*Winter Survival Questions**

[Daisy and Delilah]

I just can't help myself from starting this thread because it's so intriguing to me. I sometimes look at the NOAA(National Weather Service) website and plug in names of cities just for the heck of it. Yesterday, I noticed that alot of you PT members are having continuous(all week) temps as low as minus something and only up to single digits or teens(all day).
This blows my mind. Everything in my yard dies at 35 degrees. Basically, I can't understand how you all can live in these conditions.
Do your cars freeze up so you can't drive them? Are you stuck in the house or do you get out? How does any machinery of any kind keep running if outside? Anyway.....you all can probably get the picture as to what I mean.

Please feel free to laugh and call me a crazy Floridian but it's just unimaginable to me that anyone can actually keep functioning under these conditions. :)

[critter crazy]

Quite used to the temps! Never had a car freeze on me, well except for the doors!:rolleyes: We keep our woodstove going non stop to keep the house nice and toasty. But it is nothing realy new around here, although i do prefer the warmer weather! This year has actually been much warmer than most! The dogs just adore the cold weather! they spend more time out than in! The chickens hate it, and spend most of their time inside, but the ducks spend all of their time out! they love making little duck angels in the snow!:D

Now my hubby works for a construction company, and all their diesel run trucks, have a hard time starting! which is good for him, cause it keeps him busy!;)

[Laura's Babies]

I am like you, living in the south myself. We grew up in Virginia where the winters were cold and bitter and my sister loved it when it got cold and everything froze... I hated it and couldn't wait to get grown and move to the south or somewhere, where it was warmer, we ALL did move to warmer climate. Sis lives in Florida right now but is packing up and fixing to move to Washington state..

Now for a funny for you.... My brother also, just last summer, moved from the south to Oregan and I saw they had snow... I made to comment to my co workers that I wondered how he was doing driving in all that weather that he is not use to... I get home and find these in my email....

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/Gamscruiser2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/Grammy707/Gamscruiser1.jpg

This was the 4th cruiser that had been wrecked in that weather that month.. THANK GOD this had a happy ending... he said it was cliffs on one side, the mountian on the other and he hit ice, the car went into a spin and he lost all controll of it.. THEN, we he got out of the car and stood up... BAM! Down he went on his butt!

[borzoimom]

We are not as cold as Canada etc, but temps like 10 to upper teens in the mornings is norm up here on this mountain. Normal day temp is in teh 20's F.
We do several things in the winter because we can loose power. We keep the woodstove at least on low burn incase we need to fire it up hotter. We also, since we have a well that the pump needs power, keep water in 5 ga. containers. I keep dry dog food on hand. We do have a generator- but its really to keep the freezer running but still if we loose power we have to adjust where things are. We have battery chargers with the battery to light sets ready all the time and of course candles. We already had two nights we stayed in the great room with the woodstove- all 6 of us ( my husband and I and the 4 dogs) on comforters lol..
Also if the power goes out, I turn off the circuit breaker on most things so there isnt too much of a draw when the power comes back on. Also we have one regular phone that isnt a cordless phone. And of course- our cells. ..

[sirrahbed]

The AirForce sent us to Rapid City, SD many years ago and it was pretty shocking.

At times, we had to keep our faces nearly covered when we were outside - peering out through the weave of fabric. Our cheeks and lips could be painful within just a few minutes.

We had only a covered carport. We had a a gadget installed in the car that kept the oil stick warm - we would plug the car into an electric outlet when we parked it at night.

Lots of snow at times. Once, we went out of the upstairs window to get outside :eek:

During one particularly bad storm, we were all stranded to the house for 4-5 days. It was creepy as we could not even see out of the downstairs windows (snow was that high)

Now we live in Ohio and are pretty used to the cold and snow. But we don't get the weather that others have. We keep salt around to sprinkle on walks. We keep weights in the truck so it will be heavy (bags of salt actually) We also try to stock the cupboards well when bad weather may be approaching. We keep wood near the house for the buckstove.

The garden does just fine. Yes everything dies but then we look forward to the spring thaw and plants start peeking back up. I think most of us have varieties of grass in our lawns that is weather tolerant because there always seems to be a bit of green no matter what.

[cyber-sibes]

I grew up here in Ohio along the lake, and the winters now are much milder than fifty years ago! We used to get a lot more snow. We're due for single digits highs all week, and below zero at night. We have a fireplace, but have only had to use it once for warmth when the power went out. My car always starts, but in the past when my older cars didn't, it's usually from something that needed fixed anyway, like an alternator or battery. You just bundle up to go out. Hat, gloves, scarf, good winter coat, boots - it's not such a big deal. The only thing I don't like is driving on ice, but highway maintenance in the northern states is really good compared to states that don't usually have snow. And people are used to driving in it. The perennial plants are hardy enough to take the cold, but we plant a lot of annuals each year. Apple trees need extended cold to produce fruit.
Knowing how our weather is figured into our choice of dog breeds. Huskies are good outdoors to -75 F. Thank heavens it's never been that cold here! They really do prefer the cold weather. Most people take good care of dogs that aren't as weatherproof - coats, boots, not out a lot. I do wonder about our Alaskan, Canadian, & and our Yukon neighbors (Hi, Glacier!) They have such extreme temperatures for long periods. I don't mind winter, but at least here it's only super cold for 2-3 months.

[K9soul]

We are at -18 F right now (wind chill -30)! Survival is a mix of warm clothes, coats/gloves and staying inside a lot! It definitely takes some acclimation, but believe it or not it can get to the point where 30 degrees feels nice. A lot of cars here have to be plugged in when it gets that cold if you don't have a garage. I was puzzled when I moved here from Missouri and saw so many cars with little cords with plugs coming out of the hood. My car has been starting pretty well but I let it run at least 10 minutes before going anywhere so it warms up. Also it's best to keep the tank at least half full of gas.

When the wind chills get close to -40 like they did this weekend, it's hard to breathe outside unless you breathe through a scarf or something. I hold the collar of my coat up over my mouth and nose and breathe that way. I also keep warm head covering for my head and ears and have a fleece face mask thing if it's really windy and I have to be out in it too long. It looks silly but better to look silly than freeze your face off :o. Good insulation is a must, and sometimes you have to let the faucets drip a bit to keep the pipes from freezing.

But the beautiful spring, summer and fall make it all worthwhile!

[borzoimom]

For what it helps- my dad use to say make sure the gas tank is full so the lines do not freeze, and he use to put a blanket over the hood of his car if you have bad winds.

[Daisy and Delilah]

WOW WOW WOW!!!! I'm amazed at all the energy it takes to survive those temps.!!! I never knew you had to plug in the cars. WOW!!!

Laura: That ice just scares the living daylights out of me just thinking about it. It seems that not only cars are crashing into everything but people are sliding and falling all over!!! I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for all of you!!!

I lived in Virginia for awhile but not long enough to learn anything about survival for a long period.

Keep warm everybody and be careful!!! :)

p.s. Here's another stupid question, does gasoline freeze? Sorry if I sound like I'm as dumb as a bag of rocks :confused:

[jenluckenbach]

I too am interested in how people survive the continuous cold. We are having a cold wave right now.....single digits with below zero wind chills. It is due to stay only a few days, but that is TOO long for me! I also wonder how people deal with the LARGE snowfalls (like those mentioned above). The most I have ever lived through is 30 inches. But 5 inches is TOO much for me!

I hate cold and snow....can you tell.

[sirrahbed]

As I understand it, pure gas will not freeze. But sometimes it has water in it and that will freeze. That is why folks try to keep the tank pretty full in the winter - to prevent the condensation in the lines.

But, big semi trucks would keep the engine running all the time I recall. We would see them at rest stops - always running. I wonder how much gas is burned up while idling? :eek:

[Karen]

Gasoline would I suppose freeze at low enough temperatures, but not the temps we humans experience.

No the cars don't freeze, but when it is very cold out, the oil and gas are thicker - more viscous - so it is best to let the car warm up for a minute to be things moving.

The reason you want a full tank of gas when it's really cold out is so there's less air in your gas tank. Lots of air means condensation can form, and you can end up with water in the gas lines - not a good thing.

Being outside is fine, when it gets very cold, you have to be extra vigilant about keeping your skin covered so you don't risk frostbite, but people aren't running around in shorts in zero-degree weather anyway!

As cyber-sibes mentioned, our road crews are prepared for snow and ice, so if you can wait a bit, the roads aren't bad to drive one, and people - except for newcomers, are used to driving in snow. And when there's LOTS of snow, well, we just all shovel. A lot.

[K9soul]

Here's the plug on my car. I used to plug it in when I lived in an apartment and had to park the car outside, ran one of those big orange extension cords out to it. Now that I have the garage I don't plug it in although I might if I drove it every day.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/k9soul/Misc2/car.jpg


As far as gas freezing, I think it depends on the content of it. I believe it can freeze if it gets cold enough but can still burn until -90s or something. People can add methyl alcohol to the tank to help keep it from freezing. Here's a Q&A I found that explains it some. http://van.physics.uiuc.edu/qa/listing.php?id=2479

[Daisy and Delilah]

Thanks for the info everyone. This is just fascinating!! Thanks for the picture of the plug, Jess, and the link. Does that plug go into an ordinary outlet? If so, I can imagine what happens if the power goes out.

Another question; Do you all enjoy the cold weather or find it a drudgery? I always love seeing the winter pictures but I'm thinking of it in a different way now. Does the sun come out on these terribly cold days or is it gray out?

As I've said before, I don't think Daisy and Delilah could stand those low temps. Even in Florida, when it gets below 60, Daisy is shaking so hard outside, her teeth are practically falling out. I have a hard time taking them out when it's chilly. Actually, I have to pick her up and take her out because she gives you a look and backs away from the door. :rolleyes:

[Karen]

I love the cold weather - and there's no pollen to make me sneeze!

[jenluckenbach]

Do you all enjoy the cold weather or find it a drudgery? Does the sun come out on these terribly cold days or is it gray out?

Well, I find it drudgery. (LOL) But yes the sun can shine brightly during a cold spell. We are up to 15 degres right now, and the sun is BLARING!!! And the nights can be clear and filled with stars. Our old saing..."Clear and cold"

[Lobodeb]

I think it's important to dress in layers.

I walked out of the house this morning (temp was -9F and the wind chill was -24F), took a deep breath and coughed. My lungs burned a little. My car was also a little sluggish starting.

I normally don't mind the cold. The only thing I hate is having to have so much stuff! We went out to dinner on Saturday and we needed an extra table just for all or our coats, gloves, scarves, etc.

It's times like this when you really have to pay attention to the news. When they say "don't expose skin," you listen.

I just can't help but think of all the animals that are outside whether they're feral or have idiots for owners.

[K9soul]

Often the coldest days are the brightest and clearest days. Thick clouds seem to give more humidity and "insulation" almost, but of course there are cold cloudy days too. I don't enjoy it when it gets below the teens, otherwise I don't think much of it, until February and March. Then I start getting spring fever and it becomes more and more a drudgery. I love when we have snow storms, but snowy days are often the "warmer" days here, in the 20s and 30s. It's beautiful and always magical to me. We haven't had any big storms this year, so this winter is really dragging for me :(. Plus I am so eager to get out more with the dogs.

When I first moved here from Southern Missouri, the winters really got to me. They were longer and darker and colder. But I did adjust and now by the time fall gets here I'm often looking forward to the winter. Like I said though, I never enjoy it when we get subzero with air that hurts to breathe! But there's nothing like coming in from the cold, putting warm socks and slippers on, and snuggling with the dogs while sipping a hot cup of cocoa :)

ETA: The cord I usually plug one of those heavy duty outdoor extension cords into, and then yes it can plug into any outlet :)

[lizbud]

We have been having the bitter cold for a few days in a row here & it's
supposed to be just as cold tomorrow also. They keep giving warnings on
TV about protecting animals outside. Not to let them stay out for long,etc.
I've actually been timing the pups with no more than 10-15mins. at a time.

It's a real pain trying to use keys outside because of heavy gloves makes
it hard to handle them.I usually end up taking off one glove to lock or unlock
house or garage doors, and my fingers lose feeling in them quickly. I have
been trading off water dishs for the garage kitties as the bowls get frozen
solid overnight. :( They seem to really appreciate it. :)

I don't mind normal winter temps, or even snow, but hate this bitter cold
that we have been having.

[cyber-sibes]

It's a beautiful sunny day out. You'd never know its 4 F unless you step outside. I like winter as long as we have snow on the ground.

[Daisy and Delilah]

You brave souls!!! I can read through this thread and be very thankful that I live in Florida. Despite the occasional storms, we do have some gorgeous weather here. The summers are almost unbearable but as long as you stay in the air conditioning, you're unaware that it's so hot outside.

I absolutely love the thought of curling up with a cup of hot chocolate with the dogs :) That sounds wonderful! :)

[Blue_Frog]

We get pretty cold here too, but not as bad as further north, and we never get quite as much snow as Buffalo does. Chalk it up to Lake Ontario i guess ;) I've had to plug in cars before, i think its to heat the engine up so the block doesn't crack? :confused: Not sure entirely, but I did it because my dad told me to.

Basically, its like everyone else said -- dress in layers, heat up the car before you get into it, and run like stink from your house to your car, from the car to your workplace, etc. without falling on your butt. Although, being the twit that I am, I'm still kicking around in my fall polar fleece pullover, since I haven't bothered to dig out my winter jacket yet.

Also, carrying an emergency kit is a good plan, just in case you go off the road or something in the cold weather -- i think there was a posting in General a little while back about emergency kits.


One of the questions i've gotten a lot the last week from people at work (since the temps have dropped and its gotten windy -25° C / -13° F) is what do the Alpacas do since they live outside all the time? They lay outside in the snow like a bunch of twits and eat hay. Go figure ;) When they get really cold, they go back into the barn and lay around there eating hay.

[elizabethann]

If you're like me, you call in sick on days like today. Heeheehee. I had a "migraine". :eek: I'm in my sweatpants with the heat cranked up, watching old movies (like ANTS and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea), listening to the wind howling.

But I do have to go out with Fenway to do his business so I bundle up and look like a sausage (very attractive) in my parka, hat, mittens, scarf and boots.

I'll go to work tomorrow. But I'll have to go and start my car for about 20 minutes later on just so that it will start tomorrow morning.

Every year I say "I'm moving to Florida". I'll be visiting my brother in Port Charlotte, FL in 3 weeks. So that kind of gets me through this weather as well.

As much as I love Florida, I don't think I would like the summer's very much since I hate humidity. Where can I move where it's 70/80 all year through? Even Hawaii had a cold spell this weekend - 50's!

[BC_MoM]

All week it's been nearly -40C and lower with the windchill. Yesterday afternoon, there was no wind at -29C and I thought I was in paradise. Meterologists predict that my area of Canada has 90 more days of this weather.

I need a vacation.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Brrrrrrrrrrrr......now my teeth are chattering :eek: :eek: :eek:

[GreyhoundGirl]

Please feel free to laugh and call me a crazy Floridian but it's just unimaginable to me that anyone can actually keep functioning under these conditions. :)

I save my laughing for areias. hehehe. Wimp!!! :p She complains about the cold when it is on the plus side. hehehe.

I guess I'm just used to it... here right now it is -36. It will be -38 or so after dark. :eek:

I get less questions about how I survive it... more about how my little greyhound survives it. haha. If you get cold, follow Jennys advice and run in circles like a lunatic untill you get warm.haha :p

[Lizzie]

This thread is very helpful to me in regard to my car in cold weather. I had to park my car outside this winter for the first time since I bought my house 23 years ago, and I was really thrown on how to deal with the occasional deep freezes we have had so far. I had to learn to wipe all condensation from the door frames and seals to prevent the doors from freezing shut, and to take extra time each morning for scraping ice off windows, running the car, etc. I'd never heard of keeping my gas tank full and why, I'll remember that - thanks!

The problem with western Washington state is that we don't have to deal with very cold weather often. Some winters, it just rains and rains. In some, we get a fair bit of snow but little ice. So, when we have a week of temperatures in the single digits at night and teens in the day, nearly everyone makes an ass of themselves in one way or another.

[areias]

It's about 55 degrees here....during the day! Ahhhh! It's frickin cold! It's been dropping down into the low 40's at night sometimes....it was 35 last week. :mad:

We don't have to do a whole lot here. ;)

[GreyhoundGirl]

Where I used to live (FF Soucy, one of the furthest north towns in Quebec) you would have to light a fire under your car in the winter to get it started. Funny, I guess I was so yound I didn't even wonder why! :p

[critter crazy]

Today we ahve had a high of 8 degrees, with a wind chill factor of -15. But all in all it is a gorgeous day! the sun is shinning!! at least it looks that way from inside!!!:D

[PJ's Mom]

Currently I have the windows and doors open because it's a wonderful 70 degrees. But I have to say that this topic is making me cold. :p

[Glacier]

I'd be inside from October to May if I stayed home because it was cold. I have called into work once when with the windchill it was below-50C. Cold weather isn't a reason not to go to work up here! Schools move recess indoors, but kids are still expected to be there. We get our first freeze in late August and it is not safe to plant anything outside until mid-June, at the earliest.

We burn 10 cords of wood a year between the house and the shop. We have a propane furnace, but it only kicks in when the temperature in the house drops to the point the pipes could freeze. We only use it as a back-up in case we can't get home for some reason. There is a heater on the propane tank as well. Propane turns to a gel at -40C/F.

For our water, we buried the lines six feet underground in an insulated wooden box. There in an insulated shack over the well and pump itself. There is an electric heater in there. It has to stay at about 3C or we won't have water in the house! We have a fan set up that forces heated air into the box around the pipes.

My husband drives a diesel car. When it's cold he often borrows my truck or he has to leave the diesel running all day. At more than -15C it freezes solid in a hurry.

The dogs go through a dozen bales of straw a winter, which costs about 10 times the Southern price up here! Their doghouses are all insulated and stuffed with straw. The old dogs don't go outside for more than a few minutes in really cold weather. I carry water to them several times a day since it freezes so quickly. Their food intake doubles in extreme cold.

Layers are very important for dressing. I find Helly Hansen makes the best base layer underwear, top and bottom. Another layer of wool on top of that. Cotton is deadly in the cold and completely useless. Nothing works as well as well. The new synthetic fibers are nice and light, but in extreme temps you can't beat good ol' wool. I have several down filled parkas. Down insulates very well.

The US Army makes great cold weather gear. I have a pair of flight pants that I've worn at -45C and never been cold in them. They weigh about 15 pounds but they are toasty! The Army also makes Bunny Boots, which are also ridiculously heavy and ugly as sin, but your feet never get cold in them. I love my army surplus dealer! Fashion is irrelevant when your life depends on staying warm!

On my hands I wear a base layer of light gloves, topped with fleece lined leather gauntlet mitts. Can't work dog clasps in mitts so I have to wear the gloves too. If it's very cold, I sometimes put chemical handwarmers inside my mitts.

You have to be careful not to sweat. If you start to sweat, loose a layer. Sweat will kill you if you get stuck in the cold afterwards.

I find the dark harder to deal with than the cold. We get about four hours a day of light in our darkest months. We are up to almost 8 hours again now. I use a light therapy lamp every day while I am getting ready for work.

With the windchill today it's about -20C right now. I'm heading back out to run a second team of dogs now!

[Pembroke_Corgi]

I think it's all what you get used to. I've lived in Iowa, Virginia, Arizona, and Colorado. I don't enjoy cold, but I really hate frigid temps! Luckily it is in the 50's here now, but there is still tons of snow on the ground. We had 7 weeks of snow. I'm not sure what the grand total was, but I bet it's about 4 feet. A lot of it has melted, but there's plenty left!

[mike001]

Glacier and I seem to be the only ones living in frigid conditions. We plug our cars in if it goes below -35C. But we wear downfilled parkas for walks and heavy socks and boots, toques, mitts and scarves. We got up to -28C this a.m. but it's -16C right now. At this time of year we usually have in the -40'sC so this is a nice kind of winter. Nice to live in the heat, but I bet you don't go downhill or X-country skiing, no skidooing, tobogganing, skating etc. I guess we all have our different kinds of entertainment. I must say most of us snowbirds end up in Florida or Arrizonna for the winter mos when we've had enough. :)

[cassiesmom]

Basically, I can't understand how you all can live in these conditions. Do your cars freeze up so you can't drive them? Are you stuck in the house or do you get out? How does any machinery of any kind keep running if outside?

Well... I wouldn't say I'm stuck in the house, but I spend an awful lot of time avoiding going outside because it's so cold out. Several of these cold days have been bright and sunny (God, if You're listening, I think that's really mean!) which helps when I absolutely must go places (petsmart, supermarket, church). I can't hit the car wash because my doors will freeze closed - I don't have covered parking. I get my revenge in that when it's this cold, it's too cold for substantial snow, and I'd rather wear 52 layers of clothes than drive in the snow. I'm definitely in the minority in that regard. The disadvantage to spending that much time inside is that you'd think my house would be pristine - like Bree on "Desperate Housewives" - but that is definitely not the case.

[Anita Cholaine]

Please feel free to laugh and call me a crazy Floridian but it's just unimaginable to me that anyone can actually keep functioning under these conditions.

Ditto! :o:p

I hate the weather in Buenos Aires, it is just getting more and more humid every year. And warmer - in winter, the coldest we get is about 40ºC, and this is REALLY cold for us.
Summer is also really warm, but it is ok for me to have a few really hot and sunny days. The humidity is what drives me nuts. I hate those warm, rainy and humid days (like today) you just feel that you cannot even breath.

[GreyhoundGirl]

Glacier and I seem to be the only ones living in frigid conditions. We plug our cars in if it goes below -35C. But we wear downfilled parkas for walks and heavy socks and boots, toques, mitts and scarves. We got up to -28C this a.m. but it's -16C right now. At this time of year we usually have in the -40'sC so this is a nice kind of winter. Nice to live in the heat, but I bet you don't go downhill or X-country skiing, no skidooing, tobogganing, skating etc. I guess we all have our different kinds of entertainment. I must say most of us snowbirds end up in Florida or Arrizonna for the winter mos when we've had enough. :)

Haha, where are you? It's -36 or so here now. :p I'd call that frigid.

I freeze in this weather, I'm at least going to get some credit for it. lol :p

[JuniorxMyxLove]

Currently I have the windows and doors open because it's a wonderful 70 degrees. But I have to say that this topic is making me cold. :p

i wish it was 70 here! this morning, it was like -30! now its like -20...

school was canceled today because of the weather..good for me, ut now for my dog. I opened the door, and she went charging out. 30second later, she was back at the door, and when I let her in, she was FREEZING!

my mom's going down to florida soon...without me! I'm soo jealous of people in shorts right now!

I think I'm going to go pack on another layer - I already have 2 on, sitting inside, with the heat on. I hate the cold. I love it when its like 20 or 30, but not in the negatives!

Some of you might be living in colder places, and I'm not tying to say that its colder or worse here. But its cold. And I hate it.

[pitc9]

Well.. we're having a heat wave right now! It's up to 11 with a wind chill
of -6!
The low tonight is 4 above, yesterday our windchills were -25.
All of the schools around of were closed today because it's so cold. Most have already closed for tomorrow too!
It's cloudy and the wind is whipping the snow all over so it looks like were at the North Pole right now!
I don't mind the cold at all and I just Loooooove the snow!
I can handle temps like this for a little while it doesn't bother me too muchl!
I put a bunch of wood in the wood stove before I go to bed to keep the furnance from kicking on all night long.
I have a remote start on my car so I can start it from inside my house and it's all warm and toasty for me when I'm ready to leave!
Sierra and Bud don't mind it either (except when the winds whip the snow around her and scare her :rolleyes: Ugh... she's such a sissy girl!)
I have to go out and bring them in quite often because if it were up to them, they'd stay out there till they were frozen to the ground!!

[K9soul]

Glacier and I seem to be the only ones living in frigid conditions.

MN can easily have frigid temperatures. We had -40 with wind chills this weekend, that's the same as -40 C. We are often 10 to 20 degrees (Fahrenheit) above what northern Canada is but I certainly wouldn't call it balmy. It got much warmer today.. to 0 (-18 C). I'd say N Canada has the extremes more often but it can most certainly get "frigid" here.

Anyway, -30 to me feels about the same as -10 to someone who lives in a much warmer area. Acclimation makes all the difference. I thought I'd die my first couple winters here. Now I can handle it much better.

[dogzr#1]

And I though the 50's were cold! I feel like such a wimp! I can't handle temperature under 60*F or else I have to wear a sweater! I, too, can't imagine how you guys handle -40*! I would freeze to death in my own home!

[joanofark]

I only go outside if I HAVE to in this single-digit weather, but the snow days are always a big plus. :)

[CathyBogart]

It's been about 65 most of today and it was over 70 yesterday. :cool: I almost got a bit of a sunburn at the dog park!

[Daisy and Delilah]

And I though the 50's were cold! I feel like such a wimp! I can't handle temperature under 60*F or else I have to wear a sweater! I, too, can't imagine how you guys handle -40*! I would freeze to death in my own home!

Do I ever feel like a wimp!!! Holy Cow!! I'm just in awe over what I'm reading here from everybody. -40 :eek: I don't think I could stand it for 10 minutes. I'm just shivering on a day like today. It's around 50 here right now. Yikes!! :eek:

[chocolatepuppy]

We had -5*F last night and again tonight. It was 8* today and up to 12* tomorrow, a heat wave! :D Wind chills are even colder. You do get used to it a bit. When I take the dogs out it takes 5 minutes to get dressed. :rolleyes: Lacey has sissy feet and can't stay out more than a few minutes or she will be stuck to the ground until spring! :eek:
My truck whinned in agony this morning but at least it started! ;)
I don't mind winter or the cold, but I prefer 25* to this. :D

[Freedom]

Golly, you hit a spot for sure, this thread grew fast!!!

I think we should start a collection and bring Daisy and Delilah's mom up here for a week right now so she can experience all the fun first hand!!

The serious reason for keeping the gas tank full has been mentioned, to avoid condensation. But another reason is that, if the cover to your gas cap freezes, then you can't ADD any gas until it thaws! And yes, the doors may freeze shut, especially on the side getting hit with the wind. Many times I've only been able to open the passenger side and had to climb over to the driver's seat. Not too easy with bucket seats and the shift on the floor there!

There is stuff you can add to your gas line to help prevent freezing and condensation. And of course antifreeze in the radiator is a must. You better make sure you are using the right window washer or your wipers will freeze to your windshield and you will have a sheet of ice on there. For years Dad took his car in every Spring and every Autumn. Autumn was to winterize the car, have all the warm weather stuff drained out and the cold weather stuff put in. We use a different oil in the car in the cold weather, than in the summer, too. Then in Spring, all that had to be drained and the warm weather version put in.

I used to enjoy winter, when I was younger. I was into sledding, toboganning, and skiing. Now I can't do any of that stuff and I do not enjoy winter as much. I do find I plan my trips, based on the weather. Today for example I did NOT go out, and Sugar did NOT get her 30 minute walk. She was just in the backyard a bunch of times to stretch her legs.

When I worked in a professional office setting, it was common for women to keep "work shoes" in their desk drawer. You come in to work and shed all the outer garb, the boots and multi pairs of socks, and put on your "professional" look. Many women spent time in the ladies room adjusting their hair, and I mean TIME, with blow dryers and curling irons and all. Makeup is GREAT to protect your skin in the cold, so women always came in with that already on. Some of us even wore our glasses to commute and switched to contact lenses after we arrived. Since the cold wind can make your eyes water, that is not a good way to keep your contacts in. Many of the men where I was working came in and shaved after they arrived. Didn't like the cold on the just shaven skin.

I grew up in Massachusetts; in my 30's I lived in Maine for 5 years. I thought I knew what winter was. HA! Their snow plows for clearing the roads are humongous! My last winter there, we had a total of 127 inches of snow. That was it, I said "I'm outta here before another flake hits the ground!"

If you grew up in cold weather climes, you grew up seeming to "KNOW" all these things, it is interesting reading this thread and realizing how much we do "naturally."

[Daisy and Delilah]

Sounds like a great idea!!! lol lol lol Please collect enough money for all the winter clothing I'll need to make this trip and not freeze to death within minutes. Can I bring some other Floridians with me?? Any takers?

Terry makes a shopping list.......3 wool parkas, 5 bulky sweaters, 3 pairs of those pants Glacier mentioned, 2 pairs of snow boots...........where do I buy all this stuff? I don't think they sell it here in Florida :D As a matter of fact, I don't think they sell anything wool here. A wool blanket is a collectors item :eek: Oh yea, I can't forget wardrobes for the girls too :confused:

[K9soul]

LOL Well I'm not necessarily a brave soul... after all it's a nice comfy 72 degrees in my office :D. I let it get down to about 63-65ish at night but I have a nice warm comforter and three snuggly dogs ;). Having the right "gear" is the secret to survival though that's for sure! The plow trucks here are gigantic too compared to the little ones where I grew up. But they haven't had to plow much this year! :eek: :(

[ramanth]

Living in MI, I'm not confined to the house when the temps get cold. Like MN and OH, it got down to the -20's with the windchill Sunday and Monday. I still leave the house to go to work or run errands.

Kia loves to be out in it, but I'm finding the Chipper doesn't like to be out for longer than 15 minutes. He starts to cry and hop from foot to foot, so we've been keeping trips outside short.

I love snow and playing in it, but don't care for the single digits and the negative windchill numbers.

Like everyone else, I just let the car run longer before driving off to give the engine time to properly warm up. :) I've never had to plug any of my cars in though.

[Catlady711]

When I woke up this morning our thermometer said -6°F, wind chill was -20°F! :eek: Many of the area schools delayed for 2 hours, although I though that was pointless as the HIGH temp today was still in the single digits!

I had to warm up the car for 20 minutes and it still wasn't really warm inside, and still had snow on the floorboard leftover from a short errand I took yesterday!!

I don't like cold, but what makes it worse is that until recently we'd been having ABOVE avg. temps so we didn't get a normal gradual introduction to winter weather like we should. We sorta skipped right from late summer to winter!

I stay inside alot and bundle up really good before I go out.

BTW, NEVER pour hot water over a frozen car door to unstick it unless you can open it FAST! I did that once with my first car and couldn't get it open before it froze even worse! Bad thing was my mom's car was in FRONT of mine in the single driveway, so neither of us could get out for school or work that morning even though we could get the passenger door open on hers.

Ahhh, the joys of learning your winter lessons! LOL

[chocolatepuppy]

Terry makes a shopping list.......3 wool parkas, 5 bulky sweaters, 3 pairs of those pants Glacier mentioned, 2 pairs of snow boots...........where do I buy all this stuff? I don't think they sell it here in Florida :D As a matter of fact, I don't think they sell anything wool here. A wool blanket is a collectors item :eek: Oh yea, I can't forget wardrobes for the girls too :confused:

Don't forget socks, the more the better! I layer them too! :D

[Pam]

I think we should start a collection and bring Daisy and Delilah's mom up here for a week right now so she can experience all the fun first hand!!


I second that motion! Somehow I think her girls would appreciate their Florida home a lot more after having to go potty outside in below zero wind chills like we have had. Just this morning I was watching Bella and Ripley and was so glad that I don't have to go outside to go to the bathroom! :o :D

[pitc9]

This was the reading on my thermometer this morning on my way into work:
ZERO!! :eek:
All of the schools in North East Ohio are closed again today!

[Freedom]

Thought of another thing we do here in the cold. We have winter curtains and summer curtains. I grew up with this. The winter curtains are heavy drapes. My mom even made one pair of fiber glass lined drapes for the living room. Summer curtains are sheers, lacy, and stay at the sides of the windows. Winter curtains get drawn across to help keep the heat in. I remember spending a week or more visiting aunts, neighbors and friends helping with the change over.

I don't know if many folks do this now. The new vinyl replacement windows help a LOT in keeping the heat inside. And as compared to my mum's generation, more women work outside the home now. I don't even HAVE curtains! :eek: Just valances, same ones year round. I say it's because the cats would just climb and shred curtains. (well, they WOULD!)

These cold days, we only put the shades up in the kitchen and livingroom. the bedrooms and bath, the shades stay drawn all day as well as all night.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I came up with a better idea. Since I'm starting to feel bad for all of you and feeling really guilty myself for almost living the "Life of Riley"(in comparison)........why don't all of you come on down to Florida and get thawed out? :)

Winter and summer curtains? I've heard it all now. Who knew???

Stay warm everyone!!! :D It's chilly here this morning but certainly nowhere near the dreaded "zero"(or worse :eek: ).

[BC_MoM]

It's -33C right now, and "feels like" -43C. :(

[Maresche]

I love the idea of summer/winter curtains. We replaced all the windows in our house a few years ago but with settling some of them already don't close tight. They wouldn't be expensive to buy/put together and every little bit helps when it comes to saving energy.

Our house also has a zoning system where we can keep different rooms at different temps. For example, our bedroom is kept at 64 degrees while Mimi's room never falls below 68, our basement rarely gets heat or AC because we spend so little time down there. This alone has saved us a boatload over the past 3 years.

[areias]

It is, once again, 55 here. Cold, I'll tell you. It was too cold to go outside this morning..LOL.

[Blue_Frog]

Ahh... but the best part about the sub-zero temperatures? Staying inside beside the fire wrapped up in a big fluffy puffy comforter, with a hot chocolate and baileys and a pile of dogs, watching the fluffy snow fall and cover the trees.

(until you have to get up in the morning and shovel all the no-longer-fluffy-now-super-dense snow off the drive to get to work) ;)

[cassiesmom]

A tropical heat wave...

The temperature is up - to - 7 F! Woohoo, we broke zero! Tomorrow's forecast high is 18 F. The only good thing about an unexpected snowstorm is that snow on the car conceals how grossly dirty the car is because it's been too nasty cold to go to the car wash. Hurry up, spring!

[elizabethann]

A tropical heat wave...

The temperature is up - to - 7 F! Woohoo, we broke zero! Tomorrow's forecast high is 18 F. The only good thing about an unexpected snowstorm is that snow on the car conceals how grossly dirty the car is because it's been too nasty cold to go to the car wash. Hurry up, spring!

I have to laugh at your post. I had to put something in my wagon's trunk this morning and ended up getting all filthy. I had that white dirt from my car all over my mittens, pants & jacket. It was gross. :D :)

[cyber-sibes]

Thought of another thing we do here in the cold. We have winter curtains and summer curtains. I grew up with this.Holy cow, Sandra! I forgot all about changing the curtains! I grew up with that too! Maybe it's an east-coast thing? (Mom was from MA)

[areias]

It's now a balmy 65-70 degrees, and I was sweating while out riding my horse. It's supposed to be 75 tomorrow and through the weekend. :p

[Lizzie]

Thought of another thing we do here in the cold. We have winter curtains and summer curtains. I grew up with this. The winter curtains are heavy drapes. My mom even made one pair of fiber glass lined drapes for the living room. Summer curtains are sheers, lacy, and stay at the sides of the windows. Winter curtains get drawn across to help keep the heat in. I remember spending a week or more visiting aunts, neighbors and friends helping with the change over.


I do this also since I still have the aluminium framed windows the builder put in. I've caulked all around a few times, but I still need to keep them covered all winter. I don't even open my drapes at all during winter except for the windows that face south-east when we have some sunshine. I only heat two rooms in my house so keeping the windows tightly sealed is super important.

I grew up in homes that only had a fire in the kitchen and living room. The bedrooms, bathroom and hallways were unheated and bloody freezing. Funnily enough, I moved from that environment to Greece for a few years and became depressed by the constant warmth. Imagine not appreciating being able to wear only a skimpy cotton dress and flip-flops in December! I need seasonal change.

[cassiesmom]

Holy cow, Sandra! I forgot all about changing the curtains! I grew up with that too! Maybe it's an east-coast thing? (Mom was from MA)

I too forgot about taking down the summer curtains and hanging the winter ones! They were heavier than the summer curtains to keep the cold out. My grandmother lived in Minnesota when she was little so it might be an East Cost and Minnesota thing that moved to Chicago. I was just thinking this morning I should have heavier curtains on my windows.

[cassiesmom]

It's now a balmy 65-70 degrees, and I was sweating while out riding my horse. It's supposed to be 75 tomorrow and through the weekend. :p


I think I'll head down to Tampa and see if areias needs help mucking out. :)

[dogzr#1]

It was a 'chilly' 75 degrees today with party cloudy skies. Wonderful weather for a light sweater and a great day to be outside! I want it to be cold though! Like... having a high of 45 degrees with rain or something. We've had a couple days like that during this past winter, but too few IMO. I wouldn't say that I WANT to switch weather with some of you guys...but maybe you can sprinkle some of that 'coldness' over Texas! :p

[GreyhoundGirl]

It was a 'chilly' 75 degrees today with party cloudy skies. Wonderful weather for a light sweater and a great day to be outside! I want it to be cold though! Like... having a high of 45 degrees with rain or something. We've had a couple days like that during this past winter, but too few IMO. I wouldn't say that I WANT to switch weather with some of you guys...but maybe you can sprinkle some of that 'coldness' over Texas! :p

Well, if you are coming shopping in quebec with moi you'll get your share of "coldness" My friend who lives where I bought my belt said it was -39 yesterday, plus the windchill. :eek: Yikes! Here today it was a "chily" -32.

[Daisy and Delilah]

A tropical heat wave...

The temperature is up - to - 7 F! Woohoo, we broke zero! Tomorrow's forecast high is 18 F. The only good thing about an unexpected snowstorm is that snow on the car conceals how grossly dirty the car is because it's been too nasty cold to go to the car wash. Hurry up, spring!

WHOA!!! All the way up to 18 tomorrow? Break out the shorts and flip flops!! I've heard the weather reports for Chicago all over the news all day. I know alot of you are really starting to do a "Spring Dance" ;)

[Freedom]

Hey Terry when you are on NOAA, check on Mount Washington. It is in New Hampshire, and has the harshest weather!!! And remember, scientists are up there ALL winter!!!!

[ramanth]

Well, we just figured out why our apartment has been so cold. The thermostat isn't properly working and there is no weather stripping around our front door! :eek:

Everytime someone entered or exited the building, it was sucking the warm air right out of our apartment.

We've had the furnace set at 75 and the thermometer we have says the apartment is 61 F. Maintenence is stopping by this morning to install weather stripping and a new thermostat. :)

[Daisy and Delilah]

I feel sorry for those poor scientists, Sandra!! What a dedicated group they must be(among many others of you here on this board). According to NOAA......does it ever warm up in that place?? I wonder if elizabethann is close to that area. :)

[Freedom]

Oh yes, I think it reaches 70 in the summer. It is a HUGE tourist attraction in summer time. Youc an either drive your car up or take a tour bus. I have never driven, the road loops and twists and you are constantly on the edge of the mountain; and coming down you ruin your brakes. I've been up in the tour bus 2 or 3 times. Wonderful views!

Here is the link to their observatory:
http://www.mountwashington.org/

Another good one, with photos.
http://www.mountwashington.com/weather/index.html

Here is the story of the auto road:
http://www.mountwashingtonautoroad.com/

Alittle known factoid: If you own a Honda, and you approach the ticket booth to driv eup the auto road yourself in your Honda, you are provided with a ticket for the tour bus instead; the Honda Corp knows their brake system can't hold out on the drive back down. At least, this was true in the 1980's!!!!

[Karen]

There is a third way to get to the top - the cog railway!

We've been up, in the summertime, and while it was 80 degrees that day at the bottom, it was only 60 or so at the top, so I got a sweatshirt out of the trip - they smartly sell them - as well as other trinkets - at the hotel gift shop at the top!

Mt. Washington is the highest of the White Mountains, elizabethann is - like most of New Hampshire's human residents - at a much lower altitude!

[pitc9]

It's gotten up to 16 here today! With the windchill of Zero!

Funny thing is... it doesn't FEEL warmer than yesterday's high of 12! :o