# Bitter cold! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 16, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809 "2015-02-16T12:54:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/1 "2015-02-16T12:54:53Z")
According to the local WeatherBug station, it is 2 deg F. The bay has frozen over. Breathing actually _hurts!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/2 "2015-02-16T13:02:09Z")
Pfffft that’s breezy… Try [this.](http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/ontario/ottawa?gclid=CjwKEAiA74qkBRCdrM-6or7U73QSJABCDL9pXqCscvrp8NJ8s8GXJDbUKJP_3rJ1ASgMbyJauYLSBRoCKunw_wcB) ---
**Author:** ![Cyros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a698b9/32.png) [@Cyros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyros)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/3 "2015-02-16T13:30:57Z")
We are about that temp with 60cm of snow just fallen. I don’t find it cold but I’m out of places to put the snow. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/4 "2015-02-16T14:13:47Z")
It’s approaching -40 with the windchill here today. Minus forty. That’s the same Celsius and Fahrenheit. It’s been almost as cold as this for days, with no sign of stopping anytime soon. I wish it was 2 degrees Fahrenheit here, because then it would be _warm_. And I have to go outside to the bank today. Damn me. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/5 "2015-02-16T14:25:21Z")
-38, bitter, BITTER cold! With gusting high winds, drifting snow, and frequent white outs, wherein you suddenly cannot see the house across the street! ( But the fresh flowers from V alentines Day are taking the edge off!) I’m staying indoors, literally keeping the home fires burning, with the dog. Fool husband is going out to a hockey game. It’s a holiday here, Family Day, so I may bake something later this afternoon, just because. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/6 "2015-02-16T14:38:32Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > … I’m staying indoors, literally keeping the home fires burning, with the dog. … I’m sorry you’re so desperate that you have to use your dog as fuel. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/7 "2015-02-16T14:53:00Z")
It’s up to -3 here now. I’m a full-blood freaking Siberian and I consider this too damn cold. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/8 "2015-02-16T14:54:08Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I’m sorry you’re so desperate that you have to use your dog as fuel. When I was a kid we had to live on Scraps for a month. I still miss that dog. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/9 "2015-02-16T14:58:37Z")
Here in Indiana we have relatively light snowfall, but it’s cold lake effect snow which means incredibly light and fluffy. The slightest breeze results in a white-out conditions. Unfortunately, we don’t believe in light breezes here, more like 25-50 mph winds (that’s 40-80 kph for you metric folks) Black ice in selected places where melted snow has refrozen. Driving is… interesting. In a Chinese curse sort of interesting. Yeah, single digit Farenheit temps, and lower. In Celcius terms that between -12 and -17 and lower. Previously mentioned winds. All I can say is bless my warm, wooly socks. Unfortunately, all my wool socks are dirty so even though it’s my day off I still have to go to the laundromat instead of staying in all day. Also, the long underwear and my work uniforms need washing. I also have a wool hat and wool gloves. Some serious scarves. Yes, it’s still winter. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/10 "2015-02-16T15:19:39Z")
> [@EmilyG](#): > > It’s approaching -40 with the windchill here today. Minus forty. That’s the same Celsius and Fahrenheit. While there is some element of truth to that -40 claim, when it comes to wind chill, it’s such a hodge-podge of variable and constantly changing statistics that it is all but meaningless. Ambient air temps of -40 are the same in °C and °F, but when you add in other variables, the usefulness of that statistic drops off precipitously. Best not to conflate the two. Meteorologists have a real love-hate relationship with “wind chill”. Also “heat index”. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/11 "2015-02-16T15:27:35Z")
> [@Enola\_Straight](#): > > The bay has frozen over. The (salt water) bay has frozen??? It was 35.1° in front of [Manasquan](http://valentineplunge.com/) on Sat. > [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > I’m sorry you’re so desperate that you have to use your dog as fuel. They are [lucky](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo) to have a dog! 😛 ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/12 "2015-02-16T15:33:41Z")
It’s hovering around 0 F here. Last night I found a layer of frost on the inside of my bedroom wall, next to my bed. My house is not insulated and I’ve not been able to gather up the money to get it insulated in the 10 years I’ve lived here ☹ I piled up pillows between the bed and the wall but the cold is literally creating a little freezing windy spot in the corner when my [forced-air] furnace comes on. ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/13 "2015-02-16T16:00:57Z")
We’ve lived in our house for over thirty five years - and for the first time have have a frozen water pipe. It’s in an interior wall, though only a foot or so from an exterior one. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/14 "2015-02-16T16:18:43Z")
> [@Ibanez](#): > > Pfffft that’s breezy… Try [this.](http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/canada/ontario/ottawa?gclid=CjwKEAiA74qkBRCdrM-6or7U73QSJABCDL9pXqCscvrp8NJ8s8GXJDbUKJP_3rJ1ASgMbyJauYLSBRoCKunw_wcB) That’s not actually all that much colder than 2F. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/15 "2015-02-16T16:26:53Z")
I went out this morning in Michigan. It was -6 F at the time, but with little wind. I didn’t find it all that bad. No hurting breath. Last year, we hit -12 F during the day and the wind kicked in. I was getting gas and actually thought it was cold. And I like cold. It’s my favorite time of year, but even I thought -50 and lower wind chill was too cold. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/16 "2015-02-16T17:37:06Z")
Don’t tell the windchill temperature! Tell the actual temperature, and then add what the windchill is, if relevant (and it can be). But citing windchill temps alone is like citing vintage years of RC cola, or citing previous winners of the Nobel Prize for Urination. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/17 "2015-02-16T17:44:30Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > … or citing previous winners of the Nobel Prize for Urination. If it hadn’t froze on the way out, I woulda won that last year! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/18 "2015-02-16T18:41:52Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Black ice in selected places where melted snow has refrozen. “melted”? What is that? Actually, I did see a long-range forecast calling for 34 this Sunday! Accompanied by more snow, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/19 "2015-02-16T19:04:40Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > “melted”? What is that? The right mix of water and salt won’t freeze until it hits -6 F or -21 C. So salting roads in sub-freezing weather often results in melting then freezing again later. ---
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2015, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809/20 "2015-02-16T19:30:41Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > The (salt water) bay has frozen??? YES! [![](http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pressofatlanticcity.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/41/541253f4-7880-11e3-b7da-001a4bcf887a/52cd7a48d12d9.image.jpg) ](http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/pressofatlanticcity.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/5/41/541253f4-7880-11e3-b7da-001a4bcf887a/52cd7a48d12d9.image.jpg) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bitter-cold/712809.md?page=2)