How cold ARE you?

[PairoDocs]

Follow up for weather prediction. The ice fog or "freezing fog" continues, though thinner at times. The temperatures did not make it up into the predicted 40s, but instead the low was 23° F and high 29° F yesterday, and about 40 miles south of us in Jackpot, NV, where the skies were clear it was 14° F at night and about 41° F for high. Today's temperatures were similar with 22° and 30° low and high respectively the slightly wider range due to thinner fog. Twice in a row the weather forecasters predicted highs in the 40s, though tonight the weekend weather 'anchor' (really a reporter) is predicting highs in the low 30s (the meteorologist was the one who did the incorrect high predictions for the valleys).

Unlike the rest of you, who are experiencing high winds and bitter cold, we're just enjoying naturally flocked trees with currently half inch long ice needles. Very pretty, but it's getting boring--not a puff of wind even in the mountains for days. Great tubing weather in the mountains Saturday for my 47th birthday (and annual tubing trip for my kids' Tae Kwon Do school)--nice and sunny above the fog. The family-owned Magic Mountain Ski area's parking lot was packed with folks escaping the fog--probably over 1500 people there that day. The owners seemed very happy Saturday.

My sister in Santa Rosa, CA reported that she actually got overheated on a recent bicycle ride, and discovered the high was 84° F. In January??? Seems that same high that's causing us the ice fog is causing an extended mid-winter drought in northern California with unseasonable heat during the day, yet frost at night. Just 4-7 inches of rain so far there, whereas the normal season is close to 20-25 inches of rain by this part of winter. If the drought continues, it could result in large numbers of trees dying. Be glad for the snow and moisture accompanying your cold weather, because it could be worse...

Chris

 

[Mary]

It sounds like you had a great birthday excursion, Chris.
We experience freezing fog infrequently, thank goodness, and it creates havoc on our roadways.

 

[geckley]

Speaking of roadways. Did you guys see the post about the 40 car pile up here in Maryland? Sorry to say it killed 2 people but reading the article it goes to show how bad the people in my state are. They caused that much destruction over 1.5 INCHES I repeat INCHES of snow. It's not 1.5 feet. The people here make a flurry look like the blizzard that took out the Donner party. I'm glad I'm still rehabbing at home. Good thing school was already closed or they would have shut them down for the next 2 days also.

 

[aussigal]

Gee...you guys are freezing, I have absolutely no concept of how cold -40F is let alone trying to adjust it to Celcius...how do you manage to live with it so cold?...

its been 100F-110F here for a month or more now and I have considered moving into the fridge.

 

[Dina]

Gee...you guys are freezing, I have absolutely no concept of how cold -40F is let alone trying to adjust it to Celcius...how do you manage to live with it so cold?...

its been 100F-110F here for a month or more now and I have considered moving into the fridge.

Thanks for making me feel better!
I'd much rather have the cold than it be 100 degrees.
A close friend loves the heat also,we can never agree on what time
of year is best for recreation. She wants to go to the beach,I want to
go hiking and stay in an autumn cabin

 

[PairoDocs]

Aussigal,

I think that you could adjust to the cold if you had to. When my wife and I lived in Anchorage, Alaska, we saw American Samoans (yes as in the islands in the neighborhood of Western Samoa, record high 90° F and low 69° F) wearing shorts in 0° F (-18° C) weather (with good jackets of course!). I suspect, unless you're Aborigine you're of at least part northern European descent. You'd do fine with northern hemisphere winter cold.

I hope your sunscreen is on because of the sun being 4% closer in your summer (Perihelion January 4th) than in ours (and that infamous ozone hole). I'd be willing to do that for 10 years so we could absorb the incredible southern skies at night. We don't see Crux, Carina (nebula or anything else), Centaurus (a little bit visible up here, but not Alpha--the closest bright star), nor either of the Magellenic Clouds. A few folks in Florida or southern Texas can see Crux, but only in mid Spring. We got a humid murky view from American Samoa of these sights, but even then they were spectacular.

If my wife and I become "snowbirds" then we'd probably not stop at Arizona but go to New Zealand or Australia (outback preferred for dark skies)--if we can afford it and ever get around to getting our passports.

Fog here halfway broken up today, but is back for one final night, then the wind is supposed to return tomorrow.

Chris

 

[Lisa in Katy]

Pssssst! Don't tell anyone, but it rarely gets below freezing here! Today was a gorgeous, but windy, day. I think it started out around 40 and climbed up near 70. I read a warning today about grass fires because it has been so dry (only 50% humidity) and windy lately.

 

[PairoDocs]

Official Twin Falls, ID airport temperatures. Low: 26° F; High: 27° F Socked in with ice fog of course.

Here's a picture of one of our bush cherries covered with hoarfrost from the ice fog. The needles are about half an inch long. Very beautiful.

Chris

 

[Freddie]

I've been out of town but;
Last Wednesday in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada, it was -52F with the wind.

YOU want to talk about COLD!!!!

 

[Phyllis]

We have a freeze warning in effect from midnight tonight into Wed. morning- wind chill of 35 degrees in sunny FL!!