So - it got cold out. All I have seen on the news is how nobody has ever had it this cold! well at least not for 20 years! And... a lot of other hype.

I am an old crusty sort and remember a child hood and youth in good old South Dakota where this sort of thing was called "Wednesday" when it was winter time. School didn't get called off and business ran just like normal. Grandpa, who was a local small town Postmaster then would have been horrified with the mail not being delivered. I had to go to work today and just made it a point to 'bundle up' and be sensible about being outside. Everybody else that made it to the job also seemed surprise that it was even an issue.

However, I am not saying it isn't dangerous - some lives have been lost already so it's nothing to make light of. It still seems a bit over the top for me and makes me think that a lot of people just don't know how to take care of themselves.

What say you? Sure, stay inside and don't venture out if you don't need to but - how many of us can really do that (jobs or other demands)? Just thinking about it and wondering...

Yeah, cold in South Dakota is not really news! I grew up in SD (if I can truly claim to be grown up that is). Twice I can remember temps of -35 F, once when I was a kid in the 70's and once about three years ago. It wasn't that uncommon to hit -20 and you'd often have two week spans where it never got above zero. After that I moved to Minnesota for a couple years so not really a reprieve from the cold.

Nowadays I'm in Bozeman, and just by a fluke we've only had a couple sub-zero days, and even then just barely below zero. I know it gets cold here but it's been a very mild winter so far (knocking on wood!).

"There is no such thing as bad weather - only bad clothing" Dress for conditions and you will be fine (or at least alive and uninjured).

We have seen these temps before and one needs to be prudent, but life goes on. I have seen -40 in Arizona and windchill of -80 on Denali. It was cold indeed, but doable. Dress for conditions and be aware!!

I grew up in Texas. The lowest wind chill I can remember is -20.

Jeanette Isabelle

And keep your tires properly inflated. We had two flat tires one day because they were under-inflated and thereby unable to handle the lower pressure brought on by the low temperatures.

Jeanette Isabelle

I would of froze!! for the 26 years I lived north of Minneapolis and made a 100 mile drive back and forth to work I had a heavy "north slope" down parka.the drive was half freeway and then a half hour or so on back county roads which were sometimes snow
covered and icy.i always thought that the jacket would keep me
safe if i had car problems.
so last night we came back from dinner at 25 or so below and i took off my heavy sweater and car coat just as my wife said we should walk
the dogs before settling down for the night.i live in the city now and the parka is just for bad winter days.rather than get back into a sweater or something i just pulled on my parka over a dress shirt like i did when i worked and made the drive and out we went.the jacket was NOT helping.in a half a block i could feel the cold and by the time we just went around the block i was freezing!!!..it of course dawned on me that back when i drove
to work thinking i had a survival jacket that i would of sat in a cold car with no real way of getting warm.
when you have a good car with a great heater you sort of get lazy about all stuff they tell you about winter driving and just act like it just another day...

Diesel-powered transportation is taking a hit in a lot of places.

Passenger buses and a lot of tractor-trailers are stopping dead in their tracks because standard diesel will gel at a certain temperature. This is worse than being stuck in a blizzard, since no engine means no heat. So, these people have to be rescued.

In these Northern climes, we automatically switch to a winter-formulated diesel blend. In much of the US, that's probably not necessary in normal times.

I wonder what the effect of these transport disruptions will be on the just-in-time supply chains for food etc.

The low predicted for tonight is 55 degrees, so we will be warm enough.

But....rain is in the forecast for the next five days, with distinct possibilities of floods and debris flows out of the surrounding, fire scarred hills.

Weather of one sort or another poses a challenge everywhere.

I lived in Alberta for 11 years, and spent a lot of time in Wainwright. It’s nothing to see -50 deg cel weather there. You know it’s dammed cold when fuel begins to gel in the tank. Promptly purchased a Canada Goose jacket for the wife and I. Not cheap but worth every penny. Got them half price at WholeSale Sports. The damn coats weigh about 30 pounds each of just goose down. It’s like wearing a sleeping bag.

For most Canucks dealing with brutal cold is a way of life. Everyone thinks we like the snow because we are used to it. Lol. Nope! I can’t wait to retire and move somewhere where I never have to see winter ever again.

Decent winter clothes are always top on my priority of preparedness items however. Having a breakdown somewhere remote and not being dressed for the weather could spell trouble. I always keep backs ups in the rig too. You never know.

May I recommend Florida? After spending a summer here, you'd be wanting to go back to Canada.

Jeanette Isabelle