• DrQuickbeam@lemmy.world
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      10 months ago

      American here, I agree, our anachronistic measurement systems and twisted pride in them is insane (but insanity is perfectly normal here).

      In the lower Midwest it is currently -22C (-8F) in Kansas City and Chicago. In the upper Midwest it’s about -25C (–13F) in Fargo, North Dakota and 27C (-17F) in Billings, Montana.

      Temperatures are usually 10-15 degrees C higher this time of year, so this weather is quite dangerous.

      Edit: I’m only citing air temperatures above. We use the term “windchill” in place of what most countries call “perceived temperature” which tries to estimate what it feels like outside by factoring in wind and humidity conditions. The windchill in those cities would be much lower than the air temperatures. When it gets this cold though, numbers are pretty abstract. It would be more useful to say like the number of minutes exposed skin has until frostbite sets in.

    • BrikoXOPM
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      10 months ago

      An estimated 95 million people were under weather warnings or advisories for wind chills -0F (-17 C), according to the weather service. Forecasters said the severe cold could push as far south as northern Texas.

  • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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    10 months ago

    Meanwhile in Canada we’re like “Every winter there’s millions of us facing these temperatures and worse and it doesn’t make the news 🤔”

      • Kecessa@sh.itjust.works
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        10 months ago

        What I find very surprising is the lack of house insulation requirements in many places in the US… Temperatures vary by about 70°c over here so our houses are well insulated for winter but it’s also advantageous for hot summer days so you would believe in the warmer parts of the USA they would want to insulate their house so AC isn’t wasted and it would also help for the few cold days they get every year… You just need a couple of space heaters just in case and you’re good to keep a couple of rooms warm enough that it’s not much of an issue when that happens…

      • hobbicus@lemmy.world
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        10 months ago

        Don’t forget burying pipes 3 inches underground so they freeze the second it gets a lil icy

        -Texas gang