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I can provide almost a perfect analog for you. I used to work in the San Gabriel Valley of SoCal where it never went below 60F. I worked two stints on the NorthSlope of Alaska, both onshore near Prudhoe Bay (DeadHorse) and on a survey ship in the Beaufort Sea (Arctic Ocean off AK).
I went in Feb where the highs were around -10F and lows during a two or three day storm were -60F (after coming from SoCal in Feb with highs in the 70s, lows in the 50s.
My take on -60F: Once you get below 0F it all just feels super-bitterly cold without any difference in pure skin sensation. The big factor is really more wind or no wind. Ultra low T's don't feel awful with 0 wind, in fact a 35d rainy and windy day early spring day in my boyhood home in the Midwest felt worse than sub-zero calm day in Alaska. However, the big thing to worry about is that although it FEELS the same, the damage it can do happens much FASTER. E.g. you can last that 35d day in the MidWest for probably most of a day without dying from exposure but you could in 30 minutes (maybe faster) naked at -60F. Frostbite and digit amputations in even less time. Got to be so careful if you fingers or toes start to lose feeling. Get inside and in warm (NOT HOT) water!
Another example of the power of ultra-low temps is what happened to me in Alaska to my eyeglasses. I had sturdy perscription safety glasses for the job. However at -60F the steel-band reinforced plastic temples and earpieces kept getting brittle and cracking. After any period of time outside I'd have to repair the glasses with epoxy cement. Fearing another experience like that forced me to start using contact lens for the first time even though I didn't really want to.
Also, the trucks and SUVs had to be kept running at all times with a couple of guys working 12/12 keeping the fuel tanks topped off all the time. If they stopped running and cooled down the metal got real brittle and when they started up the engine pistons would punch out through the cylindar walls ruining the motor.
Excersize care, my friend, if you're about to do any travelling or working in -30!
What did it FEEL like to get off of that plane from Southern Cali into NorthSlope Alaska? How was the shock factor?
I would honestly like to visit Fairbanks in January sometime but wayyyyyyy to expensive so am settling for Minneapolis next January. The Mall of America will be fun...
I just priced it from Belfast right through to Fairbanks and it is only £975 per person. Very expensive for a holiday but really cheap to go all the way to alaska.
Looking the total journey would take 45 hours.
(there are no direct flights).
Then of course it is £490 to LAX and the journey is only 16 hours.
I'm surprised you guys don't have apps that allow you to dial a number by voice command in those cases. What if someone was like stranded outside in -40 and had to call 911 for help? I also read that if you take your gloves off and expose your fingers in a place like Antarctica in winter (South Pole gets to -120 F), your fingers can literally fall off your hand immediately!!!!
There is a thing for the Iphone. You put the name in and push siri and tell her to ring .... and she rings them.
I live in the Grand Forks North Dakota region and -30F happens every few years..... these would be low temps and would occur under a clear sky and light wind. The air is very crisp and sky very clear. I love those temperatures
I was not 'bragging' about -30 (C/F) not affecting my outdoor activities, your original post mentioned cold weather, no specific temperature requirement. I am more than willing to go for morning runs or long dog walks in subzero temperatures, I am more than willing to go camping in subzero temperatures, I am more than willing to go hiking or biking in subzero temperatures. This is what I do, not everyone has the same temperature requirements for outdoor activities, and I was more than willing to go for long walks during such weather while I was in Canada, or even jogging (hey, I'm not going to sit indoors and gain 100 pounds just because it's a little cold outside - grow up). And, for what it's worth, I did not see anybody bragging about -30 not affecting their outdoor activities on this forum. Can you point to anyone proclaiming that they go running, jogging or biking in temperatures of -30? Your post just appears to be a dig at people who are not thin-skinned such as yourself, and I can definitely assure you that temperatures well below freezing do not easily affect my plans outdoors, unless there is a severe windchill, which is never here.
Any point you have been trying to make has lost all meaning, and putting random words in bold doesn't make your point any more valid than it previously was.
For what it's worth, let me direct you to your original post claiming (or at least insinuating) that people are lying when they say cold weather does not affect their outdoor activities - yes, cold weather in general, not a specific temperature. Also interesting that you say nearly deserted, that implies that a few hardy souls are willing to go jogging in such conditions, or is that just a misuse of words? Heck, I can admit that most people would not even step outside if it's -30 unless they had to, but luckily I am not like everyone else, and I am sure there are other people just like myself, as limited as they may be in numbers.
I have experinced -10F and -20F wind chills. It is extremely dangerous to be outside at thoose temps. I would hate to know what -30F. At thoose temps. any exposed skin gets frost bite very fast and it can knock the air out your lungs breathing.
I live in the coldest part of the lower 48. Up here, whether it's -30 F actual or -30 windchill the dog still has to go outside to peeoop.
We just learn to dress for it. Coats that end at the waist are stupid and useless - coats that go down to the top of the boot are most sensible. THIN layers (silk & microfiber) under the coat, or I start to feel like the Michelin man and get claustrophobia. Wool socks inside felted boots. Thick wool mittens (gloves don't keep your fingers warm). A hat and a scarf that covers the nose & mouth inside a hood. No skin showing except the whites of your eyes. I don't wear my glasses when it's that cold because the metal gets too cold quickly.
I've often wondered why my eyeballs don't freeze. On the news they say that frostbite can occur at that T after 10 minutes of exposure, and I've been out in -30 (and below) for longer than that. My eyes are fine.
As others have noted, it feels worse when it's windy.
When you go inside after being out in the cold, the inside Ts can feel horribly hot. I keep my house at +64 F and it takes a while to adapt to being that warm again. Public buildings and other people's houses that are kept warmer than that can be a misery. I have to attend some evening meetings in City Hall and at times have wanted to rip all my clothing off. Would it be ok to attend Council meetings nekkid?
I've noticed that up north during the winter too about overheated buildings. My college had building temps approaching 80 in the winter when it was 0 degrees outside. Those radiators are always right near the window where the draft is, so they are always cranking because their thermostat is thinking it's colder than it is which means the interior is nice and toasty. I actually found the temps quite nice, it was a way to melt the snow off and warm up.
The way cold countries heat their buildings is similar to the way hot countries air condition their buildings. I keep my house at 79 in the summer and when it's 105 out, 79 feels really cold to me. Some public buildings are kept colder and feel freezing, quite uncomfortable if you ask me. Many people put sweaters on when going into public buildings in the southern US, even if it's 100 outside.
Most people have smartphones these days, not just 19-22 year-olds. The fact that you needs to take gloves off to use a phone for any reason (social media or anything else) is a significant inconvenience for those living in climates with very cold winters. It doesn't even need to be -30. I've been on ski trips where temps would be around 0F, and trying to simply call someone was a very painful experience, not one I'd like to repeat. I've never experienced -30 temps but I imagine even a simple task of tying your shoelaces is an ordeal fraught with danger of frostbite.
Thanks for Siri, huh? Just press that big round button and say "Call Fred" or whatever... She can even do math and tell you the weather...
I dont know because to me 55f is quite warm. So 55f feeling cold to me is just like a laughing stock.
I dont think -30 would feel that cold. Ive felt -20c and it was ok. Personally you dont notice the difference betwen -5 and -20
I tend to agree with this. I've experience everything down to -45F. I'd say that anything from +5F to -45F feels pretty much the same. Very unpleasant. Any exposed skin becomes numb almost the minute you steep outside.
But the lower then temperature, the faster you will feel the effects of the cold. Hypothermia will set in faster. You will get frostbite more quickly. -30F is a lot more dangerous then zero degrees F. When I was a kid, I got frostbite a couple of times just walking to/from friend's houses. It was probably a 15 - 20 min. walk, temperature probably around zero F. I'm never going to go through that again.
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