# Can one buy digital clocks/thermometers that work outdoors? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 18, 2019, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-buy-digital-clocks-thermometers-that-work-outdoors/840435 "2019-09-18T14:00:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-buy-digital-clocks-thermometers-that-work-outdoors/840435/41 "2019-09-25T16:16:36Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > That is the clock we have at work. I don’t care what their website says, it’s an LCD clock. LED digits are quite distinctive. While LCDs don’t glow, they can be back-lit to appear glowing. Hence LCD monitors and such which are fading away. So you could technically do something like this with LCDs. But it’s not the best strategy. For something like this I think it’s more likely that it’s LEDs behind a mask. To light up a segment the LCD(s) behind it are turned on. But I think you’re getting off track here. The issue is visibility. Whether it’s LED or LCD is immaterial at heart. Is the thing big enough and bright enough (and temp. tolerant enough) to solve your problem? Then who cares what the middle letter is? ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-buy-digital-clocks-thermometers-that-work-outdoors/840435/42 "2019-09-25T18:28:40Z")
I was under the assumption that LCDs would be damaged or ruined in subfreezing temperatures, where LEDs wouldn’t. It doesn’t get much below freezing in my garage, even if its brutally cold outside (say 15 degrees). So I want a thermometer or even better a clock thermometer combo that’s digital and can withstand a range of say 20F to 120F. Also the digits need to be at least 3 inches in height. I also don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-buy-digital-clocks-thermometers-that-work-outdoors/840435/43 "2019-09-25T20:29:07Z")
LCDs just get more sluggish as the temperature falls. They may also suffer from readability problems. But, even standard-temperature LCDs won’t be damaged by sub-freezing temperatures. Storage temperatures of -20C are typical. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-buy-digital-clocks-thermometers-that-work-outdoors/840435/44 "2019-09-26T00:55:22Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > I must add that I have an Oregon Scientific weather sensor in my garage which functions down to -22F and it has an LCD on it (maybe 1/2 in height) so I am baffled why I keep hearing that LCDs won’t work below freezing. They won’t work when they get too cold. For some LCD’s that is actually around 32F, so people actually see it happen. Sometimes that’s actually because the battery is too cold: sometimes it’s the LCD. Low-temperature thermometers use LCD’s with a lower operating temperature and a lower freezing temperature: I don’t know what they do about the battery. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-one-buy-digital-clocks-thermometers-that-work-outdoors/840435.md?page=2)