Knowing Makes It Worse

[djm]

Something that UPipers in North America constantly bitch about is the wild swings in temperature and humidity here and the negative effect this has on their reeds. I sort of knew when things were bad by feel, but I thought, "This year I will substantiate my suspicions," and purchased a digital ThermoHygroMeter. This has allowed me to accurately track the real temperature and relative humidity in my house this past autumn, and now into winter.

We have been having the most sustained cold spell so far this winter. It is not the coldest it has ever been, but it is appreciably cold. My water pipes were frozen this morning, so I know it got down close to -20° C overnight. Today it is +11.6° C inside my house. It is -11° C outside. The RH indoors is 27%. This is a near-death experience for reeds.

As I noted, this is nowhere near to as cold as it has been in other years. I have lived in this hovel since 1980. But this is the first time I have accurately measured the actual temperature, and for the first time, I am feeling cold. That's a bit silly, considering that I well remember enduring far worse and not minding so much.

I have come to the conclusion that it is the knowing of the actual temperature that is making me feel cold. As long as I didn't really know the temperature, I think I was able to tell myself it was cool, but not too bad. Now I have the digital proof in my face, and can't deny the reality of it. I'm feeling cold.

djm

[jsluder]

Yeah, but if ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

[djm]

Um ... cuz they're too freakin' cold?

djm

[hyldemoer]

I have come to the conclusion that it is the knowing of the actual temperature that is making me feel cold. As long as I didn't really know the temperature, I think I was able to tell myself it was cool, but not too bad. Now I have the digital proof in my face, and can't deny the reality of it. I'm feeling cold.

djm

or it might be that you're older now and your metabolism has changed.

I'm wearing thermal underwear under my jeans and sweater with thermal slippers on but my grand kids are playing next to me in just their underwear and barefeet.

Perhaps we both could use some kind of tonic.

[TheSpoonMan]

(following is NOT a medical post... if you're sick DO go to the doctor... he won't kill you...)

My dad claims it's the same way with sickness. His grandma was perfectly healthy for all her very long life, never went to the doctor, I dunno if she even ever had a really bad cold or fever... well she was feeling a little woozy so she was convinced to head over to the doctor and see what was up.

Three months later she was dead.

[hyldemoer]

My dad claims it's the same way with sickness. His grandma was perfectly healthy for all her very long life, never went to the doctor, I dunno if she even ever had a really bad cold or fever... well she was feeling a little woozy so she was convinced to head over to the doctor and see what was up.

Three months later she was dead.

Or it could have been that she never did get actually ill until the very end.

One of my grandmothers was painfully ill everyday of her life.
She lived to be 105 years.
We theorize that she got so used to living cautiously that when she was ready to die it wasn't going to happen. She had lived too healthy and didn't know any other way to live.

I mentioned this to one of my herb teachers. Her comment was when she felt she'd lived long enough she'd invest in a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of Jack Daniels.

[The Weekenders]

Anchorage got twice the normal snowfall. The whole country is cold now.
Without getting political, can someone, who understands the theory of global warming, tell me why it's so cold this winter? And what's happening at the two ice caps, if Canuckia and Alaska are so cold?

[djm]

As far as I know, the north is experiencing normal temperatures this year. This is not a remarkably cold winter up there.

Climatologists have stopped using the term "global warming" from what I am reading and hearing. People were not getting the meaning, thinking that the temperature would only go up. This is not what was intended. Now climatologists use the term "climate change". The temperature goes up more in some areas, goes down lower in some areas. The overall effect is a gradual warming, but it is the rapid change to local weather that we most perceive, therefore the term "climate change" is more within general understanding.

What has changed is that the difference between the daytime highs and night-time lows from day to day is decreasing. That's where your global warming is. But its the very abrupt weather changes to what we consider a "normal" season that is now big enough that even humans sit up and take notice.

djm

[The Weekenders]

As far as I know, the north is experiencing normal temperatures this year. This is not a remarkably cold winter up there.

Climatologists have stopped using the term "global warming" from what I am reading and hearing. People were not getting the meaning, thinking that the temperature would only go up. This is not what was intended. Now climatologists use the term "climate change". The temperature goes up more in some areas, goes down lower in some areas. The overall effect is a gradual warming, but it is the rapid change to local weather that we most perceive, therefore the term "climate change" is more within general understanding.

What has changed is that the difference between the daytime highs and night-time lows from day to day is decreasing. That's where your global warming is. But its the very abrupt weather changes to what we consider a "normal" season that is now big enough that even humans sit up and take notice.

djm

Well, Anchorage has twice the snowpack this year. That was in the news yesterday. Calif. had a big freeze that wiped out our citrus crop. I follow the theory insofar as there are strange fluctuations, because we have had both warm days and very cold days in January, rather than a tighter range of temps..Thanks for explanation. It makes more sense.

[fearfaoin]

Climatologists have stopped using the term "global warming" from what I am reading and hearing.

Yeah, "global warming" was an unfortunate choice of term, but
we're probably stuck with it. Some of the most confusing changes
would be to the Jetstream and the Thermal Halide Cycle. If these
circulating air and water currents move around, it might cause an
temperature increase in some latitudes, and a decrease in other
lattitudes. This causes weather changes that are counterintuitive
to the name "global warming".

I think we're still having an unseasonably warm winter here.

[Innocent Bystander]

Yeah, but if ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

If ignorance is bliss, it's folly to be blissful.

BTW - thanks for the link about blue-eyed white cats.

[jsluder]

Yeah, but if ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?

If ignorance is bliss, it's folly to be blissful.

Folly-la-la-la... la-la-la-la!

BTW - thanks for the link about blue-eyed white cats.

You're welcome. Lots of stuff I didn't know; it's a lot more complicated than just "white fur + blue eyes = deaf".

[Lambchop]

Anchorage got twice the normal snowfall. The whole country is cold now.

I take umbrage at the notion that I am not in a part of this country! Bah! It's nearly 60 here!!!!

[djm]

Yes, its rough all over, Lamby. I was just looking at an item about how a cold snap hit the Gulf of Mexico, and all these green sea turtles had floated to the surface suffering from hyperthermia. The water temperature had dropped 10° C in one day. They were being collected and treated at a facility on an island off the Texas coast; can't remember the name. Pretty rough on the turtles, though.

djm

[chas]

As far as I know, the north is experiencing normal temperatures this year. This is not a remarkably cold winter up there.
. . .

Well, Anchorage has twice the snowpack this year. That was in the news yesterday. Calif. had a big freeze that wiped out our citrus crop. I follow the theory insofar as there are strange fluctuations, because we have had both warm days and very cold days in January, rather than a tighter range of temps..Thanks for explanation. It makes more sense.

Another point is that warmer air can hold more moisture, so in cold places more snow might indicate warmer temps. When we in the east had 70's around Christmas, some were pointing at Denver and saying, but it's colder in Denver than usual, look at all the snow they have. Fact was, it was warmer than normal even in Colorado, which likely contributed in small part to the record snowfall.

And DJM, 27% humidity when it's 11 C is waaaay low. That's as much moisture in the air as there would be if it was maybe 15% at 20 C. I know my lips start splitting and all sorts of other hell breaks loose in my body when it goes below 35% or so at normal room temp.