If I freeze to death, I did it for science...

[pmv]

it was 2C today and that felt positively mild by comparison to the weather in the past week (in the -10 range)

I presume, though, you mean 2C _outside_?

7C is the temp reported by the digital thermometer in my (increasingly misnamed) living room.

Sorry but I prefer to have the wind-speed and temp reported as distinct and exact numbers not "rolled into one trendy stat" with the sole intent of making the weather report sound more "exciting".

You got me wondering. I mean, the effect of humidity on hot days can be objectively quantified via the 'Dew Point'. So I was assuming that "wind Chill" had some sort of objectively-measurable basis, but it seems it is largely about perceptions and the formula they use to calculate it is a bit arbitrary.

It's describing a real physical phenomenon, all the same though. Actually a little surprised there isn't an objective physical way to measure it.

Fact or Fiction?: Wind Chill Is Real

The winter breeze certainly feels cold, but your skin may not be as frigid as you think

www.scientificamerican.com

Seems as if this would be a more objective and physically-measurable way to talk about it

Some meteorologists say it would be more useful to report “minutes until frostbite” rather than wind chill values

 

[igor_kavinski]

I can attest from personal experience that wind chill is very real. I've only felt cold piercing through my sternum once and it was due to a gust of wind. It was not an enjoyable experience.

 

[brianmanahan]

true story, one time i was blinded by science

 

[Fenixgoon]

Considering wind-chill is just forced convection, I'd think it would be easier to use the difference in heat flux to give an effective temperature.

i.e. at 0 wind speed, the heat flux from a body of water at 98F to a semi-infinite body of air at T1 is Q1, with a natural convection coefficient of Z1

When the wind speed is 30mph, the convection coefficient is Z2 ( Z2> Z1), with a heat flux of Q2 (where Q2 > Q1).

To achieve the same heat flux Q2, the air temperature at 0mph would have to be T2 ( T2<< XT1)

Of course, that might not give practical results for how cold it "feels" even if said results would be technically accurate

 

[WelshBloke]

I presume, though, you mean 2C _outside_?

7C is the temp reported by the digital thermometer in my (increasingly misnamed) living room.

WTF! Turn the heating on you muppet!

 

[sdifox]

WTF! Turn the heating on you muppet!

burst pipe is a bitch...

 

[WelshBloke]

burst pipe is a bitch...

So is the house getting damp and getting hyperthermia and/or pneumonia!

 

[sdifox]

So is the house getting damp and getting hyperthermia and/or pneumonia!

maybe he is well insulated? like 40BMI

 

[dullard]

I want to see the exact number on the thermometer and exact wind speed/direction along with barometric pressure etc not hear some smiling a$$-clowns opinion of what it "feels like" outside.

Nothing wrong with separate temperature and wind speed data sets. As far as I know, every forecast I ever look at still displays them separately.

Wind chill is a flawed metric, but it is far from an opinion. It is based on actual scientific data on how fast skin drops in temperature. How fast skin changes temperature is often the key piece of information people need to know.

Wind chill is flawed based on two main problems. (1) Our weather including wind chill is reported using wind speeds that are often not at ground level--although that would also violate your exact wind speed request. (2) Wind chill describes the rate at which skin drops and NOT the final temperature that skin will drop to. And if you are concerned about frostbite, or pipes freezing, or similar, that final temperature is critical.

 

[Captante]

I think the BIGGEST "problem" with weather reports is the same one we have with "news" in America these days.

They're both geared more towards getting ratings/being "entertaining" than they are towards educating/conveying information.

 

[IronWing]

I think the BIGGEST "problem" with weather reports is the same one we have with "news" in America these days.

It's geared more towards getting ratings/being "entertaining" than it is towards educating/conveying information.

Yep. I compared the default weather app on the iPhone to NWS forecasts and noticed that the app would select the extremes out of the forecast and report those, i.e. the hottest high, the coldest low, the windiest wind, deepest snow. I dumped the app and use the NWS forecasts instead.

 

[dullard]

I think the BIGGEST "problem" with weather reports is the same one we have with "news" in America these days.

They're both geared more towards getting ratings/being "entertaining" than they are towards educating/conveying information.

I personally think that stems a lot from the for-profit situation we have created. The government collects and pays for weather data but releases the data for free. Then "news" places take this data, put on shiny graphics, and claim it as their own. Since all "news" forecasts are based on the same government data, they have very little to differentiate themselves. A good local forecaster would know which model is best for that local area on any given circumstance, but that is a rare skill. All they have to say station X is better than station Y is the exact thing you hate: entertainment value.

If you don't like that spin, just use the national weather service forecasts. They are not user-friendly, but they are the same data set that your news outlets are pretending they modelled.

 

[dullard]

The worst of the worst came down to this proposed act:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Weather_Service_Duties_Act_of_2005

The bill prohibited the government from competing with the for-profit forecasts. Which if it passed, meant the US taxpayers had to foot the bill and local news stations would get to hoard the data and all profit. Luckily that bill failed.

 

[Captante]

If you don't like that spin, just use the national weather service forecasts. They are not user-friendly, but they are the same data set that your news outlets are pretending they modelled.

That's exactly what I do most of the time.

The only local guy I find gets it right frequently when the NWS gets it at least partially wrong in the Northeast is the CBS News Radio 880 guy who has been doing it since 1981. (Craig Allen I believe is his name)

 

[pmv]

WTF! Turn the heating on you muppet!

I could just try building a big bonfire of £20 notes, I suppose...Trouble is they are all plastic these days, so probably would give off toxic fumes!

Anyway, I still follow my parents' "put another jumper on if you're cold" policy.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Northern lights are cool as hell, and tonight was a "moderate" night. Will post up in the PotD thread tomorrow after I sort/process.

Goddamn this vacation is kicking ass already 😎

 

[dullard]

Northern lights are cool as hell, and tonight was a "moderate" night. Will post up in the PotD thread tomorrow after I sort/process.

Goddamn this vacation is kicking ass already 😎

I'm jealous.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I made it alive. Holy hell this place is stunning. Cell phone pics really don't do it justice. Gonna be a bit before I can upload my SLR photos in the shot of the day thread.

Also, it's not nearly as cold as I was expecting. -10C/+14F but it feels way different than Gothenburg where I am living. Dare I say it's almost balmy. Like, a few good layers and it's perfect.

Nice, winter scenery can be nice. I was doing lot of errands today and at some point it kind of hit me how beautiful the sights can be here. I should have went for a walk to take pics but it gets dark so fast so never got a chance by the time I got home and ate etc.

And yeah northern lights are awesome to see. A few years back I took a drive just out of the city to get away from the light pollution and it was just incredible to be out there in the solitude and watch them dance in the sky.

 

[lxskllr]

I could just try building a big bonfire of £20 notes, I suppose...Trouble is they are all plastic these days, so probably would give off toxic fumes!

Anyway, I still follow my parents' "put another jumper on if you're cold" policy.

I can respect that, but 44°F is pretty chilly. I like the cold, and keep my house waaay cooler than most people like, but that's a little too cold. It was 50°F when I got home today. I have a fire going now. I consider 57° just about perfect.

 

[MrSquished]

I don't think wind chill and feels like temperature are perfect metrics but they are based in data. There are some good Android apps that let you choose the weather provider that they pull data from. I would check the different data providers and use the one that seems to be the most accurate over time.

The today weather app has over 20 weather sources of which some are country specific. When you look at the list of data sources it shows the temperature each one is reporting so you can compare while you're outside. It also has a fantastic widget selection

The feels like and wind chill temperature has definitely helped me plan my clothing before I walk out the door more than it hasn't by far

 

[Captante]

I could just try building a big bonfire of £20 notes, I suppose...Trouble is they are all plastic these days, so probably would give off toxic fumes!

Anyway, I still follow my parents' "put another jumper on if you're cold" policy.

Cut loose the purse-strings and crank her up to around 55f... this is the coolest it's suggested keeping a finished home to avoid damage anyway.

OTOH if you live in a rustic log cabin feel free to freeze!

 

[Red Squirrel]

That's 6C, yeah that's cold for inside! I've let my house get to that if I'm not home but coldest I ever let it drop is like 15 if I'm home. That's also based on the living room temp sensor which is the coldest part of the house. Kitchen might be colder but I don't have a sensor there. I should maybe put one under the sink or something, that's kinda critical to keep above freezing.

Lately I have been letting the house around 12-15 or so though and use a small electric heater in my office. Cheaper overall than heating the whole house. Gas bill is double what it was a year ago so been really avoiding running the furnace unless I have guests over. Been busy with work so no time to work on getting the wood stove setup and the chimney installer is really busy so I have a feeling it won't get done this year unless I do it myself.

I don't have a lot of seasoned wood on hand anyway so if I don't get it done this year it's not the end of the world, at least I'll have it for next year.

 

[lxskllr]

My thermostat is set to 47° as an emergency backup when it's cold and I'm not around to have a fire. I've woken up in the morning to that temp(not this year yet). Brisk!

 

[pmv]

Cut loose the purse-strings and crank her up to around 55f... this is the coolest it's suggested keeping a finished home to avoid damage anyway.

OTOH if you live in a rustic log cabin feel free to freeze!

The temp in here seems to have gone up to 10C (50F to you) - I think I heard the cold-snap is starting to recede.

When I was a child only posh people had central heating. We had individual gas fires, and they weren't turned on till Christmas.

The increase in gas prices recently has been mind-blowing. It literally feels like burning money to turn the heating on. Even considered finding a way to turn the pilot light off to save the gas that uses.

I'm hoping that being in a (pretty well-insulated) block of flats means I don't have to worry about frozen pipes - or at any rate, my having my heating on or not won't make much difference if it's going to happen in the block or not. I suppose I'm counting on everyone else turning theirs on!

PS I really dislike Farenheit. I have no problem with thinking equally in both metric and imperial for everything else, but temperatures in F mean nothing to me unless I do the maths.

 

[lxskllr]

Oil lamps put out a surprising amount of heat, and if you buy ultra pure lamp oil, the smell isn't completely awful. Makes a nice retro experience for winter time. Sit in a comfortable chair with a book and oil lamp. With the right lamp, you can even heat water on top for tea.