Why do Northerners brag about Winter toughness but... (estate, transit)
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You are mistaking what I'm trying to say. I know you are not asking for our sympathy (and don't care). Maybe this will better explain it - say its 87 degrees in Minneapolis and we call you up on the phone and you live in for example Houston where it is 105 degrees and say something to you along the lines of how hot it is here in Minneapolis. What would your reaction be to that statement if you were living in Houston?
Also your definition of a cold front is incorrect. A cold front isn't what brings the cold air down that far south in the winter time. A strong low pressure (which rotates counter-clockwise) draws arctic air from the north down south (so a cold front can and does come through many times but doesn't really drastically affect the temperatures if there isn't any arctic air behind the cold front). In other words, if its in the 30s down south it is almost always well below that in the north since that is where the cold air is coming from and is thus 'entrenched' deeper into the arctic air from the north.
Plus temperatures are only part of the story. Yes we often times go through stretches up north where the high temperature doesn't get above '0' for several days in a row at a time but we also deal with 'wind chills' that are regularly well below '0' and often times -20 or -30 or even colder. This is the true killer up north - not just the air temperature. I've personally seen it many times where you can take a warm glass of water and throw it outside and have it instantly turn to ice/snow before it hits the ground...now thats cold!
In the summer months I would say high dewpoints/humidity is just as dangerous if not more dangerous then the temperatures. I realize the dewpoints down south are typically higher then they are up north. However, there are at least a few months out of the year where they are similar. However, I would argue that it gets more humid at times up north in the 'corn belt' as the corn soaks up the moisture and tends to 'radiate' it if that makes sense - kind of hard to explain unless you have experienced it but you can definitely feel the difference near a corn field.
That's disgusting especially being able to throw warm water and let it turn into ice, how far north do you live? The record low where I live is -3 degrees, our highs are always above 0 degrees. I've never felt a temperature below 0 in my life, I'm glad I live closer to the Equator and not the North Pole (although I'd love to live further South).
That's disgusting especially being able to throw warm water and let it turn into ice, how far north do you live? The record low where I live is -3 degrees, our highs are always above 0 degrees. I've never felt a temperature below 0 in my life, I'm glad I live closer to the Equator and not the North Pole.
I live near Mankato, MN...about 45 miles southwest of Minneapolis. In northern Minnesota and North Dakota it gets even colder...
I live near Mankato, MN...about 45 miles southwest of Minneapolis. In northern Minnesota and North Dakota it gets even colder...
That's some intense cold, I live in Southeast NYC on Southwest Long Island (I know its a little confusing lol) near JFK Airport and in January (our coldest month) our average high is 40 degrees and our average low is around 30 degrees. I feel miserable during this time of year and its not nearly as cold as most of the Midwest & New England. I don't know how y'all do it up there.
You are mistaking what I'm trying to say. I know you are not asking for our sympathy (and don't care). Maybe this will better explain it - say its 87 degrees in Minneapolis and we call you up on the phone and you live in for example Houston where it is 105 degrees and say something to you along the lines of how hot it is here in Minneapolis. What would your reaction be to that statement if you were living in Houston?
Also your definition of a cold front is incorrect. A cold front isn't what brings the cold air down that far south in the winter time. A strong low pressure (which rotates counter-clockwise) draws arctic air from the north down south (so a cold front can and does come through many times but doesn't really drastically affect the temperatures if there isn't any arctic air behind the cold front). In other words, if its in the 30s down south it is almost always well below that in the north since that is where the cold air is coming from and is thus 'entrenched' deeper into the arctic air from the north.
Plus temperatures are only part of the story. Yes we often times go through stretches up north where the high temperature doesn't get above '0' for several days in a row at a time but we also deal with 'wind chills' that are regularly well below '0' and often times -20 or -30 or even colder. This is the true killer up north - not just the air temperature. I've personally seen it many times where you can take a warm glass of water and throw it outside and have it instantly turn to ice/snow before it hits the ground...now thats cold!
In the summer months I would say high dewpoints/humidity is just as dangerous if not more dangerous then the temperatures. I realize the dewpoints down south are typically higher then they are up north. However, there are at least a few months out of the year where they are similar. However, I would argue that it gets more humid at times up north in the 'corn belt' as the corn soaks up the moisture and tends to 'radiate' it if that makes sense - kind of hard to explain unless you have experienced it but you can definitely feel the difference near a corn field.
It's about what your body is use to; if your go months of temperatures over 80 degrees and all of sudden it drops down into the 30s or 40s. It's going to be more worse for us. Most northerners move down here and begin to feel the same as we do. Their bodies adjust so much to the warm climate and once it drops; their bodies don't handle it as well as they use to.
The reason towns in the South shut down with the slightest bit of ice or snow is because we don't have snow plows. Texas, for example, has more miles of highways and roads than any other state and it would be an insane waist of money maintain snow plows for that amount of roads millage when road conditions only get dangerous for a few days out of the year. It has more to do with road conditions and the lack of quality public transportation (conversation for another thread) in the South than "southerners can't handle temps bellow 30." Actually most people here like it when it gets bellow 30. That means there is high chance of getting snow which doesn't happen as much in the South.
I've heard of people down South literally have freaked from snow falling that doesn't stick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wpmeads
cold and wind with out snow just sucks. I think even most Northerners would agree with that.
I've heard of people down South literally have freaked from snow falling that doesn't stick.
It's really only the wind that makes it bad.
Lol! Yes we do. We love getting snow here but doesn't happen much. In Houston we only get snow like once every 13 years. The last time it happened was in 2006, but the best part was that it was on Christmas Day. Needless to say, we were all pretty excited.
I would agree. Low temperatures without wind are not that bad. I think you could say the same for heat without humidity.
not just northerners i toughed it out here again last winter and am guna do it again.
i remember in 2008 when it hit 47F. i can take it we got true grit here.
a former chicago resident.
I feel miserable during this time of year and its not nearly as cold as most of the Midwest & New England. I don't know how y'all do it up there.
Its not like the Midwest is THAT much colder than NYC. Sure it can get super cold sometimes, but not more than a few days, the rest of the winter isnt much colder than NYC. On average NYC is 6 degrees warmer in the daytime than Chicago according to weatherbase.com. Today was 70+ degrees in Chicagoland, and many places in New England have received several snowfalls already. Ill take this any day.
Its not like the Midwest is THAT much colder than NYC. Sure it can get super cold sometimes, but not more than a few days, the rest of the winter isnt much colder than NYC. On average NYC is 6 degrees warmer in the daytime than Chicago according to weatherbase.com. Today was 70+ degrees in Chicagoland, and many places in New England have received several snowfalls already. Ill take this any day.
Depends what cities you are comparing. While Chicago may have a similar temperature to NYC, Minneapolis is significantly colder (with an average high of 13 degrees in January while NYC is 32 degrees) and it gets even colder as you head further north and west. In other words, Chicago is typically on the edge of the really cold arctic air. In International Falls, MN, the average temperature in January is a whopping 2 degrees. I realize there may be some parts of Maine that are comparable but the amount of area effected by these cold arctic temperatures is significantly larger in the Midwest then in the Northeast...not to mention the windchill differences between the 2 areas
i would love to move up north & experience all that snow...sigh, if only i could afford it.
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