Gary’s Q&A

Listener question & Gary’s response · Transcript passage

Brent Forliberty asks, What is your take on cold weather?

Cold is a function of adaptation. Let me give a few examples to illustrate the point.

I was once in the Kingdom of Tonga when temperatures dipped to a very unusual 68 degrees Fahrenheit, or 20 degrees Celcius. Not unheard of, but colcer than normal. People there claimed to be freezing because they weren’t used to it.

I was in Key West, Florida, once when temperatures dipped into the upper 40s Fahrenheit, or about 8-9 degrees Celcius. Again, people were flipping out about how cold it was as it was nearing a record-low temperature.

On the flipside of that, I was in Whitehorse, Yukon, in the winter once when temperatures reached about -50F or about -45C. It was cold, but people went about their lives. They wore jackets, but many of them would walk from their cars to whatever building they were going to with it unzipped.

I was in Antarctica on a ship, and out on deck, I wore a sweater and a hat, but no jacket. Temperatures were a few degrees above freezing. I’d call that chilly.

However, other passengers from Australia were completely bundled up for the same temperature because they weren’t used to it.

So, cold is mostly an issue of adapting, accepting, and dressing appropriately.