SUNDAY FUN FACT: Winter officially arrives today, December 21st at 6:03pm EST, which some people will dread hearing. Chionophobia is the fear of snow. When water freezes inside clouds, ice crystals form. Ice crystals are crystals that have formed around tiny bits of dirt that have been carried up into the atmosphere by the wind. The ice crystals join together creating snowflakes. Once the flakes are heavy enough they fall to the ground as snow. Each snowflake is made up of approximately 2-200 separate crystals. Contrary to popular belief, it does not have to be 32°F or colder for it to snow. According to the National Weather Service, it has been known to snow with temperatures in the mid 40s. Temperatures are below 32°F up in the clouds where the snow is forming – and depending on what temperatures it goes through on the way down, the precipitation could arrive as snow, hail (a chunk or stone of ice dropped from a thunderstorm, sleet (frozen rain) or freezing rain (liquid rain that freezes to a surface such as the road or a tree). Wind chill is the combination of wind and temperature and is based on the rate of heat loss from exposed skin such as that of a person or animal. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at an accelerated rate, driving the body temperature down. Therefore, wind chill has no effect on cars or other objects. If you are feeling a bit chilled from winter weather, Businessinsider has these unique & handy tips for warming up using items you can find around the house: Bubble Wrap Your Windows. A lot of heat escapes through windows, unnecessarily increasing utility costs. For an easy way to insulate your windows while still letting light in, use large bubble wrap - just mist water onto your window with a spray bottle, push the flat side of the wrap against the window and it will stay put and keep your room insulated for months. Dry Your Shoes with Newspaper. Instead of putting your wet shoes near a heat source, which can cause them to shrink, try stuffing wet shoes with newspaper. It will absorb the moisture quickly, though you might have to replace the newspaper a few times depending on how drenched your shoes are. You can also wrap the outside with the newspaper and secure with a few rubber bands. Ice-Proof Your Car and Stairs. For car windows and windshields, mist a 3:1 mixture of distilled vinegar and water onto the glass before a storm or icy weather hits. It will keep ice from forming on your windows, and you can also spray the mixture on already ice-covered windows to melt it quickly. To keep your stoop or sidewalk from becoming icy, make a brine treatment 24-hours ahead of a winter storm with salt dissolved in hot water. Pour a thin layer onto steps and sidewalk to make snow easy to remove, and keep an ice layer from forming. Hand Warmers. If you don’t have any air-activated heat packs around, you can make your own hand warmers by sewing together a fabric pouch filled with rice, and warming it up in the microwave before leaving the house. Looks like our guy could have certainly used some warmed rice and newspapers here! What other winter survival tricks do you know about? ~ptfb team
Posted on: Sun, 21 Dec 2014 17:10:00 +0000
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