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Storms so bad Hell has actually frozen over

Situated at the heart of the " polar vortex" sweeping across the United States, the small town of Hell in Michigan (population: c.200) has reportedly got so cold temperatures have plunged to as low as -13C, with a wind chill of -33C.

Bloomberg reporter Derek Wallbank tweeted: “It has literally frozen over.”

The town of Hell is not thought to take its name from the fiery pit of eternal torment, but possibly from the German word “hell”, meaning bright, the terrible conditions encountered by early explorers, or a flippant comment by a settler.

Several cities have come to a standstill across the Midwest and Northern Plains of the US, where the extreme cold, ice and snow has grounded thousands of flights and made travel almost impossible.

People are being urged to stay inside and protect themselves from the coldest temperatures for two decades.

Several people have died in the conditions, which can cause rapid hypothermia and frostbite.

Temperatures have been recorded as low as -35°C and Arctic winds are blowing with a deadly chill of -50°C.

Comments

  • Don't think I could stay inside for two decades, even if it was a bit nippy outside:-)
  • limeygent
    limeygent Posts: 3,217
    Three degrees F. here in Maryland this morning, that's cold enough to lose body parts, freezing temps in Florida even. Can't imagine what it's like in Michigan at -15F some places.
  • lordromford
    lordromford Posts: 7,782
    That's bloody cold!
    Interesting that @limeygent used Fahrenheit for low temperatures. I assume, Limey, that Americans use Fahrenheit most of the time? I've often thought we're odd in Britain in that we officially use Celsius (on weather reports and the like) but many of us still use Fahrenheit to describe hot weather temperatures but not cold ones.
    (Incidentally, if anyone's wondering, 3F is -16C and -15F is -26C)
  • PL54
    PL54 Posts: 10,757
    Multiply by 1.8 and add 32

    10 = 50

    When they start measuring in Kelvin then you are really cold
  • Leroy Ambrose
    Leroy Ambrose Posts: 14,436
    Wife's cousin lives in Winnipeg. Minus 40 fahrenheit there - wind chill makes it feel like minus 50!

    Although, at what point does it stop making a difference? I reckon anything below about minus thirty and you can't feel the difference (you can't bloody well feel anything!)
  • MrOneLung
    MrOneLung Posts: 26,849
    Interestingly ( or not) minus forty centigrade is same as minus forty Celsius
  • lordromford
    lordromford Posts: 7,782
    edited January 2014
    Don't know the answer to that Leroy, but I do know that -40 degrees is, coincidentally, the only temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same.

    Humour me, I've been ill in bed all day and now I can't sleep and I'm bored.
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 51,990
    I saw on the news yesterday, a reporter throwing a cup of boiling water into the air & it froze immediately.
  • limeygent
    limeygent Posts: 3,217

    That's bloody cold!
    Interesting that @limeygent used Fahrenheit for low temperatures. I assume, Limey, that Americans use Fahrenheit most of the time? I've often thought we're odd in Britain in that we officially use Celsius (on weather reports and the like) but many of us still use Fahrenheit to describe hot weather temperatures but not cold ones.
    (Incidentally, if anyone's wondering, 3F is -16C and -15F is -26C)

    We only use Fahrenheit when talking about weather, and rarely use Celsius for anything.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8hGIF9FljM

  • DanDavis
    DanDavis Posts: 1,131
    Here in Atlanta, Georgia...normally not known for its cold weather it was 8 Fahrenheit (-13 celcius) at 7am this morning...the coldest day since 1985 and the coldest weather I've ever experienced in my 36 years on earth. In other words it was f'ing (literally) freezing.
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  • I saw on the news yesterday, a reporter throwing a cup of boiling water into the air & it froze immediately.

    At those temperatures , surely your nuts would just drop off?
  • DanDavis
    DanDavis Posts: 1,131

    I saw on the news yesterday, a reporter throwing a cup of boiling water into the air & it froze immediately.

    At those temperatures , surely your nuts would just drop off?
    I went for a run on Sunday, all the cupping in the world after wasn't bringing my boys back to life!
  • Don't know the answer to that Leroy, but I do know that -40 degrees is, coincidentally, the only temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same.

    This is because -40 x 1.8 +32 = -40
  • SilentAddick
    SilentAddick Posts: 1,603

    Don't know the answer to that Leroy, but I do know that -40 degrees is, coincidentally, the only temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same.

    This is because -40 x 1.8 +32 = -40
    Noooooo! Don't start hijacking this thread! ;-)
  • lordromford
    lordromford Posts: 7,782

    Don't know the answer to that Leroy, but I do know that -40 degrees is, coincidentally, the only temperature where Celsius and Fahrenheit are the same.

    This is because -40 x 1.8 +32 = -40
    ;-)
  • Dizzle
    Dizzle Posts: 5,190
    Someone in Chicago's toilet had frozen!
  • shine166
    shine166 Posts: 13,916
    edited January 2014
    Looks like something from The day after tomorrow

    image
  • Covered End
    Covered End Posts: 51,990
    They were also warning to keep your face covered to prevent your eyeballs from freezing.