What’s the coldest temperature you’ve had to work in?

[soybean]

Yep, feeding cattle at -30 below for me too. Did it so many times I forget how many. I also remember at time I sold a semi load of small square bale to a prick up in extreme northern Iowa when it was -38 below when we arrived at his place. He wouldn't even come out of the house to help, just pointed at his skid loader and closed the door. We fired up the loader and just pushed them off the side off the trailer into several pile. I was furious. This jerk even sent his sweet little wife out to give us the check. I hate the cold!

 

[stickman80]

In the early 90's for the Marine Corps, I did a cold weather training in Norway in January. Warmest it was the 18 days we were there was -48 deg, someone said it was -72 one night. And those aren't windshield temps either.

Wow.....and I thought my -10 winter survival training was bad.

 

[Kelsers]

-10

 

[Scruddy]

That's bad ass OP. I've worked in the cold (below zero), but never like that..

 

[The Tradition]

On a search and rescue mission in the Chesapeake Bay on a 41' Coast Guard utility boat during a nor'easter.

I don't know exactly how cold it was, but it was well below freezing and all the outside decks and railings were completely iced over.

Seas were also around 8' (right at the limitations of the vessel) which made our 12-hour mission even more miserable.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]

Back when I was an operator for a masonry company we would work year round and the operator has to be outside a lot to mix mortar, get materials and what not. The masons and laborers got to be inside a warm shelter but not me. Anyway, there were multiple times for the 5 years I did that where the windchill was -20 or lower. I don’t miss those days, but they made me the tough SOB I am now.

 

[General Roman Malaise]

Coldest “work” day I remember was helping my Dad refurbish the old barn on our farm when I was about 12. Got bad enough even he said “it’s just too darn cold to be out here today” which is about the only time I ever saw him pack it up early. We went inside and sat on our main radiator in our living room and my mom made us hot cocoa. That’s a nice memory.

 

[SolarHawk]

I worked as an electrician in Iowa for ten years. I don’t know what the coldest temp I worked in was, but I can tell you I froze my ass off plenty of times. Also the reason I left Iowa was winter coincidentally.

 

[billanole]

For years I worked saw mills as a lumber grader, mostly under an open walled shed, but at times out on the yard. The coldest temps I remember were low teens, maybe upper single digits, but as the old men would say, the “hawk” could be a beyotch. They were referring to the wind, and the wind chills certainly could approach zero.
I always remember the quote a colleague would use on those worst days… “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.” Thank goodness for Filson, Levi’s, Danner, Outback Oilskins, Darn Tuff, LL Bean and other good gear.
What a load of BS. Badass cold weather can be rough.

 

[fredjr82]

And those aren't windshield temps either.

Sweet WOB!!!

 

[Jimmy McGill]

If snow shoveling counts, -30. Snot froze to my face

 

[Hawkman98]

Working accidents in the wind of a brutal cold blizzard on the 4 lane when semi's roll over. Standing for hours directing traffic in that sh*t trying to avoid idiots that don't know how to drive sucks balls.

 

[seminole97]

I don’t remember what the temp was, but the wind chill was -40F.

-40F is also -40C.

Coldest I can remember being is playing in the snow in Germany as a kid. I was recreating the Battle of Hoth. My hands started to get numb so I went inside and ran a sink of hot water. Plunged them in it until they started to tingle like they’d fallen asleep, but much more painful.
I believe that’s when decided I’d never choose to live in a place that snowed.
Fun to play in, but I don’t want to live in it.

 

[HROT]

Working accidents in the wind of a brutal cold blizzard on the 4 lane when semi's roll over. Standing for hours directing traffic in that sh*t trying to avoid idiots that don't know how to drive sucks balls.

Been reading line of duty deaths. A toooon of vehicular assaults. Also a ton of K9 heatstroke deaths. I probably wouldn’t trust the failsafe AC/alert mechanisms

 

[Hawkman98]

Been reading line of duty deaths. A toooon of vehicular assaults. Also a ton of K9 heatstroke deaths. I probably wouldn’t trust the failsafe AC/alert mechanisms

A lot of young cops don't understand how dangerous it is to do long traffic stops. I always train the new guys to get on and off the side of the road as soon as possible.

I was approaching a semi I pulled over a couple of weeks ago on the 4 lane and had a car go by me within a foot.

 

[OrlandNole]

69 below.

 

[HROT]

69 below.

Who was above?

 

[pjhawk]

Not work, but the 1986nIowa-Minnesota football game at Kinnick. Hawks won and went to the Rose Bowl ( Ronnie Harmon Game...ugh) was freaking cold !! My copenhagen spit deposit would freeze in about 20 seconds. Solid pond by the end of the game !! Iowa-Colorado game in 1991 maybe?? Couldn't make it to Iowa City because of the blizzard that hit the state!! About 300 people at the game. Sat on the west side of the stadium...not one soul in the east stands..Carried beers in my carhart onesie and stuffed beers in the snow banks in the stadium !! Eric Benemie ( Buffs RB) was a bad man !! 🤣 🤣

I was actually in the East Stands for the 1991 Minnesota game by myself in a Snowmobile suit and boots (lived in IC but nobody else would go with me to the game). The snow sucked in getting around but I actually just followed the action up and down the field between the 20 yd lines. Best "seats" I ever had.

The 85 Minnesota game was epically cold, I think it was like 15 degrees. For that one me and my buddies got to Kinnick late, went and warmed up at the Hospitals at halftime, and got back to section J in the fourth quarter to celebrate the end of the game and going to the Rose Bowl. Also the Bota era, so everyone was properly hydrated.

Cold weather games were easier in those days because you could warm up at the Hospitals across the street before the game and at halftime. I don't think you can do that anymore. The Nebraska game this Friday is looking like it might be an all-time cold game.

 

[noleclone2]

About -15 but wind chill was -25 to -30. Sampling 18 monitoring wells in farm field in Kearney Nebraska using truck as a shield to the wind. It sucked.

 

[OrlandNole]

Who was above?

OP's mom. Duh.

 

[Menace Sockeyes]

After seeing Trad whine about cold temps in Florida, it got me thinking about being outside in the cold. I know a lot of you guys are desk jockeys, so probably don’t experience the joy of working outside in a Midwest winter.

For me, it was about 10 years ago in the middle of winter up in Redwood Falls, Minnesota. I don’t remember what the temp was, but the wind chill was -40F. We were working off a JLG lift, about 100 feet up in the air too. I had a full beard at the time, and ice crystals formed immediately on the stache and mouth covering.

I’m old and gray now, don’t mind the boogies in the nose, that can’t be helped. This was just after about a minute outside.

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You win. But for me it would definitely be hauling blocks of dry ice for the University of Iowa General Stores. Which especially sucked because it wasn’t like the warehouse was even warm. Only when I had to go deep into the hospital did I ever warm up.

Also, my Sophomore year I sold frozen lemonade at Kinnick. One of the coldest kickoff temps ever was the end of that year. The job was great because it was in the NW corner where you could actually see the games. Early in the year, it was sold out by halftime and I could just watch the rest of the game free. Later in the year it was sold out sometime in the third quarter. Toes were definitely getting bit by that cold as I didn’t wear good boots or socks. But people were still buying though. Enough I was done early in the 4th. I sat and warmed up with some free hot chocolate after that though.

EDIT: I looked it up. It was the day we spoiled #18 Northwestern’s Rose Bowl plans to end 2000, the week after they beat Michigan and we beat Penn State. It was actually 30 degrees to start the game and dropped to 22 during, but gusty winds made it a 7 degree wind chill. The record low was a 24-21 win over Michigan in 2013. Others definitely remember that NW game as one of the coldest. Gets two shoutouts here:

Hottest and coldest Iowa games you've attended?

2014 Nebraska game, stood on a solid block of ice for 3 hours and parked on the other side of the Iowa River and couldn't feel my feet. And the way we lost made it even colder.

iowa.forums.rivals.com

 

[WDSMHAWK]

Didn't work in it but I had to walk 3/4 of a mile to my job when it was -10 out on NYE 2017. After I got off I ended up walking home then walking back to the Ped Mall and waiting 20 minutes in line at Brothers.

 

[jamesvanderwulf]

I've worked into the - 20s wind chill. It very rarely hits -20 actual temperature in Iowa despite everyone talking about it. Probably been the coldest when I underdressed on a windy 20 degree day...

 

[Chuck C]

Working on a jlg which most likely had a steel platform…brutal. Never that cold working out side for myself. But when lines would freeze even with antifreeze and saws whining like they want to die. It was time to stop. Would put it at -10-15 below for myself. I don’t miss framing in the Midwest in the winter at all.

Yeah, it was -40 on the ground. Once you get about 20 feet in the air above the roof line, with no wind blockage anymore it was brutal. You can always get gloves and warmers to keep your hands warm, but with the big gloves you have no hand dexterity. So you usually have to take your gloves off to do anything.

 

[franklinman]

Yeah, it was -40 on the ground. Once you get about 20 feet in the air above the roof line, with no wind blockage anymore it was brutal. You can always get gloves and warmers to keep your hands warm, but with the big gloves you have no hand dexterity. So you usually have to take your gloves off to do anything.

Yep, you can't wear gloves locking bolts down with safety wire either.

 

[southlakehawk]

I was actually in the East Stands for the 1991 Minnesota game by myself in a Snowmobile suit and boots (lived in IC but nobody else would go with me to the game). The snow sucked in getting around but I actually just followed the action up and down the field between the 20 yd lines. Best "seats" I ever had.

The 85 Minnesota game was epically cold, I think it was like 15 degrees. For that one me and my buddies got to Kinnick late, went and warmed up at the Hospitals at halftime, and got back to section J in the fourth quarter to celebrate the end of the game and going to the Rose Bowl. Also the Bota era, so everyone was properly hydrated.

Cold weather games were easier in those days because you could warm up at the Hospitals across the street before the game and at halftime. I don't think you can do that anymore. The Nebraska game this Friday is looking like it might be an all-time cold game.

We drank hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps in our bota bags for the cold weather games. When it was mild to warm...it was a hodgepodge of mixers !!!

 

[IIowaFarmBoy]

-32 once feeding horses and hogs. Again in Mn. Warmed up tp -15 and felt kinda nice.

 

[HawkInDC]

I had to research what exact year it was, but anyone who was on a farm in Iowa and old enough to remember Jan of 1982 would not forget the experience.

Jan 10, 1982 had lows around -25 with 50 mph winds. Wind chills in the -60 -70 range. We had a dairy farm so there was no avoiding the worst of it at 5am. On top of it, the conditions kept repeating about every 7-10 days though not quite as severe, still extremely cold.

Dubuque January 1982 Historical Weather Data (Iowa, United States) - Weather Spark

weatherspark.com

My anchor to google the right year was that I vividly remembered the Cincinnati Bengals playoff game that weekend. Augustana's own Kenny Anderson starred that day along with rookie Chris Collinsworth in the 27-7 win over Dan Fouts and the Chargers.

Freezer Bowl - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org