Pretty darn cold here in Ohio

[Earth 2 Chris]

It is 9 degrees here now. Breaking out the shorts and sun screen!

Chris

[cjefferys]

Not only cold, but the Buffalo area is getting pummeled with a blizzard. It was almost zero visibility out there, highways closed, travel bans, etc. The boss let us out early today and I didn't think I'd make it home, at times I couldn't see a thing while I was driving. Finally made it though, *whew*.

[EmergencyIan]

NYC felt really cold today. The low was 4 degrees and the high was 9. The wind chill was -17. It's not as cold as some of the places that you guys live in, but when you are a pedestrian, you really experience the full effect of the 17 below wind chill.

- Ian

[VintageMike]

No idea. Just know it was really cold and and suddenly my engine key WILL NOT TURN. Good times!

[Random Axe]

It was literally warmer in Anchorage, Alaska than in Atlanta.

[Brave Ulysses]

A lovely 7 degrees here everyone stay warm tonight.

[ScottA]

School has been closed here the last 2 days. It was 21 today.

[noelani72]

Central Illinois has been brutal too.
The past few days since this rolled in, temps have been in the negatives and wind chill as low as negative forty.
Being zero or a little below is nothing new to us...but double digit negatives and that double digit below wind chill is new...only happens once or twice every twenty years or so.
We didn't get any snow on the first day they predicted, however, seven inches fell the next day and blew around like mad.
Since I work for a school district, kids are still on Xmas break until tomorrow - but that did not stop them from keeping the offices open....seriously...kept the damn offices open when everything else in this town (even Caterpillar) closed up. Coooourse, they did not "force" anyone in - we had the option to burn sick/vacation/personal time to stay home, which was a no-brainer on monday.
Then comes Tuesday....
The town is pretty much dug out thanks to the road crews, but the roads are not clear - they're snow/ice compacted and slick. County roads around us all closed to keep people off the streets....Sheriff Dept was begging people to stay home unless it was emergency. kroger, fast food, Court House...all closed. Walmart was open.
Tuesday, the temps and wind were no different than Monday's...yet...the office acted like it was just another day and folks were going in.
Of our three cars, that sit outside, they had trouble starting obviously. Two of them groaned as the key was turned, the third just gave a 'click' and nothing else.
It's not worth spending $60 on a new battery - it's just that cold and the cold cranking amps just aren't there. If you get frostbite just starting a car - then why the hell go sit in an office for eight hours?

It boggles my mind - what in the hell was possibly sooooo damn important that these people would risk not only THEIR lives, but the lives of others (ie; emergency workers)?
I think I was the only one who responded to the email chain to say I was staying home because it simply was not safe and not worth the risk, so I'm sure when I go in today I will be the black sheep of the family.
Temps today are finally greatly improved as the front is gone. Not much of a wind chill and it is sixteen above right now.
I felt pretty guilty for not going in to the office yesterday despite what I just said...like my manhood was in question because I was fearful of the risk.
So I built a couple customs to keep my mind occupied.

[vintage spideyfan]

-1 currently, before wind chill.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Temperatures are rising back into the 30s today, with the kids on a 2 hour delay for school. They got an extra week of vacation out of the cold and potential snow that never materialized much here.

Chris