Because of the heat warning almost everywhere, my local news posted a poll saying what would be easier to take, too hot or too cold?
I think theres too many variables, how hot, how cold, for how long are you out in it?
What is easier for a humans body to take, heat or cold?
I spent 21 years walking a mail route in temperatures from -20F to +104. You suffer in both but I felt most endangered by the cold. In the heat I became dehydrated and confused and lethargic, but slowing down and finding shade and putting a wet towel around my neck would bring me back. In the cold the clothing you wear to stay some semblance of comfortable is heavy and hard to move it. You become exhausted and your fingers and toes hurt and you feel like if you stop you might die. Really.
I fear for my life when the power goes out in zero degree weather.
I fear for my sanity when the power goes out in 99 degree weather.
Having said that, the oppressive heat is worse for me.
As the old saying goes “You can always put on another sweater, but there’s a limit to what you can take off.”
In cold I keep moving. In heat you have to slow down and stop.
It’s a bit hard to compare the two extremes as severe heat is something that might be endured stark bollock-naked, whereas extreme cold is very much a function of what clothes you’re wearing. I’d guess the bare human body can take a lot more above room temp than below.
There’s a psychological part of being extremely cold that just steals your soul, like you’re one step away from the grave - like Hi Medlo says if you stop moving you’ll die. Whereas extreme heat it’s more like if you start moving you’ll die. This seems like a significant difference - most folk can sit in a hot sauna pretty comfortably, but sitting motionless in an ice cave or similar would take some training.
Speaking for myself, I enjoy hot weather and have spent most of my life in the sub-tropics. Soon I will retire to Pennsylvania. I am not looking forward to it.
Depends very much on whether I have advance warning and can dress for the occasion.
I’ve been in -20 fahrenheit several times when dressed for it and kind of enjoyed it. But if it catches me unprepared, the cold is worse by far. Sheer misery.
Heat is something I can tolerate up into the lower 100’s – oddly, for me it’s better to be moving, maybe because it takes my mind off it whereas trying to sit (or lay down) in that is too stultifying. But get above 110 and it hurts to breathe the air and there’s nothing you can do about it (in the absence of an air conditioner, I mean).
Personally, within the temperature ranges I’m likely to experience wherever I go, I’d rather it be cold than hot. When it’s cold, there are many ways to get warm, and some of them are fun! When it’s hot, whatever you do just makes you hotter.
It depends on what one is used to. I (and my ancestors) adapt better overall to extreme heat because that is what we are accustomed to. Before central heat/AC houses were built to maximize cooling, bedrooms were basically screened porches and people took to the shade in the hottest part of the day. Today I still prefer 100 degrees f to 20, because my body (psyche?) is more adapted to heat.
Story time: The worst summer I ever spent was when, for business, I was in San Francisco 2 weeks then spent a weekend at home -lather, rinse repeat. I never got acclimated to either temp range. I froze in the SF evenings and roasted when I was at home. It was miserable.
I can’t help remembering those days last winter when the highs were below zero, and it was windy. In spite of the fact that we live in a brick house, the furnace was inadequate in dealing with the wind coming in through the double-pane windows. Even the cat was suffering.
But when I was a kid, we had no air conditioning. I remember trying to sleep with fans in the windows and my head in an open window, hoping for a chance breeze.
All in all, I’d rather have heat.
When I was younger I tolerated heat rather well, but suffered miserably when cold. As I age, I find that the temperature range I can tolerate comfortably is shifting downward.
Barring external modifiers like A/C or a heat source, having food, water, and insulation makes it possible to withstand a considerably cold atmosphere, but comes a point where excessive heat is overwhelming.
When I was young I lived in a high desert environment. Heat and cold are okay by me. Just make sure I’m dressed appropriately and have the needed supplies (like water and a hat in the heat).
But living in a hot-ish, humid, environment is a real killer.
I’d rather be hot than cold. Growing up with North Carolina summers where it’s frequently >90 and humid as all get-out, I associate that weather with the freedom of summer vacation. Running around in the woods, sweating, getting bitten by bugs, playing in the creek…good times, man. Good times. So it’s as much emotional as physical. That said, I do love cold weather, but I hate being cold. I enjoy winter from indoors, summer from outdoors.
Most people seem to have a preferential room temperature somewhere in the 70° F range.
So if the question is “If you have to be in an environment 40 degrees from room temperature, would you prefer 110° or 30°?” I’m going to be thinking most folks are going to choose to wear a sweater at 30° over being nekkid at 110°.
Maybe most people would, but I ain’t one of 'em. And all I can have in 30-degree weather is a sweater? No way. I’ll need to dress like Nanook of the North. 
I learned during the 2008 ice storm when for a week we had no source of heat other than the fireplace that being unable to get the inside temperature any higher than 54F is soul-crushingly miserable. If it was 30F after a few days I think I might actually hope to die.
I’ll take the 110F too, thanks.
Heat and moderately hot, humid conditions are far worse for my level of comfort. The cold’s more imperiling of my respiratory health though.
heat is more difficult for me to tolerate. I can’t go around in public naked, and even if I could when it’s really really humid (like it was where I was two weekends ago) you can be sweating profusely but the humidity prevents it from cooling you off effectively. and of course, the profuse sweating makes you stink like hell before too long.
when it’s cold I can put on another layer, or switch to warmer gloves/boots, etc.
I hate hot weather.
power going out is a different story. then you have to worry about burst/frozen pipes.
I moved south to get out of the cold. The worst part for me was the dry winter air which dried my skin and led to extremely uncomfortable itching. Applying lotion was never enough. I also have little use for ice and snow on the ground making it hazardous to drive and walk (although the snow can be very pretty). Essentially I would feel trapped inside for 4-5 months of the year. Here in the south, the summers are very uncomfortable with the heat and humidity which lasts late, late into the fall. It seems like relief will never arrive. I think the snowbirds have got it right. For myself I am now planning to get an RV and go mobile so I can move with the seasons and enjoy the outdoors year round.
Taking it a bit further, if you start with ‘nice temperature’ being 21°C/70°F (which is a little on the cold side) then add, say, 36°C/65°F to that, you’re gonna be at 57°C/135°F and you’ll be dead if your power and aircon fail. Take the same away and you end up at -15°C/5°F which is kinda miserable, but survivable.
So too cold is better than too hot.