It's Christmas Time!

Thread Starter

magnet18

Joined Dec 22, 2010
1,227
International Falls Minnesota is the one place that has historic lows. Nearby Baudette had windchills in the minus 50s f. Quoting someone who was there at the time ... "minus 50 is hard on the eyes Chief."
not to mention the 50 foot snow drifts :p
 

DerStrom8

Joined Feb 20, 2011
2,390
we gots plenty of snow here in indiana
off and on of course, so it's a constant state of slush
lowest so far this winter is about 10F (-somethin C)
Wait till january, it gets to the -25F easy here, probably much lower in vermont
Yeah, it's not uncommon for us to get -20F here in VT, but add the windchill on top of that and it's more like -40F. Last winter there were actually warnings here about -50F windchills, and it was telling people to stay indoors. It was pretty nasty. I'm hoping we won't get that kind of weather this winter.

By the way, it's now down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit :p
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
International Falls Minnesota is the one place that has historic lows. Nearby Baudette had windchills in the minus 50s f. Quoting someone who was there at the time ... "minus 50 is hard on the eyes Chief."
Yep. I've been in weather where when you spit, it crackles in mid air and bounces on the ground. 15mph "light breeze" with -15°F temps makes for seriously deadly weather. We lose several each year, mostly people that get stuck in the ditch and try walking from the car and getting lost, or homeless people thinking alcohol will keep them warm through the night.

A balaclava is a must, or your tears freeze on your eyeballs, just leave a tiny slit to look through, or goggles if on a snowmobile (add -65°F to windchill when sledding)

--ETA: "The Line" between "Dang, it's REALLY cold out, but I can still go to work" and "I am NOT going outside again, even if the house burns", is around -3°F, below that temp, it somehow doesn't' matter how much below that temp it is, it's simply instant frostbite to exposed skin. Everybody outside looks like the Michelin Man in 4 layers of coats/pants + insulated overalls. These are usually the days after it snows, and is perfectly clear out, no clouds to keep any warm in.
 
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Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
I 'm reading those posts about how much snow and cold you guys have and it sounds out of this world. On the other hand, I can hardly keep a straight face when I hear that a northern city has been declared in a state of emergency due to a heat wave.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
I can hardly keep a straight face when I hear that a northern city has been declared in a state of emergency due to a heat wave.
I used to work with a french guy, for a moving company. we did strenuous work out in the 100°F+ (sometimes up to 110) weather. He sweated profusely, more than I have ever seen another human sweat. liters in a day. He told me that most french people would not be able to do it. He said that one year in france, it got into the high 90s and people started dying. it was a national emergency. people filed into climate controlled stadiums. still not sure if his sweating was due to the climate he was born and raised in, or if it was just him.
 

Thread Starter

magnet18

Joined Dec 22, 2010
1,227
I used to work with a french guy, for a moving company. we did strenuous work out in the 100°F+ (sometimes up to 110) weather. He sweated profusely, more than I have ever seen another human sweat. liters in a day. He told me that most french people would not be able to do it. He said that one year in france, it got into the high 90s and people started dying. it was a national emergency. people filed into climate controlled stadiums. still not sure if his sweating was due to the climate he was born and raised in, or if it was just him.
What is the climate like in France usually?
90F isn't THAT bad
 

thatoneguy

Joined Feb 19, 2009
6,359
What is the climate like in France usually?
90F isn't THAT bad
They surrender to everything, even Nature. :D

(no offense to our French members here)

I think heat is a lot easier to get used to than cold. I know people that have moved "up north" here and after 5 years still start putting on sweaters when it's 60 degrees out.

Down in TX, after a year, you just get used to sweating a lot and drinking a lot of water. though I could see how heat stroke could hit somebody not accustomed to it. I'm in that odd part of flyover country where it gets to 110 degrees F in the summer, and 20 below in the winter. Our roads don't last long.

--ETA:
Rich (BB code):
Average of 10 Annual Highest Temps 110F/ 43C   
Average of 10 Annual Lowest Temps -42F/-41C
RECORD HIGHEST TEMP      120F 
RECORD LOWEST  TEMP     -58F
 
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Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
82°F in January, I've seen it a lot. I don't think our northern friends know what to make of it.

The counter to that is in 3 days it can be -20°F, and freezing rain. I've seen it happen, though not too often.
 
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JoeJester

Joined Apr 26, 2005
4,390
100+ isn't too bad, but it was quite the string of those days this last summer in the Dallas/Ft Worth Area.

I've seen 40 foot snow drifts on Attu Island, Alaska ... the last island in the Aleutian Chain ... the international dateline bends west to Attu Island ... keeping all parts of Alaska in the same day. Of course when the temp went slightly above freezing, we all were outside in shorts playing volleyball.

What was really cold was diving into Massacre Bay, Attu Island Alaska in July. Damm water was so cold you damm near ran across the water to get out of it.

But everywhere has some quirks one must deal with. I remember snow on Mount Alta near Reggio Calabria Italy on Easter Sunday. That was colder than it was on the coast of the Med a few thousand feet lower. The closest I've gotten to the birthplace of democracy (Greece) was Brindisi Italy.

Ya' got to be flexible.
 

Zazoo

Joined Jul 27, 2011
114
I'm one of those people who deals better with the cold than the heat (specifically the humidity - summers in Florida were agony.)

Other than a freak snow storm in October, we've been pretty mild here in Maine so far this year. It would be nice if not for the fact that the constant freeze-thaw cycles every day/night have been turning all the hiking trails up here to rivers of ice. Can't wait for a deep fresh coating of snow in the mountains so I can trade the crampons for the snowshoes! :)
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
Steven King movies should be enough torture for you Maine residents.

About the climate, even in a country as small as Greece, due to the varying geological features, different climates exist too. Southern Greece never sees snow in the winter. Northern Greece kids often loose up to a month of school due to snowfall.

Personally, I have seen snow in my life, but just enough to know what it is. It has never affected my way of life during the winter. Except for letting me ski.

Heat, on the other hand, I 'm more accustomed to it. By heat, I mean 38oC or more. My personal countermeasure is to sit in the shade, wearing as few clothes as I can and let my skin sweat. As the sweat evaporates it naturally cools you down. Wind rarely blows in my part of the country during summer.
 

strantor

Joined Oct 3, 2010
6,782
a well known trick among the outdoor working types here in this hot nasty climate is to wear plenty of clothes. Seems counterintuitive; when you think of hot weather, you think shirt off, shorts, sandals. all wrong. long sleeves, long pants, cloth on your head/neck, with a hat, cloth around the wrists, gloves; that's the best thing to wear if you're going to be digging ditches in 110F (43C) weather. it keeps your own moisture on your body, as it evaporates slower, enhances the cooling effect of your own sweat. easier to stay hydrated that way, and it also keeps the sun off you.
 

sheldons

Joined Oct 26, 2011
613
Here in the UK weeee have christmas trees,carols annnnnnd christmas presentssssssssssssssss.......all christmas presents as donations to meeeee will b most welcome
 
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Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
a well known trick among the outdoor working types here in this hot nasty climate is to wear plenty of clothes. Seems counterintuitive; when you think of hot weather, you think shirt off, shorts, sandals. all wrong. long sleeves, long pants, cloth on your head/neck, with a hat, cloth around the wrists, gloves; that's the best thing to wear if you're going to be digging ditches in 110F (43C) weather. it keeps your own moisture on your body, as it evaporates slower, enhances the cooling effect of your own sweat. easier to stay hydrated that way, and it also keeps the sun off you.
Yes, that's if you want to stay under the sun. Sunburns are also a very realistic danger. Suntan lotions can do only so much. Arabs know best about it.
 
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Thread Starter

magnet18

Joined Dec 22, 2010
1,227
Yes, that's if you want to stay under the sun. Sunburns are also a very realistic danger. Suntan lotions can do only so much. Arabs know best about it.
I love those arab cloth thingys,
you'd think they'd make your head hotter, but they actually block the heat from the sun while letting the breeze through almost unimpired
Really nice for hiking across a plain or mesa or the sun in general
I want one
 

Georacer

Joined Nov 25, 2009
5,182
Just take a trip to Egypt and buy some. But would you really wear them? I know I would need a cultural shock before I put them on.
 

Wendy

Joined Mar 24, 2008
23,415
I suspect a pretty girl who thought it was sexy would do it. It is amazing what girls can talk guys into doing.
 
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