So What's The Coldest You Ever Been Out In?

[DougPaul]

Doug, have you read "Minus 148"? Nothing beats that cold-weather story...

Yes. But -148 is an estimated wind-chill. The actual conditions were -35F -- -45F (estimated or measured?) and an estimated wind of 130 mph at 18Kft in a small snowcave. This ran off the bottom of their wind-chill chart and -148F was the lowest number on the chart.

Doug

 

[Tim Seaver]

A couple guys spent that night on the summit of Mt Jefferson because the wind was too strong to retreat, but only one of them walked away.

Actually Roy, only one of them spent the night on Jefferson, Derek Tinkham, "equipped" only with a sleeping bag. They had never intended to camp out, and were not prepared to do so. The decision to continue was mutual according to most accounts, and the wind was not cited as a factor in them being unable to turn back.

When they got to the summit of Jefferson, Derek collapsed. Having left a tent at home, Jeremy tried to get him into a sleeping bag, then left for the summit of Mount Washington, more than three miles away. It was 4:30 p.m., darkness would soon overtake him, the summit temperature had dropped to -27 F, and the wind was in the 80s with a peak gust of 96 miles per hour. Jeremy lost his gloves, and having left his heavy overmitts at home, his hands were too cold to let him get at the food and the flashlight he had in his pockets. He kept his hands under his armpits as he staggered and crawled along the ridge.

 

[David Metsky]

The night Tinkham and Haas were on Jefferson I was staying in a cabin in the Dartmouth College Grant. Our indoor/outdoor thermometer read -36 that night, and it was still about -30 when we skied out in the morning. We didn't get much glide on that trip.

I've been lift skiing twice at -25 F, that was enough of that. Too cold to enjoy. I've camped out at -25 in the Great Gulf, that was actually not bad because we had the right gear, but getting out of the tent to pee really sucked. Should've brought a pee bottle.

 

[Grumpy]

Edit: I should add that when I was growing up in Pittsfield, VT in the '50's and early '60's I saw temps in the -40F's a few times. Grade school (1-8) was never cancelled because nearly everyone lived within walking distance. We rode a school bus to HS, 13 miles away and it was closed only once in those 4 years, for 3 days when the pipes froze. I'm not suggesting we were any tougher, but there was a different set of values of what was safe and what wasn't.

Oh, I agree. I lived and attended school in Northfield, VT during the '50s. Since my family resided in the village, we kids walked to school. Some days were profoundly cold, but we went anyway. And it was uphill both ways (really)! Our sense of what was safe and unsafe for kids to do was much different in those days. Frankly, I'm glad to have had the experience of growing up back then.

Thanks for inspiring me to take another nostalgia trip.

G.

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

Yes. But -148 is an estimated wind-chill. The actual conditions were -35F -- -45F (estimated or measured?) and an estimated wind of 130 mph at 18Kft in a small snowcave. This ran off the bottom of their wind-chill chart and -148F was the lowest number on the chart.

Doug

The new NWS 2001 wind chill chart discounts wind speed over the old chart for wind speeds up to about 100 mph, but then increases the impact of higher wind speeds. So, for the estimated -40 F and 130 mph in the Denali winter 18k snow cave epic, the new Wind Chill Index would be -104 F (the old would have been -76 F, so not sure where they got the -148). There is a very cool (heh, heh) WCI calculator at this NWS link: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/iln/tables.htm

 

[DougPaul]

The new NWS 2001 wind chill chart discounts wind speed over the old chart for wind speeds up to about 100 mph, but then increases the impact of higher wind speeds. So, for the estimated -40 F and 130 mph in the Denali winter 18k snow cave epic, the new Wind Chill Index would be -104 F (the old would have been -76 F, so not sure where they got the -148). There is a very cool (heh, heh) WCI calculator at this NWS link: http://www.erh.noaa.gov/er/iln/tables.htm

The climb was in 1967, my oldest wind chill chart (FoTH, 3rd ed, 1974) bottoms out at -132.

I can see nothing to indicate that altitude is figured into any of the charts. The air pressure at 18K is ~half that of sea level. This almost certainly has some effect on the heat loss rates. (It certainly reduces one's ability to produce heat.)

I don't generally pay much attention to wind chill charts anyhow...

Doug

 

[TrishandAlex]

Well, today provided the coldest temps I've ever hiked in. It was -22 degrees when I started out toward Cannon, from exit 28 in Campton.

At first I thought I was going to have to turn back, but those lovely chemical warmers enabled me to keep on truckin'. After the first hour or so I was sure I would be able to summit (and I did!). TR to come later.

But MAN that first hour was C.O.L.D.

 

[giggy]

a jan weekend in 2000 where I was camped in Huntington ravine. The therm there was reading -30 during the night... the winds were blowing well over a hundred on the summit. The MWO page archive used to be on the site, but couldn't find it oday - I think the summit bottomed out about -35 or -38 that night with something like 130 mph winds. an IME guide who had summited everest said it was colder than the south col..

We actually attempted to summit the next day and of course turned back at treeline on lion head winter route... l

learned a ton that weekend..... this was my first time in the real deal in winter and was part of a IME course I was taking. They told us we could sleep inside, but we choose to sleep outside in the tent to "learn". Warm in the tent - but, the piss at 2am wasn't fun. (this was before I learned the pee bottle trick) my tentmate had to do a number 2 at night. he said - not a fun thing.

it really wasn't all that bad - but learned that everything is just harder in those temps... and that was a "controled" situation. I know I would not want to be in those temps due to a screw up or injury.

I probably won't do it again by choice unless I am on denali - -30 not worth it in NH - -30 would be worth it on denali

 

[Gris]

just a few years ago, this very weekend - MLK, it was -27F or -28F in N. Conway w/ zero wind, dead calm

my teenage son insisted on skiing, of course. suffice it to say, ANY exposed area created instant 'ice cream headache'

pipes froze all over Conway

i was a late night hero. wandering back from Horsefeathers I spied a cat stuck in an unheated basement (was jumping up and hitting the window)

owner lady first perturbed i woke her, then thrilled i saved fifi

lucky cat, my croo & i only one foolish enuff to be out that late night

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

The climb was in 1967, my oldest wind chill chart (FoTH, 3rd ed, 1974) bottoms out at -132.

I can see nothing to indicate that altitude is figured into any of the charts. The air pressure at 18K is ~half that of sea level. This almost certainly has some effect on the heat loss rates. (It certainly reduces one's ability to produce heat.)

I don't generally pay much attention to wind chill charts anyhow...

Doug

Altitude must be the explanation; will need to do more research on "Minus 148." Years ago there was an observer on the summit (MWO) who was pretty immune to pain so was able to collect first-hand (first-wrist, heh, heh) data on wind chill in which he gradually built up a database for the length of time it took his exposed wrist to freeze in different temperature and wind conditions. I do not think that his dataset was incorporated into the NWS wind chill recalculations in 2001, but I seem to remember that his results were similar.

 

[--M.]

In the late 80s, I skied Attitash, with a bank pkg lot reading of -35*. At the top of ("little") Attitash, it was a no-exposed-skin thing for sure, and was too ridiculous for words. Below, in the trees, it was all good. Except for the car battery. I got a little familiar with local taxi and mechanic services that day.

I've camped below zero, and no biggie. But below about -10*, I start thinking about safety and a child's reproof. Negligent screw-ups in the bc are not tolerated well around here.

 

[Nessmuk]

I almost forgot... during a weekend of Okpik/Gawasa boy scout winter training, I made a demonstration quinzee that I slept in. It got down below -30 that night. A couple of candles kept the temperature inside in the +20s, nice and toasty on my snow platform inside. The boys who made their own quinzee did ok too. Those that made a simpler snowbank/tarp covered shelter ended up sleeping in the dining hall before morning.

 

[Chip]

For me it was at Lake Colden in the winter of '76. Our recording thermometer maxed out at minus 35 deg. so we don't know how cold it actually got but Old Forge had -40 the same night. It was interesting for some of us in lighter sleeping bags.

bcskier

I was at the (now removed) Indian Falls Lean To, below Marcy, that winter. Maybe that weekend. We guestimated -20 based on the near solid stream and general morning conditions, but it may have been colder. I got some sleep but that was the only night I've ever worn everything I had in my bag and bivy sack.

 

[DougPaul]

Altitude must be the explanation; will need to do more research on "Minus 148." Years ago there was an observer on the summit (MWO) who was pretty immune to pain so was able to collect first-hand (first-wrist, heh, heh) data on wind chill in which he gradually built up a database for the length of time it took his exposed wrist to freeze in different temperature and wind conditions. I do not think that his dataset was incorporated into the NWS wind chill recalculations in 2001, but I seem to remember that his results were similar.

I suspect that wind-chill tables back in 1967 did not include altitude. (Although the Air Force probably would have been interested due to frostbite of gunners at open gun ports.)

That's one way to do it, but it could be rather expensive...

As I understand it, wind chill is measured with an apparatus that has a simulated skin surface with a heater behind it. This apparatus is used to measure the heat input required to keep ths skin surface at some reasonable temp at a variety of temps and wind speeds. The still air temp with the same heat loss rate is the wind-chill temp for each combination of wind and temp. (This pretty much agrees with your article.)

Your article gives an equation which presumably matches some dataset.

Doug

 

[vegematic]

I've spent a few nights under a tarp at about -30F in recent years. Luckily no wind on those particular evenings. Great stars though when I had to get up to pee.
-vegematic

 

[RoySwkr]

Actually Roy, only one of them spent the night on Jefferson, Derek Tinkham, "equipped" only with a sleeping bag. They had never intended to camp out, and were not prepared to do so. The decision to continue was mutual according to most accounts, and the wind was not cited as a factor in them being unable to turn back.

You are only citing one skimpy source (and incorrectly). They had already camped one night near Madison and were planning to spend the next night at Sphinx Col if you read that article more closely. Reports at the time said that Tinkham was having trouble getting up Jefferson but they couldn't turn back into the wind and he finally collapsed on the summit. Because the UNH Outing Club didn't have suitable sleeping bags he was nesting 2 bags. Haas couldn't head back down into the wind, so went on to Mt Washington instead of down to Randolph.

 

[Tim Seaver]

Tinkham and Haas never intended on camping on the summit of Jefferson, and didn't have the equipment (a tent) to do that - I guess I could have made that more clear in my post.

Perhaps Roy will share some his many non-skimpy "reports at the time" so we can all get the rest of the story straight. Unless they are top-secret, of course.

 

[Sheomet]

On a snowmobiling trip in Pittsburg, NH it was -38F when we went out in the morning, I think the high for the day was around -10F

 

[bandana4me]

Toss up

The thermometer I carry is the least expensive and smallest EMS sells, so accuracy here is questionable. It would have to be either New Years Eve ‘78 or ’79 on Mountain Pond which when we last checked was -25 @ 8PM that night. The other possibility would have been the first night I slept in my Walrus tent which I got for Christmas in 1997. That was @ Liberty Spring Campsite and my Wife told me that Littleton was -27 that night. Personally I did not check the thermometer because I knew it was cold and I don’t really pay attention to temps.

 

[MichaelJ]

Two different events/activities...
all temps in Fahrenheit

One was Gathering 6.5 in the Adirondacks a few years ago. At Heart Lake Loj it was -24° when we arrived with snow and wind. The decision was made to set up camp then stay at the late, lamented Jackrabbit. That night bottomed out at -35°. A few hearty souls did camp. The rest tried to get their motel rooms warmer than the 50s.

The next day we went to Street & Nye. It was -10° when we started and only got colder along the way: the summits were about -25°. That night, many went again to the motel, but I camped. It was around -12° at bedtime. The next morning was a balmy -4° and a beautifully sunny day.

The other would have been just yesterday, skiing at Cannon Mtn. When I pulled into the parking lot the car thermometer (which historically has been quite accurate) read -18°. It got up to +13° through the course of the day, but those first runs of the morning from the summit were wicked cold!