Possible Snow Showers Predicted

[Belinda Barfield]

Low for tonight 34 with rain and possible snow showers, high tomorrow 39. Our average high is 60, average low 38.

I was curious about the records so I checked and the record low is 3, set in 1985, and the record high is 105, set in 1986.

Currently 30 with 63% humidy. So, I have a weather question . . . is "wet" cold different from "dry" cold?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

So???????????????

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Belinda, no wet cold and dry cold measure the same to a thermometer.

The issue with people and cold is wind chill, which is a measurement of how fast you lose body heat. (it's expressed as an equivalent still air temperature).

Those numbers look pretty balmy to us Canadians, however I'm sure you don't look at it that way.:D

Regards, Rod.

[David G Baker]

Belinda,
It has been my experience that wet cold tends to penetrate the body quicker and is more painful especially when there is a wind along with the damp cold. Dry cold may be more dangerous when the temps are lower because you may not feel the cold as quickly.
My answer is based on my ability to want to do any outside work. Wet cold, my body says stay indoors. Dry cold, my body says, if you feel you gotta do it, better get it done before the wet cold gets here. :D

[Belinda Barfield]

Thanks Rod. I know there is a difference between wet heat and dry heat, but never thought about cold.

[Belinda Barfield]

So???????????????

So, it hasn't snowed here in something like 20 years I think, and so, I had a question.


Belinda,
It has been my experience that wet cold tends to penetrate the body quicker and is more painful especially when there is a wind along with the damp cold. Dry cold may be more dangerous when the temps are lower because you may not feel the cold as quickly.
My answer is based on my ability to want to do any outside work. Wet cold, my body says stay indoors. Dry cold, my body says, if you feel you gotta do it, better get it done before the wet cold gets here. :D

David,

I've been in real cold only a couple of times and it seemed like more of a dry cold to me. Wet cold just seems miserable. I remember St. Patrick's day several years back and the high that day was around 40 and windy with misting rain. By about 6 o'clock the temp was around 37 or so, still rainy, and it seemed really cold to me (even with antifreeze on board). I don't own enough cold weather clothes, that's for sure!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Belinda,

I hope my smart reply didn't offend you....

I just went to Wikipedia and guess what....humidity does have an effect on wind chill or Apparent Temperature as the Australians call it it when they calculate it.....

Check this out:

Australian Apparent Temperature
The Australian meteorology service uses a different formula for wind chill[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_chill#cite_note-10). They also use the term Apparent temperature (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_temperature).
The Australian formula includes the important factor of Humidity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humidity) and is somewhat more involved than the simpler North American model. However humidity (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humidity) can be a significant factor. The North American formula is designed mainly on the basis that it is expected to be applied at low temperatures, when humidity levels are also low. As these are qualitative models this is not necessarily a major failing. However it is worth noting the Australian model simply because it, or a variant, may be more appropriate to any given location or prevailing weather conditions

So....yes humidity can have an effect on windchill....or Apparent Temperature, if you calculate that...

[Belinda Barfield]

LOL . . . Ken, I know you well enough by now not to be offended. I'm relatively sure that when you say something intentionally meant to offend me there will be no doubt.:D

Thanks for the info. That's interesting. I think I'll e-mail the Weather Channel and ask them to factor in the humidity. I'm sure Jim Cantore will be up to it!

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Belinda...I hope it never happens and if it should.....I hope I don't use any of the language I learned while working on oil rigs or in the Navy!:D That would be offensive!

[Eric DeSilva]

Belinda,
It has been my experience that wet cold tends to penetrate the body quicker and is more painful especially when there is a wind along with the damp cold.

As a skier and ice climber, I'll agree with David. Wet cold feels colder and seems to penetrate clothes and suck your body heat away. I don't have an issue with 10*F at all out west on a ski slope where it is nice and dry. I'm miserable on a street corner in DC at 25*F with the humid, damp cold.

Found this on science forum: "Since water is able to carry more heat energy than air (air is a good thermal insulator) then wet air can carry more heat energy away from the skin than dry air. More energy lost means temperature drop and the skin reports it is cold."

[Colin Giersberg]

It is snowing here now, but it is so light that it might as well not be. We have had snow a few weeks ago where we got more snow (1"), so time will tell if we get enough to make it worthwhile.

Regards, Colin

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

So???????????????

...said the person from IDAHO to the person from GEORGIA! ;)

[Robert Parrish]

No snow here since 1899 but we had a lot of frost last night (27). I installed a new heater in my shop yesterday and I'm back up to 65 today.

[Belinda Barfield]

...said the person from IDAHO to the person from GEORGIA! ;)

Are you two by chance related??:D

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Are you two by chance related??:D

Only by name, and a small chance our ancestors sprung from the same gene pool. :)

However, I'm from New England, and I do have to say I found it somewhat comical when I was in Atlanta many years ago, and they had some freezing rain and sleet. The natives certainly seemed to be out of sorts in how to deal with it!

[Jim O'Dell]

No snow for us this time, but it is cold...21 and falling to about 11 tonight. Had moisture last night, so cold enough for the moisture to start freezing on the roads. Lots of wrecks on the highways this am, and it's not getting better. Again, not cold to you guys and gals in the north, but plenty cold for Texas! Not sure about the wet vs dry cold, but working on a service drive that runs north and south, the north wind is causing this old body to really ache today.:( Maybe at least the wind will evaporate the ice on the roads to some degree (pun intended;)). Otherwise it will be Sat or Sun before we get above freezing. Jim.

[Belinda Barfield]

Only by name, and a small chance our ancestors sprung from the same gene pool. :)

However, I'm from New England, and I do have to say I found it somewhat comical when I was in Atlanta many years ago, and they had some freezing rain and sleet. The natives certainly seemed to be out of sorts in how to deal with it!

Yes, we natives are quite out of sorts in how to deal with the frozen stuff, particularly ice. I lived in Augusta, GA for a while. We would get snow and ice about every other year. There were always runs on the grocery stores and gas pumps, and a good icing was two days off work since maybe 3 people in the whole town knew how to drive on icy roads.

I saw a report this morning on flights out of Sarasota, FL. The airport has no de-icing equipment. The planes needed to be de-iced so they just moved them to the sunny side and let mother nature do the work.

[Rod Torgeson]

Belinda, are you expecting something like this?

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

[Belinda Barfield]

Belinda, are you expecting something like this?

Rod<---in Appleton, WA

No, I don't believe we are (at least I hope not). It will be more along the lines of "look, is that a - no . . . oh! I think that's a snow flake, but it's too tiny to tell. Wow, two flakes at one time . . . are you sure we have plenty of bread and peanut butter?"

In all seriousness, snow doesn't worry me but ice does. With all the above ground power lines we always have power outages with ice. The forecast doesn't call for any of that for us here in Savannah.

[JohnT Fitzgerald]

Now THAT is snow!!! Holy cow. We don't get that around here....

Just saw the news article on Yahoo about the weather in the midwest. -50 degF in ND...snow piled so high you cannot see across intersections....WOW.

[Paul Ryan]

Ya we are in for another fridgid one until sunday. But the 20's are on the horizon.

Belinda,

A damp cold feels worse. It makes me more uncomfortable than a dry cold. In know I know seems kind of goofy. It is kind of like a 100 degree day that is dry, dew points in the 40's and 50's. Those really arn't so bad kind of makes me feel like a reptile. I want to sun myself on a rock. But when you have a 100 degree day and the dew points are in the 70's and 80's it is absolutly miserable. You walk outside and break into a sweat. It works the same way with the cold. When it is damp outside and then gets cold in a hurry, you can really feel it in your bones.

[Horton Brasses]

Wet cold makes a difference if you are wet. IE, if you are wet and it's cold, you are really cold. Stay dry. Lessons learned from winter camping, hiking, and skiing. I suppose these are fairly obvious but nonetheless.

Skied twice last week in southern VT, temps 5 or below with 30-40 mph winds. Kept the lines down, fine with me, until they shut the lifts due to wind.

[Carlos Alden]

...So, I have a weather question . . . is "wet" cold different from "dry" cold?

Different in the way it feels, for sure. The humidity in the air will draw out heat from your skin, so it feels colder. The coldest I have ever felt was a British winter. Never got below freezing, but it was constantly damp and drippy. No getting away from it.

Right now in the upper corner of Washington State we are having a fairly mild winter but it's a bit cool - sort of 15-20 at night and 25-30 in the day. Sunny skies, bit of wind. It's a bit stinging on your face when you're out, but other than that it's not achy-cold. Have to keep the house hydrated or the cats don't like the inadvertent shocks, and my hands start to split and bleed.

Have fun with the winter.

Carlos

[jeff . whitaker]

Ms Belinda, I have lived in a lot of places from Buffalo NY, to the Gulf Coast, by far the coldest I have ever been was doing a "shore line" survey at Benders Shipyard in Mobile. 30 degrees blowing rain and sleet, walking in mud, muck and the good Lord only knows what else fo 10 hours. I went to bed that night still cold...:eek:

[Belinda Barfield]

Ms Belinda, I have lived in a lot of places from Buffalo NY, to the Gulf Coast, by far the coldest I have ever been was doing a "shore line" survey at Benders Shipyard in Mobile. 30 degrees blowing rain and sleet, walking in mud, muck and the good Lord only knows what else fo 10 hours. I went to bed that night still cold...:eek:

I understand Jeff. I remember a hunting trip that was so cold my kneecaps were still cold the next morning.

This weather is just so strange for us. The high for today is 40 and it was 41 at 6 a.m. Temp predicted to be 35 by 11 a.m. Currently 39 with rain and 13 mph winds. It's just yucky! If today was Saturday I would still be snuggled under the covers watching the rain, then I might at some point start a fire and migrate to the couch with a good book and some hot chocolate, or not . . .

[Rod Sheridan]

Belinda, it's funny how we become accustomed to the weather in the area we live in.

A few years ago at a motorcycle rally in North Carolina I had a conversation with a person from New Orleans who couldn't believe that I would actually live in a place where you could get snowed in, and have to stay home for a couple of days.

I said "Well, at least in a snow storm the worst that happens is that I get to sit at home with a warm mug of tea and watch the birds in the bird feeder. When you have to stay home it's because of a hurricane, and your home is now in the next county. Maybe you should move up to Canada?"

He laughed and said "I guess I never thought about a hurricane that way, but that snow sure looks cold".

We laughed about it, and it made me think that we just get accustomed to whatever we're normally exposed to.

So bundle up and go outside and enjoy the winter, unless of course there's a hurricane in it.:D

regards, Rod.

[Belinda Barfield]

Belinda, it's funny how we become accustomed to the weather in the area we live in.

A few years ago at a motorcycle rally in North Carolina I had a conversation with a person from New Orleans who couldn't believe that I would actually live in a place where you could get snowed in, and have to stay home for a couple of days.

I said "Well, at least in a snow storm the worst that happens is that I get to sit at home with a warm mug of tea and watch the birds in the bird feeder. When you have to stay home it's because of a hurricane, and your home is now in the next county. Maybe you should move up to Canada?"

He laughed and said "I guess I never thought about a hurricane that way, but that snow sure looks cold".

We laughed about it, and it made me think that we just get accustomed to whatever we're normally exposed to.

So bundle up and go outside and enjoy the winter, unless of course there's a hurricane in it.:D

regards, Rod.

I see your point Rod. You don't have mandatory evacuations for blizzards. It's always fun to load up all the things you think are important and leave home for a few days hoping home will be there when you return. Mild hurricanes are just an excuse for a party!

If we had some snow I'd bundle up and get outside. I just returned from an excursion to the bank and that will be probably be my outing from the office for the day. I'm ready for pool time! :D

[Dave Johnson29]

I would still be snuggled under the covers watching the rain

Belinda, you need to get a dog. I was walking the BBD this morning at 7:00am (he just has to go out to pee) and it is 12F. Brisk and bracing, clear blue skies and the Sun just peeping over the hill to the East. No such luxuries as a sleep-in, he always needs to go out.

Wait, wait, what am I saying,?? Sorry, I need to get rid of the dog so I can sleep in. Ahhh, perchance to dream, but, I love the critter too much. <sigh>

I shall just have cling to the memory of those halcyon pre-dog days when sleeping in was mandatory and not a choice.

p.s.
Nice new avatar.

[mike holden]

Belinda,
Nothing scientific, but I live in SE Michigan and my relatives are in Northern Minnesota, 10 degrees is bitter cold in Michigan, but I skate quite happily in 10 below in Minnesota.
My mother always said it was a "dryer" cold in Minnesota, so we did not feel it as much.

So, no science, just my experience - "wet" cold is colder than "dry" cold.

Mike