Where are you? The hospital? Everything ok?

Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL. Iron Gwanzi is the best Christmas coaster ever.

 

That's scary! Imagine being in the middle of a 6hr hike at 60f wearing short sleeves when that happens.

I've seen this (and even considerably more significant) drops on a number of occasions. Between the high altitude and the dry climate, the temperature is quite volatile. The good news is that, also because of the dry climate, the range of tolerable temperatures is quite broad. Even near-freezing temps are pretty easy to take without a jacket for quite a while -- I regularly see people out jogging in shorts and a tee shirt in the 40s °F and even seeing a few still out when it's below freezing is not uncommon. Mind you, I think they're nuts; but I will frequently walk the quarter mile up to the mailboxes without a jacket or hat at those same temps, so not completely nuts.

It's one of the reasons that, regardless of time of year, it's a very good idea to have at least some kind of warm (or warmer) clothes nearby. Although I can't claim that I always follow that advice as much as I should, I always have at least some kind of jacket with me even when I go for a multi-hour hike down on the flats in the middle of the summer. In the mountains, it's non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned. We went camping summer before last in August and when we went for a hike I made sure I had a modest jacket, knit watch cap, and light gloves in my pack (and I always where long-sleeved shirts and full pants since I sunburn so easily). Good thing, because I ended up needing all of it on the way back.

 

I've seen this (and even considerably more significant) drops on a number of occasions. Between the high altitude and the dry climate, the temperature is quite volatile. The good news is that, also because of the dry climate, the range of tolerable temperatures is quite broad. Even near-freezing temps are pretty easy to take without a jacket for quite a while -- I regularly see people out jogging in shorts and a tee shirt in the 40s °F and even seeing a few still out when it's below freezing is not uncommon. Mind you, I think they're nuts; but I will frequently walk the quarter mile up to the mailboxes without a jacket or hat at those same temps, so not completely nuts.

It's one of the reasons that, regardless of time of year, it's a very good idea to have at least some kind of warm (or warmer) clothes nearby. Although I can't claim that I always follow that advice as much as I should, I always have at least some kind of jacket with me even when I go for a multi-hour hike down on the flats in the middle of the summer. In the mountains, it's non-negotiable as far as I'm concerned. We went camping summer before last in August and when we went for a hike I made sure I had a modest jacket, knit watch cap, and light gloves in my pack (and I always where long-sleeved shirts and full pants since I sunburn so easily). Good thing, because I ended up needing all of it on the way back.

I visited Colorado last year for vacation and was surprised how 20F/-6C there is more tolerable than 40F/4C here by the ocean. I imagine it makes for convenient ribbing ("people in Texas freak out any time the temperature dips below 50 degrees" and the like) but here in the humid climate a little bit of cold goes a long way.

 

I was visiting the Minneapolis area back in the early 70s when the temp was -40°F and 30-40MPH wind with gusts up to 50+MPH for a wind chill of less than -80°F. We were in a VW Super Beetle which was completely frosted on the interior except for two small areas on the windshield where the defroster came out. Just stopping for gas and pumping it was an ordeal. Exposed skin freezes in just a few minutes under those conditions. One of the reasons I live on the Georgia coast which is currently a balmy 27°F now.

 

I visited Colorado last year for vacation and was surprised how 20F/-6C there is more tolerable than 40F/4C here by the ocean. I imagine it makes for convenient ribbing ("people in Texas freak out any time the temperature dips below 50 degrees" and the like) but here in the humid climate a little bit of cold goes a long way.

The humidity makes all the difference. In '83 we went two weeks where the high was -18F. One night, at -23F, I went to start my truck and between the cold battery and the thick oil, it was a non-starter (literally). So I put on an extra layer of clothes and walked the three miles to work. I was nice and toasty warm. A couple years later, when I was stationed in Panama City at Tyndall, I got the fun of doing the morning FOD walk. It was 45F and I had on thicker clothes that I had on my prior walk. After that three mile walk up and down the runway I was shivering uncontrollably and on the verge of hypothermia. I was always amazed at how narrow the comfortable zone is when the humidity is pegged at 100% (I think the lowest we got the entire time I was there was 95%).

 

The humidity makes all the difference.

Too true, here we get it very cold but very low humidity, I took a trip back to family in UK and froze at -1c !

 

 

In Birmingham Alabama all of the expressways, I-20 and I-65 going through town are elevated. And Birmingham sits in a bowl so all the cars are going 65MPH+ coming down the mountain into town when they hit the elevated expressways. ABSOLUTE CARNAGE every time there is any precipitation at freezing temps and it ices over. It's always shown on the local TV stations usually with some nice classical music to accompany the spinning and banging completely out of control skating on the ice. There is also a badly malformed elevated intersection of the expressways where I-20 and I-65 cross known locally as Malfunction Junction due to the merging cars entering southbound I-65 on the fast lane side of the road as well as the slow lane at the same time causing innumerable accidents. That as well as a 25MPH curve in I-20 on the east side of town that topples many semi-trucks who are not familiar with it.

 

In Birmingham Alabama all of the expressways, I-20 and I-65 going through town are elevated. And Birmingham sits in a bowl so all the cars are going 65MPH+ coming down the mountain into town when they hit the elevated expressways. ABSOLUTE CARNAGE every time there is any precipitation at freezing temps and it ices over. It's always shown on the local TV stations usually with some nice classical music to accompany the spinning and banging completely out of control skating on the ice. There is also a badly malformed elevated intersection of the expressways where I-20 and I-65 cross known locally as Malfunction Junction due to the merging cars entering southbound I-65 on the fast lane side of the road as well as the slow lane at the same time causing innumerable accidents. That as well as a 25MPH curve in I-20 on the east side of town that topples many semi-trucks who are not familiar with it.

Designed by top graduates from the University of Alabama.

 

@Ya'akov I'm almost jealous. For some reason the western side of Ohio was relatively light in the snow, but the wind and cold sure made an impact. What little snow we did get is mostly piled up at wind breaks and in ditches. Friday morning was a bit interesting on the way home as every now and again it was impossible to see much past the hood of the car due to blowing.

The snow seemed to start at or east of the western edge of Lake Erie in a straight line south. A few areas just south of us were closed down too for snow... not sure how, but they almost always get a little more snow than we do here.

I was just old enough to barely remember '78. I just remember most everyone on our road was huddled into our neighbors house for a day or two. Luckily this wasn't a repeat.

 

Buffalo, N.Y. is buried and ice, again.



https://nypost.com/2022/12/24/winter-storm-pounds-buffalo-with-record-snowfall-at-least-3-dead/

 

 

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1607308062167105536

“Never let a good crisis go to waste”

 

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1607308062167105536

“Never let a good crisis go to waste”

Can't people loot respectfully? I mean, if you're going to steal stuff, you're going to steal stuff, but do you also need to destroy the store? I'm thinking these looters were rioters

 

Can't people loot respectfully? I mean, if you're going to steal stuff, you're going to steal stuff, but do you also need to destroy the store? I'm thinking these looters were rioters

A one person riot? Looks like looting with vandalism.

 

Can't people loot respectfully? I mean, if you're going to steal stuff, you're going to steal stuff, but do you also need to destroy the store? I'm thinking these looters were rioters

I was thinking the same thing.

 

Can't people loot respectfully? I mean, if you're going to steal stuff, you're going to steal stuff, but do you also need to destroy the store? I'm thinking these looters were rioters

Usually a distinction without a difference. People that will steal what belongs to someone else have already demonstrated that they have no concern about that other person's property. So it's not surprising that they wouldn't think twice about causing thousands of dollars of damage to steal a $10 item.

 

Usually a distinction without a difference. People that will steal what belongs to someone else have already demonstrated that they have no concern about that other person's property. So it's not surprising that they wouldn't think twice about causing thousands of dollars of damage to steal a $10 item.

There are people who steal out of real necessity ('my family is starving, and if I don't steal this food they might die'). Thankfully there not many people in this situation in this country. So it's easy to place thieves in one the other categories.

There are people who steal out of manufactured necessity ('I "need" to keep my internet from getting disconnected so I'm going to pawn the tools out of the back of your truck').

Then there are people who steal, not because they need or want something; not for their own benefit, but for the detriment of others ('F-everyone and everything, but you in particular; I want to see the world burn starting with you. Thanks for the frozen burrito).

In my mind, there is a difference between these last two groups. The "manufactured need" crowd might even feel a little guilty; not guilty enough to not steal your stuff, but a little. At least enough to not go out of their way to cause any more damage than necessary to get what they're after. The last group are rioters, not thieves, as their primary purpose isn't to steal.

 

https://cleantechnica.com/2022/12/2...ctrify-americas-stations-failing-in-the-cold/
Why Are Some Of Electrify America’s Stations Failing In The Cold?

 

“Never let a good crisis go to waste”

I thought all crises were exploitable...good or otherwise.