Weather early 2009

[TC]

The problem with the Scottish climate- especially on the west coast - is the wind and the damp.  You will lose body heat much quicker in these conditions than on a windless, colder day.  Strangely enough, it is the fit athletic types that succumb to the cold probably due to the lack of body fat. I should be OK if an ice age returns !    I have experienced temperatures of over 42c in the Arava desert and the Dead Sea area in Israel without too much discomfort because the heat was bone dry.  The worst heat I have felt was in Gibraltar in a temp. of 37c with the Levanter hanging over the rock.  It was like being in a sauna bath with no relief apart from swimming in the sea.
My experience of houses in the Med. region in winter is that they are cold because they are designed to be cool in Summer.  Tiled flooring is fine in hot weather but not pleasant when the temperature drops.  Large airy rooms are not the best for conserving heat in a building without a source of heating.

[TC]

Anthony

It's interesting to see how time have changed.  At primary school in the late 1940's, we often had no heating in the classroom.  We sat with our coats, gloves and balaclavas on in the classrooms and accepted this as the norm.  Sending the kids home would have made no difference as the chances are that there would be no heating there either.  The only times that the schools were closed was when the outside toilets froze over.

[Rafa]

very beautiful pictures

These pictures are from yesterday evening

[mark smyth]

I love skies like that. What is happening in the second photo?

Very unusual day here today. Blue sky, 5C but very warm. No need for a coat or heat in the car

[David Shaw]

Tom, and I bet you remember the frozen milk bottles as well - even after the milk monitor had stacked them against a radiator!

[fermi de Sousa]

According to the automatic weather station a few miles from home the temperature reached 40^oC there at 2pm and is still around 39^oC at present. I'm still at work where we have air-conditioning!
cheers
fermi

[Anthony Darby]

Tom, and I bet you remember the frozen milk bottles as well - even after the milk monitor had stacked them against a radiator!

I remember warm milk, and then the evil milk snatcher took them all away.

[Rafa]

I love skies like that. What is happening in the second photo?

an UFO?   
I don't know Mark,maybe some clouds decided to snow

[Kristl Walek]

and now for some real winter weather---Environment Canada has issued a "Wind Chill Warning" for today.

can you guess why?

almost -40C with wind chill here in my bit of the Ottawa valley.
and it will continue cold (or colder) all week.

Ottawa itself holds the record for the world's coldest capital city and out here in the peripheral areas, it is even colder.

not a day one wants to be out anywhere--but in my case it can't be avoided; as i have scheduled appointments all day long.

better warm up the mukluks before i head out.

[Maggi Young]

Go safe, Kristl! Thinking of you kindly 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Our thoughts ...(shivers) are with you Kristl ! 

[maggiepie]

Currently 0C here, snowing, big fluffy flakes at the moment.
Going down to -23C tonight with a windchill of -31C
Not quite as bad as Kristl's temps.

[Carol Shaw]

almost -40C with wind chill here in my bit of the Ottawa valley.
and it will continue cold (or colder) all week.

And we get in a snit if the temperature is -6˚C for any length of time!

Take care Kristl 

[Kristl Walek]

although i know that some folks living in really cold climates find it *very* amusing to hear complaints of cold in what we would consider nearly tropical winter temperatures, I think it is all relative, isn't it?

i think what i hate most about the really bitter, contact-freeze type of cold is the multi-layers of clothing required to bear it.

even with all the innovations in fabrics, were it not for my layers of thermal underwear, wool socks, hat, mittens, mukluks and the very expensive but unbelievaly warm life-time down jacket I invested in 20 years ago, I would not be able to stand it. one can hardly move in that outfit. and nearly faints coming then to an inside space.

with the coming of spring, you can't help but feel you've lost 20 pounds!!!!!

[mark smyth]

Kristl our winter cold, when it comes, tends to be a wet one not dry like in north America