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Cold is no big deal to me. As for what's there to like about it, I could say the same about your desired warm weather, and we could (and have in the past) deliver a bullet point list of reasons why cold or warm weather is better. What it comes down to in the end is that it's a matter of taste. Some people (such as myself) just like cold weather and everything that goes with it. It's one of life's simple pleasures to us. The same applies to people who just simply like hot or warm weather.
As for MaxSeven's point, there are plenty of physically fit and healthy people that prefer hot or cold weather, so that argument strikes me as irrelevant. Ditto for the argument that "judgement should be made when naked". That is do divorced from real life it's comical. Just how often do people go outside without clothing in the real world? Virtually never.
I think it is better to get to the core, scientific reasons for preference to a particular temperature band. It is not productive, nor helpful to recast obvious abstract reasons like: "a matter of taste." and "one of life's simple pleasures..." this reads as sentimental and trite.
I agree with you - yes there are many physically fit and healthy people that prefer hot or cold weather. They also have a much greater tolerance for swings in temperature. Their affinity for a particular environment is purely emotional, and in reality the preference isn't based on physiology, thus being moot.
The purpose of "the idea of" being naked or simply wearing shorts and a t-shirt is necessary to measure the response to temperature from a common point of reference. Indeed if everyone was required to wear a snowmobile suit all the time, they would be likely to prefer cold weather. So the idea isn't whacky as you suggest.
Take a group of people and expose them to the same temperature. Their feelings of heat and cold will vary widely. Some will feel much hotter than others, and incidentally this leads to different clothing choices. This was reaffirmed in my life only yesterday while traveling in a -5F wind chill with a healthy traveling companion who was almost hypothermic after being outside for a few minutes while at the same time I barely noticed the cold. We had identical clothing and we were outside for the same amount of time. Was that purely emotional? Obviously not.
Now, does emotion play into what environment people prefer? Sure, but physiology sets the boundaries, and I would argue it plays an even bigger role. A person like myself who tolerates cold and snow very well is much more likely to prefer such an environment than someone who finds it extremely uncomfortable.
These are facts, based on experience and observation in real life. People are different, they have differing tolerances, and differing preferences, while being perfectly healthy. That is also known as a "matter of taste", in essence no different than people preferring different colors, different brands of peanut butter, or different varieties of wine. Far from being "sentimental and trite", my point of view is quite factual, practical, and simple. Your perspective in my opinion is quite the opposite.
I don't wish to start any sort of flame war, but rather to better explain my perspective in the same way that you have done, and why I am convinced it's the right perspective.
One reason I dislike it is because even when I try to dress warm, the cold still feels like a semi-painful irritant. Not "painful" per say, but akin to having a mouth ulcer or a paper cut throbbing away. A stupid irritating nuisance one can do without, while trying to go about life. I can "cope" with it, and it doesn't stop me doing anything but it sucks.
As for what kind of heat intensity matches relative cold intensity (say 30°C being as bad as -10°C); well for me, 0°C is about as bad as 45°C. Yes, heat can be uncomfortable, but this is where is gets a bit psychological; I seem to mentally "prefer" the discomfort of heat over that of the cold, which is like a festering boil.
Take a group of people and expose them to the same temperature. Their feelings of heat and cold will vary widely. Some will feel much hotter than others, and incidentally this leads to different clothing choices. This was reaffirmed in my life only yesterday while traveling in a -5F wind chill with a healthy traveling companion who was almost hypothermic after being outside for a few minutes while at the same time I barely noticed the cold. We had identical clothing and we were outside for the same amount of time. Was that purely emotional? Obviously not.
Now, does emotion play into what environment people prefer? Sure, but physiology sets the boundaries, and I would argue it plays an even bigger role. A person like myself who tolerates cold and snow very well is much more likely to prefer such an environment than someone who finds it extremely uncomfortable.
These are facts, based on experience and observation in real life. People are different, they have differing tolerances, and differing preferences, while being perfectly healthy. That is also known as a "matter of taste", in essence no different than people preferring different colors, different brands of peanut butter, or different varieties of wine. Far from being "sentimental and trite", my point of view is quite factual, practical, and simple. Your perspective in my opinion is quite the opposite.
I don't wish to start any sort of flame war, but rather to better explain my perspective in the same way that you have done, and why I am convinced it's the right perspective.
it's definitely not only emotional... mental states and physiology highly effect it, as well as conditioning. how athletic you are, how easy you sweat, how much body fat you have, your surface area, height, all effect how you take different types of weather. Personally I hate cold weather but I can deal with it, but sometimes look ridiculous and where more than most people in terms of cold weather gear. On the other hand, I have no problem doing physical exertion in 90-100f weather, doesn't phase me, I grew up in it and I'm tall and lanky so well suited for it. I agree that I've been out with other people that seemed just fine where I have felt miserable in the cold weather in similar gear out for a walk or something. Though I can be outside all day long in 90+ and be fine. Average high where I grew up in may-september is 87 91 92 93 89 and extremely humid, otherwise known as florida.
Why do people have such an aversion to cold weather? I love, love, love cold weather. My feeling is, you can always put more clothes on to stay warm, sleep with flannel sheets and cuddle by the fire with your significant other...or your puppy.
Because I can NEVER get warm when it is cold...even with the heat on, with a sweater on, etc....my hands, ears, and nose are always COLD in cold weather.
I also HATE getting up and getting ready for work in the cold. Especially getting out of the shower when I get out and have to get ready for work...then going outside where the cold hits you. It's AWFUL.
I also HATE being stuck inside all winter. The high where I live to day was 57 and it was cloudy. Not great, but at least I could go outside for a walk with a light jacket or heavy sweatshirt. I like swimming outdoors. I don't like skiing or snowmobiling or all those other awful winter sports. I can't wait until I can go swimming outdoors in a heated pool in March or April.
I grew up in a cold winter climate (Philadelphia...I know...nothing compared to MN, but too cold for me). From the time I was a kid I always fantasized about living somewhere with warm weather year 'round. I remember being in the marching band when I was a senior in high school. We were marching at the championship football game and the high that day was like 20 with a howling wind. Despite being bundled up with sweaters underneath my uniform (we weren't allow to wear jackets or heavy gloves over our uniforms during the game), my hands and feet started to turn numb and yellow because I had the very beginnings of frostbite. I don't think anyone else in the band was as cold as me that day. HORRIBLE.
Oh, and I don't even want to talk about shoveling snow.
I left for Arizona at 18 and have never lived anywhere truly cold since. If the average temperature of the coldest month is below 45F, I don't want to live there. That's about what the mean temperature in Sacramento, California is. I lived there and their winters were tolerable since it was only that cold in Dec. & Jan. It was significantly warmer by February.
I don't love hot weather, but I will take Phoenix in July over Minneapolis in January any day.
I recently had a similar conversation with my sister about this. She lives in Manhattan, NYC...and briefly lived in the Los Angeles area beach town of Manhattan Beach...I said to her "I can't believe you moved from Manhattan Beach to Manhattan. Almost the same name but a world apart in sooooooo many ways".
Last edited by mysticaltyger; 02-02-2013 at 11:15 PM..
I certainly dislike heat, but I can tolerate it. I rarely if ever complain that it's 'too hot', even if it's 30C (which is hot by any UK standard, even in that furnace known as central London). I'm almost certain that I would acclimatise to a Floridian summer, and would enjoy its perks (summer storms).
When I was younger, I didn't really think about weather much and I thought I wouldn't mind cold weather. Then I went to college in Ottawa, ON. After a year of living there, I absolutely HATED the prolonged cold and snow. I thought this place is a kind of living hell. I vowed after my first year that once I finished college, I would high tail it out of there. I moved to Shenzhen, China for a year to teach English and while I really enjoyed the climate there, there were many other problems with living there so I moved back to Vancouver. I've travelled to several other tropical places over the years and even though they weren't perfect and I even got sick sometimes, I always LOVED them. I thought they were the greatest places. I still hope one day I can have my dream of living in a tropical climate full time forever
Because I can NEVER get warm when it is cold...even with the heat on, with a sweater on, etc....my hands, ears, and nose are always COLD in cold weather.
I also HATE getting up and getting ready for work in the cold. Especially getting out of the shower when I get out and have to get ready for work...then going outside where the cold hits you. It's AWFUL.
I also HATE being stuck inside all winter. The high where I live to day was 57 and it was cloudy. Not great, but at least I could go outside for a walk with a light jacket or heavy sweatshirt. I like swimming outdoors. I don't like skiing or snowmobiling or all those other awful winter sports. I can't wait until I can go swimming outdoors in a heated pool in March or April.
I grew up in a cold winter climate (Philadelphia...I know...nothing compared to MN, but too cold for me). From the time I was a kid I always fantasized about living somewhere with warm weather year 'round. I remember being in the marching band when I was a senior in high school. We were marching at the championship football game and the high that day was like 20 with a howling wind. Despite being bundled up with sweaters underneath my uniform (we weren't allow to wear jackets or heavy gloves over our uniforms during the game), my hands and feet started to turn numb and yellow because I had the very beginnings of frostbite. I don't think anyone else in the band was as cold as me that day. HORRIBLE.
Oh, and I don't even want to talk about shoveling snow.
I left for Arizona at 18 and have never lived anywhere truly cold since. If the average temperature of the coldest month is below 45F, I don't want to live there. That's about what the mean temperature in Sacramento, California is. I lived there and their winters were tolerable since it was only that cold in Dec. & Jan. It was significantly warmer by February.
I don't love hot weather, but I will take Phoenix in July over Minneapolis in January any day.
I recently had a similar conversation with my sister about this. She lives in Manhattan, NYC...and briefly lived in the Los Angeles area beach town of Manhattan Beach...I said to her "I can't believe you moved from Manhattan Beach to Manhattan. Almost the same name but a world apart in sooooooo many ways".
Totally agree with what you said. Where I live it gets much much colder than Philly though (almost sub arctic).
I hate the cold because I would rather be comfortable at a temp around 25c and not have to layer. As soon as the temp drops below 0c my hands get frozen. 2 days ago our high was -27c with wind chill -45c and there was no way to keep my hands warm and I was only outside for 15 mins. I have always had poor circulation in my hands the doctor said it still is not getting better.
Safety is also another big factor for me, as soon as it gets cold and snows the highways become terrible. Not worth being on the highway in the winter IMO. Know 2 friends who were only survivors in car crashes that happened in the winter when the roads were bad. Much more car crashes happen in winter.
I love cold weather but I absolutely despise just below freezing temperatures with strong winds i.e North-Westerly polar maritime airmass.
It makes -2c feel absolutely baltic (say -8c windchill), those kind of windchills make my teeth shatter.
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