Weather

[Yoused]

Do stores in the lowest states even carry winter coats in the fall?

I remember a story years back about the extravagance of Michèle Duvalier, wife of Baby Doc, who had the palace in Port au Prince air conditioned in order that she and some wealthy friends could have a soirée wearing fur coats.

 

[Alli]

Serious question for the southern folks here. (I've been down south, but never in the late fall or winter.)

How far south do you have to be, before you even stop owning a heavy coat or parka?

What do you do on those rare occasions when it does get into the 30s or 20s? Just bundle up in your medium-weight jacket with maybe a sweatshirt underneath and call it even?

Do stores in the lowest states even carry winter coats in the fall?

And do you think your answers might be different in a few years, thanks to climate change?

I know people down here who don’t have anything heavier than a fleece. They layer. I still travel in winter, so I have coats. My husband, although he’s from here, collects coats the way women collect shoes. Our stores carry coats, but not like you get up north. You want a real winter coat, you need to shop online.

And yes. Last year and this year have been the worst winters ever. We normally wear short sleeves through the winter.

 

[Thomas Veil]

Pretty much what I expected to hear. Except for your husband's coat fetish.

 

[Renzatic]

And yes. Last year and this year have been the worst winters ever. We normally wear short sleeves through the winter.

There was one winter here about 5-6 years ago when the highs were in the 20's, and the lows actually managed to get down to near 0. I remember the ground staying crunchy all throughout the day, which was weird.

Though generally speaking, Winter for us is primarily experienced in January and February, with December and March being wild card months.

 

[Herdfan]

We're having a heat wave, it's all the way up to seven below zero right now. -16 when I woke up.

That is stick your nostrils together when you breath in cold. My truck said -1 when I got in it yesterday morning.

We have a clipper coming through that will deliver anywhere from 0-4" depending on where the snow bands are although it looks to be way north of us at this moment.

 

[lizkat]

That is stick your nostrils together when you breath in cold. My truck said -1 when I got in it yesterday morning.

We have a clipper coming through that will deliver anywhere from 0-4" depending on where the snow bands are although it looks to be way north of us at this moment.

Yeah if I absolutely have to go out when it's double-digits below zero, I breathe through whatever scarf I've wrapped a few times around me and pulled up over my face. But my idea of "having to go out" in those temps sets a pretty high bar.

That clipper coming through is supposed to give us less than an inch of snow. I'm not a fan of the midweek forecast though. Wednesday the HIGH is set to be 7 and the low -8. Wish Canada would get a grip already, it's almost time for the February thaw but definitely not time yet for the next fuel delivery.

 

[Alli]

There was one winter here about 5-6 years ago when the highs were in the 20's, and the lows actually managed to get down to near 0. I remember the ground staying crunchy all throughout the day, which was weird.

Though generally speaking, Winter for us is primarily experienced in January and February, with December and March being wild card months.

I don’t recall it ever getting down to 0 here. Not even overnight. IIRC, 17 is the all-time low. We’re close this weekend with temps getting down to 27 overnight, but it’s back in the 50’s during the day.

Similar winter schedule here, but we’re usually limited to around 6 days total that one might call winter.

 

[lizkat]

I don’t recall it ever getting down to 0 here. Not even overnight. IIRC, 17 is the all-time low. We’re close this weekend with temps getting down to 27 overnight, but it’s back in the 50’s during the day.

Similar winter schedule here, but we’re usually limited to around 6 days total that one might call winter.

I've been wondering what the effect on all these below-freezing hits in the south are doing to agriculture...

 

[Alli]

I've been wondering what the effect on all these below-freezing hits in the south are doing to agriculture...

Could be a bad year for Florida oranges.

 

[Renzatic]

I don’t recall it ever getting down to 0 here. Not even overnight. IIRC, 17 is the all-time low. We’re close this weekend with temps getting down to 27 overnight, but it’s back in the 50’s during the day.

It doesn't happen often. I remember, maybe, 10 days total throughout my entire life that I've seen it get that cold here.

 

[Huntn]

That is stick your nostrils together when you breath in cold. My truck said -1 when I got in it yesterday morning.

We have a clipper coming through that will deliver anywhere from 0-4" depending on where the snow bands are although it looks to be way north of us at this moment.

Yeah, you live in WVA a state where the winter weather can parallel Minnesota. I use to track the Winter temps when we were in Minnesota and my Aunt was in Hambleton. Part of that is being up in the mountains (elevation) I think.

 

[Huntn]

It doesn't happen often. I remember, maybe, 10 days total throughout my entire life that I've seen it get that cold here.

In Houston normally the winter lows are in 30s, high 20s, with infrequent freezes, and last year with that cold front crisis the temps in the Houston are were in the mid 20s for about 24 hrs before warming back up, but earlier:

19F	January 17, 2018

9F	December 23, 1989

With these temps, there are water pipes bursting all over the region.

 

[Renzatic]

With these temps, there are water pipes bursting all over the region.

All you have to do is turn your water on overnight. Problem solved!

 

[Yoused]

All you have to do is turn your water on overnight. Problem solved!

That week we had snow and we’re below chilly the whole time, I made sure my faucet was dripping and the kitchen cabinet under the sink stood open.

 

[Renzatic]

That week we had snow and we’re below chilly the whole time, I made sure my faucet was dripping and the kitchen cabinet under the sink stood open.

It's the very first thing I do when I hear the temps are approaching freezing.

The $5 extra you'll pay on your water bill is a helluva less than what you'll pay repairing the pipes and water damage.

 

[Clix Pix]

In my case it's also a situation of taking into consideration the fact that there is another condo unit directly beneath mine, which would also be affected by any water damage....... I definitely don't want to have to deal with that and the impact on my homeowners' insurance policy! I just hope that the guy who lives in the unit above mine is also being as careful and cautious.

 

[Herdfan]

Yeah, you live in WVA a state where the winter weather can parallel Minnesota. I use to track the Winter temps when we were in Minnesota and my Aunt was in Hambleton. Part of that is being up in the mountains (elevation) I think.

Yeah. Especially up in that area where there are "frost valleys". Canaan Valley just set a tied a state record of -37 which is close to the convergence of F & C at -40.

That large valley at 3,200' is surrounded on 3 sides by ridges at 4,300' and the cold just slides down in there and can't get out. Add in a few feet of snow pack and temps will plunge.

I think the lowest we got where I live is around -15.

 

[Huntn]

All you have to do is turn your water on overnight. Problem solved!

Yes I’m familiar, let the water drip last Feb during the event, just in case. Most houses should be able to handle freezing temps but many builders down here are just not serious about insulation, then there the older houses with exposed craw spaces and exposed pipes, not cold friendly.

 

[DT]

Could be a bad year for Florida oranges.

We can only hope ...

 

[Huntn]

Serious question for the southern folks here. (I've been down south, but never in the late fall or winter.)

How far south do you have to be, before you even stop owning a heavy coat or parka?

What do you do on those rare occasions when it does get into the 30s or 20s? Just bundle up in your medium-weight jacket with maybe a sweatshirt underneath and call it even?

Do stores in the lowest states even carry winter coats in the fall?

And do you think your answers might be different in a few years, thanks to climate change?

Our friends who grew up down here (Houston) have winter coats cause they visit cold places on occasions. And people down here do take winter vacations to ski. Everyone has at least a jacket. I have a winter coat I’ve not worn regularly since living in Minnesota, but we do visit Minnesota sometimes in the Winter. West Texas can get rather frigid.

What’s funny is this friend showed up on a “cold” day 30s in the morning, the high around 60, but she has this heavy winter coat on to go shopping with my wife (pre-COVID). My wife has a light jacket and she laughed about it later, the heavy coat was off quickly and tossed in the back seat. It snow is forecast, there might be a run on the grocery store.