Coldest Weather I've been in

[Doctor Damage]

But, North Americans, please don't complain! On this side of the Atlantic we are told to expect a winter like the awful last one - very windy, very wet, flooding likely, with high temperatures of 5-10C. Many of us would prefer real cold!

The coldest weather I've been in was many years ago in Norway's Hallingdal - minus 25C. But as it was still and sunny it actually felt quite pleasant - it was only if you were so silly as to touch something metallic with a bare finger-tip that you realised how cold it was.

You're right that at some point it doesn't really feel colder, even though it is. Layering is the key. And you're right about wet cold weather being worse than below zero snow weather - once you're wet and cold you're screwed, whereas in below freezing I wear boat shoes and thick socks and I'm fine since the snow never melts on me and gets me wet.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I live in a southern suburb of Buffalo, and we got 6 feet of snow in about 18 hours! I refer to it as living in the "Belly of the Beast!!"

This has got to be record setting for Buffalo, even though you guys often get bad snow. Remember the one a few years back that shut down the whole city for 3 days? At least you have power this time as Stearman notes! Here's some more pics and videos: http://sploid.gizmodo.com/holy-mother-of-god-check-out-this-giant-wall-of-snow-s-1660338942

 

[Stand By]

You're absolutely right, Dr. Damage. The images out of Buffalo, NY are unbelievable. 8 deaths so far - and one poor fella died when he was trapped in his car under 8 ft of snow… I can't imagine the horror of it. Awful. Poor guy.
And they're in for a BIG thaw this weekend too = MAJOR flooding.
So I'm not complaining about what we have here.

 

[Doctor Damage]

I for one shall be grateful for the thaw (from -10C today up to +6C this coming Saturday) since I don't have my snow tires on yet and I can't go anywhere otherwise (1997 MX-6, it's useless on anything other than dry paved roads). But you're right that flooding could turn Buffalo's mess into a disaster since they have flood warning in some areas even in the summer during normal rainstorms!

 

[Smithy]

We had -34.7C once plus a seriously howling Artic storm up in the mountains in Norway which took, including the wind chill down to around the -50 to -60 mark. Ludicrously cold and two Italian tourists not far from us got into serious trouble, one froze to death and the other got serious frostbite. Don't go up in the mountains in northern Norway if you're not dressed/ equipped for it.

 

[Worf]

We had -34.7C once plus a seriously howling Artic storm up in the mountains in Norway which took, including the wind chill down to around the -50 to -60 mark. Ludicrously cold and two Italian tourists not far from us got into serious trouble, one froze to death and the other got serious frostbite. Don't go up in the mountains in northern Norway if you're not dressed/ equipped for it.

Here... let me shorten that for you.....

"Don't go to Norway in the Winter!!!!"

There... all done.

Worf

 

[Hal]

Here... let me shorten that for you....."Don't go to Norway in the Winter!!!!"
There... all done.

A bit extreme, I think! I bet there are parts of your continent which are just as cold.
Norway is great at all seasons of the year!

 

[Stanley Doble]

I do believe this is a new record for cold and snow for mid November. More like what we usually get in February.

 

[Worf]

A bit extreme, I think! I bet there are parts of your continent which are just as cold.
Norway is great at all seasons of the year!

True, true... I can freeze my niblits off here Stateside just as easily as I could in Norway.... I was hoping he'd take the hint and we could both head towards the equator in the winter months. You know beaches, warmth, beautiful scantily clad human beings.... paradise!

Worf

 

[Otter]

Worf, are you guys still trapped or did they get out?

 

[Worf]

Thanks for asking Otter. Both John and Corey "got out" by heading south out of the lake effect belt. Buffalo's biggest problem is going to be if it really does rain and warm up over the weekend. If so there's gonna be a lot more roof cave-ins and flodding out the ying yang. No place for all that water to go!!!! It's like having an earthquake then a mudslide... poor folks.

Worf

 

[Smithy]

True, true... I can freeze my niblits off here Stateside just as easily as I could in Norway.... I was hoping he'd take the hint and we could both head towards the equator in the winter months. You know beaches, warmth, beautiful scantily clad human beings.... paradise!

Worf

Norway is not bad at all Worf like Hal says. That storm I was in was up in the mountains inside the Arctic Circle and was a real shocker. Not everyone is freezing to death over there

Where we're moving back to next month is usually between -10 and -20 Celsius give or take over the middle of the winter months, although saying that it'll be polar night when we get back, but we'll have the Northern Lights if it's not overcast or windy which is great.

I'm seriously looking forward to some proper cold. 6 years in Oz with its 40+ Celsius summers is quite enough

 

[Otter]

Thanks for asking Otter. Both John and Corey "got out" by heading south out of the lake effect belt. Buffalo's biggest problem is going to be if it really does rain and warm up over the weekend. If so there's gonna be a lot more roof cave-ins and flodding out the ying yang. No place for all that water to go!!!! It's like having an earthquake then a mudslide... poor folks.

Worf

No Man Left Behind! Glad the got out of there, it just reminded me I have to make a winter "Bug-out kit" for the wifes car, she got caught out a couple of years back and ended up having to sleep in her office as everything was gridlocked and snowdrifted.

 

[Hal]

...I'm seriously looking forward to some proper cold. 6 years in Oz with its 40+ Celsius summers is quite enough

As I wilt at 25C, I'd never visit Oz during the southern hemisphere summer! The son and daughter-in-law of a friend of mine live in Brisbane; my friend visits them in April-May or August-September, but once he and his wife were there at Christmas and the son actually apologised as the temperature only reached 31C - his parents were relieved!

 

[Warden]

Once spent New Year in Norway, just inside the Artic Circle, the cold hurt as soon as I got off the plane, but strangely after 2 days, did not really feel the cold. The body is amazing how it adapts.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

The lows for the better part of next week are going to be in the single digits. Wednesday is going to be particularly bad with a high of 8 &a low of -4.

 

[WesternHatWearer]

I spent a week on the Bering Sea recovering test equipment for the Navy. I have no clue how cold it was with or without the wind chill. All I know is that it was extremely cold, extremely windy, and I was ready to leave the moment I arrived.
I had been living on the isle of Guam for two years prior to this adventure, I was ill-prepared for the reality of the Bering Sea.

I learned a great deal and gained a deep respect for individuals who live in such conditions.

 

[tropicalbob]

A winter in Dublin. Not as cold as New York, but wet, raw, and dark. And it never stops.

 

[Doctor Damage]

^ and ^^, good posts.

It was -20C with wind chill in Toronto yesterday and when I walked up from Tim Hortons to the office, which just over a quarter mile, my ears were in pain due to the wind and I was running the last few hundred feet to get inside as quickly as possible. I can dress for that, though. It's my car which is the prob: 1997 MX6, reliable and comfy, but in extreme cold the doors freeze shut and the heater doesn't seem to pump heat to the right places. Oh well, only 2 1/2 more months to go.

 

[Trotsky]

Bloody negatives this week. Been alternating between the B-10 and the A-2 with a heavy sweater. Both work surprisingly well!