How is the cold and snow in your area? No smart-aleck warm weather birds welcome here...lol

[SuZir]

I think it is similar in Alaska, but I have never been there.

Yeah, bit like that, though big parts of Alaska are actually in the south from my point of view.

The Gulf Stream makes all the difference. Europe as a whole is much more in the North than many in North America would think- and you are much more in South than we think. For example Rome is about fifty miles south from Boston. The climate is just totally different.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Yes, where SuZir is would be similar to Alaska.
Darkness gets to us, too, but not as bad. We still have "day", even if it's less than 8 hours and most of us don't see much of it because we're working indoors.

 

[BusynMember]

Yes, where SuZir is would be similar to Alaska.
Darkness gets to us, too, but not as bad. We still have "day", even if it's less than 8 hours and most of us don't see much of it because we're working indoors.

Interesting.

We do get daylight. It's not all that bright and I need a special light in the winter or I get that seasonal depression.

 

[InsaneCdn]

Yes, lots of people have SAD here too (seasonal affective disorder).

 

[Californiablonde]

I wish I could comment on this post Midwest Mom but you won't let me!

 

[InsaneCdn]

You cant comment on weather. If you want to comment on SAD it would be ok.

 

[BusynMember]

You cant comment on weather. If you want to comment on SAD it would be ok.

CG, you can also mention how cold it's been and the snow you are shoveling...lol. Cold has to be below 30 degrees

 

[GoingNorth]

Well, on Monday, they called for 2"-4" of snow Monday during the day until 3AM Tuesday. Woke up Tuesday AM to 15" of snow. We seem to be getting Lake Effect off of Lake Superior this year despite being 70 miles South.

Right now it is 13* and will be in the teens all week with temps in the single digits at nights. So long as it is above zero, I'm happy.

I ran out to get some groceries on Tuesday and discovered that my front car doors were frozen shut. Had to crawl in the back seat door to the driver's seat, start the car, and run it warm before they thawed out and I could get them open. THAT was a fun experience as I'm a large woman and not particularly graceful.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I ran out to get some groceries on Tuesday and discovered that my front car doors were frozen shut. Had to crawl in the back seat door to the driver's seat, start the car, and run it warm before they thawed out and I could get them open. THAT was a fun experience as I'm a large woman and not particularly graceful.

I'd have chuckled at this except... we were doing the same thing. Rain, followed by sleet, followed by snow, followed by dropping temps... tends to do that sort of thing.
If we hadn't gotten one door open to work on the others, we would have been out there with hair dryers for a couple of hours.

 

[GoingNorth]

Yeah. It rained half of Monday, dropped below freezing, snowed, and was in the teens on Tuesday. Same sort of deal. Now that it's cold, the doors are fine.

 

[greenrene]

Damn. That's all I can say.

 

[InsaneCdn]

I've been working on the snowdrift, all the livelong day...

And the doggone stuff keeps on coming down.
It looks like MARCH out there... like, a winter's worth of snow piled up. And this isn't even December yet.

At least it isn't -40 out there (or at least not yet... that will likely come later...)

 

[GoingNorth]

We don't get cold and snow like you do, IC, but we've sure started early this year as well.

What's weird about this season so far is that we're getting lake effect off of Lake Superior despite being 70 miles away.

It's also colder than normal. It got down to -10F last night, and those are December temps. The coldest we usually get is around -25F, which can be brutal with wind chills, but not as cold as you folks get.

 

[Confused]

Oh my goodness MidwestMom and to all of you!!! Thats freezing for me!!! I used to like the seasonal changes but even here in Texas Im very fortunate for the warmest and coldest weather as it doesnt get too bad.( well maybe the heat is a little too hot) Please, all of you stay warm and safe!! Hugs to all

 

[BusynMember]

GN, lol, we get pretty cold.

Confused, we are used to it. When it's, say, 35 out and I think it's pretty balmy, I may just wear a sweatshirt outside if I'm just going to my car. If it's 50 I don't even wear a heavy sweatshirt...maybe long sleeves. When it's 80 with humidity I turn on the air in my house and sit by a fan too (hate humidity and to me 80 is heat). It's all what you get used to...lol.

Now I will never get used to --20, for example, but that's not our norm.

 

[GoingNorth]

Confused, it's all a matter of what you are used to. I didn't break out the winter parka until temps hit the 30s, and even, for quick runs into a convenience store, I still wore a heavy sweatshirt.

My air-conditioning goes on as soon as temps go over 72 degrees. I keep my house at 63 degrees in the winter and am comfortable in flannel pants, a t-shirt, and either a flannel shirt or a sweatshirt, depending on how "warm I am running" and the temps outside (I live in a trailer and it is drafty)

 

[InsaneCdn]

Now I will never get used to --20, for example, but that's not our norm.

ROFL... yes, you would get used to it.
Now, -70., on the other hand... I actually know people who DO live in that but I'm NOT one of them.

 

[GoingNorth]

Lowest I've seen up here is -55 F with wind chills. You don't get used to it. That's what I refer to as "stupid cold". You fool around with that type of cold and you die.

You go out and run your car warm several times a day so the battery doesn't freeze up and you make sure to drive it every day so the tires don' t freeze and crack, same deal with hoses, etc.

I have my car going in to be serviced on the 2nd. They will change to winter weight oil, winter antifreeze, winter solvents for windows, etc., all to deal with the cold.

You HAVE to run your car warm before driving in those temps, otherwise metal warps and rubber gets brittle and breaks. I often spend more money on gas for warming up the car than I do for actual driving.

I'd still take these temps over run of temps in the 90s.

 

[Confused]

Thats true! Id have to live there to get used to it Id love to live somewhere different though. It would be a nice change of scenery and probably weather! At least to visit at the least. I would like to travel to each state, yes even different Countries. Oh well, maybe one day!

 

[InsaneCdn]

You go out and run your car warm several times a day so the battery doesn't freeze up and you make sure to drive it every day so the tires don' t freeze and crack, same deal with hoses, etc.
I have my car going in to be serviced on the 2nd. They will change to winter weight oil, winter antifreeze, winter solvents for windows, etc., all to deal with the cold.
You HAVE to run your car warm before driving in those temps, otherwise metal warps and rubber gets brittle and breaks. I often spend more money on gas for warming up the car than I do for actual driving.

Well... up hear in da really frozen north...
1) we have block heaters and battery blankets. You plug your car into a timer so that it spends 4 hours out of every 7 "warming up" without running the engine.
2) We run winter weight oil, antifreeze, etc. all year round - well, except for washer fluid, and that's only because we need "bug wash" in the summer.
3) We use winter tires, which are the only tires that can handle the cold (sorry, "all weather" tires work if you occasionally get a bit of snow and temps are mostly above zero. Otherwise, they are as bad as summer tires in this kind of winter)
4) You make sure you have at least a 30-min-one-way trip twice a week, to keep everything warmed up and the hoses in good shape.

I just ran an errand this morning. Unplugged the car. Started it up. Scraped off the frost from the windows. That combo takes about 5 mins. Then drove for 5 mins to an appointment. Car not warm enough from that trip, so plugged back in when I got home, because we're going out again right after lunch.

And this isn't even COLD yet. -25C this morning. That's around 0F.

Brrrrrrrrrr!