I guess the title just about says it all. The reason I ask is that my wife is away this weekend and has asked me to finish a project this weekend but it would mean spending extended periods outside. I normally say colder than -20C and I’m an indoors kinda monkey. I’ll go and cut wood at -20 and spend a three or four hours outside but today it’s -26C and I’m just not into cold fingers and toes today.
So at what temperature do you say pass?
i have to work no matter what the temperature is, because farm animals don’t take time off from needing fed, but i am definitely more comfortable when the temp is over 25 F (approximately -4 C). a couple of weeks ago, it was -5 F (i think around -20 C), and my strategy was to wear thermals, shorts, pants, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, 2 pairs of socks, work boots, a hat, a scarf, and gloves. it worked pretty well. my eyelashes froze, though.
extra layers do a lot to protect you… isn’t -20 centigrade about equivalent to that type of weather? or did you say 20 celsius? (sorry…short term memory loss :)) i wouldn’t go out for more than absolutely necessary if it was below 0 degrees fahrenheit (around -17 C), but if you do, i’d recommend at least three layers of clothing on each possible body part.
We’ve had temperature around the -46C or around -50F over the last few weeks but this is just a general poll rather to find out where people like to draw their own line as to what is too cold for them.
Ok to be clearer if you had to spend four or five hours outside say cutting wood, which is another job I need to get on with, or doing something which would keep you outside for extended periods then at what temperature would you say it is too cold to be outdoors?
My minimum is about 45 or so. I hate to be stuck out in the cold. My absolute maximum is 85-90, so I hate working in the heat too. And yes, I often work outdoors. I like working outdoors. I prefer it.
I’m sooo freakin’ spoiled.
Peace,
mangeorge
Was out for a couple hours fixing lights at a local strip mall the 3rd(-ish) of this month. Outside temperature was -25 F with the windchill at -44 F. By far the coldest day here in the Twin Cities yet. Experiencing that, I would say -25 F is my line now.
Frankly, I ought not to be working outside at any temperature. I wasn’t cut out for this “work” business.
-20F (-29C) is about the threshold for me, but it has to be hard* work at that temperature- shoveling wet snow, for example. You won’t freeze if you’re really exerting yourself.
If it’s something significantly easier, let’s not be out long if it’s below 0F.
It really depends on what kind of work it is, and what the duration is.
Is it work that requires finger dexterity? Then not much below freezing, unless there are frequent breaks to warm up one’s fingers. But if mitts are allowed, and it’s active work, then down to the point where it hurts to breathe, which is somewhere in the vicinity of -40, though as the temperature drops below about -25C my tolerance for extended periods outside really begins to wane. Naturally, proper clothing is presupposed. In absence of proper clothing, even above-freezing temperatures can be miserable.
The coldest weather I have worked in was the winter I was a bicycle courier in Winnipeg. During January there was a 3-week cold snap with overnight lows of -35C and daytime temps hovered around -30C. Not much fun, since it was hideously cold when outside, and hideously hot when inside.
I also agree that relatively strenuous work is more bearable in the extreme cold, but eventually even that gets iffy - if it’s cold enough, the heavier breathing is liable to freeze your lungs, and if you ever work hard enough to break a sweat, you’d better be heading inside the moment you pause your efforts, or you’ll become very, very cold very, very quickly.
I work in construction, so you can find my sorry ass outside on the hottest or coldest days of the year. Exceppppppppppppppppttttttttt… anything colder than -30C (with windchill) or warmer than 40C. I dont care what they say, I’m staying home. My dad has gotten arthritis from his work as an electrician, he was out there stripping wires with his bare hands in -40C and colder temperatures. Though he assured me at the time he felt he was reslient enough to the temperature, a decade or two down the road gave him some serious pain in his hands. Fack that noise.
I’m a giant baby. I don’t think I’d work outside if it was below 60 F, but then again I haven’t really done anything in my life that would be considered “work”, not physical work anyway, and not outside. Maybe I would if I had long johns and a sweater and a coat or something. I don’t do good in the cold. My comfortable room temperature is about 85 F. Damn Kansas winter! It hasn’t snowed for two weeks and there’s still piles of snow all over!
I pretty much hate any weather below 40F, but thinking about it, I’m more like Gorsnak in this respect. If it involves working with bear hands on a car or something, no way. I dislike even putting gas in my car at 20F. But if the work involved is active, and I have dry gloves and something to cover my face, I’m do almost anything outside. But if it’s pointless work, or something that can wait until it’s warm, so be it (like my engine that is waiting for pickup at the machine shop - the rebuild can wait 'til spring).
Few weeks ago I walked to work when it was -9 F wind chill at -25 F. If you limit the amount of skin exposed, it’s really not that bad (for me anyways)…I had ski mask, gloves, couple of hooded sweatshirts with a windbreaker over it and lined winpants over work pants (dockers)…eyelashes do tend to freeze, but that is more of an interesting feeling rather than bothersome…I would say it would have to get pretty damn cold (-30 F) at least before I would get concerned. Then again, I’m walking, so if the work was some standing around, it could be different.
I prefer working outside when its above 40F and below 70F. Yeah, kind of a wuss I guess.
This thread reminds me of The Newlywed Game.
Peace,
mangeorge