# Cold! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303 "2003-01-22T22:28:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/41 "2003-01-23T15:34:05Z")
RickJay said, "When I was in the Army and did winter warfare exercises we’d be outside in cold so horrible and raw you’d wake up in the morning and think “Hmmm, maybe I can arrange to break my leg today or something so I can go to a nice warm hospital.” " Funny you should say this. When my dad was in the Army back in the early 50s, it was a really cold day and they wanted him to do pull-ups. Well, he had forgotten his gloves, so he told his Sergeant that his arm was sore. Well, Sarge called BULLSHIT on him and sent him to the doctor so he could bust him for lying. Lo and behold, the doctor found a tumor in his arm! Heh! He never had it removed or anything, but it saved his ass from latrine duty. ---
**Author:** ![Buliwyf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Buliwyf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buliwyf)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/42 "2003-01-23T15:43:46Z")
this is the forecast for friday here. Read and be warm friends. “FRIDAY…VARIABLE CLOUDINESS. 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW. CLEARING IN THE AFTERNOON. WIND NORTHWEST 20 KM/H. HIGH MINUS 31. VERY COLD WIND CHILL MINUS 49.” If you need me, I shall be in my bed under as many covers as I can find. Buliwyf ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/43 "2003-01-23T16:23:07Z")
Wow and we whine here in the 10th level when its 60 degress or less… Weather like this reaffirms why I stay in california , Last check it was supposed ot get up to 60 today but it might get warmer … ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/44 "2003-01-23T16:32:54Z")
Amazing how cold that severe can defy common sense … Late for class one balmy morning at Michigan State U, I ventured into the -40 F (with wind chill) air minutes after my shower, with very damp hair and no hat. Incredibly stupid, I thought to myself, and pondered giving up on getting to class on time & heading back into the dorm. Then, I realized my head wasn’t cold at all. The water in my hair had flash-frozen, leaving me with an ‘ice-hat’. Without any evaporation to carry away heat, the hair was perfectly good insulation against the mere 32 F cold of the outer shell. And so, I happily began my 15-minute walk across campus in (relatively) blissful comfort. My college-rebel coiffure was even long enough to keep my ears warm! Man, I miss that. (sigh) Anyone want to trade with me for a few days? It’s only about 30F here in Dallas. (And you should hear the whining going on around here, too! ‘It’s so cold!!’ Bleah! It’s _gorgeous_!!) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/45 "2003-01-23T16:38:23Z")
😃 😛 😃 😛 😃 😛 😃 😛 😃 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/46 "2003-01-23T16:40:27Z")
Y’all should move to Tucson. 73 is the expected high today (23 celsius). Every year about December a line of RVs with Minnesota or North Dakota plates rumble into town. But I find myself trying to describe the idea of ‘snow’ to my children. “It’s white fluffy stuff that falls from the sky and is cold. It’s kinda like rain (although concidering we live in the desert, you might not know what that is either).” ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/47 "2003-01-23T16:42:00Z")
On New Year’s Day it was bright, sunny, and about 80 degrees. Of course, I was in the Dominican Republic. Now it’s about 20 degrees, up from the 14 when I got into the car this morning. Guess where I’d rather be again? ---
**Author:** ![AnnaLucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e95f7d/32.png) [@AnnaLucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnnaLucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/48 "2003-01-23T16:52:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gravity \* > \*\*Well, yeah. I grew up in Vermont, too, and we didn’t have central heating, either. My maternal grandparents had wood, my paternal grandpa heated with a woodstove-like coal burner. It’s still pretty common to have wood heat. I’ve found that it can actually keep the house warmer than central heating can. And if you get cold, all you have to do is go put some more wood on the fire. Just standing in front of the open stove will warm you up nice. \*\* Amen to that! I’m 29, and I am probably the only person anyone knows who grew up in a log cabin, on 200 acres of NOTHING, in the Northern Vermont woods (for those of you from there, think 20 miles north of St. Johnsbury). We used a woodstove, which was fine while you were upstairs (heat rising and all that), but really sucked when you had to come downstairs to the METAL shower stall in the bathroom. It was so cold that when you turned the cold water on, huge clouds of steam would billow out .:eek: Of course, now I live in DC and bitch regularly about the damn wind, which is positively unholy (-1 wind chill this morning) and leaves me gasping for breath as I walk the 7 steps to my front door…and then, at the height of my wrath, my father calls to tell me that it’s been -22F for 4 solid days and he froze his nose shut. Suddenly I feel toasty warm. That said, an obligatory “FUCK YOU” to Zephyrus, or whichever wind god is pointing this direction - if you keep it up, I’m loading my 4-year-old with beans for dinner and pointing him at YOU!!! So there!! ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/49 "2003-01-23T17:53:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoff \* > **Hey, Montpelier is where my dad grew up. Been by Blackwell Street lately? That’s my dad’s old digs. My grandfather had central heating installed, but I remember the hole in the floor of the second story where the stovepipe used to be.** Was it a stove pipe hole or a vent hole? Wood heated houses often had a round hole cut in between the first and second floors to let (some) heat up into the bedrooms. My sister fell down one of them when she was 6 - we used to take the cast iron covers off the holes and do sort of like pull-ups while hanging down them. Her arms got tired and she fell right down it. Blackwell is two cross streets from the house I grew up in on River Street. About 2 miles or so from where I live now way down on Elm. At least it’s warmer today. Mostly because the wind died down, I think. ---
**Author:** ![Gravity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gravity/32/14322_2.png) [@Gravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gravity)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/50 "2003-01-23T18:00:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AnnaLucretia \* > **Amen to that! I’m 29, and I am probably the only person anyone knows who grew up in a log cabin, on 200 acres of NOTHING, in the Northern Vermont woods (for those of you from there, think 20 miles north of St. Johnsbury). We used a woodstove, which was fine while you were upstairs (heat rising and all that), but really sucked when you had to come downstairs to the METAL shower stall in the bathroom. It was so cold that when you turned the cold water on, huge clouds of steam would billow out.** Hey - we’re the same age! I think that the absolute worst was when I was living with my grandparents my senior year of high school. My grandpa is a cheap bastard, and proud of it. He had decided that electric hot water heaters were _way too expensive_, so his was somehow powered by the woodstove. This meant that if I wanted a shower _even in the middle of summer_ I had to go down cellar and light a fire, then wait 20 minutes. I must say that I am now very skilled in lighting all sorts of fires. Dense and hot - you got it. Long burning - I got your fire right here. ---
**Author:** ![Suspenderzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Suspenderzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suspenderzzz)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/51 "2003-01-23T18:40:15Z")
What’s wrong with cold? I love cold weather! The memories of running around the house with only a wet T-Shirt on just in order to stay cool are still too raw. [Insert juvenile joke here]. It couldn’t have been more than four, five months ago. Back then I was wishing for arctic winds from Siberia, and, voila, Mother Nature delivered (now you all know whom you can thank for this 😃 ). There is nothing worse than sweating. Thankfully, a few months ago the electricity in my century-old, historic landmark building has been upgraded (amidst much drilling and dust cloudage vaguely reminiscent of the WTC) , so this summer I will have an air conditioner again. Still, I wish I could save some of this beautiful, all-natural, arctic air in containers and release in August. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/52 "2003-01-23T19:04:01Z")
Well, if you ever want to feel better about almost _whereever_ you are, go to Mount Washington’s web site: [http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/index.html](http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/index.html). It’s only a six thousand+ foot mountain, but the combination of clashing weather systems make it one of the nastiest places on Earth. For the morning of Thursday, 23-Jan, they are recording a 24 hour Min of -34 degrees F, a 24 hour max of -11 degrees, and a peak wind gust of 142 mph. All topped with light snow and mist. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/53 "2003-01-23T19:16:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*😃 😛 😃 😛 😃 😛 😃 😛 😃 😛 \*\* Be careful, or somebody from up here is going to catch a flight south and empty a bucket of (imported) snow down the back of your pants… Personally, I like the cold. Cold is great. Hate snow and ice, but I love cold weather… ---
**Author:** ![Quonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ed655f/32.png) [@Quonk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quonk)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2003, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/54 "2003-01-23T21:55:14Z")
Can you believe we have a “windchill advisory” tonight because the windchill is supposed to be below freezing? Heh. Seriously, you’re all scaring me. There’s a decent chance I’ll end up in a cold place next year (for college, Rochester, NY being the coldest). Is it that bad? Should I stay here? I’ve experienced 15 degrees Fahrenheit sans wind or snow, and that wasn’t at all pleasant… ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/55 "2003-01-24T01:06:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quonk \* > \*\* > Seriously, you’re all scaring me. There’s a decent chance I’ll end up in a cold place next year (for college, Rochester, NY being the coldest). Is it that bad? Should I stay here? > \*\* I went from Tennessee to Maine for college. You get used to it pretty fast. Really. Then you move back south and they start having wind chills of -1. grrrrr. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/56 "2003-01-24T01:29:43Z")
Three neighboring counties have closed school tomorrow because it’s supposed to be in the teens in the morning. Florida kids and schools aren’t equipped to handle that. Most of my daughter’s classes are held in portables and they have to walk outside from room to room. But she’s got school tomorrow - so far… And she’s such a whiner when she’s cold. I pity the teachers. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/57 "2003-01-24T01:35:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Quonk \* > **Seriously, you’re all scaring me. There’s a decent chance I’ll end up in a cold place next year (for college, Rochester, NY being the coldest). Is it that bad? Should I stay here?** It’s not any colder in Rochester than it is around here in Far North Buffalo (it’s about 5 F now). However, there is the teensy difference that Rochester gets about 15 feet of snow a year. But don’t worry, if you’re going to Rochester Institute of Technology! Their ingenious “tunnel” system means you never have to go outside on your trek from the dorm to the classroom to the dining hall to the gym! Heck, Florida will be colder! ---
**Author:** ![g8rguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@g8rguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/g8rguy)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/58 "2003-01-24T16:17:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by g8rguy \* > \*\*Oh, Florida winters, how I love thee… let me count the ways. 🙂 \*\* :smack: Well, that’ll learn me, eh? I realize this isn’t much compared to what the rest of y’all are dealing with, but it was 14 with windchill this morning, the heater in my damn apartment went out last night, I walk to work, and of course I don’t 'xactly have a huge pile of nice warm clothes laying around. And we’re supposed to have a freaking fire drill today. I think I’d rather have a real fire. Forget gloating about Florida winters, I want to move back to Seattle instead! ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/59 "2003-01-24T16:21:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by g8rguy \* > \*\*:smack: > Well, that’ll learn me, eh? I realize this isn’t much compared to what the rest of y’all are dealing with, but it was 14 with windchill this morning, the heater in my damn apartment went out last night, I walk to work, and of course I don’t 'xactly have a huge pile of nice warm clothes laying around. And we’re supposed to have a freaking fire drill today. I think I’d rather have a real fire. > > Forget gloating about Florida winters, I want to move back to Seattle instead! \*\* \ _points at g8rguy_ HAAAAA, HAAAA!!! \ ---
**Author:** ![tisiphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tisiphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tisiphone)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303/60 "2003-01-24T21:25:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AnnaLucretia \* > \*\*Amen to that! I’m 29, and I am probably the only person anyone knows who grew up in a log cabin, on 200 acres of NOTHING, in the Northern Vermont woods (for those of you from there, think 20 miles north of St. Johnsbury). We used a woodstove, which was fine while you were upstairs (heat rising and all that), but really sucked when you had to come downstairs to the METAL shower stall in the bathroom. It was so cold that when you turned the cold water on, huge clouds of steam would billow out .:eek: > \*\* Nah. Log cabin, in the middle of 1,500 hectares of nothin’ much, woodstove, no running water and no electricity. In the Yukon. I promised myself, one fine winter’s day on the privy, that when I grew up, I would nevernevernever live without indoor plumbing again. So far, so good. 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cold/150303.md?page=4)