OT - Question about sub-zero weather

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Mundy

There was this town in northern MN, called Tower.  They always seemed 10 degrees colder than anyone else around.

That 'role' has been faithfully filled by International Falls, MN quite regularly...

[JeffroK]

[8|]

Its 44deg C outside at the moment, can you guys go somewhere else to talk about snow n stuff!!

[&:]

[Sharkosaurus rex]

Generally speaking, the oceans have a moderating effect on land. In summer the coasts are cooler than the inland, and in winter the coasts are warmer than inland. The further you move from coast the greater the difference.

Also generally speaking the dawn will be the coolest time of day as the sun is the source of surface temperature, so the temperature will have been falling during the night- but when the sun rises the ground will be heated again.... generally speaking, as clouds and winds can have other big effects.

[String]

ORIGINAL: sventhebold

Come to think of it one of the worst problems I had was working on equipment in the cold and my wrists would be exposed to the cold metal and ocasionally had bloody wrists from tearing frozen skin off on the metal.

The trick here is to wear long-sleeved underwear and poke holes into the sleeves just above the ends of the sleeves. You then poke your thumbs through them and thus the sleeves never roll up your forearms and won't expose your wrists.

As for oceans moderating cold, yes they do, but when it does get cold it's pretty hellish because of the humidity and wind. Nothing beats having -30c at midday on the seaside.



Took these today from my dorm window. Nice and crispy -20c

[Mundy]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Mundy

There was this town in northern MN, called Tower.  They always seemed 10 degrees colder than anyone else around.

That 'role' has been faithfully filled by International Falls, MN quite regularly...

Tower would even top them out. Despite living in Superior, all my news had to come from Duluth.

[Mundy]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Interesting that in Minnesota at least, it usually snows in the 20s-30s. Rarely do we got snow at -10 or so.

Same here. It needs to warm up a little for any real snow. You can get flurries, but that's about it.

[USSAmerica]

Not exactly true.  It can snow tons and tons even well below zero, but weather systems that bring such cold temperatures usually don't have a lot of moisture associated with them.  In MN, most winter moisture came up from the Gulf of Mexico, and brought warmer temps with it.  

[Canoerebel]

High pressure usually brings clear skies, the coldest temperatures, and the least moisture.  Low pressure usually brings moisture and comparatively warmer temperatures.  Thus, clear skies and cold temperatures usually mean high pressure and low moisture are in place.  When a low pressure system with moisture approaches it usually brings warmer temperatures, so when it's snowing the temperature is often relatively warm - 15 to 32 F.

The old saying "it's too cold to snow" reflects this although, strictly speaking, it's never too cold to snow. It's just that the coldest temps mean high pressure and that means little available moisture.

There are exceptions to the general rule.  High pressure, cold temperatures, and high winds can produce lake effect snow - a situation that the residents of upper Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and western New York know all too well.

[Big B]

This is all very interesting, and certainly seems in line with what I remember - very cold, very little snow & exceedingly dry.

Living in Cal you never get a feel for this kind of stuff.

[ny59giants]

A few winters before you were in Minn, Brian. I was going through Basic Training and then Electronics "A" School at Great Lakes, Ill. They had to close the school down for a few days as the temperature got down to -50F with wind chill. I soon learned why Chicago is called the "Windy City." This for a boy who grew up in Upstate NY and VT.

I've been down south since '92 and feel my blood has thinned out too much to go back north again. If I did, the first winter would be like culture shock.

[Bullwinkle58]

[quote]ORIGINAL: Big B

REALLY??? The temp would actually drop noticeably at night?? What would you guess - maybe drop 10 degrees or more?

Jeeze that would explain a few things I always wondered about.
Thanks!

[quote]ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

I live in o ne of those two place you mentioend, and last week, in sub-zero-land, one day I recall a 26 degree F. swing from 0500 to noon. At noon it was . . . six.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Big B

Well, the reason I asked was because 30 years ago I was an infantryman in the Cal Army N.G. . And in January 1981, when Ronald Reagan was 1st sworn in as president, we were doing our 15 days A.T. at Ft. Ripley Minnesota for cold weather training.
We loaded aboard C-130's from Los Alamitos NAS, and it was about 74 degrees when we left California, but six hours later when we landed in St. Paul Minn. it was down to 4 degrees. A day or so later we went out to the field and set up our tents for the remainder of our time there.
The only time I saw a thermometer out in the field was one day on an M-60 MG range - inside a squad sized tent (with a little stove) and the thermometer in there read -35 degrees F (inside the tent). There was very little snow at the time (the entire time we were there - that made the mandatory cross-country skiing difficult), and mostly clear skies.
Anyway, one night, while sleeping in our sleeping bags on the frozen ground, I got so cold I literally couldn't breath - so - only wearing my skivvies, I jumped up and started running around (in panic) trying to force air in my lungs. I was really cold, and to
this day - I always wondered if the temp actually dropped below -35?
Overall, I thought Minnesota was a nice place - but you shouldn't camp outside there during the winter.

They routinely take 6th graders out for winter camping here as part of the public school science curriculum. A friend with a son in that class said the last one was canceled due to zero visibility and the governor closing the roads south right before Christmas. Otherwise they would have gone. It was below zero at night that week.

The key is to not get wet, and to not have any exposed skin, especially fingers and ears. If you're dressed for it sub-zero isn't that bad. I have ice fishing boots that are rated down to -80 F. Mylar linings to reflect heat back to the skin, and four-inch thick soles. You can't drive in them, but you don't get cold feet either.

[Bullwinkle58]

ORIGINAL: Mundy

Tower would even top them out. Despite living in Superior, all my news had to come from Duluth.

Tower and Embarrass are always fighting over who is colder. It's an elevation/dip in the ground thing. Cold air pools down low. Sometimes it's Internaitonal Falls, and that's what the nation at large usually hears, but in the MN media Tower and Embarrass are always one-uping each other. Sixty below happens sometimes in each one.

You guys down south miss the never-fails-to-be-funny local TV news story about hammering a nail with a banana, throwing a cup of water up in the air to make snow, or blowing soap bubbles that freeze in mid-air and behave like, well, frozen soap bubbles.

Every year the local science teachers assign the quesiton: "What will freeze more quickly at zero degrees F. if thrown in the air-- a cup of boiling water, or a cup of room temperature water?"

[JohnDillworth]

Its 44deg C outside at the moment, can you guys go somewhere else to talk about snow n stuff!!

last time I defend Australia! That's it! Another year without rain for you!

[tanksone]

Hi, didn't realize we had so many peeps from Minnesota.... can you say WitP AE get together maybe? Say... Happy Gnome in St Paul for some beer and conversation. Just a thought.

[Chris21wen]

ORIGINAL: Big B

REALLY??? The temp would actually drop noticeably at night?? What would you guess - maybe drop 10 degrees or more?

Really depends on were you are. Currently were in the UK were we are experiencing an unusual cold snap were the day and night time temperatures rarely differ my more than 10 degrees, infact were I live the temperature has been hoving around 0 to -5 C for the passed two weeks. In a hot deserts temperature drops of 30+ degrees is often he norm. This is why desert feels so dam cold at night, it's not the actual temperature but the difference that is felt. If you get a cold desert and drops 30 degrees it's brass monkey weather.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: tanksone

Hi, didn't realize we had so many peeps from Minnesota.... can you say WitP AE get together maybe? Say... Happy Gnome in St Paul for some beer and conversation. Just a thought.

Great suggestion! Such a great beer selection there. Delurium Tremens, anyone?

[Mundy]

Most of my friends migrated that way after college.  I was too hard care Wisconsin to do that.
 
M-

[sventhebold]

It can snow at any temperature but one of my friends (professional weather man) explained it to me like this.
The cold air mass hugs the ground only a few thousand feet thick and if there is a warm front nearby the warm air actually breaks up into small 'packets' and rides up over the cold air. As it does the warm air/cold air interface
forms a mini front and the warm moist air begins to precipitate out and walla snow at -25 below.

[Hobey]

ORIGINAL: tanksone

Hi, didn't realize we had so many peeps from Minnesota.... can you say WitP AE get together maybe? Say... Happy Gnome in St Paul for some beer and conversation. Just a thought.

Count me in, Paul .