# Frozen Dopers: Who is caught in the 2019 Polar Vortex and freezing their tushies off? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 30, 2019, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648 "2019-01-30T00:40:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/81 "2019-01-31T16:48:57Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > For those who need it (like me), [Fahrenheit/Celsius conversion widget.](https://www.unitconverters.net/temperature/fahrenheit-to-celsius.htm) in Minnesota I learned to convert C to F weatherwise by doubling the number and adding 30. But not in experiments or cooking. It’s cold here, but I can handle it with three or more layers of clothing. This morning I saw evidence of frozen pipes on two abandoned buildings. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/82 "2019-01-31T16:58:22Z")
Just a side note that: No, this extreme cold snap does not refute climate change. No, this extreme cold snap does not prove climate change. You may now resume shivering. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/83 "2019-01-31T17:10:39Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > You get used to ridiculous cold after awhile, like the Jack London characters in Alaska who’d take off their caps and gloves during a -7F warm spell. > > Years ago we had 8 straight days in South Dakota where the temperature never got above zero (almost all of it in the minus single digits and minus teens). It seemed normal after about a week. The upside of these temps is that 32F on a sunny day in October requires a coat and maybe a hat when you go outside. By March I’m shovelling the driveway in a t-shirt, no exaggeration. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/84 "2019-01-31T17:22:30Z")
The sun came out today, so despite it still being -23C out there, I still have to periodically crack a window open in here to try and maintain a reasonable temperature thanks to my south-facing windows (and Intel-brand space heaters). Remind me again why I’m looking for south or west facing windows in my next place? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/85 "2019-01-31T21:33:04Z")
> [@Rysto](#): > > maintain a reasonable temperature thanks to my south-facing windows (and Intel-brand space heaters). I was rather curious to know how well I could overclock on -30F ambient air but not foolhardy enough to actually try it. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/86 "2019-01-31T23:12:58Z")
West Michigan, serious cabin fever here with schools closed all week, no mail delivery, gov’t and libraries closed. Instead of heading into town for a Meijer trip we’re keeping the village party store busy with beer bourbon cat food pop and bread purchases. I asked for ice cream didn’t get any… It hurts to breathe outside and the cats have stopped whining about going out, the last time fuzzy did so I booted him out for 30 seconds and he froze in place, not literally but he had no idea what to do next, but beeline back inside. ---
**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:** [January 31, 2019, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/87 "2019-01-31T23:42:32Z")
-27 F this AM as I made the \> 1/8th mile trek across the open landscape from the parking lot to work. Last time I was out in that kind of cold, it was 1992 and -44 F. Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2019, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/88 "2019-01-31T23:48:06Z")
Yesterday 19 people went into work (out of 100+). Many worked from home. This morning was colder but less wind (it is now a balmy -6F) 40F Saturday… Brian ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/89 "2019-02-01T00:38:39Z")
Yesterday’s low for the day, recorded just before midnight, was -29 which broke the city’s all-time record, and the temp eventually nosedived to -33, so that’s a record I hope we don’t break for a while, if ever. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/90 "2019-02-01T02:22:43Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Northern Piper, are you in Michigan or Saskatchewan? Saskatchewan. On the banks of the Mighty Wascana. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/91 "2019-02-01T12:36:31Z")
While in St Martin my gf had me take a picture of her at the market carrying milk, bread, and toilet paper. She posted it on Facebook with the caption, “thinking of y’all”. After putting the items back, she had to explain to the storekeeper about Pittsburgh snow response. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/92 "2019-02-01T16:28:40Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > in Minnesota I learned to convert C to F weatherwise by doubling the number and adding 30. But not in experiments or cooking. That does not work for minus temperatures, at least not in my head. And those are the issue here. BTW, in Europe we are fine, normal wet winter, rather boring. ---
**Author:** ![Dacien](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dacien/32/5663_2.png) [@Dacien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dacien)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2019, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/93 "2019-02-01T17:52:44Z")
It was absolutely unbearable in California yesterday. It got down into the 50’s at one point. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/94 "2019-02-02T13:48:28Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Neat fact: -40F and -40C are the same temperature. Yeah, fuckin’ cold! 🙂 > [@Jackmannii](#): > > Just a side note that: > > No, this extreme cold snap does not refute climate change. > > No, this extreme cold snap does not prove climate change. > > You may now resume shivering. It might not prove conclusively but it is a point in favor of the hypothesis. With the global climate change some places will get warmer and some cooler, some places will get drier and some wetter. About the only prediction you can make with confidence is that weather will get more extreme, since it is caused by heat moving from one location to another and there will be more of it to move. I don’t recall hearing about the polar vortex until a few seasons ago but [Wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_vortex) says it was first described in 1853. I’m guessing it’s the media leaping upon the term and pounding it to death like it did with “[shock & awe](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=171786)” years ago. ---
**Author:** ![pipperroo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7feea3/32.png) [@pipperroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pipperroo)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2019, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/95 "2019-02-02T20:32:35Z")
It was very cold in Minnesota. School district only open for part Day Monday and all day Friday. We did the boiling water trick and I wanted to blow bubbles but couldn’t find any bubble solution in the house. We didn’t have problems but some areas North of us had the restriction on gas heating. I wondered how people were notified. The hospital in town had problems as some pipes froze and gas wasn’t flowing properly to heat part of the building so they had to use emergency generators. Oh and as far as getting used to the cold, most Winters if the temperature gets up to 40 F in February, you will see people around town in shorts! ---
**Author:** ![postpic200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@postpic200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postpic200)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/96 "2019-02-03T15:13:22Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > It’s not going to reach down here to South Texas. Don’t envy y’all one bit. _How bad is it?_ \ It was -35 F or -37C my van wasn’t happy, I did finally put on my hat and gloves for the first time this year and I also layered up for the first time. Personally I like the cold but this is what I like to call stupid cold. I live in ND BTW. ---
**Author:** ![postpic200](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@postpic200](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postpic200)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2019, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/97 "2019-02-03T15:16:19Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Just a side note that: > > No, this extreme cold snap does not refute climate change. > > No, this extreme cold snap does not prove climate change. > > You may now resume shivering. I wish you’d tell that to the news reporters when it’s hot outside. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/98 "2019-02-04T16:37:00Z")
Updates, please. How is it now? Melting snow everywhere? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/99 "2019-02-04T17:26:03Z")
Getting bizarre temperature swings in DC. It was in the low teens over the weekend, but it’ll be high 50’s today and low 60’s later this week. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2019, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648/100 "2019-02-04T18:24:45Z")
Rained overnight, temps rising, now it’s +4C and the sun is shining! Things are melting fast! They are predicting +9C tomorrow. Suddenly spring seems around the corner. ( I’m sure it’s an illusion, I mean, it’s the beginning of February!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-dopers-who-is-caught-in-the-2019-polar-vortex-and-freezing-their-tushies-off/828648.md?page=6)