Yikes! Polar Vortex's "Tundra-esque" Temps

[3113]

Winter is normally cold, but starting Sunday tundra-like temperatures are poised to deliver a rare and potentially dangerous sledgehammer blow to much of the Midwest, driving temperatures so far below zero that records will shatter.

One reason? A "polar vortex," as one meteorologist calls it, which will send cold air piled up at the North Pole down to the U.S., funneling it as far south as the Gulf Coast.

More here.

Artist's depiction:

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/59/590x/165564348-399529.jpg

Is everyone prepared? Plenty of wood, booze and sex toys (hey, you do whatever you must to stay warm!). Please keep us updated those of you in trapped in the tundra zone there.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

Yeah, it's supposed get down to 24 degrees here in Houston on Monday. It rarely get below freezing here.

Last time is was colder than 24 in Jan. was back in 1989 at 19 degrees.

 

[JackLuis]

Wild Card Week End! Break out the Schnaps, Igor!

Green Bay is supposed to be well below zero. Burrrr.

And Philly aint gone a be exactly tropical either.

 

[patientlee]

My kids watched the thermometer in my car bounce between 2 and -2 last night. Wicked cold.

 

[hoo_hoo_boo]

Here, last week, it was 49.3c (120f) for a couple of days. It blew in from the desert ahead of Cyclone Christine. Then the tail end of the cyclone moved in and dumped rain. Last year was our hottest year ever recorded. We have a Prime Minister who doesn't believe in global warming. We are lucky to have him. He makes the rest of us feel very intelligent.

 

[hoo_hoo_boo]

My kids watched the thermometer in my car bounce between 2 and -2 last night. Wicked cold.

So long as it's not 3 degrees. I can't stand getting the third degree.

 

[StrangeLife]

http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/59/590x/165564348-399529.jpg

The elephants are going hairy??

Kewl - now we just need the girls to do the same and gas prices to drop 500% and we're totally back in the sixties.

Groovy to the max babe!

 

[Hypoxia]

If ya can't take the heat, get off of the stove.
If ya can't take the cold, get out of the icebox.

Gotta say, I've been through colder weather in Kansas. My partner has been through worse in central Alaska. Shit, I've walked around New York City when the temp was below -10F. Uncomfortable and dangerous? Yes. Insurmountable? No. Wear your woolies, kids.

 

[Zeb_Carter]

If ya can't take the heat, get off of the stove.
If ya can't take the cold, get out of the icebox.

Gotta say, I've been through colder weather in Kansas. My partner has been through worse in central Alaska. Shit, I've walked around New York City when the temp was below -10F. Uncomfortable and dangerous? Yes. Insurmountable? No. Wear your woolies, kids.

When I lived in Chicago, I walked daily, no matter the weather. I remember when it was -20f, now that's an invigorating walk. Layers, lots of layers.

Now in Houston, I hardly walk at all, except in the winter - those 100+f degree days in the summer are a killer.

 

[TxRad]

Zeb, I'm not sure where you got your numbers but it's supposed to be 65 here in Bryan/college station today, 47 and 43 on Sunday and Monday. It's supposed to be 21 Sunday night and Monday night but it's getting to be that time of year.

When I was a kid, December was the coldest Month. Now it's January and into February. Climate shift.

 

[patientlee]

So long as it's not 3 degrees. I can't stand getting the third degree.

I can't even stand giving it.

 

[Handley_Page]

I can't even stand giving it.

Even to a naughty kid ?

 

[patientlee]

Even to a naughty kid ?

You would think I would. I'm so sick of kids not doing what they're supposed to, I don't even enjoy it when I know I've got 'em where I want 'em.

 

[hoo_hoo_boo]

I can't even stand giving it.

Glad you don't. I don't think it works any way and the one giving demonstrates their own instability I suspect. Leaves me cold.

 

[StrangeLife]

You would think I would. I'm so sick of kids not doing what they're supposed to, I don't even enjoy it when I know I've got 'em where I want 'em.

It's all about proper motivation.

In the case of my daughter a trip to the Loius Vuitton outlet store has never failed to work. Boys are cheaper though - just hide the car keys and soon they'll gladly donate a kidney to get them... both kidneys if it's saturday...

 

[patientlee]

Glad you don't. I don't think it works any way and the one giving demonstrates their own instability I suspect. Leaves me cold.

Once a month, I have trouble controlling the urge to argue.

And I like how you brought that back to the topic at hand.

Speaking of cold, it's too cold to leave the kids outside long enough to get the crazies out, so we're going to the ice skating rink. It's way warmer in there than it is outside. (Figures that this is the week that the boys don't have hockey. So much more civilized than public skating.)

Brrr.

 

[patientlee]

It's all about proper motivation.

In the case of my daughter a trip to the Loius Vuitton outlet store has never failed to work. Boys are cheaper though - just hide the car keys and soon they'll gladly donate a kidney to get them... both kidneys if it's saturday...

I teach high school. No one is rich enough to pay them all off.

As for my own kids, they're 11 and under. Car keys mean nothing.

My five year old has no currency. There is nothing that motivates him to be good if he doesn't want to be. The only thing that works with him is not talking to him. If I refuse to talk to him until he does what I want, eventually he'll say fine and do it. Fortunately, he is usually pretty good, especially at school or when we're out.

My mother brings out the worst in him though. She still thinks she's going to break him like a wild horse. He has an annoying habit of saying no when you tell him to do something. Usually he waits a minute and does it anyway. My mother's been bringing the hammer down as soon as he says no. Leads to a chain reaction of the battle of the wills. He has more stamina. I find it much easier to clam up. More efficient and less tiring.

Guess I better go get ready to take them to skate the crazies out. They'll all behave better.

 

[lovecraft68]

Wild Card Week End! Break out the Schnaps, Igor!

Green Bay is supposed to be well below zero. Burrrr.

And Philly aint gone a be exactly tropical either.

from a sports standpoint that's great! My money is on Philly tonight and everyone knows that fraud Drew Brees can't play outside his comfy little dome.

 

[hoo_hoo_boo]

I teach high school. No one is rich enough to pay them all off.

As for my own kids, they're 11 and under. Car keys mean nothing.

My five year old has no currency. There is nothing that motivates him to be good if he doesn't want to be. The only thing that works with him is not talking to him. If I refuse to talk to him until he does what I want, eventually he'll say fine and do it. Fortunately, he is usually pretty good, especially at school or when we're out.

My mother brings out the worst in him though. She still thinks she's going to break him like a wild horse. He has an annoying habit of saying no when you tell him to do something. Usually he waits a minute and does it anyway. My mother's been bringing the hammer down as soon as he says no. Leads to a chain reaction of the battle of the wills. He has more stamina. I find it much easier to clam up. More efficient and less tiring.

Guess I better go get ready to take them to skate the crazies out. They'll all behave better.

Yes- planned ignoring and refusal to get into cycling a few questions over and over interminably won't gather distrust or disrespect. I think there are no easy answers. It's odd how inclement weather often sees a rise in poor behaviour.

 

[lovecraft68]

I teach high school. No one is rich enough to pay them all off.

As for my own kids, they're 11 and under. Car keys mean nothing.

My five year old has no currency. There is nothing that motivates him to be good if he doesn't want to be. The only thing that works with him is not talking to him. If I refuse to talk to him until he does what I want, eventually he'll say fine and do it. Fortunately, he is usually pretty good, especially at school or when we're out.

My mother brings out the worst in him though. She still thinks she's going to break him like a wild horse. He has an annoying habit of saying no when you tell him to do something. Usually he waits a minute and does it anyway. My mother's been bringing the hammer down as soon as he says no. Leads to a chain reaction of the battle of the wills. He has more stamina. I find it much easier to clam up. More efficient and less tiring.

Guess I better go get ready to take them to skate the crazies out. They'll all behave better.

At the risk of having the followers of that lard ass con artist DR. Phil all over me...

How about the age old tradition of a good smack. Still works you know.

 

[patientlee]

At the risk of having the followers of that lard ass con artist DR. Phil all over me...

How about the age old tradition of a good smack. Still works you know.

Not on my 5 year old.

ETA: Seriously. He has an extremely high pain tolerance. (He gets that from his father. The other two sob over a paper cut.) I'd hurt myself before it hurt him. He has a tendency to laugh at a good smack.

 

[sr71plt]

Down to 19 degrees in Central Virginia last night. Virtually tropical compared to what some others are experiencing. I think I've set my Florida vacation a month too late.

 

[StrangeLife]

My five year old has no currency. There is nothing that motivates him to be good if he doesn't want to be...

Then you need to get him hooked on something - like a computer or a PlayStation for instance - so you have some privileges to threaten him with. Computer games can be a very powerful drug for pre-teens. The mere threat of withdrawal from "The Smurfs" should be sufficient to bring any five year old to heel

 

[Belle_Nuit]

Ugh this winter has been awful so far. Where I live in Canada we have gotten crazy amounts of snow, freezing rain and -30C (-22F) multiple times already. Supposed to get to -27C this weekend. I want to hibernate... and eat cheese.

 

[Belle_Nuit]

I should move.