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It's funny, when other people touch my hands they often say they're cold, but I honestly don't feel it.
I'm the same way. I get jokes at work because I wear a t-shirt even in the 40s or 50s much of the time, when all the guys (who've lived here a lot longer than me) are in sweatshirts or jackets. But even if I'm comfortable my hands very often feel cold to other people. I do have long, thin fingers, which I think is part of it, along with the natural tendency of female circulatory systems to move blood away from extremities.
I love cold weather for a many reasons... here are some.
1) I live in New Jersey (very heavy air pollution) and whenever it's over 80 degrees it's always 100% humidity ... this means I get to chew on hot, very thick, sticky air. How is this "lovely weather"?
2) I exercise regularly which means I break a sweat easily. So every time I go outside on a warm day (remember "humid" and "high pollution") I feel like I need to take a shower 6 times a day.
3) Energy costs are skyrocketing and ,the hotter the weather, the more conservative electric companies get. Remember when setting your AC to 65 degrees was normal? During summer, New Jersey electric companies recommend setting your AC between 76 and 81 degrees... if you DON'T, your energy bill goes up significantly. More importantly there could be a major blackout that can last for several days! That is pathetic.
4) The weather keeps getting warmer all the time now. 2 days of "relatively cold" weather in January and everyone complains, and yet 25 days of "record breaking heat" in April and many people here rejoice, leave their house and spend the day with their friends in an air conditioned shopping mall. I didn't say everyone.. I said MANY people here do this. Personally, I don't think any of us know for sure about how much of this warming trend is natural or how much is from pollution, but I must ask... am I the only person who finds all of this a bit disturbing? I mean, 20 degrees above the geographical normal temps even during winter is now common.. I think a lot more people would be aware of crazy climate changes if the entire summer was 50 degrees with occasional snow in August.
If very hot weather really is so comfortable then everyone should not own air conditioning systems (dehumidifiers and fans are ok) and enjoy a lower electric bill.
Andy, I wholeheartedly agree with all of your points except the last one. Otherwise bravo, especially with the air conditioning and the 50 degree summer comment that highlights the stupidity of many people, and I too find it disturbing. In fact I have been railing against this creeping menace of the heat-and-sun bias in Western culture and media on this forum for months, and in recent years it has gotten worse. If you take a look at my posting history you may find some items of interest.
I would say that I would expect those who find hot weather comfortable to use A/C less and keep it at a higher setting than usual. Remember that us cold lovers usually want at least a little heat, but we typically would use it less and keep it at a lower setting. Of course there are exceptions on all sides.
I will say that Summer in the 50's F with some snow in August sounds a lot nicer to me than a typical American Summer. Bring on the next glacial!
If very hot weather really is so comfortable then everyone should not own air conditioning systems (dehumidifiers and fans are ok) and enjoy a lower electric bill.
I like warm OUTDOOR weather but find I don't tolerate it so well indoors. I just dislike bitter cold. 30's and 40's and perhaps some 50's in the winter is all fine and good, I don't want it to be 85.
However I don't like it when it's 0, 10, 20 degrees for months on end and the snow does not melt!
There are some areas, such as the black hills (east, downwind of them) of south dakota and scottsbluff, nebraska, that have near ideal climates for me if they just had a few more thunderstorms in the summer.
Those chinook winds are great.
And summers are not so humid there but still nice and warm as they should be. Sunny and less bugs. But not so hot as Arizona. Winters can see bitter cold, but chinook winds break up the cold and melt the snow making winter not drag out forever. I want to live in Rapid City, SD.
You do have some valid points for preferring heat over cold, but since I am biased towards cold weather, here is my way of looking at the pros and cons of summer and winter (in response to some of your thoughts):
(winter) icy road conditions... (summer) record flooding .. damage totaling billions of dollars nationwide.
(summer)sitting on the deck with a drink and chatting with your spouse after a long day at work (winter) sitting in front of a crackling fireplace, holding your spouse wrapped up in a cozy blanket, sipping on hot chocolate
(winter)Enjoy heating bills? ... (summer) Enjoy electric bills? Donate your AC.
(winter)colds and flu... (summer) allergies, sicknesses that thrive on heat and humidity.. here come all our favorite summertime bugs... mosquitos, ants, termites, bedbugs, mites, ticks, waterbugs, spiders, etc.
(winter) wet,dirty, salty floors.. advantage goes to summer here, however please note that when you DO clean your house and it's 100 degrees, you'll sweat like crazy and have to keep yourself clean more often. Please nobody say "I use my AC to stay comfortable" unless the warmth is getting uncomfortable.
(winter) car not starting /scrapping snow off your roof (summer) having to go for days without electricity in the middle of July because everyone is using more of it to stay cool and there's a major blackout (more common recently)
You also mention a lack of humidity affecting your home during the winter. You're probably right and I can't debate you on this issue, because I've never experienced it. I HAVE experienced too much humidity affecting my home in a damaging way. Let's just say that too little or too much humidity can both be damaging.
By the way, you actually don't come across as a miserable person at all. You simply feel strongly about something and you elaborate your thoughts in detail.. I can respect that. =)
Last edited by Andy07470; 03-16-2012 at 02:51 AM..
I hate cold weather with all my heart.
Don't want to have to warm up my car every morning before going to work in the moring. As a matter of fact it was so cold growing up in Chicago, that I use to try to hide under the covers, so that I didn't have to go to school. Shoveling snow is not fun to me.
If you are a 9-5 work person you are getting the worse of it. Think about it, your going and leaving work at the coldest hours. That being early morning and late evening. In warm weather early morning and late evening is the best hours for pleasant weather.
Warm humid weather is good for your skin. Dry cold weather drys up your skin. People live in the hottest deserts on earth, but no one lives in Anartica. I wonder why?
I hate cold weather with all my heart.
Don't want to have to warm up my car every morning before going to work in the moring. As a matter of fact it was so cold growing up in Chicago, that I use to try to hide under the covers, so that I didn't have to go to school. Shoveling snow is not fun to me.
If you are a 9-5 work person you are getting the worse of it. Think about it, your going and leaving work at the coldest hours. That being early morning and late evening. In warm weather early morning and late evening is the best hours for pleasant weather.
Warm humid weather is good for your skin. Dry cold weather drys up your skin. People live in the hottest deserts on earth, but no one lives in Anartica. I wonder why?
No, getting the worse of it is actually working outside, dealing with the extremes of both winter and summer.
People live in the desert with the A/C blasting half the year (or swamp coolers, but I'm not sure how well they work). What's the difference between the dryness of a desert and a cold winter day? People deal with dry skin and chapped lips in deserts too.
I hate cold weather with all my heart.
Don't want to have to warm up my car every morning before going to work in the moring. As a matter of fact it was so cold growing up in Chicago, that I use to try to hide under the covers, so that I didn't have to go to school. Shoveling snow is not fun to me.
If you are a 9-5 work person you are getting the worse of it. Think about it, your going and leaving work at the coldest hours. That being early morning and late evening. In warm weather early morning and late evening is the best hours for pleasant weather.
Warm humid weather is good for your skin. Dry cold weather drys up your skin. People live in the hottest deserts on earth, but no one lives in Anartica. I wonder why?
Antarctica is the highest continent on earth, so it is the coldest. There's no comparable hot place on earth.
I bet a huge percentage of folks who dislike cold weather have never lived for decades in a hot year round climate. I've done a long stint of both. Not crazy about either though climate change appears to make it much more tolerable in colder climates these days while making places described as paradise even more extreme IMHO. Just happy to someday live in a place where it isn't constantly hot and humid or cold and grey for way too many months of the year
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Hot/Cold pros and cons
