This is a morning of note, I arose to find the thermometer reading -29C. That is very cold. The wind chill is the show stopper, it feels like -37 out there. Not a morning for a stroll!
For the most part, you wouldn’t know it was that cold outside, here in cozy Mist Cottage. We weren’t cold during the night, and there is no chill in the house this morning. Of course it would be unwise to sit under a window, or lean against a wall (no insulation), but we know better than to do these things. Drapes will remain closed until the sun comes out.
I peeked out the window to see if the extreme cold looked any different out there, no, the world looks exactly as it did yesterday when the temperature was -13C.
We typically don’t get temperatures this low at Mist Cottage, actually only a few times over the last ten years. Our air source heat pump is good as low as -29C, so we are right at the cusp of transition to the electric furnace,aka “the toaster”.
The electric furnace is extremely expensive to run, and it dries the air to the point of discomfort. We knew that the house would be switching to the electric furnace in the early morning, which it is as write, when the temperature is at its lowest point. Accordingly we soaked towels and clothes and hung them around the house to dry, and add moisture to the air. They were dry when I arose, so I soaked and hung them again.
Because we do not use fossil fuels for heat, and rely entirely on electricity, a power outage would be catastrophic in this kind of weather. However, in anticipation of the worst case scenario, we installed a wood stove in the basement as an alternative heat source in case of emergency. We have lots of firewood as a result of losing two large elm trees on the property to Emerald Ash Borers. Our present heating system, and the wood stove, were installed in 2022, and we have yet to fire up the wood stove, thank goodness.
We experienced temperatures much lower than this at the country house, where the temperature dropped as low as -37C, I don’t remember the wind chill, but it was below -40C. The cold snap we are having at Mist Cottage right now, -29C, a rare event, was a regular event at the country house.
Worldly
Weather
-29°C
Date: 7:00 AM EST Saturday 24 January 2026
Condition: Clear
Pressure: 104.0 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Temperature: -26.7°C
Dew point: -30.2°C
Humidity: 72%
Wind: NW 11 km/h
Wind Chill: -37
Visibility: 24 km
Quote
“An onion can make people cry, but there has never been a vegetable invented to make them laugh.”
Will Rogers
1879 – 1935
Wow! I can’t imagine that cold! I’m glad your heating systems are effective, though.
Joan, I don’t go outside in this kind of cold, unless absolutely necessary. Attila worked outside in this kind of cold when we lived at the country house, brutal. I am grateful every day that he no longer works at that job, and that he is happily retired!!! I think of the homeless people who live here today, hoping they made it safely through the night, unimaginable suffering!
Here in semi-rural central NC, we’re deep in storm preparation mode. The one thing which has been consistent in the forecast is a day of freezing rain, our worst nemeses. We’ll lose power and, with high temperatures just a little above freezing for the next five or six days (and close to single digits overnight), we’re in for a ride.
I’m truly grateful for our electric coop employees who maintain and repair the lines, often risking their own health and safety.
Wendy, wow, I agree, freezing rain is a very dangerous weather event! Wishing you a safe journey through the next five or six days, and safety for the coop employees that make good things happen at their own risk!
You’ve definitely beat us out when it comes to cold temperatures. I think the lowest we’ve been is the higher minus teens C. We have gas heat but that’s also drying, and we have 2 humidifiers going in the living room at all times.
Maggie, have you looked into the government subsidies for the elderly to help cover electricity costs? They’ve changed the restrictions and DH and I qualify now when we didn’t last year.
Teri, the temperature actually fell another degree to -30C, which is very unusual for us!
I have never lived with gas heat, but did stay in a hotel room once that had it, so dry I could not sleep. The heat pump is wonderful, it does not affect the humidity much, if at all. We are back to the heat pump now, thank goodness.
We have applied for and been granted the assistance with our electricity bills, it makes a huge difference for us. The lower your income, the bigger the impact of these things. Glad you now quality! It is well earned assistance for seniors!