[iowegian]

Here in Iowa, all the schools have been closed for the last two days because the temperatures were around -20. And I thought we were pretty tolerant of cold here...guess we've got nothing on Vermont

[vter]

We never had school cancelled due to cold when I was growing up...it was occassionaly delayed because the buses would not start or to give extra time for the building to warm up.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by tkln

I really feel like the wind and the wet air down here off the coast in NY makes a huge difference in how cold it feels...whenever we are up there, even in the negatives, it doesn't feel THAT cold to me since the air is dryer.

Of course, there is wind everywhere and that makes it horrible no matter what. Stay warm guys!

It does! My husband and I say all the time how the lack of wind here (opposed to those sea breezes on LI) is a major factor. Don't get me wrong--minus 21 is cold but not whipping wind cold.

I saw something on tv and they said you get hypothermia faster once you get wet--

If anyone watches Man vs. Wild, Bear demonstrated in Alaska (I believe) that if your clothes get wet, take them off. Water & being wet draws heat from your body.

[vter]

Its the dryness of the air here too...I lived in Greater Boston for 6 years and it always felt colder to me in the winter there even though it was not. Why? The air is a lot more damp. BRRR...damp cold air feels really cold to me. I imagine LI had/has damp air too.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by vter

Its the dryness of the air here too...I lived in Greater Boston for 6 years and it always felt colder to me in the winter there even though it was not. Why? The air is a lot more damp. BRRR...damp cold air feels really cold to me.

I agree! My sister lives in Marblehead. The temperature is always warmer than VT there but I usually feel chilled and uncomfortable because of the humidity. Give me colder dry cold any time.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

Get a grip!

Yesterday a plane crash landed into the Hudson River (water temps 40 -- can you say rapid onset hypothermia?) and no one died.

I think you'll survive the temporary inconvenience of a hypothetical school bus breakdown Moderator cut: no personal attacks

Sorry Vter...I call my kids pampered poodles when they act like that and they know mom is kidding. Never gave it a thought that the joking around doesn't really translate on the site. I was being a prickly NYer. Mea culpa!

(And apologies go out to all the poodles who really are some intelligent critters!)

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by vter

Its the dryness of the air here too...I lived in Greater Boston for 6 years and it always felt colder to me in the winter there even though it was not. Why? The air is a lot more damp. BRRR...damp cold air feels really cold to me. I imagine LI had/has damp air too.

Long Island is notoriously damp and in the winter, 15 in VT is much more tolerable than 30 on LI. We're surrounded by water; even at the widest point, one is less than 12 miles from the water. The temperature of the ocean water has a significant impact on the weather.

During the winter, I find myself drinking lots more water in VT, applying gobs more dry skin lotion as a result of the lower humidity.

People living in the deserts out west say that "It's a dry heat" when they refer to 110 degrees not being dreadful. As for VT in winter, I like to say, "It's a dry cold!"

I'd take the dry cold over damp cold any day!

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

(And apologies go out to all the poodles who really are some intelligent critters!)

Now you KNOW that's the part I was thinking about and you said just the right thing. LOL!

[kittymama]

They keep them open in Fairbanks, Alaska no matter what, I think. They never have cold days here. Personally, I think it's unsafe to go anywhere at -40, but that doesn't matter. You have to go to work/school anyway. Someone told me they never closed school because they figured the kids were safer in the warm school than on their own. At any rate, I see I can cross Vermont off the places I'd ever live. The reason I'm leaving Alaska is the cold and dark.

[SDHomesteader]

Wish our schools would close down up here. Very rarely do they close and even if its 20 below and 50 below windchill school is still open.

Don't fret. Most school buses if not all have CB communications or some sort of communications on them. If the bus breaks down rest assured someone will find it. Especially if it doesnt' show up on time. We have bus routes up here that are on Gravel roads, Wayyyy rural out here and I think if one of our buses didn't show up on time I am very sure the sheriff would be notified.

And yeah, when I was kid, I walked to school uphill both ways in 12 feet of snow, I didn't have the luxury of a bus back then. And school was a 14 block walk