Good GOD. That's like, Mercury, not Earth.

It's 102 in Portland right now.

Fuckin good-fer-nothin' sun.

Global warming is a hoax.

Yeah -- right.

ericb: I'm not going to argue for or against climate change here, but you should know I live in Phoenix. It's freakin' hot, here, and the high temp record for this area was set decades ago. Last time it was this hot on this particular day of the year was 1995, for reference.

That's like, a century ago!

Hey! You dropped this! *hands decimal point back to Triode*

The dry vs. wet heat rule, no matter how often people make fun of it, actually works. Right up until about 108 or so. After that, even if it's 0% humidity, it's still so hot you feel like the universe hates you.

After having moved back to Albuquerque from Austin, I'm surprised now when people say, "isn't it hot today?" Sure, it may be 97 or something, but that just doesn't feel hot to me. I hardly notice it. That's 97 with 20% humidity. But 95 with 80% humidity makes me feel like I'm going to die any moment.

Again, though, when I've been exposed to 110+ temperatures, only when passing through Phoenix or Tuscon, it really did feel crazy, crazy hot to me.

Oh, I've also noticed the same thing for cold temperatures. Maybe from 0-15F or so seems especially cold to me. But it all seems the same once you get below freezing.

Except once it gets below -15F or so. Below that, there's a sort of qualitative difference. In my opinion and experience. I don't know how people live in Saskatoon and places like that.

It was 41 in the shade of my father's north porch over the Canada Day weekend, but around 10% RH. Much more comfortable than 32 and 50%.

Cold is easy to deal with, just add more layers. And really their isn't much difference in feel between -10 and -40 as long as their isn't any wind.

I think I have been in air conditioning twice so far this summer, not counting the few times I've been to the grocery store. I think I've only put the air on in my truck once, and that was so the milk wouldn't spoil while I ran an errand. I can't install AC in my apartment (the windows are just too big + I can't afford a unit anyway), so it's been me and fans for company. Wearing skivvies helps (TMI, I know). Turn off all non-essential lights, ventilate apartment for crossbreeze (until the bugs come out at sunset; they get in through the screens, drawn by the light). It helps that I'm halfway into the ground.

But the humidity is intense. This morning it was only 70, but over 90% humidity meant it felt like 90. And I've been in 120° weather for three hours, walking around and looking for wimpdork's house (I think it was technically: 117/"feels like" 121). I still say I prefer dry heat. Gimme 100+ and 0 humidity over 70 and sticky any day.

My mom and I both have freakish humidity sensitivity. (My brother doesn't, so much.) I didn't mind when I was in Phoenix for a conference and the air felt like it was burning my nose hairs, but give me a low 90s day with pea-soup humidity and, well, suicide seems painlesser.

"My mom and I both have freakish humidity sensitivity. (My brother doesn't, so much.)"

That makes me wonder why, and how much, this would vary from individual to individual. It would seem to be related to how efficient someone is at dissipating heat through perspiration—that is, those who are more efficient at it would find external factors which limit it (like high humitidy) to be especially uncomfortable relative to other people at the same temperature.

Of course, and this is completely off the top of my head, it occurs to me to remember how synthetic is the very notion of "temperature" and how different it is to our sensual experience of the world and heat, which is built around transfer rates (and thus heat capacity), not temperature.

dope. oh, sorry. misunderstood.

I feel like I shouldn't be complaining, seeing as I we didn't even crack 30 today, but with 84% humidity, and given that I come from a pale, northern race unused to the hideous anvil of the sun (I came down with heat prostration in New York in late October, for I am a wuss), I feel as if I'm going to burst into flames at any minute.

....just like the house down the block did this evening. Amazing how a good fire brings people out in a neighbourly way. [/rambles in heat addled fashion]

I've always thought it was interesting that the UK gives its diplomats stationed in Houston the inclement climate pay bonus.