Heaviest Clothing Layer and Most Bone-Chilling Conditions You Have Ever Come Across?

[StarFeat]

Things were indeed extremely cold for cities around the Great Lakes yesterday.

Here are some of the recorded High/Low temperatures for yesterday (Jan 14, 2009) in celcius:

• Detroit, Michigan: -11C/-22C
• Toronto, Ontario: -13C/-22C
• Buffalo, New York: -12C/-17C
• Chicago, Illinois: -9C/-18C
• Windsor, Ontario: -11C/-19C

And remember that not only were these cities dealing with dangerously cold temperatures, but also with powerful windchills so residents definately felt colder that those recorded temperatures. My advice during these conditions as pointed out is to cover as much skin as possible to avoid frost bite and avoid staying outdoors for a prolonged period of time. Don't mess with frost bites because a powerful one to nip your finger can cause for it to be amputated.

Temperatures sources: www.weather.com for Detroit, Buffalo, & Chicago and www.theweathernetwork.com for Toronto & Windsor.

[cawhite]

-18C in Pittsburgh now. Brrr its disgustingly cold

I just got back from Pittsburgh and the temps there were downright balmy compared to what I came home to. When I landed tonight, the temp in Chicago was -10F. Brrrrr!!!!

OK, how about, when taking into account the wind chill, -63C (-80F) in Chicago a few years ago; you could not go outside.

Actually, one could go outside (it just wasn't recommended). People were still taking public transportation (which meant being outside) and the city definitely didn't shut down...it just went along a bit slower and with everyone bundled up a lot more than usual.

That seems unlikely. The record low temperature for Illinois is -36F, so Chicago temp equal or higher to this. From national weather service at an air temp of -30F you need sustained wind speeds of about 75mph (hurricane force is 63mph) to get wind chill down to -80F.

It actually did get that cold in early 1996 (I was there and won't ever forget it). It's not common for Chicago to get wind gusts that high, but it's also not unheard of. I can think of a few times in the past few months alone where we've had 60mph wind gusts.

Going back to the OP's request of cold weather w/r/t where one has lived... the -80F windchill in Chicago in early 1996 as well as one other time when I was in university and we supposedly experienced the same, are the coldest I can remember. Then again, this week in Chicago has been just wicked. The temps this week are a perfect example of why I have two down coats (one long, one parka) that are rated to -30F and -50F.

[SQ LPP]

When I landed tonight, the temp in Chicago was -10F. Brrrrr!!!!

Lucky me. Around 2 Celcius today.

[mosburger]

Actually, one could go outside (it just wasn't recommended). People were still taking public transportation (which meant being outside) and the city definitely didn't shut down...it just went along a bit slower and with everyone bundled up a lot more than usual.

Yep, sounds like my childhood experiences. If you don´t happen to be living somewhere really far up north in Alaska, Canada or Russia, most of the times cold weather does not have to disturb daily life so much if one is prepared.

Did bring a whole bunch of woolen and gore tex stuff to China this year.

[Lobster]

If you don´t happen to be living somewhere really far up north in Alaska, Canada or Russia, most of the times cold weather does not have to disturb daily life so much if one is prepared.

Unless you live in the UK where one snow flake will bring the whole country to standstill

[jjpb3]

Gawd I feel like a wimp now. The coldest I've experienced was a New Haven edition of The Game. -17 F wind chill, IIRC. The two layers of socks and boots didn't prevent my feet from becoming numb by half time.

Or maybe that was the whiskey we were drinking to keep warm...

[Kiwi Mile]

It actually did get that cold in early 1996 (I was there and won't ever forget it). It's not common for Chicago to get wind gusts that high, but it's also not unheard of. I can think of a few times in the past few months alone where we've had 60mph wind gusts.

Did also you remember the Heat Wave of 1995? Were you there during that event?