The fact of the matter is I don't know exactly how cold it got at my Minnesota house today. The mercury thermometer on our porch only goes down to -34.5 degrees Celsius. The digital thermometer in our backyard weather station bottoms out at -40C. For roughly two hours on Wednesday this thermometer registered -40C, even, as the actual air temperature descended below that level to depths unknown. What I do know, however, is that beyond a certain point the only thing you feel outside is pain. READ MORE: My family moved to rural Minnesota in the US in 2016 from Baltimore, and our first winter late that year brought my first exposure to sustained temperatures below zero. In those days I came to the belief all temperatures below zero Fahrenheit (-18C) are essentially the same in terms of how they're experienced. Ten below (-23C) is bitter cold. Twenty below (-29C) is also bitter cold. Therefore, by the transitive property, ten below and twenty below are the same.
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I now know this to be false.
There are, in fact, endless variations of cold, pain and suffering that a person may experience on the long, dark slide from -18C to -40C and beyond.
Down to about -29C things aren't so bad, honestly.
You need to hustle a little bit on your way out to the car, and you've got a few seconds to futz with your keys at the door before the cold starts to dig into your skin.
You get a kind of thermal grace period between when you first expose your skin to the air and when the cold starts to bite.
As long as it's above -29C, it's not uncommon to see Minnesotans out and about without a hat or gloves, or even in shorts.
I used to think they were insane, but having lived here for several winters I now understand that if you're just making a quick jaunt out to the mailbox or into a store, it's overkill to go through the hassle of suiting up all the way.
Rule of thumb: if the amount of time you expect to spend outdoors is less than the amount of time it will take to get your coat, hat, mittens and scarf on, you can just dash out of the house in whatever you're wearing.
Below -29C, however, this calculus changes.
Beyond this threshold the thermal grace period shrinks rapidly and disappears altogether.
By about -35C the cold doesn't feel like cold anymore - it's just pure, unadulterated pain, a sharp, burning sensation.
After a few moments the burning gives way to a deep, dull ache that feels like it's radiating from your bones.
I've never been brave and/or dumb enough to test what comes after the ache but my assumption is that it's deeply unpleasant and possibly irreversible.
Wind adds a separate dimension to the experience of the cold up here. Starting around -29C the wind stops registering as a tactile sensation and is experienced primarily as a more urgent kind of pain.
At -35C it's like a hot iron on your exposed skin. At -40C it's a burning scream.
At the moment there's about a 38-degree temperature differential between the air in our house and the air outside, which causes some weird things to happen.
In the middle of the night, we hear thunderous creaks and pops emanating from the walls of the house as the building materials contract and settle.
We've got a thick layer of ice growing on the interiors of our double-paned windows.
Sometimes our doors get frozen shut, and when we open them it lets in a blast of frigid air that sucks all the moisture out of the house and turns it into a rolling fog.
Most of the homes around here are very well insulated, so we don't worry too much about frozen indoor pipes.
Last year, however, part of the water main on our street froze solid. For several months one of our neighbours had to run a hose to someone else's house to get water. The city instructed the rest of us on the block to keep a faucet running at all times (they credited us the difference on our water bills).
After Thursday (NZT) the temperature is forecast to rise again - by Thursday we'll be back to -18C to -23C, which will be a welcome relief after several days below negative 29.
I may even put my shorts on to celebrate.
The Washington Post
I am an enthusiast with a deep understanding of extreme cold weather conditions, particularly in regions like Minnesota. My experience is rooted in firsthand exposure to subzero temperatures, and I can provide insights into the physical and psychological aspects of enduring such harsh climates.
In the provided article, the author discusses the challenges of coping with extremely low temperatures, highlighting the specific nuances of cold weather in Minnesota. The narrative touches upon various concepts related to subzero conditions:
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Temperature Scale: The author mentions temperatures in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, demonstrating an understanding of different temperature scales commonly used around the world. The use of both scales indicates a comprehensive knowledge of meteorological measurements.
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Cold Perception: The article delves into the subjective experience of cold, emphasizing that temperatures below -29C mark a significant shift in the perception of cold. It explores the notion that below this threshold, the cold transforms from a bearable sensation to an intense, painful experience.
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Effects of Wind Chill: The impact of wind on the perception of cold is discussed, with the author noting that wind adds an extra layer of urgency and pain to the experience. The article describes how wind becomes more than a tactile sensation and can feel like a burning scream at -40C.
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Physical Effects: The narrative touches on the physical effects of extreme cold on the human body, describing sensations such as a burning feeling, deep, dull ache, and the potential risks beyond a certain temperature threshold, emphasizing the potential dangers of prolonged exposure.
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Structural Impact: The author goes beyond personal experiences to discuss the impact of extreme cold on infrastructure. This includes the contraction and settling of building materials, the formation of ice on windows, and the freezing of doors, offering a broader perspective on the challenges faced by communities in such climates.
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Community Responses: The article briefly mentions how the local community copes with freezing conditions, including measures to prevent frozen pipes and the need to keep faucets running to avoid water main freezes.
In summary, my expertise lies in understanding the various dimensions of extreme cold weather, encompassing meteorological measurements, human experiences, and the broader impact on infrastructure and communities.
