Like a lot of places this past week, we had an awesome cold snap here in Cleveland. I heard that this was the coldest stretch of weather in seven years. What got me is it only went down to single digits! It did get below zero over a couple nights, and apparently this has become a novelty. I know winters have been warmer in recent years but I had no idea it had been that long. My oldest son Happy (almost 13) said he didn't remember it ever getting down to zero. All the school kids in this area got two or three days off from school! And they weren't even "snow days" because we didn't even have much snow!
Days off because of cold weather alone, and not even all that cold. What wienies these kids must be today. I was in high school during the winter of '76-77 and we went a month straight with the temps not even rising above zero! Now that was cold! We'd stand there for a half-hour, 45 minutes waiting for the bus in a blizzard, standing under the bank sign that read five below! Why, when I was a young fella.... (Actually, it was my parent's generation that walked 10 miles to school in five feet of snow, barefoot, uphill both ways! I heard all about how good I had it riding the bus! But these kids today....!)
This week I was noticing how your pant legs ice up and how your nose hairs freeze at those temps, and how your shoes squeak on the snow as you walk. I realized it had been a long time since I'd felt these sensations. I see these silly teenagers today heading outside in the winter with no coats and think what a foolish thing that is. But maybe if they had any actual experience with serious winter weather, they'd learn like learned back in the 70s.
WINTER SCIENCE ACTIVITY! The news reporter showed an excellent science experiment that we did with our family. Wish I'd've known about this one all these years! Take a mug of hot boiling water, go outside when it's zero or so, and throw the boling water in the air. It will instantaneously evaporate into a huge cloud of steam. When you do it, hang onto the mug and swing your arm like a frisbee (not letting go of the mug.) The idea is, you want to spread out that hot water as much as possible so that it fully evaporates. It's amazing. The evaporating water makes a sound like FFFFFTTHHHP! So if the cold snap lasts and you read this in time, give it a try. I can't guarantee how it might work at greater temps.
Also, too funny about the kids. I grew up on Lake Erie during the 70s and there were always piles of snow everywhere. We were tough back then... Lol!
Edited by PRinVA on Wednesday, February 7, 2007 at 10:35 AM
Maybe you can make it to VA. Our girls are already hoping and planning.
Since it is now *18 degrees* here, I think we may give this mug of boiling water thing a try. Of course, I think we may have to wait until the wind is blowing snow and ice. Never fear, I hear we are getting even more snow tonight!!
Hope you are all recovering well.
Blessings...
-Jacque
Marsha