapped, and YouTube has plenty of videos on that. Maple is only the most common. But what all the trees need is a good freeze– except for hickories, the syrup from which is made from the bark, not the sap.
This will give you an idea, even if the narration is AI:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UECjKdXoNQ
The best part is, you CAN do some of this recreationally for home use and Christmas/other occasion gifts. Just have to have a cold winter, is all…
Cold as all get out and too cold to snow are what we say. Enjoyed reading the other sayings. High here today is supposed to be 58 and by Thursday, 39. Oh well, as fast as time flies, it will be Spring before we know it.
Tipper – not as cold here – no snow in our forecast – but we have had nothing but soaker rains for weeks with the odd easing to just rain, so we all are starting to grow ‘pin feathers and quaking at times.’ 🙂
Wanita, I wish you could send some of the rain my way to SC. I was reading this weekend that much of the state (33 counties) is considered to be in a drought. Upstate SC is not in a drought but dry for this time of year. We are being warned to be very careful with any outside burning. We have been dry since last June except for a few days of steady soaking in rain. We only got a little bit of rain this weekend, nothing like northern GA or some of NC. This summer is going to be real bad for growing if the weather does not soon change. Nothing to do with cold weather, but if it stays dry, the trees will soon be fighting each other over a male dog! I did see 2 beagles this morning with a set of jumper cables trying to jump start a rabbit! I wouldn’t lie but as Jim Casada would say, embellish the truth a little bit.
The only saying I’ve heard of is ‘cold as all get out’. When you live up north (Alberta) winters are always bitter cold. Right now it’s unusually warm, 9 Celsius (48f). It will only last a couple of days then back to freezing temperatures. This year weather is very unpredictable, you never know what you’re getting from one day to the next.
My favorite YouTube weatherman keeps mentioning NC in his snowy forecast. I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Yesterday, Jan. 12, 2026 I picked blooming daffodils in our yard. I give up trying to figure them out. They bloom whenever. Glad to have them. They are cheerful. But it is still winter. That picture of rolled up rhododendron leaves tells the whole story to anyone who grew up amongst them. I saw that and thought, ‘yep, temperatures in the teens.’ Hope you get the snow you want, Tipper, but as you know the best snows come when the temperatures are around freezing. Those dry cold fronts are plenty cold enough but don’t have enough water.
Cold as a well diggers butt.
We might see snow Thursday night in the Richmond, Virginia area. Last week was warm here, too.
Tipper I read many of your replies. You and your family are so important to so many. What a tremendous Blessing you are to so many. To many folks you may be the only thing they look forward to. Bless you and your family
This may sound silly, but when I step outside on a cold morning, it makes me feel alive.
Me too. I stand there and breathe in the clean air and even leave the doors open a couple minutes to air out the house.
It’s dang cold here in SW Virginia this morning and the ground is crunchy white. Brrrrr! I finally have birds coming to my feeder. I think these country birds are a lot less trusting and cautious than city birds. It took a long time (since late Sept to draw them here.) I personally am sick of the cold. It’s just brutal really! Norman Chester-I’m delighted to hear you found out what the trouble is with your dentition and I will pray they put you on a decent antibiotic. It leads me to think your tooth has been bothering you a while and I’m sorry you’ve had that trouble. You know aloe Vera juice and gel are natural mouth disinfectants. I have started drinking aloe Vera and all I can say is from the inside out, it’s excellent stuff for whatever ails ya! It tastes fine mixed in a little juice… God bless ya as you stay warm and try to keep the home fires aglow. God bless Sweet Granny!!! COLD HANDS-WARM HEART! DIRTY FEET-NO SWEETHEART! lol have a good day all in the ice box!
“Cold as a well diggers butt in Montana” is another one my in-laws would say in North Alabama.
We most often said “well digger’s knees.”
We have weather that’s “colder than a ride on a witch’s broomstick”. We have more of that coming next week when the artic blasts come zooming down throughout the midwest. I listen to Ryan Hall and I believe he predicted some really cold weather for ya’ll next week as well. I hope Matt was able to get a bunch of that wood into the shed for you. It’ll be too cold to go running for it down yonder.
Too cold to snow, Cold as all get out, and the comment made by Debbie regarding witches are the sayings I have heard about the cold weather. Our weather and temps have been about like your weather there, Tipper. It was warm enough to be outside last week to do some yard work. My husband actually mowed a section that had some taller grass he wanted gone. Also, I found a yellow hyacinth blooming along the sidewalk in front of the porch. A little reminder perhaps that spring is not far behind.
I have one. Colder than a scorned woman’s heart.
Would you all pray for a former co-worker’s, Amy’s, husband? He has an aggressive form of prostate cancer and will require surgery. He met with his surgeon yesterday and will need a pet scan to see if the cancer has spread. I have kept in touch with Amy since my retirement. I told her I ask all my friends to pray for them. Thank you
Linda, I will pray for Amy’s husband.
Cold as a well digger’s rump.
It was 22 degrees here when I got up at 6 AM. The forecast for Thursday night is 19. Even though I’m retired and should be able to stay inside, I have a wife that wanted something from an out building this morning. Guess who was elected to go get it.
My Dad used to say “cold as all get out”. Thanks for the sweet memory. I hear” his voice” in many of the sayings.
I am hoping for a big snow too but it’s doubtful on the coast of S.C. This morning we have a heavy frost.
I have heard most of them over my lifetime.
As always praying for Granny.
Cold as all git out.
Cold enough to freeze your tail off.
We’ve heard and used so so many. My brother always says “colder than witches teets in a brass bra”.
thank you friends for praying for me, praise God I don’t have cancer but I do have a bad dental infection that needs immediate attention I’m trying to get my doctor involved as soon as possible, had a wonderful trip, with one of my sisters I had not seen to Gainesville Georgia to the ear nose and throat doctor yesterday, they sprayed my nostrils, run a lot up one side of my nose, and down into my throat to look around, please continue to pray as I need to get this dental infection taken care of, I’ve recently been on antibiotics but apparently they are not strong enough, thank you and God bless you very much, God bless Granny Wilson
Norman, I’m glad you had a good trip and got some answers. I will keep praying for the infection to heal.
Me to Mr. Norman. Hope your infection is taken care of sooner than later. Prayers to you in the name of Jesus Christ or Lord and Savior.
Norman, that’s good news to hear there’s no cancer. Praise God! We’ll keep praying for you and to get in to see the dentist quickly.
Good news, no cancer! I will be praying you can see the right dentist and get rid of that infection soon.
Good morning Tipper, Matt and Acorns. Yep winter is back. It was sunny and warm yesterday. Snow will be back in the NE TN mountains on Wednesday night and some reports say it will last thru Friday morning. We will see. It is 25F right now at 6am. I love all the cold sayings. I’ve heard others but they aren’t proper shared in mixed company. LOL. I have some seed for little, cherry, cherokee purple tomatoes if Matt wants some. I love the One Big Biscuit Video. I may make one this morning. I keep all the folks here and up Wilson Hollow in my prayers. I love Y’all.
Cold as a witches titties in a brass bra!
I appreciate you reading my prayer reques. I’m really needing those prayers. I put my trust in God even when I’m scared and nervous. He’s the answer.
We too have been having warm spring like weather, in fact my daffodils have sprouted and are about 3 inches high. The night time temperature for Thursday night is predicted to be anywhere from 16-19 degrees and stay colder for at least a week depending on which local news station weather report you are watching. I can’t prove this, but I have noticed for a lot of years, it seems like there will be a “cold snap” and some of the winter’s coldest weather around January 20th. I have heard many of the same cold weather sayings, I have often heard two others concerning a brass monkey and a witch wearing a brass bra but won’t mentioned them. Going back to the news station weather report I often joke and say if you don’t like the weather report, change channels, it will be different even though both are for the same “neck of the woods.”