h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We have had weeks of unusually cold (for us) weather. It snowed in December (second year in a row). There were a few flurries last week. This morning, it was 19F when I managed to get out of bed at 7 a.m.

I know there are colder places and that other places are heaped and piled with snow. And, I really hope those places are built and prepared for it better than we are down here.

Next week is supposed to be a little warmer with temps above freezing. Yay!

Hi, Evangeline. Climnate and weather are two separate things. Nevertheless, no one can explain why there was a ten-year cooling period after the warming trend of the late 1990s. Scientists frequently disagree with each other, even when working from the same data, and now some of them are arguing that other scientists have fudged the data. So, I don't really know where the world is going from here....

A few months from now, you might be a beneficiary of the current cold spell. Freezing weather is supposed to kill mosquitos. Maybe you won't have as many mosquitos next Spring.

According to Wikipedia, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Louisiana was -16 Fahrenheit, on Freb. 13, 1899.

*sigh That crazy climate change pendulum, hopefully it brings warmer weather back your way soon. We're a fair bit warmer now(seasonally speaking)than back on Dec. 13th -

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/technology/Edmonton+coldest+place+North+America/2336460/story.html

My only worry is how much more temp. fluctuation or swinging of the pendulum, over the next few months?

Chances are, you'll be able to get a tan by the end of March.

Anything is possible Paul, so I suppose the best approach is to 'cross that bridge when we come to it'.(Just keep the longjohns handy but the sunscreen & shades within easy reach too .)

Sorry, j_z_d, I meant that Evangeline might be able to get a tan in March. You will still to wait til about June or July. I know, i8t's unfair, but what can you do?

That's why I said 'cross that bridge...', at this stage of our winter I'm certainly not holding my breath(*sigh, I'm quite familiar with unfair-ness).

My water actually froze up this morning, seized up at the wellhouse. That doesn't happen a lot in southern New Mexico...

Hey ranger, haven't seen you in awhile!

Yeah, I had a semi-permanent "Somebody Else's Problem" field around my life for a long time there! But I'm back for now, at least off and on...

How've you been up there in the Great White North???

I've been for the most part, a few minor problems but nothing serious - how are you these days?

How cold is it in New Mexico?

Paul, my nephew and his wife have told us about winter in Boston. They have been there a few years, now. Oh, my nephew flew in for a brief visit before Christmas. He is much better, fully recovered and still in the Air Force.

It seems Europe, the UK, and a lot of other places are in a record cold winter as well.

It was colder, this morning. The outdoor hot water faucet froze. It is for a hose and the washing machine. I hope that thaws and doesn't burst or anything.

We're just so not used to this intense of a winter, especially following a record breaking summer.

1899... my mother's mother was 4 and my dad's mother was born that year.

I've seen 0F twice that I remember. I remember the huge ice storm in 1982 that caused thousands to be without electricity for a week or so, on the coldest days and nights of the year. That was not fun. We had no heat, lights, or stove for about five days.

Our school uniforms were white shirts and skirts. Pants, jeans or sweatsuits, leg warmers etc. were not allowed. My dad woke me up early on a very icky morning in 1984 with 'It's 12 degrees, yes, 12 degrees, and dropping to 9 or less with rain expected. STAY HOME!

Chances are, if a new ice age begins, we won't realize it until after it has started, because you need enough data to accumulate before you can pronounce that it is officially here. This winter might be the start of a larger pattern, or it might be a random blip. In any case, I hope you stay warm and get your pipes thawed and keep your electricity.

Boston's winters are actually milder than what the folks further inland get. We rarely go below zero Fahrenheit. However, single digit are not that uncommon, and there is a lot of wind to make the temps seem colder than they actually are. But your nephew told you that. I'm glad that he has recovered.

Thanks, Paul.

The house is cold, because it's not built for this. So, I'm bundled up and running the space heater in one of the rooms. Cooking and doing laundry takes a bit of the chill off the other end of the house.

The central heat never did heat this house well, so I gave up after having replaced it to no avail, just higher electric bills. I think it's the large windows that are the problem.

On the flip side, large windows can help if they let enough sunlight in. That helps during the day, but not at night....

*sigh of relief, Glad to hear that nephew is fully recovered!

Oh & yes Paul, my large(east-facing)livingroom window certainly catches daytime-or at least morning-sunlight. That tends to keep the apt. quite warm all day, it's a whole new ball game after the sun goes down though.

My uncle used to live in a house with passive solar heating.

In Concord, Massachusetts, there is a woman who has annoyed her neighbors by drying her laundry on a clothesline on her porch. She's afraid of someone trying to stop her, so she is introducing a measure to make it legal at town meeting. 10 to 15% of the energy used in the U.S. goes for clothes dryers. We could reduce energy consumption by that much if people dried their clothing on lines or on indoor racks (the latter is the method I always use).

Hmm, yes I suppose considering population and/or population density, it would be about 10 to 15%. I'll have to find a new indoor rack...I had one(it may have just gotten misplaced).

I washed my laundry today. The towels are drying on one rack, and the underwear and socks are drying on another. The shirts are drying on hangers which hang from all the doorknobs.