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Michael Penn Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 12 April 2006 Location: United States Posts: 13114
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 3:42pm | IP Logged | 1
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-22° wind chill this morning and... my oil burner stopped working. Filter changed and working again. But cold breath visible in parts of the house. And I'm not even in Canada -- just little ole Long Island, New York.
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Edward Aycock Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 13 July 2024 Location: United States Posts: 132
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 4:45pm | IP Logged | 2
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Michael Penn, I am in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. My apartment is so drafty and cold that I took out butter at 5 pm last night so it would be nice and soft this morning for me to bake. It was still solid this morning. I'm wearing shoes in my apartment today as my toes were starting to get painful from the cold. And usually in winter, I complain the heat is too high as I have old radiators and cannot control the temps.
And then I think of the Puritans and wonder what they must have gone through those early years. Unimaginable. Yet the natives knew how to survive.
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Dave Kopperman Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 27 December 2004 Location: United States Posts: 3915
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 6:04pm | IP Logged | 3
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My 1915 Arts & Crafts home is definitely due for an insulation overhaul - we're planning on doing so when we re-shingle and roof after we pay the mortgage off next year. But right now, it's 8º out, the thermostat is set to 65º and pumping away, but the internal temperature is still in the mid-fifties. Thank goodness for the fireplace.
The cats have it best - each of them can pick a cat bed near or on top of various radiators.
Edited by Dave Kopperman on 08 February 2026 at 6:05pm
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 135634
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 6:07pm | IP Logged | 4
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I think it was my second winter in Chicago that there were three days in a row with a wind chill of -90F. I stopped boasting of surviving Canadian winter after that!
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Evan S. Kurtz Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 04 July 2022 Location: Canada Posts: 212
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 6:17pm | IP Logged | 5
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Was this the early 80's, JB?
I can't imagine.
My coworkers and parents at my school think I'm nuts because I tend not to wear a coat to or from work. My reasoning is pretty simple - I have ADHD, I misplace stuff, so I keep my coat at work so I'll always have it for the yard duties and whatnot. And, anyway, I drive a Tesla Model 3,* which I can warm up remotely from my phone while still in the building, so I'm just walking about 25 yards from the door to my vehicle in the cold.
But most days the last two-to-three weeks, the coat stays on. I don't even want to walk 25 yards without it, and that's just -13F!
*yes, I have a bumper sticker which reads "Elon Musk Sucks," no, I'm not in a hurry to sell my car although I know he's a scumbag.
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Steve Coates Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 17 November 2014 Location: Canada Posts: 911
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 6:46pm | IP Logged | 6
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I have a saying, I use whenever someone, anyone or even me complains about the weather. It is "It could be worse, We could be in Regina." It was born as a result of living in Regina, Saskatchewan for 10 years and experiencing very shitty weather in a very shitty place. There was a two week period where the temperature did not rise above -35° C (-31° F) and some of those days were -50° C (-58° F) with a windchill making it feel like -70° C (-94° F). Not much fun.
There is a secondary saying I use whenever I find myself in Regina. It is "It could be worse, We could be in Saskatoon."
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Edward Aycock Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 13 July 2024 Location: United States Posts: 132
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 9:59pm | IP Logged | 7
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How do you even survive in such temps, Steve Coates? People need to go to work and eat, etc. Do restaurants even operate? CAN they operate? And it must be burst pipes all winter long.
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Paul Reis Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 16 April 2004 Location: Canada Posts: 940
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 10:30pm | IP Logged | 8
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this year i finally purchased (invested in?) a jump starter. i live out in the "country" and once or twice a year when temperatures gets to -20(C)* my car will NOT start - always called a friend to come give me a boost.
after getting it, i wondered how do i test that the dang thing works? sit in a parking lot with my radio and lights on until the battery dies? and then try it? - luckily we've had multiple days in a row of -20 --- it works, yay, no more guilt inconveniencing friends to drive out 15 minutes to help me !!!
* no problem at -19, just -20 or lower.
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Steve Coates Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 17 November 2014 Location: Canada Posts: 911
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 10:56pm | IP Logged | 9
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Temperatures of -35° C (-31° F) are fairly common and not a great concern. Paid parking lots usually have electrical outlets for vehicles and most industrial businesses have electrical outlets for employees. Any wind exposure should be very short or not at all.
Greatest problem I have is if I need to be out in such weather, it usually requires me to do fine manipulations and I risk freezing my fingers. Which I did not so long ago. Its not too bad but even mild exposure causes numbness in my index finger. It takes quite some time to recover fully.
Temperatures at -50° C (-58° F) mean great changes to routine and anything can affected. Vehicles are left running or necessary trips require at least two people so vehicles can be restarted. You don't do anything not absolutely necessary.
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 135634
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 11:34pm | IP Logged | 10
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-35° C (-31° F)••• ?
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Evan S. Kurtz Byrne Robotics Member

Joined: 04 July 2022 Location: Canada Posts: 212
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| Posted: 08 February 2026 at 11:42pm | IP Logged | 11
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It’s one of the funny coincidences of equivalent temperatures converging that -40°C = -40°F.
Anyway, I’m not planning to do it this winter, but I’ve always wanted to do a run in -30°C, just to be able to say I’ve done it. Currently my best was a 3K in -25°C.
Edited by Evan S. Kurtz on 08 February 2026 at 11:44pm
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John Byrne
Grumpy Old Guy
Joined: 11 May 2005 Posts: 135634
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| Posted: 09 February 2026 at 12:26am | IP Logged | 12
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I’m aware of the -40/-40 convergence. For some reason it hadn’t occurred to me that it would be a progressive narrowing across the whole temperature range. Stoopid brain.
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