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CanisLupusArctos · 01-04-2008, 12:25 PM

I think I know what FLL is talking about, though I experienced it at much lower temps. When I lived in northeast Vermont during the infamously cold winter of 1993-94, it was below zero almost all the time - frequently -20, and sometimes -35 or lower. I was amazed that I couldn't feel the difference... below zero was below zero. When that happens your only clues to temperature change are beyond your sense of touch, as you witness laws of physics do things you don't normally get to see them do.

We had fun with it, going outside and throwing bowls of water up in the air to see it fall as ice pellets... stuff like that. One night I was walking back home and, upon entering, found that my eyes took an incredibly long time to adjust to the indoor light. One of my roommates who'd grown up in the area told me that sort of thing happens when the muscles that control your eyes get cold. After that I jumped on the local fashion-train of wearing goggles in extreme cold temps.

When the coldest part of the winter had passed, the temp went up to zero one day and I remember everyone was going outside without jackets (myself included) because it felt so warm! Amazing how the human body acclimatizes.

But above zero, I think the temp differences are definitely more noticeable.

As for right now on Lake Winni, we bottomed out at -6 this morning... making two days in a row with below-zero temps. The winds have turned and are now blowing from the southwest which is bringing up some much warmer air. We're rising through the teens and will reach the 20s today which will feel warm to many of us.

This weekend should be stellar for skiing (maybe not so stellar for negotiating ski traffic either on the roads or on the trails of the more popular mountains.) The reason for this will be the sunny weather and temps in the 30s we've got coming our way. We'll be going a few notches above freezing for Gunstock but the northern mountains (especially Wildcat, which faces NW) will likely stay below freezing until early next week. The party lasts until Wednesday when rain is expected... after that we'll need to start praying for more snow to freshen up the surfaces.

01-04-2008, 12:25 PM	#6
CanisLupusArctos Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Center Harbor Posts: 1,049 Thanks: 15 Thanked 472 Times in 107 Posts	I think I know what FLL is talking about, though I experienced it at much lower temps. When I lived in northeast Vermont during the infamously cold winter of 1993-94, it was below zero almost all the time - frequently -20, and sometimes -35 or lower. I was amazed that I couldn't feel the difference... below zero was below zero. When that happens your only clues to temperature change are beyond your sense of touch, as you witness laws of physics do things you don't normally get to see them do. We had fun with it, going outside and throwing bowls of water up in the air to see it fall as ice pellets... stuff like that. One night I was walking back home and, upon entering, found that my eyes took an incredibly long time to adjust to the indoor light. One of my roommates who'd grown up in the area told me that sort of thing happens when the muscles that control your eyes get cold. After that I jumped on the local fashion-train of wearing goggles in extreme cold temps. When the coldest part of the winter had passed, the temp went up to zero one day and I remember everyone was going outside without jackets (myself included) because it felt so warm! Amazing how the human body acclimatizes. But above zero, I think the temp differences are definitely more noticeable. As for right now on Lake Winni, we bottomed out at -6 this morning... making two days in a row with below-zero temps. The winds have turned and are now blowing from the southwest which is bringing up some much warmer air. We're rising through the teens and will reach the 20s today which will feel warm to many of us. This weekend should be stellar for skiing (maybe not so stellar for negotiating ski traffic either on the roads or on the trails of the more popular mountains.) The reason for this will be the sunny weather and temps in the 30s we've got coming our way. We'll be going a few notches above freezing for Gunstock but the northern mountains (especially Wildcat, which faces NW) will likely stay below freezing until early next week. The party lasts until Wednesday when rain is expected... after that we'll need to start praying for more snow to freshen up the surfaces.