Define "cold"

[phlwx]

Considering each of our definitions of cold are probably different as it is a rather subjective definition I'm curious to know the general consensus on what you feel cold temperatures or a cold airmass are defined as.

[RIC Airport]

It greatly depends on the time of the year and what you're acclimated to at the time.

[Voyager]

Guess my vote without looking at the results!

[Quakertown needs snow]

Guess my vote without looking at the results!

any temp. below 70?

[mattinpa]

Considering each of our definitions of cold are probably different as it is a rather subjective definition I'm curious to know the general consensus on what you feel cold temperatures or a cold airmass are defined as.

Voted any temp below 40. 10 below average is "way below average" instead IMO.

[daxx]

It greatly depends on the time of the year and what you're acclimated to at the time.

I agree with this .

[Voyager]

any temp. below 70?

That wasn't on the list.

[Chris L]

Cold?

January 2004.

[NYCSuburbs]

It greatly depends on the time of the year and what you're acclimated to at the time.

I agree. For example, my low of 30 degrees this morning felt very cold considering that is my 2nd lowest temperature this fall and we've been above average for most of the year, but it's barely 2-4 degrees below average. We've had Novembers where low temperatures were in the 20s plenty of times and even some 10s, in those Novembers a low of 30 degrees would've still been chilly, but not very cold since we would be used to considering 20s as "cold". In the summer, we can see temperatures well below average, but that would still be chilly, not really cold, as highs would generally be in the 60s and low temperatures usually won't get below 50 degrees, which would be considered very chilly in the summer, but would be considered mild in a cold winter.

[forkyfork]

any temperature below 85

[phlwx]

That wasn't on the list.

If this were the Miami regional thread it would have been.

[Stebo]

Anytime I have to wear a coat

[Rainshadow]

When we used to type the zones, we had an office agreement to not say bla bla bla "and cold" unless temps were below freezing.

[famartin]

The answer to the question is what I've had out here during the last several days:

PRELIMINARY LOCAL CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA (WS FORM: F-6)

                                         STATION:   ELKO NV
                                         MONTH:     NOVEMBER
                                         YEAR:      2010
                                         LATITUDE:   40 49 N                   
                                         LONGITUDE: 115 47 W                   

 TEMPERATURE IN F:       :PCPN:    SNOW:  WIND      :SUNSHINE: SKY     :PK WND 
================================================================================
1   2   3   4   5  6A  6B    7    8   9   10  11  12  13   14  15   16   17  18
                                    12Z  AVG MX 2MIN
DY MAX MIN AVG DEP HDD CDD  WTR  SNW DPTH SPD SPD DIR MIN PSBL S-S WX    SPD DR
================================================================================
23  37  -5  16 -16  49   0 0.14  2.0    2 11.8 37 230   M    M   9 128    51 230
24  15  -9   3 -28  62   0    T    T    3  4.5 14 230   M    M   4 18     16 230
25  16 -14   1 -30  64   0 0.00  0.0    3  2.4  9  60   M    M   0 8      10  60
26  22  -3  10 -21  55   0 0.00  0.0    3  4.9  9  70   M    M   0        12  60

[Cary]

It greatly depends on the time of the year and what you're acclimated to at the time.

This- during winter, anything 30 degrees or below, during spring, summer and fall, usually 10 degrees below normal

[Boreal]

My vote --10 below avg. or more, but no one has mentioned the effects of wind, humidity.

[SnoSki14]

If you're strictly talking about cold, then for me, it would have to be any temperature below 20F or when the windchill drops to less than 20 degrees. If you're talking about relative cold, then it's definitely when the temperature is less than 10 degrees below normal except in the months of May, June, July, August, and September. If the temperatures are less than 10 degrees below normal in those months, than I would define it as being unseasonably cool or just much cooler than normal unless we see a freak cold wave in May or September where the average temperatures are 20 or more degrees colder than normal. For the other months of colder than 10 degrees below normal, then I consider it to be relatively cold compared to normal.

[Absolute Humidity]

Would define cold as any air temp regardless of wind that brings a plain cloths (No jacket or sweater or other means of insulation) human to hypothermia.