Cold temps....

[packrat]

I think winters were colder "back in the day". We don't have *near* the frigid temps we used to, and not near the snowfall we used to either. I remember it being normal to be able to walk the snow drifts by the side of the garage, onto the garage roof. (talk about heaven for us on snow days) Having to park in the fields across the gravel road b/c the snow would drift in the ditches/on the roads and the field was slightly higher elevation than the ditch/road/our property and the snow would be somewhat driveable in the field. 'course, you still could walk the drifts right over the barbed wire fence--and then slide down the ditch drifts and have to trek across the road. Or the buses only running on hard surface roads and dad taking us to meet the bus in the tractor. There's been several years we've not been able to take the kids sledding b/c there wasn't enough snow..and as kids we went every year and never had to leave the property b/c of the insane drifts in the trees. You'll never see a normally well traveled gravel drifted shut for days at a time w/10-15 ft drifts and two little kids making slides down them, not anymore.

We did get a huuuuge snowfall a few years ago, 60 inches that winter, w/in like just a few days, all right around Christmas. And it was like people had landed on an alien planet, nobody knew what to do. I remember laughing at people who were whining and complaining that it ruined the holidays b/c family couldn't get together. Guess what? My family did. My parents drove 10 miles in it, and these whining people couldn't figure out how to get even across our small town. But then, the Johnson family was a "country" family-snow shovels in the back, parking in the fields and such. hahahaha they're about legendary around here.

 

[yennyfire]

How do you people live? No, really, how is it done? Do you just stay inside when it is that cold? Do people work when the temperatures are -14?

When I was a kid in Rochester NY it was below zero fairly often. Not 14 below, but around -6, not including wind chill, which hadn't been thought up yet. We put on an extra layer & bundled a scarf across our faces and went out to wait for the schoolbus. Mommy wait with us in the car? Are you kidding? We would've been laughed off the bus as hopeless babies! Would not have ever lived it down. (They never even considered closing school for low temps, only for 6' of snow.)

They manage in Alaska & other places with those temps all winter. Takes know-how & care, but it's a matter of course in many locations.

--- Laurie

JF, I was just saying this today! I went to the U of R and routinely went running in sub zero weather....just added a few extra layers and wrapped a scarf around my face so my skin wasn't exposed. We managed!

I'm outside of Atlanta and we were supposed to start back from Winter Break tomorrow, but due to cold weather (5 degrees with -10 windchill), they cancelled school for tomorrow. Are they kidding?? It's not THAT cold....or do they think the kids don't own coats, hats and gloves???

 

[packrat]

Sadly, we have to send notes home from school to remind parents that kids need to wear these things. Common sense has gone the way of the dodo bird.

And really, what did people do 100 years ago? They somehow managed to survive. Jeez, we just are pansies anymore I think.

 

[monarch64]

-8, furnace is working OT today! I've let Jillian Michaels try to kill me, and have been doing laundry so I can visit the laundry room "sauna" every so often. Pretty much everything here is closed today, however my husband went to work this morning (finally) after getting his car unstuck after it slid down the hill. Eesh. Ready for spring!

 

[JewelFreak]

Sadly, we have to send notes home from school to remind parents that kids need to wear these things. Common sense has gone the way of the dodo bird.

And really, what did people do 100 years ago? They somehow managed to survive. Jeez, we just are pansies anymore I think.

Unbelievable, Packrat! Parents may have to dig up some common sense. According to Joe Bastardi, one of my heroes & the smartest climatologist in the country, founder of Accuweather, it goes in cycles & we are entering the same one from the 50s when winter was WINTER. Something to do with ocean currents; it made sense when I heard him explain it but my tiny brain can't contain too much at a time. As for "global warming," he put it perfectly: If it's global warming, it's warm everywhere. If it's warm some places & cold others, it's weather.

JF, I was just saying this today! I went to the U of R and routinely went running in sub zero weather....just added a few extra layers and wrapped a scarf around my face so my skin wasn't exposed. We managed!

YAY for you, Yenny!! Bet you're glad to be outta there, though.

--- Laurie

 

[OreoRosies86]

I heard on the radio that schools are closed here tomorrow because it will be 5 degrees in the morning and frostbite is a concern if kids somehow get stuck outside

 

[packrat]

2 hour late start so far tomorrow for us.

Luckily all the school buildings have extra hats/gloves/coats/snowpants and such that the teachers buy, or are donated, that can be borrowed or given to the students. That's no help to kids walking to school or waiting for the bus tho.

Other than that big snow a couple years ago, the last several years have been pretty light w/snowfall, which puts us short on moisture come Spring, which is made worse by heading into every winter under drought conditions. I hope we're in a *real* winter cycle now, tho so far we haven't even had 6 inches. Last year was a loooong winter, totally crazy with a couple early outs and late starts in April b/c of snow, couldn't wear flip flops til June. But then when London was little we had a weird February where the entire month was like May, and all the plants came up early...and then March was freezing again. Fricken weather.

 

[yennyfire]

Sadly, we have to send notes home from school to remind parents that kids need to wear these things. Common sense has gone the way of the dodo bird.

And really, what did people do 100 years ago? They somehow managed to survive. Jeez, we just are pansies anymore I think.

Unbelievable, Packrat! Parents may have to dig up some common sense. According to Joe Bastardi, one of my heroes & the smartest climatologist in the country, founder of Accuweather, it goes in cycles & we are entering the same one from the 50s when winter was WINTER. Something to do with ocean currents; it made sense when I heard him explain it but my tiny brain can't contain too much at a time. As for "global warming," he put it perfectly: If it's global warming, it's warm everywhere. If it's warm some places & cold others, it's weather.

JF, I was just saying this today! I went to the U of R and routinely went running in sub zero weather....just added a few extra layers and wrapped a scarf around my face so my skin wasn't exposed. We managed!

YAY for you, Yenny!! Bet you're glad to be outta there, though.

--- Laurie

You've got that right Laurie! I don't miss having to wear tons of layers, shoveling snow or dealing with cold 8-9 months of the year! I do, however miss the garbage plate at Nick Tahoe's after a late night party, the Lilac Festival and the Canal bike path!

 

[AprilBaby]

My kiddos at lambeau at -7

 

[Mayk]

My kiddos at lambeau at -7

HARDCORE! But very cute!

As a Floridian 3 degrees is as low as I've experienced. Not in a hurry to experience what others are dealing with... Stay warm PSers!

 

[diamondringlover]

I am in central Ohio and it is currently -10 and the windchill is -31

 

[rosetta]

Good lord. I'm not going to complain about the rain in London! It's 11 deg C (51 F) right now.

Stay warm you guys!

 

[chemgirl]

Bah woke up to -28 feels like -41 with the wind chill. That's in celcuis, but Google says F and C meet up at -40.

I don't want to get out of bed!

Drive to work should be fun.

 

[vc10um]

SE Michigan: currently -12, feels like -33. Definitely got colder than that overnight.

My office is closed for the 2nd day in a row so I'm working from home again. The forecast keeps changing, but we're not expected to break into the positive temperatures today...

 

[chrono]

Schools are closed here; it was 0 F this morning and with the wind chills, it was around -24 F.

 

[Niel]

I thought you guys might like to see one of our West Michigan lighthouses

 

[Mayk]

I thought you guys might like to see one of our West Michigan lighthouses

I start to shiver just looking at that picture! Crazy!

 

[JewelFreak]

OH MY GOSH, Niel! What a sight! In a shivery way, it's really gorgeous. I'm freezing just looking at it.

9 degrees here this a.m. in the Carolinas. Wind chill was 0. I left the heat in the 50s last night to keep pipes from freezing. Usually our downstairs zone heats the upstairs fine too, but this morning, brrrrrr. Turned the upstairs heat to 65 -- it chuffed away but could only get the temp to 63.

It's dead silent outside, no birds yammering at all. I think they're still tucked under their duvets.

I do, however miss the garbage plate at Nick Tahoe's after a late night party

NICK TAHOE'S!!! I haven't thought of them in a thousand years! Hahahaha, gives me a big chuckle. Great place! That sure brings back the old days.

--- Laurie

 

[AGBF]

When I was a kid in Rochester NY it was below zero fairly often. Not 14 below, but around -6, not including wind chill, which hadn't been thought up yet. We put on an extra layer & bundled a scarf across our faces and went out to wait for the schoolbus. Mommy wait with us in the car? Are you kidding? We would've been laughed off the bus as hopeless babies! Would not have ever lived it down. (They never even considered closing school for low temps, only for 6' of snow.)

They manage in Alaska & other places with those temps all winter. Takes know-how & care, but it's a matter of course in many locations.

Laurie-

About half an hour ago, before reading this, I posted almost the same thing on another forum (about dogs). I ranted about the "wind chill" and wrote how heartened I was that schools were open here (and there was no delayed opening) because of a little cold. (It was 4 degrees at about 8 AM when I saw a well bundled child walking to the elementary school next to my house and saw the SUVs dropping children off there.) I won't repeat the rant here; you already said it all for me!

Hugs,
Deb

 

[Laila619]

How do you people live? No, really, how is it done? Do you just stay inside when it is that cold? Do people work when the temperatures are -14?

LOL! It doesn't usually ever get below 0 here, so this is just a fluke thing. I think the last time it happened where I live was in 1998. You just tough it out for a day or two, and then it's back to normal. My husband's company closed yesterday due to the brutal temp.

 

[monarch64]

We're up to 0, yippee!

Schools are closed here. Even the university. People here are not necessarily equipped to deal with very cold weather, so I imagine officials take that into account when making the decision to close. Buses can't do pickups/dropoffs on the untreated and unplowed rural roads as well, so that's obviously another factor. We have a wind chill warning today and the university campus is huge, so I assume they don't want students getting frostbite having to walk for more than 5 minutes outdoors to get to class.

 

[rosetta]

Neil, OMG that picture is amazing!

 

[sarahb]

also a WMichigander....its been an interesting few days to say the least!! Stay warm & safe!
sarahb

 

[Dancing Fire]

Global warming?... try to convince the people whom are living on the east coast.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/17/us/winter-weather/

 

[kenny]

I drove in to Los Angeles today and used my car's AC for half the trip.

Don't hate me cause I live in paradise.

 

[Mayk]

I drove in to Los Angeles today and used my car's AC for half the trip.

Don't hate me cause I live in paradise.

Did you feel the earthquake??

 

[Harpertoo]

I was wondering the same.
I couldn't feel it in Palm Springs, but the winds have been a bit wild.

 

[04diamond<3]

-15 in Chi-Beria right now. Not sure what the exact wind chill is, the paper is reporting a range of-30 to -50. Fortunately I only live 4 blocks from my office, and I can go 2-1/2 of those inside!

That day the wind chill was -50 and it SUCKED!!! Oh my goodness! I couldn't breathe without covering my face! What made it worse was having to refill my wiper fluid and freezing my hands off and pouring fluid all over my brand new engine because the windes were so bad. My hands were so frozen ....it was miserable. Now at 38 degrees, I'm a bit happier...

 

[kenny]

I drove in to Los Angeles today and used my car's AC for half the trip.

Don't hate me cause I live in paradise.

Did you feel the earthquake??

No.
I was sleeping.

 

[iLander]

I drove in to Los Angeles today and used my car's AC for half the trip.

Don't hate me cause I live in paradise.

No, we will just point and laugh when you're sweating in August.

That's okay, I spend half the year running from shady spot to shady spot, too. But that doesn't keep us from gloating this time of year, does it?