How cold is just too?

/ February 14, 2016

It was hard to get going Saturday in Syracuse.

The morning view from our kitchen window after I pushed the coffee machine button.

The morning view from our kitchen window after I pushed the coffee machine button.

First off, yes, it had snowed overnight again, I’d discovered when I’d let Ellie B aka Dogamous Pyle out off the back porch of the Little Bitty in our city neighborhood of Eastwood. As I looked out the kitchen window before my first morning coffee in the cup the size of my head, I knew I’d have to buck up and clean our cars off again if my dear wife Karen and I were to indeed venture out and complete our plans for the trip to mega shopping, dining and entertainment complex Destiny USA for the movie for my Monday review and meal afterward to make up for my Valentine’s Day work shift at the store.

Then I clicked on the wide-screen for further reports.

Cold and more, confirmed.

Cold and more, confirmed.

Yes, I may have slept in some, those of you noting the 9 a.m. screen crawl time. Call it the hibernation reflex, for our beloved rescue mutt, and me.

More weather doings, please, Molly.

More weather doings, please, Molly.

At least I was not out on the Weather Deck like Channel 3 weather reporter Molly Matott, just downhill on James Street. Notice how the snow has piled up on the rail behind the marvelously alliterative-named Weather Woman.

Cold. Period.

Cold. Period.

When Double-M called up the temperature screen, it appeared either the mercury reading had dipped a degree Fahrenheit or somebody in the graphics department had goofed with the previous crawl reading.

Anyway, baby, it’s cold outside.

And then there’s the Wind Chill.

I feel very negative.

I feel very negative.

That’s how it really feels out there, factoring in the effect of the wind. Further along, that was about it as far as highs for the day go. Not much of a warm-up was expected for the day. No, the temperatures were expected to fall.

Our region wass cold on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. So very, very cold.

But Karen and I will fight our way out in it.

Because I can clean off her car in a jiff. We can make it from the car to the Destiny entrance. The movie theater and restaurant are both inside, the same wing, one floor apart. We’ll already have made the distance from the exit to the car, and our bellies and hearts will be full with our Valentine’s Day meal from Chicago Uno …

Do you have a number in mind that you simply won’t open the door to anymore? How cold do you recall going out in, and how did you prepare for the blast? What are your Valentine’s Day meal plans?

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51 thoughts on “How cold is just too?”

  1. Sorry my friend… No wind chill here. Record heat for February! But you need to stop over if you have time to see what we did for Valentine’s Day! I sure hope it warmed up for you and you both enjoyed a glass of wine together!

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  2. Wow, that’s really cold, Mark! Brrr! Here, we keep vacillating between turning on the heater and the A/C within the same hour! I hope you, Karen and Ellie B had a wonderful Valentine’s Day (and that you stayed warm enough)! Remember, when you get too cold to stand it, you guys have a room waiting here in Florida. ❤

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  4. I went out yesterday for Valentine’s Day with Michael and Aaron, even though it was so cold I didn’t dare look at the temperature for fear of losing my nerve. It’s 3 degrees now, in Boston, and that’s definitely warmer than it was at the same time yesterday. Word is that it’s going to be 54 degrees tomorrow. How are we supposed to stay sane, Mark?

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  5. I try not to look at the numbers! But I know it’s too cold when Bailey doesn’t want to go for a walk:). Because I swear that dog is part reindeer. Today, in 18 degrees with wind chill much lower, she bounded through the snow. And I needed a sleigh:). Bundle up, friend!

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  7. Those frigid temps are the ones I wish I could have stayed inside, snug in a blankie by the fireplace, when we lived in Central New York. (Although we never had a fire in the fireplace.)

    Stay warm, Mark. I don’t envy you, Karen and Ellie B having to go out in that freezing cold weather. Happy St. Valentine’s Day. 😉

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  9. I reckon it depends on what I need to do. Can’t skip taking the dog out…
    It was 9 yesterday when I decided we’d order Moo’s boots online instead of shopping at the store, lol!

    When I was in college, the university took a lot of flak for not closing when it was -22 and windchills were crazy. I went out that day, in the snow, walked halfa mile to my 8am to find out it was canceled. Stayed there in the building a while to warm up before walking back. I’ll never forget it.
    Similar temps on the second day of a ski trip, when I thought I’d run out to get a book from my car because they closed the slopes. I’ll never forget how far I felt from such a close door when that wind burned my skin. Adding another one, last year, bus stop, -20 feels like -40. We were out there for more than 40 minutes. I got some mild frostbite and I think I was on my way to hypothermia.

    I’m glad Karen’s car is easier to clean. Mine is not, especially since I’m a shorty with T-Rex arms! But I do better with Bonnie Blue than I do with that minivan over my head 😉

    We’re having chili for dinner. We aren’t Valentine’s Day people over here.

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  11. How awful. I remember how cold it used to get in Chicago when I was a kid – but we still went out and did our stuff despite the frigid temps. I am presently sitting on the patio, listening to the birds (and the pool filter) thinking about doing some gardening. Hope it warms up for you soon.

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  12. really, really cold here too, but i remember surviving the polar vortex and this doesn’t seem so bad. happy valentine’s day to you and karen. we celebrated last night with a nice dinner in a little restaurant, and a trip to see ‘chicago.’ today, we slept in and had a relaxing breakfast, before mg had to head off to coach )

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  13. I’m on Long Island and although it’s not as you as you it’s single digits today!! Brrrr! I typically wouldn’t mind staying in but it’s come to a point that I must go food shopping!! I keep waiting for a warmer day and it doesn’t seem to be coming unless I wait till spring!!! Stay warm. Happy winter!!!

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  14. It’s freakin cold here in Astoria! Nearly froze to death yesterday shooting by the East River. Today is 4 degrees with wind chills of minus 14!!!! Staying in side with a pot of hot coffee and will work on the photos and blog.

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  15. Here in Buffalo we got all the way up to 0 F yesterday – heat wave! But I stayed in anyway. This morning it’s -4 F, but the sun is out so it doesn’t really feel too bad. I have no reason to go anywhere, so Cody and I will watch the second season of The Middle on DVD.

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  17. This is why southerners don’t move north to retire. The older I get, the colder I get. If it is below 50, I do what I have to do…quickly. If it is below 40, it better be important. If it is below 30, I am talking someone else into doing whatever needs to be done.

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  20. When I was in college in North Dakota a bunch of years ago an especially cold cold spell hit (cold, even by Dakota standards) during finals week just before Christmas. The headline in the local newspaper? “-100 Wind Chill Hits North Dakota.” The photo used to illustrate the story? Some guy out jogging in it. I clipped and kept that story and I could trot it out every year around this time to remind myself why I love Virginia. (And, yes, I went to class that day!)

    Stay warm, Mark! 🙂

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