What Temperature is Cold for You? 76°F, 69°F, 90°F or More?

[dlgoff]

People that are taller will thinner physiques, with longer arms, legs and fingers tend to NOT hold heat very well and do NOT thrive in cooler temperatures.

It's just not fair. When I was young, it was swimming ability. Now that I'm old, it's the dang cold.

 

[psparky]

I think the amount of food you eat is a factor as well.

Take the guy who eats 2,000 calories per day compared to the guy that eats 6,000 calories a day.

A small calorie (sympbol: cal) - 1cal is the amount of energy required to raise one gram of water by one degree Celsius.

The 6,000 calorie guy is going to be warmer.

And then to add more effect, the thinner guy is usually eating the 2,000 range where the heavier guy is ussually eating up to or beyond the 6,000 calorie range.

 

[BobG]

But I used to live in Fairbanks, Alaska. It's an Arctic climate, and it was extremely dry there. Temps around -20 C (-4 F) were routine in winter, but it wasn't unbearable.

Two observations: in very cold climates, people keep their houses unreasonably warm, and holy moly static electric shocks are brutal!

I spent a year about 85 miles outside of Fairbanks (along the highway between Fairbanks and Anchorage, near Anderson, home of the annual bluegrass festival). -20F was pretty normal the winter I spent there. Above 0, everyone was outside celebrating the warm weather (and running their vehicles off the road, as icy roads seem to be slicker around 0F degrees than at -20F degrees).

The coldest weather I experienced was -45 degrees F. We had a wild party. I strapped two sink plungers to my chest and commented on the weather, "A bit nipply tonight, isn't it?"

I was lucky. The week after I left, the temperature dropped to -65F.

Anything above -20F and I'd walk home from our radar site to the dormitories (about a mile). You have to get outside once in a while, even in the cold (we had very good cold weather gear). But there's a limit. Walking outside at -45F is dangerous. You can't really feel the difference in cold when the temperature's below -20F. You just notice body parts get numb faster (which wouldn't be a good thing if you were far away from shelter).

And, yes, it was incredibly dry and there was so much static electricity that pulling your blanket from the bed was a light show.

Where I live now (Colorado), anything above 50 degrees is shorts and sandals weather when the sun is out. Anything below 70 requires a jacket if it's cloudy. The air is thin, so the air temperature isn't quite as important as it is at sea level.

 

[Danger]

(and running their vehicles off the road, as icy roads seem to be slicker around 0F degrees than at -20F degrees).

That's because ice isn't slippery; the layer of water on top of it is. The compression/friction heat of the tires that melts it is more effective at higher temperatures.

 

[Formagella]

I can afford clothes so cold for me is when I feel my hands getting cold and I have to put them in pockets or something.
Now it's 13°C and it's mild weather for me.
Anything below 5° begins to feel cold and makes me want to be inside even with the sun out.

I hate frozenslush on the sidewalk and stuff so I hate any T < 0°C.

Generally I prefer to wear the least clothes possible. 24°C is my perfect summer sleeping temperature. Above 26°C, I sweat the bed. Above 28°C, it's more difficult to fall asleep because of the heat, and I also begin to feel sweaty/sticky when standing still, in the shade and with no clothes.