What do you consider 'cold'? (Anchorage, Fairbanks: move to, areas, coastal)

[cjs123]

Originally Posted by Rance

Once the ambiant temp hits say 40 below...you really can't tell the diff. At least I can't. It's just cold.

The opposite extreme here; when the temps are 110, etc...it's hot. That's all I need to know and I don't need the weather guys telling me.

[Minntoaz]

100 - everyday in Arizona. Yuck.
90- Arizona eves. Too hot.
80- decent. Not ideal.
70- perfect. A bit hot for Any kind of movement.
60- lovely. Lets run!
50- gorgeous. Lets be outside.
40- nice.
30- fine.
20- chilly but ill still go sledding or for a walk
10- brrr. Ill only be outside for a wee bit.
0- invigorating but not spending hours outdoors.

[Glitch]

When I lived in Palmdale, CA, I found 120°F to be oppressively hot, 110°F was tolerable, and 100°F to be comfortable. Due to the lack of humidity it would frequently drop to 70°F or 60°F at night, which I found to be cold.

However, since I moved to Alaska I find:

+80°F uncomfortably hot;
+70°F comfortably warm;
+65°F preferred indoor temperature;
+60°F perfect for outdoor activity;
+50°F long-sleeve shirt time;
+40°F cool - time for a light coat;
+30°F light coat plus long-sleeve shirt;
+20°F chilly - short winter coat (typically a waist-length quilted Carhart's coat);
+10°F to 0°F cold - short winter-coat and gloves;
-10°F to -20°F very cold - flannel-lined jeans, short winter-coat, gloves, and head covering;
-30°F to -40°F damn cold - long-johns, flannel-lined jeans, parka (long winter-coat), gloves, head and face covering;
-50°F to -60°F too damn cold - long-johns, flannel-lined jeans, fleece pants and fleece undercoat, parka (long winter-coat), gloves with mittens, head and face covering, and goggles to protect my eyes;

[highlife2]

Anything below about 15 is uncomfortable, above 15 and a winter jacket hat and gloves is fine. when it starts hitting single digits or below 0 I have to start wearing inconvenient clothing that is not fun to walk around in the store but when its that cold you can get really cold just walking from the far end of a parking lot.

[tijlover]

Originally Posted by DannyL

I really can't tell the difference between 10 degrees and -10, unless the wind is blowing.

Wind and humidity makes all the difference with any temperature. Anytime I see a temperature reading, summer or winter, I want to know what the humidity level is accompanying that temperature, and/or the windspeed effecting it.

I dealt with Minnesota cold for 43 years, a drier cold, much more tolerable than the damp cold of the east coast, which I've also experienced, compared. But along comes a monster wind and?

Here, in Las Vegas, where we can get some monster winds, at times, the temp goes down into the low 20's at night here, in January, send a monster wind behind it, and? Winchill readings below zero! I swear to God, at times, in winter, in Las Vegas, it can get more brutal than Minnesota!

So when I read Alaska temp's, anytime of the year, the curiosity of the amount of wind/humidity immediately comes to my attention. But the weather map, everyday, in the paper, won't reveal that, so it leaves you guessing as how much discomfort there is.

San Diego, perfect climate??????? If only!!!!! I've stayed in Tijuana (same climate) in January, and I've found myself putting my clothes on, in the middle of the night, just to go to the bathroom without freezing! They just don't bother to put heaters in their rooms down there, and we're talking ice-cold ceramic tile floors to put your feet onto!

[cjs123]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Wind and humidity makes all the difference with any temperature.

tij, that is so true. Right now we have heat and humidity (our monsoon season) so low 100's feel stifling, and worse than a dry 117. Years ago I worked right near the water in San Diego, and the wind coming in from the ocean could soak right into your bones in a heartbeat.

On my first trip to Alaska 3/11, the coldest I felt was that first night in Anchorage (arrived 1 a.m.) with wind gusts coming in off the water. Also recall when living on a mountain in California (at 8400') the wind chill would make a HUGE difference.

Reminds me of what Mark Twain about the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco.

[tigre79]

Originally Posted by tijlover

Wind and humidity makes all the difference with any temperature.

There are lots of factors that are important. Cloud cover, precipitation, activity level, duration of exposure, and so on. I've been chilly at 60F and hot at 30F, wearing a t-shirt and jeans in both temperatures.

[sholomar]

Above 90... hot but I can get used to it
80-90... warm
70-80.. perfect
60-70... tolerable
50-60... chilly
40-50... ditto.
30-40.. cool but perfect for outdoor winter stuff
20-30.. cold but ok for cross country skiing and outdoor stuff
10-20... cold
below 10.... I'd rather not be outside

I don't particularly like how cold it stays in the winter months where I live... I can get used to hot weather, but not cold weather. I just stay inside all the time.

[AADAD]

I would agree with Rance. -74 in the Yukon my last trip down was not that diff from -30. Hard to say why. That said the cold near the Alaskan Native Med Center is always at least to me the coldest spot in town. Bone chilling....I remember sitting in my truck waiting on engine heat. that was no fun and it was 10 above.

[kit-kat-55]

hi, currently in Seattle, planning my move to AK. hope I'm not a whimp when it gets cold!

here in WA, if it's cold and raining, it chills me to the BONES and it feels a lot colder than when I lived in Denver and it was snowing. or in CT in -9. something about the WET with the cold. in Denver, I would go outside in the sun, and walk on snow in a T-shirt! but, here, 40 and it's brrr brrr brrr!

also, when we go snow skiing, here in WA, it's 30-ish, more or less, and I'm never cold. layers, and staying active. even get sweaty when skiing some days. depends on sun or wind.

k