How Cold Is It?

We we first arrived here we would look at the thermometer outside our kitchen window and think 18F that’s cold. But when we would go out for our morning walk, it wouldn’t feel that cold. We only needed to put on a lightweight coat and our winter boots. In Connecticut we would have been miserable dressed in the same way. So what’s with that?

Notice someone is outside throwing snow in the air for fun and without a coat, hat, or even gloves.

Improper Snow Shoveling Technique

When you look outside and the world is white, you (usually) dress for cold.  That is, you’re more likely to select clothing that holds heat in AND wicks moisture away from your body. But let’s say that I select the exact same things to wear in Colorado that I wore in Connecticut and the temperature is the same in both places.  The humidity in CT is, on average, 20% higher than it is in CO. That means for a given temperature, there is typically 20% more moisture in the air in CT. When that moisture in the air comes in contact with skin, it removes more heat than dry air would at the same temperature. This is conductive heat loss.  This is different than what happens in the summertime, when you sweat to cool off.  That cooling is achieved by evaporative cooling.

If you are exerting yourself and start to sweat in the wintertime, then you can start to get evaporative cooling. That will really cool you off. That is why you need clothing that will wick moisture away from your skin.

What all this means is, in locations where the humidity is higher, it will feel colder than the same temperature here in Colorado where the humidity is relatively low..

So should you go outside and shovel snow without a coat. If it keeps you from sweating, probably.

Rather it is conductive or evaporative cooling, water on your skin will make you feel colder. Stay dry!

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