Do you think everyday’s a good day to walk outdoors?
I try to take a walk outdoors every time I have the opportunity. I should actually walk far more, I know, but sometimes, especially during winter, it can be challenging.
And, I’ve always tried my best to be a 4-season kind of outdoorsman, even if sometimes that’s more than a little bit difficult here in the Midwest. I think the most active winter I’ve ever had was during the year I worked at the Grand Canyon.
Overall, they get significantly more snow than we do in the Midwest, but even at 7000 ft elevation, the temperatures were far more mild than I’m accustomed to here in the heartland. That made for far more outdoor recreational activities and opportunities. I even hiked rim-to rim in the winter when all the roads to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon are closed for the season.
Winter Wonderland My Ass!
Winter is coming.
George R.R. Martin
We got hit with a good fourteen to sixteen inches of snow last week. I can’t really shovel snow because of my bad back, and it was days before it was even safe for friends to come dig us out. It’s no big deal to us, we just make sure there are plenty of groceries if we’re going to be snowed in for a few days.
Then some bitterly cold arctic air descended on the area, and I do mean bitterly cold.
The conversation goes sort of like the humidity conversation goes in summer.
“Sure is hot” says one midwesterner,
“Sure is,” the other midwesterner replies.
“Not so much the heat, it’s the humidity,” the first midwesterner offers.
“Yep,” the second one says.
So, as you can clearly see from that exchange, it’s like heat and humidity.
It is not so much the cold right now, it’s that damn wind!
All Just Cold to Me – January Outdoors in Iowa/Illinois
In this world, only winter is certain.
George R.R. Martin
January is usually our coldest month here in the Mississippi River valley on the Illinois/Iowa border. I have seen some pretty bitter cold in December, but that month can also have very mild spells with temps in the 50’s, it’s not so bad.
January, on the other had, is known for it’s bitter cold. We don’t have a white christmas here something a little more than 50% of the time, but the more severe weather of January seems to hit 100% of the time. Every year. All the time.
For instance, we did not have a white Christmas this year, but we got a damn foot of snow not long after then New Year. Then we got the arctic deep freeze treatment.
With -20°f temperatures and winds steady at 20 mph, we sat at around -40°f windchill for several evenings in a row. The days warmed up to near 0°f, but with the steady wind it didn’t feel much better than the nights, the daytime windchill stayed around -20°f!
At that point the severe temperatures become more academic than anything. I can easily tell the difference between 40°f and 60°f outdoors, or between 0°f and 20°f, but I’m not 100% sure I could tell the difference between -20°f and -40°f.
At that point, it’s all just terrible cold to me!
Let’s Look at Wildchills
Nothing burns like the cold.
George R.R. Martin
For those of you who don’t know much about cold and windchill, consider yourself fortunate, but this is one of those science lessons you’d do well not to skip. There are little critters out there that can freeze solid and still survive until the thaw, and you are not one of them!
Wind chill is the combined effect of air temperature and air movement. The wind chill cooling rate is the heat loss resulting from the combined effect of both air temperature and wind velocity on your exposed skin. The higher the wind speed, the lower the temperature, the greater the insulation value of clothing required.
The first things cold/frostbite attacks are exposed areas with less than normal blood flow. Your nose and ears, your fingers and your toes. Exposure can cause the loss of those extremities, frostbite could even disfigure your face. If things get bad enough it will just flat out kill you.
At -20°f to -30°f exposed skin will freeze in about 30 minutes. That means frostbite. A 0°f day with 15 mph winds is the equivalent of -19°f wind chill. That’s all it takes. You are into the range where things get deadly quickly. Here’s a nice chart from the National Weather Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Back to the Topic – Walk Outdoors Day
A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.
George R.R. Martin
So I’ve created a pretty good excuse not to go out walking today. It’s currently a balmy 3°f outside, but with a 20 mph wind from the northwest, it feels like -18°f. With normal circulation, exposed skin will freeze in 30 minutes.
Because of diabetes, my circulation isn’t normal. I can feel my feet and have diminished blood flow to my extremities I’m not sure exactly how long I can stay outside without risk to the feet I can’t feel, but I am at significant risk of frostbite if I spend a lot of time outside, that much is clear. I have a pair of insulated Sorel® boots I bought in pre-christmas sale, so my feet are well protected. That is my concession to my ageing body, I’m back to insulated boots like I wore as a child.
When I was a kid I know I would have been playing outside today, no matter the weather, that’s what kids did back in my day. I’m already wearing boots like I wore as a child. I’m bundling up like when I was a kid too. I am probably losing gloves like I did as a kid too, lol, but girl covers pretty well for my memory loss issues.
So, go outside and take a walk outdoors today, or better still, play outdoors today. Stay warm, stay safe, and have some fun, it’s good to walk and play, no matter how much time has passed on your journey. You shouldn’t need an excuse to get outside an exercise, but if you are in need, Take a Walk Outdoors Day might just provide the inspiration to just go do it!
