What do you think is cold weather?

[Egbert]

It is now the depths of winter here in Sydney, Australia.

I am sitting here shivering with cold. It is 12 degrees celsius and 10 degrees is forecast for overnight. It is raining outside.

The situation is grim. I am wearing two jackets and it is still cold.

[SlowwHand]

Anything below 50°f - 10°c and I'm unhappy.
With wind and humidity, I'm miserable.

[BeBMan]

Depends if there was cold or hot period before. For example 10C, sun, barely wind can be really nice after 3 weeks of harsh winter. Otoh 10C can be the horror after weeks of perfect summer, esp. if it's grey and rainy.

[Uncle Sparky]

I remember back in the '80s meeting a woman who had just moved to Winnipeg from Nigeria. She was wearing a heavy sweater and shivering. It was early May and the temperature was about 20 C (about 70 F) and she couldn't believe how cold it was and would get colder at night!

In February this year, there was eleven straight days where the temp. didn't get above -30 C ( -25 F). Most long time prairie folks complained about that. I still went out for a walk every day.

If the temp. dips below -40 C/F, you need to be very careful outside. A Russian friend of mine, who was definitely dressed for the weather, once said, 'Jimmie, it's cold tonight!'... that evening the wind chill brought the temp. to around -50 (once you get below -40, doesn't matter which scale you use).

[The Mad Monk]

Below forty to forty below.

[Egbert]

I remember back in the '80s meeting a woman who had just moved to Winnipeg from Nigeria. She was wearing a heavy sweater and shivering. It was early May and the temperature was about 20 C (about 70 F) and she couldn't believe how cold it was and would get colder at night!

In February this year, there was eleven straight days where the temp. didn't get above -30 C ( -25 F). Most long time prairie folks complained about that. I still went out for a walk every day.

If the temp. dips below -40 C/F, you need to be very careful outside. A Russian friend of mine, who was definitely dressed for the weather, once said, 'Jimmie, it's cold tonight!'... that evening the wind chill brought the temp. to around -50 (once you get below -40, doesn't matter which scale you use).

I have no idea how to dress for -40 C. I have never even seen snow. My idea of dressing for the cold is to wear a jumper and a jacket.

[N35t0r]

Below ~5° C, less if it's dry and not a lot of wind.

Lowest I've been was -40 in Lapland, but there wasn't any wind so a thick fleece jacket was more than enough (funnily, I felt colder in Berlin at 1-3° C but 80%+ humidity and a constant breeze).

Wind and humidity can have huge effects on how you feel/experience temperature.

On the other end, i suffer every time it gets above 25°

[Uncle Sparky]

In Winnipeg, we boast about having a dry cold. And the last week here the temperature has been above +30° C, and humid; absolutely brutal.

[Berzerker]

I never thought about humidity as a factor with cold air, so dry heat and dry cold are better

[N35t0r]

Yeah, although below 0°C the little humidity that the air can hold will make it pretty much irrelevant. Especially if it's generally dry, and your clothes also have very little humidity.

[Uncle Sparky]

I have no idea how to dress for -40 C. I have never even seen snow. My idea of dressing for the cold is to wear a jumper and a jacket.

The picture is courtesy of the British Antarctic Science mission.

So, you are going to start with a long sleeve undershirt, and either long underwear or sweatpants. Next layer, will be maybe jeans and a shirt. Next you'll want snow pants or ski pants (middle picture). Usually, I'd wear a curling sweater over that (heavy wool). Then a knee length parka (with a hood). Accessorize with a heavy wool cap (under the hood), heavy scarf (or 2), heavy gloves, and heavy boots (preferably with 2 pair of wool socks). Note the above model is wearing ski goggles... anything on you that is uncovered will freeze in about 1 minute in -40 weather.

I haven't worn my snow pants, or biggest parka, in years, even though we did have 11 days in a row brutal cold last February.

[Berzerker]

single digits, if the wind is blowing hi 40s low 50s... we had a stretch of days in the single digits a few months ago, outer wall pipe froze... we've played golf in the hi 20s and low 30s if it isn't windy without too much discomfort.

[Jon Miller]

It definitely depends on what you are use to. I have been cold at 15 C. Usually I can enjoy down to -5 C.

Usually I prefer not to spend much time outside below -20 C.

I generally find below -30 C to be very miserable.

JM

[Egbert]

The picture is courtesy of the British Antarctic Science mission.

So, you are going to start with a long sleeve undershirt, and either long underwear or sweatpants. Next layer, will be maybe jeans and a shirt. Next you'll want snow pants or ski pants (middle picture). Usually, I'd wear a curling sweater over that (heavy wool). Then a knee length parka (with a hood). Accessorize with a heavy wool cap (under the hood), heavy scarf (or 2), heavy gloves, and heavy boots (preferably with 2 pair of wool socks). Note the above model is wearing ski goggles... anything on you that is uncovered will freeze in about 1 minute in -40 weather.

I haven't worn my snow pants, or biggest parka, in years, even though we did have 11 days in a row brutal cold last February.

Yikes! Thanks for this. I now have no desire to go near Antarctica.

[BeBMan]

34C

[Dinner]

Any time I have to put on a jacket.

[Broken_Erika]

-30C with a windchill of -40C
my mom remembers being in Ottawa when it was -50C

[Uncle Sparky]

Well, I remember the temperature hitting -45C in Winnipeg... that was a little under 4 months ago, and an overnight low temp.

[Proteus_MST]

Like Bebro says, definitely depends on the temperatures you had in the period before.

Currently (with days of 30+ °C) I would opüen all windows and enjoy the cool air, if one day there were temperatrures of 15°C

I think I would call it cold if I had several days/weeks of >= 10 or erven 5 °C