Thursday, January 3, 2008

The arithmetic of really, really cold

This morning, at 8:15, it was four degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. For those of you who have not spent a lot of time in that kind of weather, here is the best way to describe it I can think of:
-Think about what it's like when it's, say, 80 degrees. And think about how you're likely to be dressed in that weather to keep yourself comfortable.
-Now, think about what it's like when it's 38 degrees. And think about how much more clothing you put on to keep yourself comfortable there.
-Four degrees below zero is that much colder than 38, but if you're me, you're wearing essentially the same clothing you were at 38, with perhaps some slight modifications.
It's really, really cold.

Also: I drive little enough, and my car heater is slow enough, that the snow I tracked into my car two days ago is still snow, rather than a puddle.

Also: All this snow and cold inevitably leads to jokes about how global warming isn't real. Sigh. If you are inclined to make those jokes, even if you don't really believe them, know that you're wearing the rest of us out. There's a paragraph on why all this cold and snow is actually evidence of global warming here, at the end of the "Greenhouse Effect" section. As a friend of mine said a few weeks back: "That's three near-foot snows in a week — before Christmas. This place is going under."

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Negative 4 is nothing.
Negative 9 in Jerusalem. But sun shine makes it feel warmer somehow.

bzzzzgrrrl said...

I will say that it's actually beautiful and sunny here, if you're not out in it, or if you have enough clothes on.

I will also say that I was briefly confused, because my impression of Jerusalem is that it's a good bit warmer. Other readers, I have reason to believe the commenter above is in Jerusalem, Vermont.

Anonymous said...

It's only 26 here, but it was enough to make James change from his summer jacket to his winter coat. Once I found it among the costumes in the attic. The bear suit would also have been quite warm, I think. Maybe tomorrow, since he doesn't have a real hat.

Lisa Clarke said...

Oh, brrrr. It was 10 degrees waiting for the school bus this morning, and that was cold enough for me!

I love your way of describing just how cold it is, and you are so right! The only thing I'm doing differently is wearing a pair of mittens Really I should have dug up some long johns and, at the very least, a HAT.

bzzzzgrrrl said...

Jerusalem, Israel, is indeed warmer, but not always a lot warmer.