# What is the cutoff point for "bitter" cold?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 5, 2019, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590 "2019-03-05T19:57:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/21 "2019-03-06T06:05:41Z")

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> [@romansperson](#):
>
> For me, bitter cold would be when you go outside, inhale through your nose, and the inside of your nose freezes. I expect that’s dependent on the individual, so exact temp will vary.

-18C. 🙂 That is actually quite reliable as the temperature where my internal nose hairs start freezing if I breathe in through my nose.

Tonight I was waiting for a bus after work in -13C. Little to no wind. It was actually quite beautiful out; earlier there had been snow squalls with heavy snow, but this has had cleared as the winds shifted towards the northwest and calmed. The snowcovered street was brilliant white under the streetlights.

After a while my face started to hurt. I think I will define that as ‘bitter’ cold.

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**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/22 "2019-03-06T06:25:28Z")

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I was in Edmonton, Alberta, last month; to meet with some colleagues. These are quarterly meetings, and when our day-long meeting is over, we typically all head out to dinner at a nice restaurant.

Not this time. It was -25C, with a wind chill of -30C or so. That’s bitter cold.

We ate in the hotel restaurant, rather than going out.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/23 "2019-03-06T07:33:38Z")

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\< 10° C is cold.  
\< -10° C is bitterly cold

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**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/24 "2019-03-06T08:27:28Z")

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Bitter cold is when you haven’t dressed properly for the conditions.

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**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/25 "2019-03-06T10:09:49Z")

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> [@MrDibble](#):
>
> \< 10° C is cold.  
> \< -10° C is bitterly cold

At this point, in my location, less than 10C would mean that we break out the beach gear. Our daily average temp for February was -20C.

But it’s all relative. I’m pretty sure that you, **Mr. Dibble** , never experience our kind of cold. However, I’ll tell you, that as a Canadian, I’ve never experienced this kind of cold for so long. So anything over 0C and less than 10C would be most welcome at this point. Please, send us best wishes that Spring comes soon!

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**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:** [March 6, 2019, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/26 "2019-03-06T14:55:30Z")

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I think my coldest month was my last year of undergrad, when the temperature in Saskatoon only went above -30 C on one day.

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/27 "2019-03-06T15:19:09Z")

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> [@RobDog](#):
>
> Bitter cold is when you haven’t dressed properly for the conditions.

This might be the best answer yet.

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**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/28 "2019-03-06T15:29:47Z")

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\< 70 degrees F is bitter cold.

what?

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**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/29 "2019-03-06T16:35:55Z")

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> [@RobDog](#):
>
> Bitter cold is when you haven’t dressed properly for the conditions.

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing.

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**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/30 "2019-03-06T16:46:11Z")

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It all depends on temperature, sunlight, humidity, and wind. 40 can feel very cold if it’s dark and damp and windy, 30 can feel ok if it’s sunny and the wind is still.

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**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/31 "2019-03-06T17:28:20Z")

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> [@Spoons](#):
>
> But it’s all relative. I’m pretty sure that you, **Mr. Dibble** , never experience our kind of cold.

It can get pretty cold in some of the [places](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutherland,_Northern_Cape#Climate)I like to holiday.

> [@](#):
>
> Please, send us best wishes that Spring comes soon!

Definitely!

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**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2019, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/32 "2019-03-06T20:14:30Z")

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> [@Telemark](#):
>
> There’s no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing.

Does a concrete bunker, preferably underground, count as “clothing”? I’ve experienced weather in which that would have made me much more comfortable.

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**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/33 "2019-03-07T00:53:34Z")

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North Idaho resident for 15 years. With no wind chill factor, 0-10°F is where bitterly cold lies for me.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-cutoff-point-for-bitter-cold/830590/34 "2019-03-07T01:49:31Z")

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> [@kunilou](#):
>
> My rule is similar. If my nose hairs freeze, it’s bitter cold. That generally happens right around 0 degrees F.

I’ll agree with that, but the only time mine froze was in Champaign when I walked to the grocery to get the paper. I called the temp service and found it was -20F, so I’ll go with **Qadgop the Mercotan** ’s list. My nose hairs have never frozen at 0, but I have more space in there than most people.

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