Coldest Weather I've been in

[Worf]

Predicting record colds tonight and tomorrow. I've got an N3B coming... but watch it turn 60 degrees as soon as it arrives.

Worf

 

[Mark Ricketts]

Driving on solid ice is no end of laughs.
A couple of days ago I was stopped in a traffic jam at the bottom of an icy hill with a jack-knifed fifty three foot long truck coming down the road sideways towards me. More than a little worrying.
Luckily the driver regained control just in time, but I think the skid marks will be visible for years to come.

 

[Worf]

Driving on solid ice is no end of laughs.
A couple of days ago I was stopped in a traffic jam at the bottom of an icy hill with a jack-knifed fifty three foot long truck coming down the road sideways towards me. More than a little worrying.
Luckily the driver regained control just in time, but I think the skid marks will be visible for years to come.

The trucks or yours? Sorry... couldn't resisst!

Worf

 

[Short Balding Guy]

Most recent coldest - it was -40'F below (with wind chill), high air temp of -5'F end of last week in my corner of Minnesota. Our weather is much warmer during the winter (I recall normals being a low of 5' and highs at a toasty 15-20'F) at this time of Feb. In this past weeks cold, no leather coat for me, but I pull on a Filson Packer, scarf and warm cap. A pic taken at a different time is below. Last week when it was cold, NO way was I going to brave a selfie!

FYI: I post on rare occasion in the outerwear portion of the Fedora Lounge, but visit it on occasion and truly enjoy the postings. Cheers to all posters!

Best, Eric -

 

[Stearmen]

Digging out today. More snow Wednesday through Saturday! When I was 19, I only scooped my driveway, now that I am three times that, I do my drive and two neighbors. Something is backwards there!

 

[bbq]

No digital documentation, but in the early '70s my wife and I lived in cabin in the Maine woods. She reminded me that one night was -35 F and that her nostrils froze together.

 

[Worf]

Minus 14 last night.... At least there was not much wind.

Worf

 

[Fanch]

Yesterday we had almost 2" of ice fall on us in N Texas in some locations. Drivers here engaging in bumper pin ball activity, Texas style. Supposed to have 1-3" of snow tonight on top of the ice. Should be interesting road conditions tomorrow with Bubba hauling a** in his pickup truck driving 70 mph on snow with black ice buried underneath the snow. :eeek:

 

[Stanley Doble]

The worst of it is the SUV drivers who think 4 wheel drive makes them Superman. Not so, 4wd means you can keep going but your steering and brakes are no better than granny's minivan.

Count the SUVs you see in the ditch tomorrow but try to stay out of their way when they get crossed up.

Another thing most people don't know. Antilock brakes stop SLOWER than regular brakes. How many cars crash right into the car in front when the driver has full pressure on the brake pedal. The car just won't slow down the way it will with regular brakes.

 

[Doctor Damage]

The worst of it is the SUV drivers who think 4 wheel drive makes them Superman. Not so, 4wd means you can keep going but your steering and brakes are no better than granny's minivan. Count the SUVs you see in the ditch tomorrow but try to stay out of their way when they get crossed up.

i.e. Lincoln Navigator or some similar p.o.s. is usually the first vehicle in the ditch.

Another thing most people don't know. Antilock brakes stop SLOWER than regular brakes. How many cars crash right into the car in front when the driver has full pressure on the brake pedal. The car just won't slow down the way it will with regular brakes.

Yes and no. I've had both and despite certain situational drawbacks, I'll still take the car with ABS than without. Unless we're talking a Sunfire with ABS versus a 1980s BMW or MB without. The ABS on my 1987 E28 stopped working around 1999 or 2000 and it wasn't worth fixing since the car was so well sorted out I did fine without.

 

[Doctor Damage]

Yesterday we had almost 2" of ice fall on us in N Texas in some locations. Drivers here engaging in bumper pin ball activity, Texas style. Supposed to have 1-3" of snow tonight on top of the ice. Should be interesting road conditions tomorrow with Bubba hauling a** in his pickup truck driving 70 mph on snow with black ice buried underneath the snow. :eeek:

Several years back I was on a divided highway in slippery conditions during rush hour. The inevitable sudden panic stop arrived on schedule and everyone slammed on the brakes. The cars slid to a stop in a straight line. The SUVs started rocking side to side but came to a stop in a straight line, barely. The pickup trucks started fishtailing and almost caused accidents. Pickup trucks are for carrying cargo and should be driven by farmers and construction workers. SUVs should be driven by people who need to have enclosed passenger and cargo space for off-road use. Cars should be driven by everyone else, which is 99.99999999% of people. Yeah, I know, I'm a "freedom hater" and I'm trying to ruin people's "god given right to drive whatever they want" but I have a right to be safe on public roads, which by the way I pay for.

 

[Stearmen]

40s yesterday, but back to freezing, then rain followed by snow! Which reminds me, we have two seasons here, winter and "Road Construction!"

 

[Spoonbelly]

Tuesday morning the temp was approx. (-11) - (-12) here in NY , 60 miles north of NYC. I don't remember anything colder then that.

 

[Mark Ricketts]

If the talk is about pick up trucks, my opinion is that all North American ones are insane. They may be fine as a tractor unit for towing a trailer, but as a work vehicle, the bed is too high, engine too big, payload about good enough to carry a teabag, and all in all they are too flash (just like the people who drive them). Once you start driving a rear wheel drive on ice, with no weight over the drive wheels, it is a disaster in the making.
For a work truck you cannot beat the old Peugeot 504, or the Third World's paramilitary truck of choice, the Toyota HiLux, and if you don't need a work truck, you don't need a truck.

Back on topic, my old wool coats are getting threadbare, but when the windchill is pushing minus forty, my new leather jerkin over the top made the difference between comfort and misery.

 

[IXL]

In Oklahoma, we have a saying: "If you're only gonna have one car, it needs to be a truck."

 

[Fanch]

Bubba is alive and well in Oklahoma (and Texas). This morning we got only a light dusting of snow. I imagine Oklahoma didn't escape though.

 

[xOUTLAWx]

-25 yesterday and I can tell you that heavier hide isn't warmer than light goat or lamb. LOL. It's all liner.

 

[bbq]

Bubba is alive and well in Oklahoma (and Texas). This morning we got only a light dusting of snow. I imagine Oklahoma didn't escape though.

And Maine. 70+ car/truck pileup near Bangor. And we're supposed to know how to drive in this stuff.

 

[Stand By]

Even though this has now been officially named as the coldest February in 100 years, I'm riding the park systems to and from work (testament to how much I loathe taking public cattle cars!) and last Thursday I rode in to work and nothing was out of the ordinary ...
On the way home, I came across an igloo (!) - like it just sprang up! And not just an igloo but iceworks too! I'm used to seeing the odd snowman, but this says it all!
I put my bike beside it to give a sense of scale.

 

[Stanley Doble]

I switched from pickup trucks to minivans about 15 years ago. Cheaper to buy, cheaper on gas, better ride, more comfortable, safer, front wheel drive makes driving in snow, rain and ice a breeze. Will do about 90% of what a pickup will, and for other times, like when I have to haul a stove or fridge, or make a dump run, I have a trailer. The trailer only gets used 3 or 4 times a year and is actually more convenient than a pickup in most cases. For example when I am doing a renovation job I can park the trailer next to the house and throw all the junk in as I work, when it is full after a week or so just hook up and go to the dump. This saves handling all the junk twice.