The Weather Thread

[Thumper]

I don't mind the cold, really at all. But it would be nice once I get acclimated, it wouldn't shoot back up to 55, turn everything to mud, then fly back down.
Send us more cold air, or at least consistent cold air.

I swear I remember temps in the -30's in ND when I lived there. Nobody in Ohio believes that it can get that cold.

[SciFiFisher]

After you get past -10F you really can't tell the difference between that and -30F or lower. It's like... cold, colder, and holy jeebus mother of god cold at that point.

[pumpkinpi]

Your nostrils can tell, based on how long it takes your snot to freeze.

[Thumper]

Also, when the beer in your coveralls' pocket freezes before you can walk out to your sky viewing site, it's cold.

[Thumper]

40's to almost 50 today, -2 Wednesday, back up to the mid 50's by the weekend. Sounds like fun.

[pumpkinpi]

Yup, same here. Low of -30 (windchill -50s) Wednesday, 39 by Sunday.
We finally got some snow we can enjoy in these frigid temperatures!

[Thumper]

Well, you've got us by 27 degrees...Supposed to rain tonight and tomorrow so I guess it will get icy. No snow while it's cold (High of +3 on Wednesday). Once it warms back up by the weekend, supposed to rain 6-7 days in a row. Welcome back mud. We've missed ye. At least I'll be in San Diego. I'll just have to deal with the aftermath when we get back.

[pumpkinpi]

Ooh...getting around Columbus with a broken leg in the rain. I'm glad I cancelled my trip. If it were in San Diego, on the other hand, I would have made it work! Safe travels to you.

[Thumper]

Ooh...getting around Columbus with a broken leg in the rain. I'm glad I cancelled my trip. If it were in San Diego, on the other hand, I would have made it work! Safe travels to you.

Ha ha. Thanks!

[Rommie]

Just got back from one of my crazier weekends- bf and I went dog sledding up by Algonquin park, a few hours north of here. We did an overnight, so one night winter camping in a canvas tent (that had two wood stoves so temp was fine once they got going). Never done that before. I realized it's also not for me because I invariably wake up in the middle of the night having to go to the bathroom, and if that's annoying enough camping in summer, it's COLD out in winter!

And cold in general. Like, when we got to the car yesterday around 1pm, the thermometer read 4F. And the wind was blowing. Thank goodness for those hand and foot warmer things you can shake up.

All told, really neat experience. I think we would have been ok with just a full day thing instead of the overnight.

[Thumper]

All told, really neat experience. I think we would have been ok with just a full day thing instead of the overnight.

Yeah, but now you have bragging rights.
Sounds fun, if not slightly chilly.

[Rommie]

All told, really neat experience. I think we would have been ok with just a full day thing instead of the overnight.

Yeah, but now you have bragging rights.
Sounds fun, if not slightly chilly.

Hah, yes. I think it's one of those things where every once in awhile it's good to challenge yourself, and if nothing else you'll come out of it sounding really baller.

[SciFiFisher]

Does it count that I did that "winter camping" thing in the army?

[Thumper]

Could you have opted out?

[geonuc]

It was bad enough camping during geology school field classes. I learned the term "be like a lizard" and find a tall rock in the morning to catch the rising sun.

[SciFiFisher]

Could you have opted out?

I could have.... if I were willing to suffer the consequences. i.e. Not retiring as a Lt. Colonel.

[Thumper]

That's what I mean. She decided to do this on her own, and then did it. She didn't have R. Lee Ermey to help with friendly persuasion.

[Rommie]

26.4cm of snow in the past 24 hours! Broke the previous record set in 1968!

They canceled classes yesterday after 6pm, but didn't send out the announcement until 5:52pm for the lot of good that did people. Back to normal.

Now I'm trying to ignore my office mate who's easily offended about a lot of things. She grew up in Vancouver, and doesn't understand why the city/ university hasn't cleaned everything perfectly if they're open today. "They haven't even touched the cycle paths yet!" was actually uttered, and she doesn't even cycle.

[pumpkinpi]

I'm jealous. We've had numerous "storms" predicted this season, and all have been a bust. Mostly because they have shifted south or north. Plenty of snow around us, just not in the Twin Cities.

We were maybe going to get a foot Sunday night into Monday, but the storm shifted south and east. But schools still preemptively closed. I probably described this already here--there was a storm last year that was predicted to go south but during the school day it shifted back north. So a foot piled up by rush hour. In one district buses got stuck, and since they couldn't get to the next schools they were supposed to, kids got stuck at schoosl until very late. So that district now errs on the side of caution for closings, and as one of the two Twin Cities, when they close the whole metro follows suit. So my kids were home yesterday following a whopping 4" of powder. (With MrPi, I won the game of "my meetings are more important today.")
And then here comes the brutal cold.....all districts closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to the windchills going into the -50s. But fortunately their after school care is open, so MrPi and I shuttled them there. I would have lost the game these two days, and not being able to drive them anywhere, we would have gotten some serious cabin fever!

I'll let you know what -50 feels like tomorrow.

[Thumper]

Yeah, heard on NPR that MSP closed all the schools tomorrow. School administrators (and transportation officials) are stuck. They are either over reacting or under reacting. Since under reacting can be dangerous to life, they err on that side. We still give them crap. With tight budgets, its a waste of money to call crews in to plow snow that doesn't come. People b|tch. But if we don't get the snow plowed and burnt off quickly, they really b|tch...
It's been a long time since I experienced wind chills that just cut right through you. I'd like to feel that again. That way I don't have to get stranded in the death zone of Everest to know what it feels like.

[pumpkinpi]

What's unprecedented is that the University of Minnesota has cancelled classes from noon today through tomorrow! In the past they have never closed for weather. But, there are thousands of students who wait for buses, or walk large distances across campus and from parking lots. So it was a good call.
The rest of the campus remains open for business. We, being part of the U, were included in the "open" today. And we got a bump in public visitors due to the many kids off of school. But we are closing tomorrow.

[pumpkinpi]

What's unprecedented is that the University of Minnesota has cancelled classes from noon today through tomorrow! In the past they have never closed for weather. But, there are thousands of students who wait for buses, or walk large distances across campus and from parking lots. So it was a good call.
The rest of the campus remains open for business. We, being part of the U, were included in the "open" today. And we got a bump in public visitors due to the many kids off of school. But we are closing tomorrow.

And now it's changed to essential employees only! Guess I'm staying home tomorrow. Gee, darn.....

[Swift]

I don't usually get worked up about the weather, but the threat of this polar vortex has me worked up. I don't know if it is all the media hype (justified or not) or I'm just getting more anxious as I get older, or both.

[pumpkinpi]

What specifically makes you anxious? Anything you think that will effect you personally?

I just opened my front door to a -50F windchill. My hand burned on the storm door handle, on the inside, after just a couple seconds.

MrPi and I were both worried that our furnace went out, when the temp dropped rapidly outside tonight and it just couldn't keep up. But it's working, and I'm now settled in with 5 layers of pjs and 4 blankets for a cozy night!

[Thumper]

It was somewhere between 1-5 when I got up this morning. I opened the door to let the dog out right after my shower and it was a bit shocking. Surprisingly, we got a couple inches of snow. So of course that F'ed traffic nicely. My car said it was 3. Temps still dropping, going negative by noon. They closed all campuses of the Ohio State University. Didn't seem any cooler in the house, though it might tonight.

Sorry you're anxious, Swift. I do believe some of it has to do with the hype. If I hadn't heard anything about this, I would have just said, "Jebus it's cold this morning!" and moved on. Now to text The Kid and see what she's going to do on her unexpected "free day."