I hope your Christmas / Chanukah celebrations were filled with great joy. Today, I thought I might share a few of my favorite winter questions:
Q. What are some of the best type of woods to burn?
A. All wood burns, but there are a few hints to keep in mind for maximum wood heating. The density of the wood is important. If properly dried, heavier, denser wood will deliver more Btu per cord. Wood burns best when it’s one or two years old. Hardwood burn the best ad the longest, while spruce and pie burn faster. For a slightly fancier or different type of fire, try some fruit woods. Apple and cherry add fragrance and birch gives blue flames. Hardwoods include hickory, oak, elm, birch, cherry, chestnut and more.
Q. Why does wood “pop” during a fire?
A. All woods contain pockets of pitch, sap and other flammables. As the wood heats up, the warmth penetrates deep into the pockets. The sap/ pitch liquefies, then vaporizes. These gases expand rapidly when heated. As they expand, they put tremendous pressure on the walls of their pockets. Finally, the walls can’t take the pressure and expand, giving the popping noise. There is more sap in softwoods (pine, spruce, etc.), so your getting your loudest “bang” (pop) for your log.
Q. What are heating degree days?
A. Simply put, heating degree days are the units used by heating companies to determine how much energy has been or will be needed during a specific time interval. Here is how it works. Take the average temperature for a given date and subtract it from 65. The remainder is the number of degree days for the date. Example: If the high temperature of a day is 60 degrees and the low temperature is 40, the average temperature is 50 degrees. When you subtract 50 from 60, you get 15. That is the number of heating degree days. Don’t worry, your energy provider has it down and knows exactly how much fuel you need and when.
Q. How do you unclog a snow blower?
A. When snow is moist and heavy, the chute on a snow blower can clog. To prevent clogging, keep the chute pointed in the same direction in which the auger is rotating. The auger will face less resistance trying to force the snow through the chute and less likely to clog. If ice is frozen from the last storm, pour some windshield deicer on the blades. They will soften and you’ll be ready to go.
Mow you are ready for the cold weather…. Happy New Year!
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Firewood, Degree Days, Unclog Snow Blower
Peter Geiger is the Editor of the Farmers' Almanac. 
If you notice a hole in the upper left-hand corner of your Farmers' Almanac, don't return it to the store! That hole isn't a defect; it's a part of history. Starting with the first edition of the Farmers' Almanac in 1818, readers used to nail holes into the corners to hang it up in their homes, barns, and outhouses (to provide both reading material and toilet paper). In 1910, the Almanac's publishers began pre-drilling holes in the corners to make it even easier for readers to keep all of that invaluable information (and paper) handy.
