Lucian Loc: From Wales, living in Ohio

I spent three winters in Minnesota, if you are not born there, you are not allowed to say years, you have to say "Winters". My first one was the coldest they had in ten years, just my luck. I was working as a ski instructor at Afton Alps. Having lived and skied in the Austrian Alps for years, we would not even call this Afton Bumps, in the real world.

Anyway, one night I was on duty and I thought it stupid to even be there because it was -42 outside and I was new, so showed up, to show commitment. Sat inside by the fire only about 3 people there, I just knew no idiots would be coming for lessons that night and I could soon be on my way home.

Wrong.. 3 idiots turned up and wanted their scheduled lesson, so I had to go out and teach them for an hour in those conditions. I think they lasted about 45 mins but it was so cold my nose nostrils froze up and my eyelashes kept freezing closed. I had no chance of getting my ski boots off, once back inside, because they were so cold, I could not budge the plastic. It was like walking with two lumps of hard-set concrete on your feet. I think it took at least a half hour in the warmth of the lodge, before I could pry them apart enough to get my feet out of them.

Never forget that night, I'd never do that again either. Poor car could hardly turn over due to thick cold oil, when I went to start it, to drive home. I'd never move there again.

levijudah Loc: Fayetteville, NC

. . . My Ex-Wife. Does that count?

turp77 Loc: Connecticut, Plainfield

I can’t say it’s classified but I’ve seen 3’ or more

bcplimpton Loc: Southern New Jersey

Titusville, PA - 1963 (My senior year in high school) from January 29 through February 27 we experienced four days with real temps -30 f to -37 f. Those of us who did snow removal to provide a little spending money while we walked to school in the morning and/or back home in the afternoon, will never forget those days.

bcplimpton Loc: Southern New Jersey

Titusville, PA - 1963 (My senior year in high school) from January 29 through February 27 we experienced four days with real temps -30 f to -37 f. Those of us who did snow removal to provide a little spending money while we walked to school in the morning and/or back home in the afternoon, will never forget those days.

Mr. SONY Loc: LI, NY

We lived in central Florida for a while.
The couple next door had a 16 year old daughter.
I must of looked like a child molester one day.
That girl was mowing the lawn and I couldn't keep from staring at her.
Why?
It was 80 degrees out and she wearing a winter coat!!!!!

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

Just a possible guess, because I wasn't there......allergy or sensitive skin issue?

I know a fellow who wears what seems to be too heavy clothing and a winter hat with a rear flap that covers the top of his head (which has rather thin hair) and back and sides of his neck, when the weather is sunny and hot.
His is so light-skinned that the sunburns he can get are quite serious. He said sunscreens that he's tried did not give useful protection, so he just suits up when he will be working outdoors for any length of time when it's hot.

Another fellow, very dark skinned (ebony), wears long-sleeved sweatshirts out in hot weather. The relative humidity is generally so low that evaporation of sweat is rapid for most of us, extremely rapid off his dark skin, and doesn't cool him with the sun bearing down on him. He suits up so that his clothes will get wet with sweat, and that longer period of moisture at the skin helps cool him.

Another one will wear thick long sleeves, sometimes, in hot weather, depending what dusts or pollens are present.
They don't affect him with difficult breathing, but the skin of his arms and back can get allergic reactions. As soon as he is out of the dust/pollen environment, he removes the thick clothing and showers, or hoses off outdoors, at least, if a shower is not readily accessible.

HamB

Operation Igloo at Onteora Boy Scout camp
-35 while tent camping

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

About 60 years back, we used to go winter camping with the Boy Scouts, 4 or 5 time a winter. Usually with tents and occasionally with a tarp 'lean to'. I've even constructed igloos. Temperature was often -20 (I assume F since C wasn't common at the time) Also 'trained' in arctic survival. Our scoutmaster was a retired British Commando. I recall one of the texts we had for reference was titled, "Down but not Out", it was an airforce winter survival manual. I was at one winter camporee where I showed the troop how to set snares and we caught a few rabbits. We did them up as a stew... it was great. Partway through supper, the 'camp commissionaires' (I don't know what their title was anymore) came through the camp and we invited them to supper. During the conversation, the commissionaires cautioned the troup that there were wild animals in the area and they didn't want us to disturb them. The fellows could barely restrain a laugh. Not done today, but scouts with .22s would generally bring them on camps. It was a very different time.

Mr. SONY Loc: LI, NY

Well, I spoke to her mother about her coat.
She said it was because she lived so long it such a warm climate, that that was what she was used to.
One of my grandmothers was the same way.
When the temperature dropped to 80 degrees she would put on a light sweater.

dustie Loc: Nose to the grindstone

Got it.

It's difficult to watch how some who are in their later years suffer with not being able to keep warm, even when the room temp or outdoor temp is not really low.
I know one older fellow who wears a jacket or sweater, and mostly a knit beanie, too, until he is in an environment where the ambient temperature is above 98F or 99F. It's not that he just thinks he's cold, touch his hand and it is definitely cold.

Flyerace Loc: Mt Pleasant, WI

-50 while skiing across from Mt Washington, New Hampshire. Made one run and called it quits. The guys working the lifts asked if I was going back up. I said no. They wanted to close the mountain and I was the only skier that day. I left and went to my little house in the woods and stayed warm all the rest of the day.

halraiser

I have to question that -95 claim. According to one site, the coldest temperature every recorded in the contiguous U.S. was -70, and the coldest in Alaska -80.

https://weather.com/safety/winter/news/2024-01-12-record-coldest-temperatures-in-united-states

My personal coldest was, as I remember, -35 back on the dairy farm in NW New Mexico. We would start the morning milking, then split the crew, half to the house to warm up and half to milk until we switched. Cold usually didn't much bother the cows but at that temperature hurt production. Usually we only went down to near zero but for some reason for a couple of years we got that kind of temperatures.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

The one day I spent in Wisconsin with the wind coming off Lake Superior.

zarathu Loc: Bar Harbor, MDI, Maine

-25F in central Pennsylvania in the winter of 1982. The farmer was afraid his cows were going to die. I had to bring my car battery inside over night.
Since I moved to coastal Maine, the coldest it has gotten has been -18. Last winter we had a couple of days where the temps got to -15F on the coast. We had an activity about 40 minutes away that we were to afraid to drive to because if the car stopped working we could have been dead in the water on a stretch of not very well traveled road. The Gov'ner told everyone to stay home.