Polar Vortex

The news has been talking about this since Sunday. It's been on tv, radio, newspapers and just about everywhere else you may stumble onto news. How do people not realize it's going to be bone numbing cold until they drag their little kids down to the bus stop? I'm sure this is another thing I don't understand because I don't have children but I would like to think if I bundled up in a parka, boots, scarf ect I'd make sure junior tagging along was wearing more than just a sweatshirt. If they looked away from their phone for a minute they'd see these little blue kids teeth chattering.

I pass a couple bus stops for high school kids on my way home from work. It's interesting how lightly they dress, even on cold days like this (-2F in Minneapolis right now.) That's the price you pay to be a cool kid, I guess.

stuart in mn wrote: I pass a couple bus stops for high school kids on my way home from work. It's interesting how lightly they dress, even on cold days like this (-2F in Minneapolis right now.) That's the price you pay to be a cool kid, I guess.

Trooth.. It was -9 in my town this morning. Kids were dressed in sweatshirts... crazy.

I'm enjoying the dry air & sunshine in the PNW but it's certainly getting pretty cold after the sun goes down. Just this morning I had to scrape frost off my windshield. I know!

Still hasn't stopped all the bros milling around in board shorts and flip flops though. I don't think nuclear winter could get those guys to put on long pants.

The rides into work are starting to get a little chilly. I've had to wear my balaclava twice this week. Highs in the 60s on the ride home in the evenings.

mtn wrote:

mazdeuce wrote: Midwest people, correct me if I'm wrong, but it looks like Saturday is supposed to be warm (and rainy, but I'm ok with that). We're trying to thread the needle getting from Texas to Michigan and it looks like a window of oppoetunity is presenting itself.

You're in the UP, right? Are you going through Wisconsin or Michigan? I'm in Chicago, but I haven't heard that it is supposed to get much (if any) above freezing anytime soon. That means that if it does rain, it will be worse than snow from a driving perspective. I would try to thread the needle when there is no precipitation in the forecast. Probably Sunday or Monday based on current forecasts.

Only headed to the Michigan Indiana border. It looks like we'll be in the warm bubble. We'll watch closely and prepare to hunker down if things get slippery.

I went out to clean some overnight snow.

The win came up and it started snowing again.

I said to hell with it and went back inside where it was warm.

stuart in mn wrote: I pass a couple bus stops for high school kids on my way home from work. It's interesting how lightly they dress, even on cold days like this (-2F in Minneapolis right now.) That's the price you pay to be a cool kid, I guess.

I can see older kids doing that, I wore shorts year round for a while but they were 5-6 years old. That seems to young to be allowed to make stupid decisions on their own.

Saw a young guy with shorts and short sleeve shirt snow blowing the other day. He was wearing a winter hat.

Jay wrote: I'm enjoying the dry air & sunshine in the PNW but it's certainly getting pretty cold after the sun goes down. Just this morning I had to scrape *frost* off my *windshield*. I know! Still hasn't stopped all the bros milling around in board shorts and flip flops though. I don't think nuclear winter could get those guys to put on long pants.

You must not be in Portland. We've had an OMGBBQ extinction-level event's worth of snow. Like TWO inches stuck last night. Two inches you guys. It's pretty serious.

Well, so much for the polar vortex down here.

We got down to 34 Thursday night. Last night it was 45. Right now I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Tomorrow the expected high is 79.

I hope the great white north thaws soon.

The schools in Ottawa will let kids wait inside for the bell if it's 0F or colder. Warmer than that, go play.

I'm in Denver for some recall work on the M5 and they didn't get it done in time. So I'm rolling around in a loaner BMW X1. Pretty crappy vehicle overall, but it doesn't have big fat steamrollers for tires. Also, traction control is easy to turn off. So I've been enjoying the snow a fair bit as you can imagine.

Just walked back in the door. We went to a Christmas thingy at a local park. It was 73° when we left the house, the park is ten minutes away. As we walked to the gate the wind gusts started and began blowing the tents and various attractions around. Decided to head back home. As I pulled in the driveway the temp was 55° and dropping. That's 18° in twenty minutes. Supposed to be in the twenties in the morning with highs of 34°.

My beard froze like a wire brush when I was snowblowing today. Minnesota don't screw around.

We squeaked through the nasty stuff and made it. I think we counted 17 semis in various states of overturnedness from the ice yesterday that hadn't been towed out yet.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: My beard froze like a wire brush when I was snowblowing today. Minnesota don't screw around.

When I was out shoveling this morning it was around +5F, but the sun was shining and there was no wind so it didn't feel too bad (as long as was actually working, whenever I stopped to rest it got cold fast. ) It's down to -4F now, they say -23F by morning. On the bright side it will be back in the 20s on Monday, and 30 on Tuesday.

Night before it was 13° at the plant at midnight. Snow, sleet, freezing rain through the night into morning. Icy roads warning. Daylight guy was an hour late due to ice but I ain't goin' nowhere anyway. Cautious 37 mile drive home, limbs down, cars in ditches. Home, park it, Miller time.

65° at last nights drive to work at 10 p.m. 60° at midnight, still raining, flood warning till 10 a.m., NWS freezing rain warning late morning, 31° predicted by noon, 20° by 10 p.m. Here we go again.

What the motherberkeley.

-28C right now, supposed to be -8 by this evening. Water main breaks? Sure, why not.