Umm . . . 'Scuse Me, Y'all Can Have Your Arctic Blast Back Now

[Belinda Barfield]

"Attention Weather Borg shoppers, we have a lost arctic blast running amok on the Georgia aisle. It has also been wreaking havoc in the fruit and citrus section of the Flordia aisle. Would the party responsible for the little darlin' please collect it and take it back home? We appreciate your cooperation."

It was 21 this morning with a wind chill of 12 when I climbed up into the 'Frigerator 250 for the commute to work. I have a question for all of you who deal with this on a daily basis. When dressing for work this morning I donned my thermals, which I haven't worn since last January's Howl at the Moon party on the dock. The thermals have been resting peacefully in the dresser drawer between my wool socks and my gloves So, how do thermals shrink while in a drawer? Has this happened to anyone else? What is really strange is the length hasn't changed, just the width. :o
I just hope this Saturday when it's 71 and I can start working on my tan I don't discover the same has happened to my swimsuit stored in the adjacent drawer.:eek:

In all seriousness, I know many of you have had it much, much worse than those of us in the south. I don't mean to whine, I'm just trying to find a little humor in the situation. Stay warm, and may your thermals never shrink. :)

[Kevin Arceneaux]

This is one of those questions that no matter how you answer it you are in deep do-do!

[Leo Graywacz]

Hate to say it but you'll get no sympathy from me. Woke up today to a 9ºF temp and wind chills near zero. It has been this way for a few weeks now, it's called winter.

My normal dress is a light coat with a winter jacket [no hood] and a pair of thin cotton gloves. 20ºF isn't that cold but when you get below that I might put a hat on. If there is snow and I am shoveling it I will put on a pair of real gloves, just because the cotton ones get wet easily. Usually have to open up my jacket to shovel snow. I only use thermals when it gets cold, like below zero for a few days.

So it is just what you are accustom to.

And I've got it easy, I feel bad for those folks up in Canada where it routinely gets to -20ºF or lower.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Oh...I"m loving this!


Hey Belinda.....it was 54º F here yesterday.....55ºF the day before!


:D

[Joe Pelonio]

This is one of those few times when I can be happy about our weather. Yesterday it was sunny and reached 54F, this morning the low is 42.

[Belinda Barfield]

Oh...I"m loving this!


Hey Belinda.....it was 54º F here yesterday.....55ºF the day before!


:D

I figured you would Ken! :p:p:p:D

[Belinda Barfield]

This is one of those questions that no matter how you answer it you are in deep do-do!

Nah, Kevin. I know the answer, and the solution. I'll add another mile on the treadmill tonight, or however many steps that is on the elliptical. I'm working on it! I'm actually appreciate it if my SO says, "Hey, you're getting a little broad on the backside there honey." It only hurts for a minute or two! :rolleyes: (me, not him)

[Doug Shepard]

-4F according to my thermometer this morning. That was w/o wind chill but fortunately there's not much wind. We've learned not to lick metal structures hearabouts when it gets this cold:D

[Robert Parrish]

This has been the strangest winter I've seen here in Florida in years. We rarely have a hard freeze but we did last night. The farmers have suffered a lot of damage to their crops. When I installed the A/C in my shop I decided not to add the heat portion which was an extra $1000. I figured the half dozen days I would need it wasn't worth the price. Bad decision!!

[Matt Meiser]

-10F here this morning according to the WeatherBug station at our middle school. No wind chill luckily, but later today the temp is supposed to climb to about 20, but with pretty good winds bringing the windchills back below 0. That's REALLY cold for here. We've had a constant snow pack since Jan 9/10th which is very unusual for us.

[David G Baker]

Got up during the night, read the thermometer, -7F. Right now it is a balmy +6.
Went shopping yesterday, in the parking lot of Home Depot my car thermometer read +11, the wind was blowing and I was as cold as I have ever been because I didn't have my cold weather gear on. Didn't plan ahead.
According to the weather folks it is going to get up into the high 30s to the low 40s this weekend. Bring out the suntan lotion. :D

[John Schreiber]

I've been working in my unheated* shop recently and I've learned to put my block plane and other all metal tools in my pockets to warm them up before using them. My hands just can't use them when they are at "room temperature." Of course, there's nothing like putting an ice cold block plane in your pocket to wake you up.

*Attached to the house and insulated, so it doesn't get below 32°. I also use a space heater when I'm out there.

[Belinda Barfield]

Of course, there's nothing like putting an ice cold block plane in your pocket to wake you up.

I think I'll leave that to you professionals!

[Stephan Postmus]

-13 F in Kitchener Ontario right now 958am. Really cold. This am was -18F.

Stephan

[Gord Pat]

Gee -18 F. eh!

[Leo Graywacz]

-18F, just like summer....

[Art Mulder]

-10F here this morning according to the WeatherBug station at our middle school. No wind chill luckily,

Yup, -23c for us (-9F) this morning. Brrr. But Saturday the forecast is +7c! (44F). I fear for my backyard rink. But it should go below freezing at night. We'll see.


I have a question for all of you who deal with this on a daily basis. When dressing for work this morning I donned my thermals, which I haven't worn since last January

I'll not comment on the Thermals shrinking. Though my beloved has taken to borrowing mine since they seem to fit her better than hers do. I'm a smart boy and just tell her she's welcome to them, and she looks fine. ;)

But I hear you on the staying warm. I had to add another layer this morning as I biked to work in -20c weather. It's all about the layering. I had 5 layers on top: regular t-shirt, long-sleeve cycling T, knitted sweater, light summer jacket, and water/wind-proof cycling jacket on top. Two layers on my hands: thin knitted gloves inside big ski-mittens. No thermals though, I find just a pair of jeans and a pair of nylon jogging pants overtop are enough to cut the wind and trap the warm air.

I'm usually sweating a bit at the end of my 4km (2.5mi) ride to work.

I'm good for 3 more weeks. And then I've had enough. I want spring in March! Early march! :p;)

...art

[Belinda Barfield]

I'm good for 3 more weeks. And then I've had enough. I want spring in March! Early march! :p;)

...art

I'm with you on the early spring, which usually does arrive for us in March. St. Patrick's day is a really big holiday here, we take two days off this year, day of and day after. Most years are T-shirt and jeans or shorts weather. Five of six years ago the high was around 40 on St. Pat's. We headed down to River Street around 5 p.m. We were waiting to go through the check point onto River Street and it was really cold. A tug boat came by spraying green water into the air and I realized the mist was freezing before it his us. I can't remember the last time I have been that cold, and that was with "anti freeze" on board. I'm really hoping for warm weather come March 17th!

[Stephan Postmus]

That is even colder. It was -29 c this morning around 700am. You know its cold when the dog does its business on the porch and comes right back in.

[Brian Effinger]

It was 21 this morning with a wind chill of 12

Hate to say it but you'll get no sympathy from me. Woke up today to a 9ºF temp and wind chills near zero. It has been this way for a few weeks now, it's called winter.
No sympathy for either of you! It was -6*F this morning with the WC around -20. Of course, I too feel bad for the people up in Canada - I couldn't even imagine -30 or -40 :eek:
And this is really a crazy winter. In two days it will be 45 or 50 above here - shorts weather :D It has been one wild, snowy, roller coaster ride.

[Jim Becker]

Yea, really. I want it gone. I got back from Dallas late last night and was not pleased to find the snow and low temps I returned to...

[Matt Meiser]

You are lucky. Last time I was in Dallas (December) it was in the 20's with ice/snow, and of course you people down there don't know how to drive in it. Then I was in St. Louis--20's. Then Kansas City -- close to 0 and the last day it snowed and again you people over there don't know how to drive in it. Then I went to Warner Robins GA and it was in the low 20's. So, yeah, its been cold all over this winter. Its much preferable to be back home at -10 because at least I don't have to go out if I don't want to!

[Chris Padilla]

Ah, California.... :)

[Art Mulder]

Of course, I too feel bad for the people up in Canada - I couldn't even imagine -30 or -40

Hahahahaha! :p:p:p

I've always felt sorry for the people (like you) who live in Buffalo!! :D
You guys always get hammered with lousy weather. That's what you get from putting a city at the East end of a whacking great big lake.

...art

ps: Matt, I hear ya about people not knowing how to drive in it. Furthermore, This year we bought snow tires, and it has made a huge huge difference in our driving comfort.

[Brian Effinger]

Hahahahaha! :p:p:p

I've always felt sorry for the people (like you) who live in Buffalo!! :D
You guys always get hammered with lousy weather. That's what you get from putting a city at the East end of a whacking great big lake.

...art

Fortunately the lake is really shallow and is nearly frozen over. Of course Lake Ontario isn't (way too deep) and on the north side of town (where I live) it is really easy to get lake effect snow if the winds are blowing from the north. It will be interesting to see what happens when things start thawing again this weekend and next week.

[Belinda Barfield]

Then I went to Warner Robins GA and it was in the low 20's.

Ahh . . . Warner Robins. One of two places in Georgia where you actually sweat while taking a cool shower. (the other being Macon). I have a very good friend in Warner Robins, and she's miserable there! I tried to tell her. :rolleyes:

[Jason Roehl]

I don't mind the cold. SWMBO just wants me to snuggle up closer when it's cold. Being the dutiful, devoted hubby I am... ;)

[Dave Anderson NH]

Belinda, I can understand your having trouble dealing with temps you are not used to, but most of us Yankees have no gripe. Heck, we grew up with it and have lived with it most or all of our lives. As Art says, it's winter. I grew up outside Rochester NY and have either lived there or in Mass or NH all of my life except for a "very warm year in Southeast Asia". Winter is cold, snowy, and occasionally puctuated by ice storms or freezing rain. That's just the way it is and you learn to adapt.

[Glenn Clabo]

Aw yes...the cuddle. As one who spent 20 + years down south...cuddling in 100 degree heat was NOT so wonderful.

[Belinda Barfield]

Belinda, I can understand your having trouble dealing with temps you are not used to, but most of us Yankees have no gripe.

Actually, Dave, the change is kind of nice. I'll be honest with you, my only gripe is that many homes here - mine included - use electric heat pumps. As you probably know, below a certain temp (like the ones we are having now) electric heat pumps just aren't a very good heat source, nor are they efficient. So, we either crank up the thermostat and watch the "auxillary heat" light glow - without much effect, or we just keep the house cool. That's fine too as long as I wear my socks. :D I really have nothing at all to gripe or complain about as we are very fortunate to have heat and such mild temps normally. I mainly just wanted to let you guys up north know that we are finally getting a little taste of your weather.

[Colin Giersberg]

And to think that when it is around 20 degrees down here in the south, and temps up north were as low as 55 below zero, that means that we are 75 degrees warmer than they are, or vice versa, they are 75 degrees colder than us. Brrr, I get cold just thinking about it.

Y'all keep warm up in the great northern icebox. I think I will keep my cold self down south, and try to deal with what we call cold.

Regards, Colin

PS. Hey, it is supposed to get up in the mid 60's this weekend and next week here. Hooray!!!!

[Tim Morton]

Up here we don't don't break out the thermals in 22 degree weather...thats practially t-shirt weather this time of year...:D

[David Christopher]

WELL, weve had lows in the 20s for 2 days and I hope winter is over

[John Keeton]

It was -2 here this AM, and I can take that better than the ice storms of last week! We were without power for 5 days, with daytime temps in the 20's and single digits at nite. We stayed warm, but many others were not so fortunate. Several deaths related to carbon monoxide - kerosene heaters and generators. There are still several thousand without power.

I normally enjoy winter, but seems like we didn't have the ice storm thing when I was a kid - or maybe old age is fading the memories??

[David G Baker]

According to the local weatherman we broke a 100 year record for the number of cold days in January.
I was born in Michigan, moved to California and lived there for 42 years. I now live in Michigan again and am loving it, cold weather and all. Don't know why but the cold doesn't really bother me like it did when I was a kid. The difference is probably that I am retired and don't have to work out in it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

I grew up in Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and a town in southern Illnios. My wife is from central Illinois.

We spent 8 years in the Navy..most of it in Georgia, Mississippi, and south Texas. Her big complaint about the "South"...no winter...2 season....hot season...cool wet season. She is older than I and she has forgotten that. Now she doesn't like the winter.:confused:

[Glenn Corser]

I grew up near Buffalo and was stationed in Greenland for a year. I have lived in Austin for over 30 years. I start whining when it gets below 65, my bones are permanently frozen and it doesn't take much to get the rest of me cold.

[Don Bullock]

Ah, California.... :)

Yep, our cold snap we're having this week the daytime temperature threatens to get down in the 50s on Monday and the low may go below 40.:eek:;):D

BTW - Belinda, my thermals fit just fine.:p

[Belinda Barfield]

Up here we don't don't break out the thermals in 22 degree weather...thats practially t-shirt weather this time of year...:D

Tim, I'm sure your version of thermals and mine are entirely different. My "thermals" are the lightest weight silk thermals made by WinterSilks. Thinner than a T-shirt. Just thick enough to be a wind barrier when worn with jeans.


BTW - Belinda, my thermals fit just fine.:p

Yea, Yea, rub it in!:D When was the last time you checked?

[Al Willits]

I grew up near Buffalo and was stationed in Greenland for a year. I have lived in Austin for over 30 years. I start whining when it gets below 65, my bones are permanently frozen and it doesn't take much to get the rest of me cold.


I know what ya mean Glenn, spent two years thinning my blood in Harlingen TX and when I came back to Minn it was in the low 50's...darn near froze to death.. :)

Not sure of the temps but we've hard a bitter cold here in January, I think its been above freezing maybe once or twice in the last 40 days.
Whether your used to it or not, temps running below 0 are cold.

Belinda I'd feel soory for ya, but I'm still numb from our temps...maybe later...:)

Al...it warmed up to 16 now....almost a heat wave...:D

[Larry Edgerton]

I knew I had been up here too long when you said it was 21 and I was envious.....

I have the same issues with my drawers in my drawers, I think it is the wood.......

[Gary Herrmann]

Doh! Thermals! I knew I forgot something when I was clearing the driveway in 8 degrees a couple weeks ago...

Eh, you shovel fast enough, who needs em.

[Belinda Barfield]

I knew I had been up here too long when you said it was 21 and I was envious.....

I have the same issues with my drawers in my drawers, I think it is the wood.......

Well Larry, apparently the drawer problem has now spread to my closet!
We had a neighborhood party last night, so when I should have been home doing laundry I was eating sausage cheese dip and chips at 1 a.m. instead. This morning I had to dig in the back of the closet for a pair of jeans that I could throw on and work in the shop today. The darn jeans shrank while hanging in the closet! Okay, so maybe it was the cheese dip. :rolleyes:

BTW, thanks for taking the blast back. We'll be back up to 74 tomorrow and I can start working on my tan. :D

[Sonny Edmonds]

Man! I don't know how to step around this one.
Ya know, there is a guy who has a refrigeration service called "Stiff Nipples".
An arctic blast on a Georgia peach brings that to mind somehow.

Humm, I guess I done stepped right in that one.
Dang! Scuse me. :D

Belinda, in 6 months you will have forgot all about it. I garuntee!

[Don Bullock]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Don Bullock
BTW - Belinda, my thermals fit just fine.


...

Yea, Yea, rub it in!:D When was the last time you checked?

Actually last year at this time when I took my dog to the Westminster Dog Show in New York City.:D