I just can't figure out why "January cold" is so different than "October cold"? But yes, it is brutally cold right now. Worse than usual even. Very glad I'm not riding buses to work!

We were just in San Antonio and where most people were shivering in their down parkas, we were strolling in a sweater. It was in the low 50s. It's all what you're used to! In October here, 40s is chilly. But in March, 40s is springtime!

I'm in central WI. Next Wed., forecast high is -12/ forecast low -29. Brutal even for Frozen Tundraland.

Jim, I thought you were going to say that is was going to be 65 and I was going to slap you! 29 is very low for Florida. The houses and heating systems there are not built for those kind of temps. Hope you have an electric blanket. We are expecting a low of 24 tonight. I like the cold nights because I use my porch for a refrigerator and I have Company coming tomorrow night. :-)))

I have 22 below this morning! Brrrr!

marylmi! ouch.

It's a balmy -5° here. At least it is not "Wisconsin cold".

Here on the west coast, we are cruising along with pretty normal - for us - winter temps. Highs in the low 50's - upper 40's and nights hovering just a few degrees above freezing......mid 30's. But because it is clear and mostly sunny it is still colder than it would be with are more typical gray and wet weather. Forecast for the next couple of weeks is pretty consistent - no frosts, no snow, minimal rain and the temperatures remaining pretty stable.

I am perfectly happy with our winter so far but I do sympathize with those of you being whacked by Old Man Winter!!

Jim -- The weatherman reminds us that we had the same Polar Vortex over Chicagoland in 2014. DH and I had escaped to Maui for 17 years, so we didn't experience it then. We're certainly *experiencing* it now! It was minus nine here this morning; going up to a mighty twelve above. Another foot of snow predicted Monday around the Illinois-Wisconsin border. We already have a foot on the ground.

How is your Florida home fixed for heat?

-18 this am, forecast to zoom up to +6 for a high today.

We are warm compared to you! It's -5C (23F) and going up to +9C (42F). Which in Calgary means I'll see a lot of people in shorts and flip flops. And yes: there is snow on the ground. :)

It is cold in Ontario, Canada and about to get colder. Generally when it is this cold it will not snow (which is a blessing) but this time it snowed and there is ice and snow everywhere. Not a good thing since many people decline to shovel - we shovel and use ice melter constantly. We are not at an age where we want to fall and break a hip. And we have a dog.

I am sorry for everyone who has to deal with arctic temps and snow and ice. It's so uncomfortable and the heating bills don't help. We're in TX and you really do get acclimated to the temps, to where anything below 55 feels pretty chilly. And you can immediately identify tourists or new arrivals because they are wearing shorts and t-shirts while all the natives are bundled up. :)

It's not bad here in KC. It will be in the upper 30s today and tomorrow. The cold blast is only supposed to give KC a glancing blow midweek with lows from 0 to 5F. Less than 200 miles north in Des Moines they are saying -25 Wednesday morning. That's too close for comfort! Where's my long johns!

It has always seemed to me that the 2 coldest weeks of the year are always the last 2 weeks of January. I remember that, as a child, I would be anticipating being able to skate on the creek or the golf course pond then - never before. This year is sticking to the pattern.

We are forecast to get below zero temps but not until Tuesday. Yesterday it never got above freezing, but the sun was bright so there was snowmelt on the streets and sidewalks which turned into ice sheets overnight. Accidents all over the place this morning.

About 12 degrees F now, going down to near zero tonight.

Sunny.

ole joyful

I can remember (not fondly) of a time when I was married the first time. In central Illinois, it got cold. And I mean cold. For some foolhardy reason we had purchased a diesel station wagon (I was doing antique show) and there was no way to keep it warm enough to make it operate. I missed a show, and got upset!! Big Time!!

There are folks who might comment about something called "global warming" and wonder what is going on. I gotta tell you that this is "human induced climate change"" and it ain't going away. I feel bad for my grandchildren suffering from the swings of the thermometer.

Don't hate me, but we are supposed to have a high of 75ºF. today. I'm hope you all stay safe and warm.

Jim....THAT IS cold!

We used to get below zero for weeks at a time here in Colorado. We were -3 for one night....not so bad...ya know....

Hi Jim,

Good idea to have one o' them block heaters installed in the side of the engine block to keep the coolant warm, starting two - three - four hours before one wants to use the starter.

Helps!

We could use some hot air - anyone have any to spare/share?

o j

It's been cold here all week, with -27º yesterday morning, way up to -10º this morning, but a huge blast of extreme cold headed our way by Wednesday. And of course, the wind chill temps will be WAY down there.

Phyllis..,..the forecast that I saw for Wed in Minneapolis that said wind chill was to be -61 ? My grandson is living their now with his new bride and I hope this was a mistake! How do people survive in those temps?

I'm so over the cold. It's 26 with the wind chill here in central KY. Can't wait to head to California next month! At least I will be semi-warm for a few days.

My daughter who moved to Midland Tx 1 year ago, is already acclimated! Raised in KC, she complains that at 50 degrees in Midland it's too cold to go for a run with the dog. What a whiner!

It's been very cold in KY and supposed to be in single digits next week. When I took my dogs to the groomer on Thurs, I drove through a park as I always do. They have been experimenting with planting witch hazel along a fence. It looked so lovely 2 weeks before, but with the cold, it was looking pretty puny. The humidity is always high in KY so we feel the heat in the summer far more. The same is true with the cold. Today, it was nearly 40 but I was colder than I would have been in Maine when the temp was 5 above. In Maine, the sun would have been out, and the humidity is so low, the dog's and cat's coats took out from static electricity - they looked like hedgehogs in the winter, both inside and outdoors.

When I was in university, there were two semesters and the fall one started well after Labor Day. As a result, our finals were usually the 3rd or 4th week in January and we always had the most severe weather of the entire winter at that time (this was in St Louis). Misery upon misery...

If you can find a quiet spot out of the wind hold your breath for a few moments to warm it then expel into the air. If your hearing is good you can hear a musical tinkle as the moisture in your breath that formed tiny flakes of ice hit each other falling to the ground. I used to love doing this as a child living in the country but am not certain that my hearing is that good now.

It was 77°F here today, and I opened windows to get some breeze going, rather than turn on the A/C.

I'm 80 miles north of Chicago and its -4 F right now. Severe wind chill warnings are posted for tomorrow; Includes frost bite warning. It'll warm up a bit in the next 24 hrs, and then sock us with a snow storm followed by a deep freeze again.

This time, I am thankful there is a snow cover on the ground. That helps limit the frost depth. Milwaukee has a;ready experienced a water line break blamed on frozen soil. What a mess that was, water squirting out all over the street and then freezing with the workmen having to trundle through the slush and bitter cold.

We have had some bizarre weather here in Ohio, it's going to be very cold here too! Last weekend we had the blizzard with over a foot of snow and then it turned around and rained for an entire day and got into the upper 40s I think it was. A lot of the snow melted down and at least the dog could get around in the back yard again.

The worst part about the snow is that it seems as if the road crews are doing a really lame job of keeping the roads cleared off this year. The roads have been so icy that I haven't felt safe to go anywhere until the middle of the day when the roads just kind of clear themselves off after people start driving on them.

Jim, have you lived down south long enough to know how to avoid frozen pipes, something you didn't worry about up north? I'm always shocked at the people who report thousands of dollars of unnecessary water damage.

You'll probably be just fine with 29F, though. We're expecting single digits in northern Alabama.

I saw an article that mentioned both winter and summer weather and temperatures would become worse with the warming of the oceans. I can remember winter weather having more frequent and deeper snows along with lower temperatures up until the 1980s when the weather seemed to moderate bringing less tornados and extreme winter weather.

I have a confession to make. . . I called the National Weather Service and complained about the 29 degree overnight reading that they forecast. Because I am who I am, they agreed to change it to 34 degrees overnight! I thought that I might have to activate the furnace!

SE Wisconsin here, we were hit with another 10" of snow yesterday, I didn't go into the office, driving conditions were very poor. We're forecasted to have -55 wind-chill tomorrow. It's so bad that the Insurance Company I work for is allowing the offices to forward the phones to our customer care facility from today through the 31st. Unheard of for this Illinois company.

It's 6 above at sunset 30 miles north of Chicago, going down to big minuses and staying there. Friday looks like an improvement, then some *rain*. We have two feet of snow on the ground. Will we make it through without some major damage? How long can a home forced air gas furnace run constantly without needing to be replaced? Ours are 17 years old -- one East and one West. We have them serviced annually -- well twice a year, heat and A/C.

I pity people outdoors in this, or with inadequate heat. This is when the fires start where people string electric heaters together, or use propane, or run gasoline generators indoors. Poor me, I had to turn *down* the thermostat near our MBR. The furnace was running almost constantly, making it too hot in our bedroom while keeping the rest of that end of the house warm.

I notice lighter traffic all over town. Grocery stores are busy.

Eccentric, my dog is getting on in years and doesn't need to be walked in cold, icy weather. But a few weeks ago my neighbors were out of town and I took care of their 2 dogs who must be walked in order to potty. We had had snow and I was never so grateful for our neighborhood, as nearly everyone had shoveled. I, too, fear falling and being laid up in this winter weather. I did get a pair of these spikes and they are fantastic. Be careful!

Chisue, you must be not-too-far from me, I'm near Fort Sheridan. I'm keeping my office door open so that all its heat (it seems to get the first heat from the furnace) wafts through the rest of the house. But poor cats, their litter box is in the laundry, which is above the unheated, uninsulated crawl space, beyond the unheated, uninsulated half of the basement, so any air that makes it to the laundry room vent has lost its warmth.

I did notice, as I walked in the door at 5:30, that it isn't pitch dark at 5:30 anymore. Spring is just around the corner!

The bright side is, with the cold the snow isn't turning to slushy grey everywhere.

I have those spikes too and they are wonderful. Walking on ice is frightening. Do you think Ol Joyful has a set for walking down his lane to the mailbox?

I think everyone who lives with snow and ice should have a pair, Elizabeth. My sister who's a winter athlete recommended that brand to me in particular. She knows her gear. My nurse friend also said her home healthcare company provides them to their employees.

Is so unbearably cold, I took tomorrow off from work. I hope to stay INSIDE.

Feathers, I have a slightly smaller set, darned if I can remember the name. The spikes are a bit like metal golf shoe spikes, very small, easy to slip on, and just right for a little bit of iciness and going to the mailbox.

You are so right, spikes yak trax, whatever, are essential.

I've also been enjoying my ancient silk long johns! They have holes, but are still my go-to.

Has anyone gotten an email from their car reporting low tire pressure ( due to the cold ) ?

My son takes the public transportation to work. Today he told me that tomorrow they're having everyone work from home! Yay!

Days and nights like this, I soooo appreciate the staff at my parents' facility. They HAVE to come to work, and they do.

I also think of the plumbers going out to fix frozen pipes, public works folks tending to broken water mains, the guys who load my groceries into the trunk at the store, airport Tarmac workers, and so on. Stellar folks!

A comment about the laundry room being above the unheated crawlspace. Not a good situation in extreme cold especially if the crawlspace has a minimum door the way many seem to have. When the temperatures warm up listen for the sound of running water. Been there with our old house.

I can't imagine how settlers relying on wood stoves or fireplaces for heat survived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Dakotas back in the 1800s. Plus they had to go out to care for their livestock! Now I am amazed that the entire populations of those states are not snowbirds.

I remember wearing my wool lined, padded corduroy coat when it was in the 40s in San Diego and thinking it was so cold (I was right on the coast so it never approached freezing as it might a bit inland) -- even though I had grown up in Ohio and lived through the Blizzard of 1978 (and yes, managed to get from and back to work). I had acclimated to the warmer climate. Now I am acclimated to the cold again and still wear that coat for outdoor chores like shoveling snow, in much colder temps than San Diego ever had!

About that blizzard -- I remember a group of us leaving work at 8 am while the wind was howling. One of my coworkers had her car parked on the street across from the entrance & went out to start the engine to let it warm up.. But, she was a small woman, and she couldn't get back to the building against the wind! One of the security guards had to go rescue her.

Maybe that is why log cabins were so small. One woodstove?

What a pea brain! I woke up this a.m. and they were talking about the polar vortex. First time it dawned on me that "Gore tex" is actually a pun!

Doh!

raee, I was there too.

77 & 78

Blizzard of 78

Jim, would you make a call and change my weather? It has been brutal.

Here in Virginia they're calling for low single digits tonight ... and near 70 degrees this coming Tuesday. Quite a swing in a week's time -- yikes.