I’ll be taking the MetroLink over to St. Louis at one o’clock. It’s only 1 degree right now and will most likely still be at most in the higher single digits. I will probably have to wait about 5 minutes for the train and then I have a 5 minute walk when I get downtown. If I’m plenty bundled up with a scarf covering my face, will I be ok, or should I just drive?
I’ve been skiing in -20 F and suffered no major harm (and have rolled naked in the snow in similar temperatures), so I don’t see any problems with it?
YMMV and so on.
Of course. I walk to work, which takes about 40 minutes, in -18 C (which is 0 F), and the dog goes for his walk no problem in the same (with just booties because there is way more salt than usual).
Just make sure you’ve got a hat, your scarf will keep your nose from hurting.
ETA: On days when it’s really windy, since my coat only goes to my waist, I sometimes wear thermal jogging tights under my pants or else my gnads hurt. But thats only if there’s a really bitter wind accompanying the cold.
Why would it not be safe?
It’s not like the CO[sub]2[/sub] is going to freeze out of the atmosphere in chunks, and hit you on the head or anything.
Of course, you’re all right…I’m just a whiner when it comes to the cold. I’ll wear leggings under my jeans and some layers under a wool sweater. Add earmuffs, a scarf and mittens and I’ll be fine.
Driving might be a good plan, though, as I’ll need to know the parking situation, etc., if I do get the job.
I’ve got some time to decide, though.
You Nords and your naked snow frolicking. 
I have a Finnish friend who does the same thing after exiting the sauna.
Yeah, access to beer a sauna and/or a hot tub is a prerequisite for naked snow rolling 
Don’t forget about your feet. Toes can get frostbitten pretty fast, and if you are wearing the same shoes you wear at work, they might offer little protection, plus the possibility of slipping.
@Worm
Agreed. I had never tried it before coming here, but it is absolutely invigorating. Not to mention the freedom. I wish the onsen would allow customers to take beer in with them. That would be fantastic (and a recipe for disaster, I’m sure).
If you’re not accustomed to single-digit weather then it’s doubly important to dress appropriately. As little flesh exposed as possible, forget about fashion, lots of layers. Hat for you head, scarf for your face and neck, warm gloves.
I’ve been for an hour walk at -30 F. Properly geared it’s no problem, I stayed toasty warm and comfortable.
Note that some people have health problems that do make such cold hazardous, like heart problems, but if you had those you’d likely know about it already.
Wear a HAT. A HAT. Earmuffs are good, too, but you need to keep your heat in your body.
Ditto. It must be a hat. You can lose plenty body heat from your head alone. You don’t wear a hat to keep your ears toasty, that’s just a fringe benefit. You wear a hat to help all of you keep warm.
ETA: A lot of gear website will claim that you can lose up to 75% of your body heat through your head, but IIRC, experiments have put it down to more like… 7%.
Was this question really asked in earnest? Look outside for other human beings. If you see any, it’s safe. I once worked outside from 6AM to 7PM on a day when the high was 7 degrees fahrenheit, and due to the nature of the job, I couldn’t wear gloves for any of the actual work. I’m still alive.
Come on, it’s 5 minutes. You won’t get frostbite on your toes, or your ears, or your nose, or anything else, regardless of whether you’ve got a hat and earmuffs and scarf and balaclava and double wool socks and leggings, or if you just walk in regular clothes. You can walk naked in 0F for 5 minutes, and assuming you’re not <4 or >80 years old, you’ll just feel really cold.
Yeah, I just heard on NPR recently that a hat is only going to keep your head warm, not your whole body. You lose the same amount of heat through your head as you do any other body part. The XHugePercent myth was probably cooked up by hat salesmen.
Wait, sorry to hijack, but…you have single digit temps where you are? You are very lucky! I say that would be a nice, balmy day to take a walk. I’m in Eastern Iowa where it is currently -21, with a windchill around -45. (That’s Farenheit.) The news this morning had a segment indicating that any exposed skin would freeze in 10 minutes, so that was the max you should spend outside, since you always have SOME exposed skin.
I have no idea where the news crew got their information, but after the walk between the door and the car this morning, I don’t know how anyone could take 10 minutes in this anyway. It’s absolutely painful.
My winter coat has a “temperature rating” on it down to 30 below. But my legs, feet, hands (even in mittens) and so on are still numb. My husband helpfully pointed out this morning that we don’t have to go somewhere warm to escape this deep freeze. It’s warmer in Alaska.
I hate cold weather. A LOT. But I’ve done the subzero walk. It sucks, but as others have said, dress properly. Dorky hat, gloves, boots, scarf, etc.
Don’t forget Kleenex. It’ll come in handy when you hit that warm air.
It was -18 Fahrenheit this AM when I trekked 75 yards across the open field to get from the perimeter fence to the building entrance. The wind was gusting circa 20 mph. I imagine that made the wind chill at least -40.
I was a little cold.
I regularly walk to work, which is about a mile and a half away, and shock and horrify people by doing so when it’s cold like this (it’s currently -16F and supposedly -31 with the windchill). Doubly horrifying to them is the fact that I was raised in Nevada while they’re all Wisconsin natives. Apparently, I’m supposed to be afraid of the cold. The main thing is just keeping your skin covered and having your layers handled properly.
At zero, I’d bundle up decently and have a scarf and hat since your face is the most exposed part of your body. When you’re waiting will be the worst part, since you’ll be still. If your skin isn’t exposed to wind and you’re moving, in the single positive digits you’re more likely to work up a sweat while walking than anything else.
So don’t bundle up too much–if you sweat through your layers, you’ll get uncomfortable later on and that could end up chilling you.
I think though, based on anecdotal experience, that it’s one of those body parts that affects your perception of hot and cold. Although, for me it’s more my feet. Keep the tootsies warm and I can trek in the snow for miles. Likewise, in the summer, if I’m too hot in bed, I just need to stick a foot out from under the covers and I’m good.
I also think people under estimate how much their heads are exposed. The figure above of losing 7% body heat is based on some figure that it’s only 7% of your entire body surface. Still, that’s a lot to leave unprotected in the cold. I used to hear “head = 30%”. When the hell did it jump to 60-75%? 
My hat has flaps that cover my cheeks all the way down to my chin, and I wear my cycling glasses to protect my eyes from the wind (or I get all teary). The only parts of my entire body that’s exposed to the cold are my nose and mouth.