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0 pointspdonis2y ago0 comments

See my response to the sibling post to yours.

My experience in the Midwest (and elsewhere) on colder days is that the biggest factor is wind. Even a relatively light wind on a cold day can make a big difference in draining heat from your body. Convection makes a big difference in the heat transfer properties of air.

Btw, you say "in the dry", but have you ever been in the desert on a cold night? I think you might reconsider just how cold "dry cold" can feel.

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AnimalMuppet2y ago· 1 in thread

> Btw, you say "in the dry", but have you ever been in the desert on a cold night? I think you might reconsider just how cold "dry cold" can feel.

Lived in Salt Lake City for 60 years, so yes. And I would say that, to me, the cold in the Midwest is worse than the cold in the West, even at the same temperature and wind.

But after reading your response, another variable has occurred to me. The west isn't just dry, it's high and dry. Higher elevation means lower air pressure. Lower air pressure means fewer molecules hitting each square inch each second, carrying off heat. Is lower air pressure part of why the cold doesn't cut through you as much out west?

pdonisOP2y ago

> Is lower air pressure part of why the cold doesn't cut through you as much out west?

Could be, yes. The lower air pressure means less heat transfer out of your body, as you say.

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