It is hot here where I am. Really hot. Damn DAMN hot. And I've just arrived at work in my blissfully airconditioned office only to realise that I've left my wallet at home, leaving me with a choice of either not having lunch, or trudging back home during the hottest part of the day to retrieve it. Need to think cool thoughts...

send us overcooked Southern Hemispheriods

my heart pumps purple pissicles for you.

My weather widget says:
Now:
16°F
RealFeel® 9°F
Winds: WSW at 7mph
Mostly Sunny
Humidity: 62%
Dew Point: 5° F
Pressure: 30.01 in
Visibility: 10 Miles

Tommorow:
Snow
High: 29°F
RealFeel®: 15°F
Sunrise: 7:06 AM

We awoke to ice-coated streets this morning in Texas.

It's funny how hard it is to call up a sense memory of hot weather when it's cold, and vice versa.

Well, today, here on Seacoast NH, we have had a full long day of heavy, wet snow. It's not all that cold, so the snow is on the edge of melting and is very soggy, almost rainlike at times. It's sitting atop our already tall pile of snow, about 18" where it hasn't been plowed, and much of that was pretty icy and compacted. There are HUGE icicles on most of the buildings, and some areas where the sidewalk is roped off to keep falling icicles from killing people. The hemlock trees outside are picturesquely weighted down with snow. The whole thing is pretty much one big York Peppermint Pattie.

58 right now. Nice bright sunshine. I can see nice clear view of the ocean from my desk.

Oh this is in Santa Cruz, CA

Oh to be cold, and laying inside with a nice big cosy blanket.

I'm with Rembrandt.

I'm in Merlind, where I missed the memo that my office was opening at noon and therefore spent about a good 20 minutes this morning hacking through ice on the car. And then skidding down the hill that I live on with the ABS thumping away.
Yeah, it's cold and now it's raining and making everything slushy so it'll be icy again in the morning.

Vermont, NE US. We're expecting 12 inches of snow tonight. It's been snowing and blowing all day. A few days ago we had a couple of -20F nights. Snow usually begins begins here in November and goes through March. We have icicles growing from the roof. We have to scrape snow/ice/frost from the cars. We have a woodstove. We usually go through 4 cords of wood in a winter. We also have electric heat, which is expensive, which I turn on on especially cold nights to keep the pipes from freezing. It's often 50F in my bedroom in the morning when I get up. I do not romanticize the cold.

2 years ago was the "Valentines Day Snowstorm" where we got 24-30 inches of snow. The people who plow our long, uphill driveway got stuck halfway and couldn't go on. We spent the couple days shoveling it out by hand.

Freezing rain, sleet, snow and slush here in Pittsburgh. It was hovering right around freezing all day but it's supposed to go down to 18F tonight so the whole mess is going to freeze solid.

Seattle had some snow dust Sunday but today is cloudy and upper 40's (F). We've had a pretty nasty winter so far which is not reflected in current conditions.

It's 70 in L.A., which is the warmest it's been in a week or two -- it was rainy and drizzly for the past week. It's still chilly at night -- in the 40s, which doesn't sound like much till you factor in that most houses aren't insulated and most places don't have central heat. (Our house has one heating vent in the floor in a hallway... in front of the bathroom. So that's useful.) So the flannel sheets are still in full effect here at night, and I occasionally sleep with gloves and a couple pairs of socks. (This morning when I woke up, the bedroom was about 52 degrees.)

It's 53ºF/12ºC here in central North Carolina. It's raining lightly, and warmer than it's been in weeks and weeks. Average high for January is 48ºF and for Feb is 52ºF. There's a breeze that feels really nice with the warmer temperatures we finally have.

Thank you everyone, that actually helped quite a bit! I've now been home to retrieve my wallet and water the cat.

In return I'd like to send you folks who are colder than you'd prefer some vibes of swealtering, tarmac-melting heat, women in summer dresses, shirtless, tanned construction workers, kids playing in fountains, and failing datacenter cooling systems (best not to ask about the last one).

I shall now relurk.

Balmy 20-45 F, Eastern Rockies. Snow on ground, low humidity. Light winds. Very pleasant with appropriate dress.

I was working last night with a guy from Morelos, in Mexico. He said near but not close to Acapulco. It was below freezing, and he smiled and gestured to his three shirts, two sweaters, and two coats. I said it must be warm there. He looked away and said it's not like here.

This morning I had to run errands for my boss, take trains into the city and back. The temperature was above freezing so the icy snow that fell overnight was melting, plus it was raining steadily but not heavily all day. There were moats around the sidewalks at every corner, and even if you walk in the street you have to leap around, and even if you leap lively you're bound to drown your feet in a puddle or two.

When I got back to the warehouse my socks were wet and the room I worked in had no heat. I kept a hat, sweater, jacket, and gloves on all day. My boss gave me $40 extra, on the spot, because it was shitty and I was working like a malamute. I took a lunch break around 3 at the diner: two grilled pork chops, mashed potatoes with gravy, candied carrots (with cloves!), a bowl of chicken soup, and three cups of hot coffee, dark and sweet.

On my way back to work I stopped off at home for dry socks, which I should have waited to put on until I got back to work, since the puddles were only larger and I stepped in them again.

Right now, I feel like I'd swap places with you in a heartbeat (although I do know I'd go insane in that kind of heat. 45C? That's crazy-making.) Currently it's -9C, which is not bad, considering it's been in the negative teens/low twenties for a while. Lots of snow, good weather to stay home and drink hot cocoa. I keep telling my mum that when describing a shift from -20 to -10, you can't really call it 'warming up.' It's 'getting less cold.'

Oh, don't forget the train track buckling, too, Rembrandt!

Oh jeez. I just converted 45 C into F, and 113 F?! Man. I absolutely couldn't deal with that kind of heat.

Socal has been chilly for the last few days, but it was about 75 F today, so I'm happy with my perfect sunny, breezy weather.

Maine, NE US, north of Miko, east of Dark Forest. January has been pretty cold, frequently down to -18 and many days not getting above -7. I don't think people should have to leave their houses when it's below 0(-18). Above 100(38), same deal; you should be able to stay home in front of a fan, with a cold drink in hand.

We got a foot of snow, sort of dense, but not really wet. Miko's on the coast, I'm a few miles from the coast, and it makes a big difference. I shoveled a path through the driveway, walkways, and a path to the woodpile. The plow guy arrived at @ 10 and cleared the driveway, always a cheerful moment. Most cheerful momnet of the day? the text message saying work was closed. Snow day!! yippee!!

I used to hate to shovel, but have gotten used to it. (not DF's long drive, that would be majorly rotten) You learn not to overfill the shovel, and to just keep going. After a bit, you look back and see that you've made progress. Shoveling keeps you warm, and when you go inside, you're toasty. Then, of course, you have to deal with snowballs in the tops of your boots, or the cuffs of your rolled up jeans. The dog seems to enjoy the snow until his feet get too cold.

Last year, I moved to a small lake. I have woods in my backyard. During the heaviest snow, it was so quiet and pretty. With a book in hand, a cup of tea, and the dog sleeping by the woodstove, it was absolutely lovely.

RQE, be careful and do not get your brain cooked waling to work.

or walking, either.

In winter it has always been winter. It is so cold, and lasts so long, that I forget there was ever a time I walked on green grass, listened to birds in the sky, or felt warm sun on bare skin.

All I know is cold, and ice, and gingerly walking down frozen sidewalks hoping not to fall, or trudging through inches of snow, feeling my ankles freeze and my arthritis scream in pain.

My car becomes a 2 seater, the backseat is now consumed by the shovel I can't fit in the trunk but is used at least once a week.

In the summer I always remember that winter will soon return.

Yesterday was the first day over 10 degrees in weeks. it was 23. we celebrated by throwing ourselves a blizzard.

It's -9 right now, and we got 23cm of snow yesterday. Nuff said.

Here are a couple of pictures from the driveway shoveling project of 2007.
Looking downhill and uphill from the midpoint:
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≡ Click to see image ≡

The snow was about 2ft deep. Fortunately the snowplow had been able to do the lower half of the drive. A friend came by the next day with a snow blower to help finish off the job. This was a one-time event. Normally the snowplow guy does fine.

34F right now. Cloudy and drizzly. Sposta get up to 46 but no way it will.

Eugene, OR, 5 hours south of Seattle.

Walking up my driveway I noticed the snowpile the street plow put at the end of the drive was now almost five feet. The tunnel my neighbour dug in the eight foot high snowpile collapsed - he was sad (he doesn't work in the winter so he likes to play in the snow). The undisturbed snow in the back yard (I haven't been able to get through the back door or either back gate for over a month) is about three feet. Crisp outside but not windy or cold. I was walking about in jeans, a shirt and an open coat. The snow is too fluffy for a snowman. THe children had a snow day yesterday - I would have sent them off to school if my mummy hadn't called to say it was a snow day - it was snowing but hardly a blizzard.

Now would be a good time for you to read the Terror or some Jack London. That is what I do in summer.

One more. Here's the scene this morning: sunny, calm, 22F. Quite pleasant as these things go.
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Cold reading material: The Worst Journey In The World

Also try A Dream in Polar Fog by Yuri Rythkeu.

Wow folks, these are awesome. Especially the pics and snow-shovelling stories. I have to say though, that I called up Hugh Janus' image of wet socks on a cold day while I was walking home last night (our public transport system currently being in heat-related chaos), and it was enough to actually send a brief chill up my spine, despite the fact that reflected heat from the footpath shining up my shorts was in danger of giving me sunburn in places that should never, ever be sunburnt...

What are those "heat-related delays" referred to in the link?

I'm feeling for you, kid. I'm really, really bad at handling crazy heat. Or even fairly reasonable heat. Nothing turns me into a whining, puling, spoiled child faster.

Maybe some chilly fiction will help?