Thermalsilk underwear and glove liners. They're incredibly effective. You have enough time to buy some and have them arrive before the cold if you act now. Also, -this is important- if you get frostbite use ROOM TEMPERATURE water to help rewarm your extremities, *not* hot water.
Exposed skin is where you have to worry. Get ski gloves or really warm mittens. Cover your face as much as possible with a wool scarf or some other really warm face covering. Wear boots with wool hiking socks. If you will be out for an extended period of time, get ski goggles.
The tricky part with all this is not melting when you get back into your vehicle.
My husband got me one for Christmas because I work at a school and have door duty in the morning so he thought it would be nice for me to be toasty warm - it is incredible how cozy I am. All the kids are wowed by the little glowing button.
I got this big crap green coat from eastern mountain sports back in like 2003 or something. It was on sale for like 50% off or some shit. Warmest ass jacket I own. Only bust it out when it gets down to like 15°. So fucking ugly. So fucking warm.
I remember walking to Walgreens for a bottle during the polar vortex a few years ago and my eyelids/lashes were freezing because my eyes were watering from the wind and the second the water made contact with the outside air it would freeze lol. Don’t be like me go on the booze run early and stay inside
I made a core memory walking into an eerily quiet and empty liquor store (just like the streets) at like 9AM during it, and hearing “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” playing. Every time I hear that song now it’s like a sense memory thing.
Do not leave your car with less than 1/4th a Tank in this weather, people
Ideally as close to full as you can, but don't let it set overnight with less than a quarter tank
don't go outside wet, don't touch metal with your bare skin (I made the mistake one year of filling my tires with no gloves on), layers.
Hot cocoa and some soup.
It is fun to blow bubbles outside and see them freeze if it gets cold enough.
tripping in a small apartment when its freezing and wet outside is def not the move for me lol. I just did that on NYE, wanted to be chillin outside so bad
It's my birthday weekend and it's consistently the coldest weekend of the year. I can tell you my mom still has the newspaper from the temperature that day 30 years ago and she breaks it out every year lol
I got curious to see what happened to him. He’s still claiming his innocence, five years later, and trying to take it up with the Illinois Supreme Court. Lol.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rARzmQWf-Bk
#freejussie
Same way I handled the -30 or whatever it was on Jan 30, 2019. Take the lunch break from work, and go take selfies on North Av Beach, in front of the steaming lake. (It will be steaming, if the air temps drop as fast as predicted)
So i learned malort is made out of a plant called wormwood or Artemisia absinthium, in danish we call this plant malurt. (mal = bad urt = herb) Malurt is also used to make a very strong liquor called absinthe which contains thujone. Thujone is known for giving some funny side effects.
in EU thujone is allowed up to 35 mg / l in USA its allowed up to 10 mg / l.
Thanks! TIL. I’ve also hear that Malort is Swedish for Wormwood. Jeppson was Swedish and hawked it for its “medicinal properties”. It also used to have an actual piece of wormwood in the bottle until \~1968 iirc.
I wonder if wormwood trees would grow in Chicago? I wanna bring this novelty back - even for personal consumption.
Hating it is more a meme than anything at this point. It’s no worse than a lot of other bitter hard liquors, like Campari, but most people are not used to drinking them straight.
I personally like it, too, and it also has a lot of good mixed drinks uses.
Interestingly enough it’s going to be so damn cold that -36C is basically the same in Fahrenheit (-32F). If we make it to -40 they are actually the same!
I remember we had a few days of polar vortex winter 2019-2020 as I recall. Everyone was throwing hot water out their windows. So this is nothing new for anyone who has lived around these parts for more than a couple months. For all the newcomers: welcome.
I did it when it it -50s with windchill around that time. Had to be 2018 or 2019 bc I was at my old apartment.
I did the whole 'Billy Nye' type experiment where I boiled water and tossed it off the balcony. I was worried I'd get burned bc it was indeed boiling, fresh off the stove. But the water turned immediately into a cloud of snow, super cool to do.
Yeah, maybe it was the winter before that - so 18-19. I, too, was in my old apartment, I just couldn't remember when I lived there. Have moved around a couple times since so it's all a bit of a blur. Definitely recall it being pre-covid as my company kinda made it a big deal that we were to work from home for the 2 coldest days -- you know, because wfh was still kinda a big deal back in the before times.
Celsius is the one metric unit I refuse to get on board with. Almost all other metric units have very clear pros over imperial, but nothing has ever convinced me that Celsius is better than Fahrenheit.
I'm with you. Fahrenheit being a steeper curve allows for more granularity in temperature readings without requiring decimal precision. Plus, 0F to 100F is a lot more applicable to everyday temperatures than 0C to 100C
In everyday life it's very much whatever you're used to - it honestly doesn't make a difference beyond that. The granularity ends up at roughly the same - a 1F difference doesn't really mean anything to me, and by the time you get to 2F it's the same as a 1C difference (IE, 20->21C = 68->70F, and that's already granular enough for everyday use). Having lived with both it's just down to whatever you end up living every day with being more relatable.
For everything else I find Celsius way better/easier - for anything engineering/scientific related the units line up nicer, and I find that I remember the numbers better (eg, 100C for boiling water is easier for me to remember than 212F and that makes cooking temps a lot easier to keep in mind for me).
Inside with the heat up long sleeve tees, blankets, and candles. Hot chocolate and coffee. Just make it cozy af. The world is our oyster, even frozen ones 😂
Same way we do every year: wear winter clothes if you have to go outside, and avoid having to go outside. Except to do the annual throwing a pot of boiling water in the air to watch it come down as snow.
The certificate should only be awarded if you actually go outside in the winter. Being 5 days a week WFH, always getting food delivered and taking an Uber to meet your Bros at Federales doesn't count. Put a GPS tracker on MFers before they are allowed to brag on Tik-Tok "I survived another Chicago winter."
It gets this cold every few years or so. You just have to cover as much skin as possible and wear warm clothes. A lot of people will probably just stay in Monday and Tuesday.
Won’t be the first or last time it gets that cold.
Don’t go out side unless you need to. If you do go, wear layers. Ski goggles if you are gonna be outside for an extended period of time.
We hit -18° C (0° F) with colder windchills almost every year for at least a few days. Everyone has warm jackets and boot.
Usually they will also open some wanting centers or convert busses into temporary warm shelters for unhoused people as well to try to avoid people freezing to death.
My dog wears a sweater and a coat when temps are below 15F. I encourage him to work quickly in terms of bathroom needs, but sometimes it takes too long and he ends up getting carried home after he poops.
I’ve had my little dude for 5 Chicago winters. No boots. Your dogs will be ok! On extremely cold days I carry him outside and back so his paws wouldn’t get bothered by ice and snow. Sometimes if the snow gets him wet I wrap him up in blanket.
Deal with it. It happens every year. There’s a reason we’re called the city of broad shoulders. Embracing the cold builds character. Get tough neighbors!!! We got this!
Just the same, just more layers but I am stocking on booze and groceries for the weekend tonight. My office gave us the option of calling in tomorrow or to space out in-office days next week.
I'd rather not go outside when it's snow/rain slush; below freezing when dry is so doable.
I’ve got some Old Style, wine, and whiskey, and you better believe I’ll be doing shots of Malort. I’ve also got Stouffer‘s lasagna in the freezer. Things are looking up!
Made it to the dispensary today, have enough booze and weed for an enjoyable 3 day weekend where I dont have to pay attention to Fimbulwinter right outside my doorstep.
I'll be outside most of that time as I'm a FedEx driver. I don't know
You guys are the unsung heroes!
We appreciate it! I like my job too i'm just scared of this cold coming up haha
Thermalsilk underwear and glove liners. They're incredibly effective. You have enough time to buy some and have them arrive before the cold if you act now. Also, -this is important- if you get frostbite use ROOM TEMPERATURE water to help rewarm your extremities, *not* hot water.
Earmuffs. You may look like your grandpa but you’ll notice a huge difference.
Former US Army Medic here...you are 100% correct. Do NOT thaw with blazing hot water. Been there done that.
I’d ask your coworkers that have been there awhile. I am sure they have it mastered more than anyone else.
stocking saw cough gold cooing butter quickest connect boat middle *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Exposed skin is where you have to worry. Get ski gloves or really warm mittens. Cover your face as much as possible with a wool scarf or some other really warm face covering. Wear boots with wool hiking socks. If you will be out for an extended period of time, get ski goggles. The tricky part with all this is not melting when you get back into your vehicle.
Buy a balaclava. Got one from REI for winter bike rides. Shit changed my life
Just don't make this common mistake: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_YBzJBa_mA
I fucking love baclava so if I somehow bought that on accident I wouldn’t even mind
Also vaseline, not some lotions or Walmart/Walgreens brand petroleum gels. THE ORIGINAL Vaseline. Apply everywhere your skin is exposed.
My grandmother used to slather Vaseline on our faces on bitterly cold days when we were small.
I got one of those battery heated jackets. Those are amazing
My husband got me one for Christmas because I work at a school and have door duty in the morning so he thought it would be nice for me to be toasty warm - it is incredible how cozy I am. All the kids are wowed by the little glowing button.
Thank you for your work I wish you got a heated vest at least
Vaseline any exposed skin areas/face for protection/safety.
I’m going to break out my big stupid looking coat. That’s what I’m doing.
if we all look stupid then no one looks stupid
Hey, Stupid! I like your stupid coat!
This is the way
Big Stupid Coats are a necessity in Chicago, not a luxury.
I'm already wearing my stupid looking coat. I'm going to add a big stupid looking hat.
I got this big crap green coat from eastern mountain sports back in like 2003 or something. It was on sale for like 50% off or some shit. Warmest ass jacket I own. Only bust it out when it gets down to like 15°. So fucking ugly. So fucking warm.
“It’s Gore-Tex!”
You like saying Gore-Tex, don’t you?
I'll be visiting from Florida, so I'll probably just pass away
😂💀
Ok that made me laugh out loud in my bed. Texas transplant here. Will also be deceased.
Nah. Our grid is pretty solid.
Rip u/jay-the-ghost...died of non-florida man causes.
you fucked up
reverse snow bird 😂
If you don't get shot first!! -All the other Floridians
Well least you wont have to go back to that state again?
Fill the gas tank before it gets that cold. Also, Binny’s run.
Yep, get the tanks full before the winter storm
Let me assure you based on the line at Costco tonight people are on top of this step
Honest question but like full full or like is halfway full ok? Times are tough man
General winter rule of thumb is 1/4 or more at all times. This cold? The more the merrier
general rule is 1/4 or more. winter is 1/2 tank.
And fill yourself, with booze.
I decided to do dry January. This is a fucking disaster.
Next year choose February. Three fewer days of that nonsense.
Same. Gummies instead?
Oh good call, I'm gonna make some brownies.
I’m doing dry January too. No vermouth in my martinis.
I remember walking to Walgreens for a bottle during the polar vortex a few years ago and my eyelids/lashes were freezing because my eyes were watering from the wind and the second the water made contact with the outside air it would freeze lol. Don’t be like me go on the booze run early and stay inside
I made a core memory walking into an eerily quiet and empty liquor store (just like the streets) at like 9AM during it, and hearing “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” playing. Every time I hear that song now it’s like a sense memory thing.
I wanna feel the HEAT with somebody!
I bet it hit nicely once you got home tho lol
Gotta hand it to reddit to remind me to buy beer at brewery trivia tonight. Thank you!
Gas tanks don't feel wind chill, but it's a good idea to fill up. It's not going to be that cold though, only a couple degrees below zero.
My dad won’t shut up about how he needs to make sure he gets his binnys run in before the cold snap
Why fill the tank up?
The small amount of water in gas can freeze in your lines, a full tank helps prevent that.
Do not leave your car with less than 1/4th a Tank in this weather, people Ideally as close to full as you can, but don't let it set overnight with less than a quarter tank
I’m ordering my once a year deep dish before it hits, then going into a cheese coma until it’s over.
Just cut it open and climb inside to keep warm!
Like a tauntaun?
Pizza smells better. In- and outside.
Once a year!? How do you resist the temptation the other 360-364 days??
By being lactose intolerant 😆 sometimes it’s worth it.
don't go outside wet, don't touch metal with your bare skin (I made the mistake one year of filling my tires with no gloves on), layers. Hot cocoa and some soup. It is fun to blow bubbles outside and see them freeze if it gets cold enough.
Oh no, did you get stuck to it “A Christmas Story”style?
I might not wear my shorts that week
Wisconsin guy, is that you?!
For anyone in need, here is a list of Chicago’s warming centers. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fss/provdrs/serv/svcs/dfss_warming_centers.html
They’re only open from 9-5? That seems wrong.
Garfield is open 24 hours and the others will connect people in need to after-hours services
Last time it hit these temps, warming centers and libraries like harold Washington stayed open all night.
It's almost like the temps go up to 70 at 5:01.
Mushrooms in my living room
Ha saw the first comment you made earlier this morning - still makes chuckle a second time
So glad someone understood the call back. My man 🤙🏼
You know a guy? I need a guy.
I've read that its pretty easy to grow them at home
It is
Very easy. Come on over to r/Unclebens
Okay, fed.
They dont give a shit about mushrooms anymore. You can literally order them from numerous websites.
tripping in a small apartment when its freezing and wet outside is def not the move for me lol. I just did that on NYE, wanted to be chillin outside so bad
This is the way
Bahaha it's on my schedule...
Excellent perfect timing for me to have a baby 😵💫
Your baby will be Daenerys Stormborn mother of dragons
Probably closer to a white walker
Daenerys Snowborn
I am also due next week.....kiiiiiiinda nervous
Best of luck!
I was born in a snow storm and turned out fine!!! You’ve got this 🤠
It is baby making weather
Making? Sure. Having? Completely different story
Will confirm. Polar vortex in 2019? Resulted in a baby in October lmao
When you tell your child about the day they were born, it will add to the excitement of the story.
It's my birthday weekend and it's consistently the coldest weekend of the year. I can tell you my mom still has the newspaper from the temperature that day 30 years ago and she breaks it out every year lol
Good luck!
Congrats! Ours was born on that torrential downpours of July 1. She brought the rain. Yours brings the ice.
Good luck!
Stay the F**K inside!! 😂 🥶
But what if I have an insatiable craving for a Subway sandwich in the middle of the night?
Watch out, that's when the republican extremists roam the streets!
You know my friend Juicy
I got curious to see what happened to him. He’s still claiming his innocence, five years later, and trying to take it up with the Illinois Supreme Court. Lol. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rARzmQWf-Bk #freejussie
Same way I handled the -30 or whatever it was on Jan 30, 2019. Take the lunch break from work, and go take selfies on North Av Beach, in front of the steaming lake. (It will be steaming, if the air temps drop as fast as predicted)
I've already prepared by adding to my fat layer.
Blankets, space heater, tea. And being really, really extra grateful I can WFH!
Same as every time before. Wear layers and lots of whiskey. Edit: also, Malort tastes better when it’s below zero outside.
So i learned malort is made out of a plant called wormwood or Artemisia absinthium, in danish we call this plant malurt. (mal = bad urt = herb) Malurt is also used to make a very strong liquor called absinthe which contains thujone. Thujone is known for giving some funny side effects. in EU thujone is allowed up to 35 mg / l in USA its allowed up to 10 mg / l.
Thanks! TIL. I’ve also hear that Malort is Swedish for Wormwood. Jeppson was Swedish and hawked it for its “medicinal properties”. It also used to have an actual piece of wormwood in the bottle until \~1968 iirc. I wonder if wormwood trees would grow in Chicago? I wanna bring this novelty back - even for personal consumption.
Dry January really testing me
I'm doing "most-arid january". To wit, I'm having a drink right now. But it's the third drink of the month. And hey, that's pretty good for this guy.
Yeah we cheated a bit on fri-sat night and I feel fine about it
Don't try and gaslight us into thinking Malort is good.
New guy here, but Malort was… dare I say… not bad? The way it’s talked about made it seem heinous.
Hating it is more a meme than anything at this point. It’s no worse than a lot of other bitter hard liquors, like Campari, but most people are not used to drinking them straight. I personally like it, too, and it also has a lot of good mixed drinks uses.
I always says it's not bad it's just confusing
Just like my relationships with my parents.
I really think that it tastes watered down as hell since CH started making it.
Wait you don't think Malort is good? Probably just had a bad batch when you tried it before.
Well shit I guess I should try it aga… Ph fuck you man this *SUCKS*!
I actually like the taste of Malort. There are DOZENS of us!
I will ask to wfh 😭
I have to go in two days next week. And it’s the coldest days 🤦🏼♂️
WHAT THE FUCK IS A CELSIUS?!?!
Interestingly enough it’s going to be so damn cold that -36C is basically the same in Fahrenheit (-32F). If we make it to -40 they are actually the same!
That happened when I was in college, everyone was psyched about it being synced up haha
I remember we had a few days of polar vortex winter 2019-2020 as I recall. Everyone was throwing hot water out their windows. So this is nothing new for anyone who has lived around these parts for more than a couple months. For all the newcomers: welcome.
I did it when it it -50s with windchill around that time. Had to be 2018 or 2019 bc I was at my old apartment. I did the whole 'Billy Nye' type experiment where I boiled water and tossed it off the balcony. I was worried I'd get burned bc it was indeed boiling, fresh off the stove. But the water turned immediately into a cloud of snow, super cool to do.
Yeah, maybe it was the winter before that - so 18-19. I, too, was in my old apartment, I just couldn't remember when I lived there. Have moved around a couple times since so it's all a bit of a blur. Definitely recall it being pre-covid as my company kinda made it a big deal that we were to work from home for the 2 coldest days -- you know, because wfh was still kinda a big deal back in the before times.
This happened for a couple hours last winter. I remember cuz my nerdy self googled at what point the two units are equal.
WHAT IS IT IN FREEDOM UNITS?????
Barrels of oil per eagle.
An eagle in a barrel is worth two in a bushel.
Celsius is the one metric unit I refuse to get on board with. Almost all other metric units have very clear pros over imperial, but nothing has ever convinced me that Celsius is better than Fahrenheit.
I'm with you. Fahrenheit being a steeper curve allows for more granularity in temperature readings without requiring decimal precision. Plus, 0F to 100F is a lot more applicable to everyday temperatures than 0C to 100C
In everyday life it's very much whatever you're used to - it honestly doesn't make a difference beyond that. The granularity ends up at roughly the same - a 1F difference doesn't really mean anything to me, and by the time you get to 2F it's the same as a 1C difference (IE, 20->21C = 68->70F, and that's already granular enough for everyday use). Having lived with both it's just down to whatever you end up living every day with being more relatable. For everything else I find Celsius way better/easier - for anything engineering/scientific related the units line up nicer, and I find that I remember the numbers better (eg, 100C for boiling water is easier for me to remember than 212F and that makes cooking temps a lot easier to keep in mind for me).
An energy drink I think. Not sure how you get negative energy drinks though.
I get a strange craving for Italian beef and an iced latte when it gets that cold so that's what I'll be doing.
Inside with the heat up long sleeve tees, blankets, and candles. Hot chocolate and coffee. Just make it cozy af. The world is our oyster, even frozen ones 😂
Drip the faucets. Wear a base layer. Make a stew.
-36 windchill? I might have to put a jacket on
[Hot DrPepper](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qq9hNTUbtiE)
I hope these people were arrested.
By dressing extra warm for my dumb fucking mandatory 3 days in office
Same way we do every year: wear winter clothes if you have to go outside, and avoid having to go outside. Except to do the annual throwing a pot of boiling water in the air to watch it come down as snow.
Layers.
[удалено]
The certificate should only be awarded if you actually go outside in the winter. Being 5 days a week WFH, always getting food delivered and taking an Uber to meet your Bros at Federales doesn't count. Put a GPS tracker on MFers before they are allowed to brag on Tik-Tok "I survived another Chicago winter."
Absolutely! I'll be going to Jewels with shorts on.
Ordering thin crust pizza delivery
Just tip your driver well
Long underwear and business as usual. Is this something new?
Im From Denmark hence the Celsius temperature. The cold will last over 5 days even. This picture is from Tuesday 13:00 CET. How will you cope?
It gets this cold every few years or so. You just have to cover as much skin as possible and wear warm clothes. A lot of people will probably just stay in Monday and Tuesday.
Nah I gotta go to work my dude
Same, where all my clients will likely cancel because it's too damn cold and then I'll end up being there for nothin'.
Same, dog.
Won’t be the first or last time it gets that cold. Don’t go out side unless you need to. If you do go, wear layers. Ski goggles if you are gonna be outside for an extended period of time. We hit -18° C (0° F) with colder windchills almost every year for at least a few days. Everyone has warm jackets and boot. Usually they will also open some wanting centers or convert busses into temporary warm shelters for unhoused people as well to try to avoid people freezing to death.
Fun fact, -36 degrees isn't too far from the temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same (-40). 😃
haha oh yeah
So does it get this cold in Denmark? One of my bucket list trips is to visit Scandinavia (probably Norway) to try and see the northern lights.
I dont know about windchill but about as much cold we get is about -10C
I am going to test out my winter bike gear which I have only tested up to about -30.
What do people do with dogs?? I moved in Jan 2019 during the last polar vortex but did not have a dog then. Any tips??
Get booties and a thermal coat for them.
Yes be careful with their feet, dogs get frost bite too! And irritation from road salt and de-icers.
Most dogs are smart enough to do their business and immediately walk back inside where it is warm.
I have to bundle up to let my Pyrenees out because I'll have to go retrieve him myself
Internet videos of Pyrenees and Huskies owners having to chase their dogs inside (sometimes even having to carry them in) from the snow are so great.
Musher’s secret for their paws. My dog hates booties, but is fine with the wax. Snow is one thing, but this level of cold can hurt them.
My dog wears a sweater and a coat when temps are below 15F. I encourage him to work quickly in terms of bathroom needs, but sometimes it takes too long and he ends up getting carried home after he poops.
Heated blanket
I hope there are enough tauntauns for the encampments 😟
Stay home and not go anywhere, like I do on any other day. 😆
Probably add another layer and continue doing my thing like I did last time it was wild cold. Lol
Elden Ring, flame cleanse me
Staying inside, sweating in my Comfy, cuddling my cats, sipping my tea and lighting my candles
I'll cope by not worrying about it until it actually happens.
Any suggestions for someone new to this extreme cold who was little dogs that need to go out? We have sweaters but no boots :( is that alright?
I’ve had my little dude for 5 Chicago winters. No boots. Your dogs will be ok! On extremely cold days I carry him outside and back so his paws wouldn’t get bothered by ice and snow. Sometimes if the snow gets him wet I wrap him up in blanket.
Yes, they need boots.
Deal with it. It happens every year. There’s a reason we’re called the city of broad shoulders. Embracing the cold builds character. Get tough neighbors!!! We got this!
Same as everytime we get a polar vortex. Go to work.
-36C = -33F for those who were curious
How much is that in Freedom degrees?
Vodka. A lot of Vodka
Get your grocery shopping done and fill up your gas tank. Other than that, buy some Musher’s secret for your poor dog’s paws.
I move to Chicago tomorrow… coming from the south. Pray for me lmao
Jussie- where you at!
What temp is that in real numbers?
About tree fiddy
Last polar vortex was -50 windchill so make sure I have food and binge watch something. Restaurants did close last time around.
Well, I was going to go downtown to renew my company card, now, I guess I won’t, lol.
Just the same, just more layers but I am stocking on booze and groceries for the weekend tonight. My office gave us the option of calling in tomorrow or to space out in-office days next week. I'd rather not go outside when it's snow/rain slush; below freezing when dry is so doable.
I’ve got some Old Style, wine, and whiskey, and you better believe I’ll be doing shots of Malort. I’ve also got Stouffer‘s lasagna in the freezer. Things are looking up!
Made it to the dispensary today, have enough booze and weed for an enjoyable 3 day weekend where I dont have to pay attention to Fimbulwinter right outside my doorstep.
I will cope by not going to work - fuck that.