What is the coldest temp you have been in?

[lilj4425]

-14 in Omaha around Christmas 2008.

[Voyager]

-12 in Bethlehem PA in January 1994.

[toad strangler]

-17 in Maine. My nose hairs stood up tall and not so proud. It was a dry cold and yeah, my freaking nose hairs were trying to jump out.

[MJW155]

  On 12/18/2010 at 3:09 AM, PSUHazletonWx said:

It was something <0 in January 2004. Don't think I was out when we got to -20 in 1994 (I wasn't even 2yrs. old at the time).

Heh, you were only 2 in '94? Epic cold. Epic cold, lol.

School was closed for a week because it was so cold the rock salt used to melt the ice wouldn't work. I graduated HS June 30th that year because of so many snow days. We also had to have school on Sat. 2x otherwise we would have graduated in July. You were exempt if you didn't use your absences up.

Parts of NW NJ got down to -30 I believe.

[A-L-E-X]

  On 12/18/2010 at 4:30 AM, MJW155 said:

Heh, you were only 2 in '94? Epic cold. Epic cold, lol.

School was closed for a week because it was so cold the rock salt used to melt the ice wouldn't work. I graduated HS June 30th that year because of so many snow days. We also had to have school on Sat. 2x otherwise we would have graduated in July. You were exempt if you didn't use your absences up.

Parts of NW NJ got down to -30 I believe.

No wonder you moved to Fla! 1994 was the last time it hit 0 or below here-- and it did it three times. Two zeros and a minus two.

[Analog96]

  On 12/18/2010 at 4:30 AM, MJW155 said:

Heh, you were only 2 in '94? Epic cold. Epic cold, lol.

School was closed for a week because it was so cold the rock salt used to melt the ice wouldn't work. I graduated HS June 30th that year because of so many snow days. We also had to have school on Sat. 2x otherwise we would have graduated in July. You were exempt if you didn't use your absences up.

Parts of NW NJ got down to -30 I believe.

Same here. The year finished on June 28, and they cut out most of Easter break. We did not have Saturday school.

[MJW155]

  On 12/18/2010 at 4:46 AM, A-L-E-X said:

No wonder you moved to Fla! 1994 was the last time it hit 0 or below here-- and it did it three times. Two zeros and a minus two.

NJ gets cold. Usually once a year there's a spell where temps are near 0 or below for a few nights. I had a daytime high of -1 about 5 or 6 years ago. Below -10 is rare though.

[Hoosier]

About -25 in 1994.

[mnchaser]

-30s or so..We have already seen -20 here this year...it's been quite the winter.

[aslkahuna]

In January 1983 when I pulled up to the gate to the work area at Dugway Proving Ground the nearby mesonet site at -33F. At the weather station it was -26F and I had to stand in that using a sling psychrometer since I had to take the observation because my observer's car wouldn't start when he tried to come to work. Almost everyone had that problem. The reason I didin't was because unlike everyone else in the housing area, I used my garage for the car instead of storage so it was warmer enough that my car started. We had three days of sub -20F lows that month. January 1983 was also one of those rare times that ice formed in the GSL.

Steve

[Hoosier]

this event blows me away and might be my coldest temp ever but I was too young to remember.

[MidlothianWX]

-26* February 4th, 1996 in Milwaukee, WI.

I probably didn't go outside that day, but I can't really remember as I was only 4 years old.

[Sickman]

I walked 1/2 mile to school with the temp at -9 in Jan. '77.

If that happened today, my parents would probably get arrested for endangerment.

[Hoosier]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:30 AM, Sickman said:

I walked 1/2 mile to school with the temp at -9 in Jan. '77.

If that happened today, my parents would probably get arrested for endangerment.

no doubt

[A-L-E-X]

Jan 20, 1985-- the Reagan inaugural and one of the coldest days in NYC history and the last time NYC had a single digit high temp (7/-2)

[Hoosier]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:32 AM, A-L-E-X said:

Jan 20, 1985-- the Reagan inaugural and one of the coldest days in NYC history and the last time NYC had a single digit high temp (7/-2)

Just posted a map above.

[mnchaser]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:30 AM, Sickman said:

I walked 1/2 mile to school with the temp at -9 in Jan. '77.

If that happened today, my parents would probably get arrested for endangerment.

But -9 really isn't that cold...the wind chills are what get a person. Dress right and -20 or so really isn't even bad on a still night. Anything below 0 generally all feels the same.

[MJW155]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:28 AM, aslkahuna said:

In January 1983 when I pulled up to the gate to the work area at Dugway Proving Ground the nearby mesonet site at -33F. At the weather station it was -26F and I had to stand in that using a sling psychrometer since I had to take the observation because my observer's car wouldn't start when he tried to come to work. Almost everyone had that problem. The reason I didin't was because unlike everyone else in the housing area, I used my garage for the car instead of storage so it was warmer enough that my car started. We had three days of sub -20F lows that month. January 1983 was also one of those rare times that ice formed in the GSL.

Steve

How come every time you talk about your weather experiences, it's so much more interesting than anyone else's weather experience?

[A-L-E-X]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:34 AM, Hoosier said:

Just posted a map above.

Thanks! Looks like there was a low on the coast in the southern MA-- never made it here lol.

[Sickman]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:35 AM, mnchaser said:

But -9 really isn't that cold...the wind chills are what get a person. Dress right and -20 or so really isn't even bad on a still night. Anything below 0 generally all feels the same.

Oh, I agree... it was more a statement to how society is programmed today.

I definitely felt colder when my alternator blew at 1:00 AM in Jan. '94. It was -5, and I was just wearing a modest jacket. Waiting for 20 minutes in a dead car for a Statie to show up made my nipples hard for a week.

[baroclinic_instability]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:37 AM, MJW155 said:

How come every time you talk about your weather experiences, it's so much more interesting than anyone else's weather experience?

I think he is an older fellow according to his bio on his website, so he has had a lot of time to rack up the weather experiences.

[Hoosier]

Kahuna also got caught in a developing tornado.

[baroclinic_instability]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:29 AM, Hoosier said:

this event blows me away and might be my coldest temp ever but I was too young to remember.

This map is awesome. Never seen anything close to that in my lifetime.

[Sickman]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:44 AM, baroclinic_instability said:

I think he is an older fellow according to his bio on his website, so he has had a lot of time to rack up the weather experiences.

I love reading Steve's stories.

[Coach McGuirk]

-35 C 850s. I can't imagine ever seeing that kind of cold in the continental US.

[baroclinic_instability]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:46 AM, Sickman said:

I love reading Steve's stories.

Me too, he tells them like a story from a book.

[Hoosier]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:45 AM, baroclinic_instability said:

This map is awesome. Never seen anything close to that in my lifetime.

It's cool looking at the obs from that day. It was -14F in Chicago at 2 PM but the temp rose to -5F at 11 PM as the core of the coldest air had moved off to the east.

[Hoosier]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:46 AM, Coach McGuirk said:

-35 C 850s. I can't imagine ever seeing that kind of cold in the continental US.

It's amazing to see that so far south. It was actually -40C in Minnesota the day before.

[A-L-E-X]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:45 AM, baroclinic_instability said:

This map is awesome. Never seen anything close to that in my lifetime.

Having lived through that, I can assure you it was an amazing experience. Windows covered with thick heavy frost with delicate feathery patterns all over the glass (you couldnt see anything through that frosted glass) and when I went outside and breathed the cold air I could swear my lips were frosting over too.

[wederwarrior]

  On 12/18/2010 at 5:55 AM, Hoosier said:

It's amazing to see that so far south. It was actually -40C in Minnesota the day before.

That is some airmass to sweep through...Look at MN....I think I can see a witch doing one arm push ups in the snow

I have a hard time thinking that < 0 feels the smae as -40 or -50 though.....

But I hope I get to try it out