How cold is it where you are?

[Felicia's Mom]

Right now, it is 29 F with freezing rain and very slick ice covered roads. They are telling people to stay indoors. Many churches have canceled services.

[kuhio98]

LOL nope! It's -35C here today or -31F! Howling wind! Just gross!

Tamara ~ You can keep that cold! Don't send it our way, it's bad enough here already.

Current weather at Prudhoe airport:

Deadhorse Airport
Lat: 70.2 Lon: -148.47 Elev: 76
Last Update on Jan 27, 5:53 am AKST

-22 °F (-30 °C)
Humidity: 69 %
Wind Speed: SW 14 MPH
Barometer: 30.50" (1032.9 mb)
Dewpoint: -29 °F (-34 °C)
Wind Chill: -47 °F (-44 °C)
Visibility: 9.00 mi

For those who mentioned heating bills, etc. On the bright side..... we sure don't have any cooling bills in the summer! So, it all averages out.

[Laura's Babies]

Today in the deep south it is in the low 70's.. They said on the news the other night that so far this year we have only had 3 nights where the temp was in the low 30's and that is a record, normally we have had a lot more freezes. Jan & Feb are our coldest months..

[phesina]

Tamara and Lisa, and anyone else in places where it gets REEEALLLY cold, how do you dress for that kind of weather?

Here it's a balmy 20-some degrees (F) today. It actually got down to just sub-zero (wind-chills -15 or so) last Tuesday. This Tuesday it's supposed to go to about 50! F -> (50-30 = 20)/2 ~= 10C.

Pat

[kuhio98]

Here's a photo of the some of the Arctic Gear we wear at work.



But, when I'm home, I just don't go outside unless it's absolutely necessary -- and I can always find an excuse where it isn't necessary.....

[Glacier]

Tamara and Lisa, and anyone else in places where it gets REEEALLLY cold, how do you dress for that kind of weather?

Layers, layers, layers! Thermal base layer of a synthetic wicking material; I like Helly Hansen brand. Merino wool for the middle insulating layer and then at least one more layer. I have a couple down parkas that work very well in extreme cold. Good cold weather gear is pricey but it's worth every dime!

Never ever anything cotton! Cotton gets wet and stays wet. Wet is dangerous in the cold!

Lisa, that looks like the same stuff Stuart uses when he's working in the winter!

[phesina]

How about gloves/mittens? What about when you have to take them off to manipulate something that you can't do with padded or covered fingers? (Or do you never take them off outside, and those activities [even phoning/texting?] have to wait until you get somewhere it's warm?)

[phesina]

Here's a photo of the some of the Arctic Gear we wear at work.



But, when I'm home, I just don't go outside unless it's absolutely necessary -- and I can always find an excuse where it isn't necessary.....

Lisa, are you a firefighter? Police officer? Mail carrier? I can't really tell what the uniform is.

How on earth does that guy in the picture get by without even EARMUFFS?????

Lisa/Tamara, do you wear any face-covering?

[Glacier]

How about gloves/mittens? What about when you have to take them off to manipulate something that you can't do with padded or covered fingers? (Or do you never take them off outside, and those activities [even phoning/texting?] have to wait until you get somewhere it's warm?)

Cell phones don't work when it's that cold. They freeze, especially touch screen smart phones! My iphone is pretty much useless after being outside for a few minutes in the cold! Our cell service sucks anyway! Even in the summer there are lots of places a cell phone won't work at all.

I wear a pair of Helly Hansen glove liners that let me take my heavier gloves off for a few minutes in the cold. Enough time to work a gate latch or something like that. I try to avoid taking my gloves off as much as possible. Exposed skin freezes quickly and frostbitten fingers are not fun!

[Steve Arnold]

It's up to 32 right now, but we had an ice storm this morning so everything here is shut down. I called off play rehearsal and everything else seems to be canceled as well. It's a sheet of ice everywhere, poor Oberon couldn't get any footing at all trying to cross the driveway for potty but he managed okay once we were on grass. I almost fell several times, but tomorrow it's supposed to be much warmer. Hopefully!

[kuhio98]

Lisa, are you a firefighter? Police officer? Mail carrier? I can't really tell what the uniform is.

How on earth does that guy in the picture get by without even EARMUFFS?????

I suspect the photo of the guy was taken in a very warm studio by the clothing manufacturer. I just used it because it resembles the gear we put on when we work outside. It's not really a uniform. It is required clothing to keep from freezing as you go from one jobsite to another -- thankfully, I have an inside job so I don't often have to go outside. My job involves planning and scheduling maintenance and repairs on fire detection and fire suppression systems..... Think of thousands of smoke detectors similar to those we have in our houses, but add in gas detectors and fire extinguishers as tall as your house. All of that stuff has to be maintained on a strict, regulatory schedule. My job involves tracking the required maintenance and repairs.

And, we can't use cell phones outside (because of the cold) or inside any of the processing plants. You've seen those photos of people talking on their cell phones while pumping gas.... and the sometimes resulting explosion due to static electricity? Well, imagine taking a call while standing next to a 3-story tall tank of combustible fuel.... Besides, cell phone reception isn't very reliable up here.

[Alysser]

I am super curious about how you guys keep your cars running in the winter? Do they get used to it to?

It's been ranging from low 20's-low 30's all week here. Gross.

[Glacier]

I am super curious about how you guys keep your cars running in the winter? Do they get used to it to?
.

Block heaters, oil pan heaters and battery blankets....all electrical, plug the vehicle in at night and they keep it just warm enough to start in the morning. If it's below -15C all our vehicles get plugged in. Stuart drives a diesel and there are times when he just leaves it running 24/7! Where he works, it regularly gets to -50C. A diesel that isn't running in those temps, isn't running again until spring! I suspect where Lisa works there are vehicles that just don't get shut off all winter!

We are lucky to have a heated shop at home. My new car does not get parked outside if it's below -10C! I paid far too much for it(or rather owe far too much to the financing company) to leave it outside! Plus plugging a car in does nothing to avoid square tires! Literally, in these temps, tires get flat areas on them. It's like driving on square tires for the first 10 minutes! Parking inside is a hassle here(huge garage doors and at two 10 foot gates to open and close), but it's much easier on the vehicle and more comfortable in the morning!

[pomtzu]

Good grief Tamara. All the trouble you have to go thru protecting yourself, your vehicles, etc - seems like a whole lot of work - and not easy work at that. Now I know why you take so many warm climate vacations.

Do the pups have any heat source? I know they thrive in the cold, but when is it too cold even for them?

[cassiesmom]

It isn't so cold today. We went through ice, sleet and rain yesterday. It's 42F last I heard on the radio. Today and tomorrow are supposed to be well above freezing, then the cold comes back later in the week. An unusual winter.