It’s just TOO cold!

[creekland]

Do you have someone stay at your house? 

 

When we are gone in winter we do.  I just feel like it is harder to be gone in winter.  Worrying about things happening to the house because of the weather, having to figure out snow cleaning. 

 

I can't wait for 20s.  Coming this weekend. 

 

We have a farm sitter since we have critters still.  It's possible when we snowbird that we'll just close up our house with minimal heat and the water turned off.  Our cat could come with us (pending where we stay).  The ponies and chickens don't come in the house and have their own water sources.  The houseplants might have to live elsewhere - or get replaced in the spring.

 

We're rural, so no one would have to clear snow.  We also don't have anything valuable in our house, so feel if thieves broke in the chances are pretty good they'd feel sorry for us and update what we do have rather than stealing it.  There's literally no value to what we own on any secondhand market.  The computers/phones might be the only thing and they'd be with us.  We have money for travel because we scrimp elsewhere.

[shawthorne44]

I find it amusing that 45 seemed balmy today.   
Tomorrow morning we get to turn the chicken water fountain back on!   We hadn't considered many days of below freezing when it was built.   

[ktgrok]

No need to duck.   I think a lot of it was that I was sick.   DH put blankets over the door to the room that will be our master bath and which doesn't have much have much of a floor.  That stopped a lot of cold air from coming in.   I'd also not put back the attic insulation over the attic stairs and that was discovered and fixed.  So, between those two things we got the house up to 74F, after a day of that, I felt better and 70F is fine again.   In summer we keep the house at 78F.   DH would be happy with no AC even though we live in Texas.  

 

Florida girl, and we keep AC set at 78 or higher in the summer (ok, most of th year is summer) as well. So although people tthink I'm a wuss to have the heat set at 70 in the winter, most have said they couldn't tolerate how hot I keep it in the summer. So it's a wash. 

[Joker]

It's ridiculously cold for us right now and I'm miserable. Our schools never give snow days but we have one tomorrow just due to the wind chill. We do have snow on the ground but it's not an issue with driving at the moment. The wind chill has been tough and for several hours tomorrow it is expected to be at least -20. So, no school. I'm actually looking forward to next week when we hit the 30s again - so warm.  :huh:

[shawthorne44]

You can whine to me. It finally made it into the 40's here today and I'm over it. It's freaking cold outside. Everyone's skin is dried out from the heaters and my horses don't understand why they've had to wear clothes for the last five days. We are not built for this weather. I'm acclimated for 101 and 99% humidity. This below freezing crap we've had all week is for the birds. 

 

The birds (our chickens) aren't happy about it either.  

[Melissa in Australia]

Send the cold over here. Tomorrow large swathes of Australia are going to have heatwave conditions, some areas catastrophic fire conditions and temperatures over 46 o Celsius. Very strong hot winds and practically no humidity.

 

 

Where I live, right by the coast it is predicted to be 40 Celsius, and extreme fire warnings.

[Carrie12345]

I'm not even looking up my current temperature this morning.  I just know it's COLD.  I think our high is supposed to be 1 or 2 degrees (F) today, and it's still windy as heck.  My house is chilly, but not too terrible right now. I'm debating whether to go to the gym once it's light out.  I know the road conditions weren't good last night with the snow blowing around (several accidents) and getting stuck out there would suck.  

[Hilltopmom]

I don’t have to work today- all the schools are closed because of the windchill (-10 to -40).

But, I’m only teaching part time this year and if we don’t work we don’t get paid, so, boo. I had a long day scheduled.

Oh well. Will stay in, bake, and make a pot of chili instead.

[skimomma]

Our thermostat is set at 50 degrees at night and 62 during the day.  It turns on at 6am.  Is it 8:30 and the furnace has been running non-stop for 2.5 hours and the temp has only crept up to 54 degrees.  I don't think we will hit 62 until mid-afternoon at this rate.  This is not atypical for January but I am already developing a bad attitude about it.  I skied on snow so crunchy last night (snow gets noisy when it is really cold) that I could not hear my music in my headphones over the crunching and squeaking.  "Silent sport," my ass.  

 

Meanwhile, dd is sitting here doing her math with bare feet and a t-shirt.   :lol:

[Hilltopmom]

We were keeping ours at 50 at night and a pipe in the basement froze last week, so now dh bumped it up to 65 and I’m dying... it’s way too hot to sleep!

And yes, the snow is SO loud, it’s a bit creepy.

Edited January 5, 2018 by Hilltopmom

[regentrude]

We were keeping ours at 50 at night and a pipe in the basement froze last week, so now dh bumped it up to 65 and I’m dying... it’s way too hot to sleep!

 

We always sleep with the window open and the heating vents in the bedroom closed. I can't sleep when it's warm, but the house gets too cold when we lower the temp too much; the kids' upstairs bedrooms and the basement are significantly colder than the main level.

[shawthorne44]

50??!? Y'all are nuts! I'd be sleeping in a ski jacket and mask. 

 

Even at 70F I use a heated mattress pad.  

[wintermom]

Ok, so now I know where Celsius and Farenheit are the same, because that's our wind chill temp this morning -39. Yikes!! I feel very sorry for my poor dog who has to go outdoors in this weather to go to the bathroom. Can you imagine having to do that?  I have done some winter camping, so I know the feel of cold wind on a bare bottom. At least the dog has fur there.  :laugh: 

[creekland]

Send the cold over here. Tomorrow large swathes of Australia are going to have heatwave conditions, some areas catastrophic fire conditions and temperatures over 46 o Celsius. Very strong hot winds and practically no humidity.

 

 

Where I live, right by the coast it is predicted to be 40 Celsius, and extreme fire warnings.

 

I wish we could share.  Win, win for all of us if we could just take the edges off (keeping seasons).

 

I suppose we're responsible for FL's cold.  We packed some of ours with youngest son's luggage when he left on the 2nd.  ;)

[mommyoffive]

Saturday is the last cold day!  We made it.  

 

After that the lowest temp in the next 10 days is 20s. Even 40s!  What in January?

 

This is nuts. 

[MEmama]

Our thermostat is set at 50 degrees at night and 62 during the day. It turns on at 6am. Is it 8:30 and the furnace has been running non-stop for 2.5 hours and the temp has only crept up to 54 degrees. I don't think we will hit 62 until mid-afternoon at this rate. This is not atypical for January but I am already developing a bad attitude about it. I skied on snow so crunchy last night (snow gets noisy when it is really cold) that I could not hear my music in my headphones over the crunching and squeaking. "Silent sport," my ass.

 

Meanwhile, dd is sitting here doing her math with bare feet and a t-shirt. :lol:

When DH and I lived in Minnesota, we used to be able to tell the temperature by the squeak of the snow. We got really good at it, often within a couple of degrees. It's amazing how much the sound changes as the temperature drops!

 

Eta it doesn't get all that cold here usually. I miss the frozen air crystals twinkling in the streetlights.

Edited January 5, 2018 by MEmama

[wintermom]

When DH and I lived in Minnesota, we used to be able to tell the temperature by the squeak of the snow. We got really good at it, often within a couple of degrees. It's amazing how much the sound changes as the temperature drops!

 

 

Yes! The snow is hard and sound travels very quickly in the colder temps. Airplanes fly well in the cold, too. My brother used to love flying in the cold, but the little Cessnas don't have any insulation so he'd be happy but freezing after a flight.

[Hilltopmom]

We always sleep with the window open and the heating vents in the bedroom closed. I can't sleep when it's warm, but the house gets too cold when we lower the temp too much; the kids' upstairs bedrooms and the basement are significantly colder than the main level.

Our last house only heated with a wood stove so it’s go out at night and be nice and cool at night.

New house has a boiler with hot water baseboard heat and it’s all on one thermostat... I really wish it had different zones. My teens room is freezing but I’m way too hot. Hot flashes and a toddler who likes to sleep plastered to me at night isn’t helping either!

[skimomma]

When DH and I lived in Minnesota, we used to be able to tell the temperature by the squeak of the snow. We got really good at it, often within a couple of degrees. It's amazing how much the sound changes as the temperature drops!

 

Eta it doesn't get all that cold here usually. I miss the frozen air crystals twinkling in the streetlights.

 

That sounds like a fun exercise....guessing the temp by the squeak.  I'm totally going to make a contest out of that one!

[MomtoCandJ]

I hate being cold but hate being hot even more. If your cold you can always put more on but tjere’s Only so much you can take off

[creekland]

I hate being cold but hate being hot even more. If your cold you can always put more on but tjere’s Only so much you can take off

 

I definitely prefer cold to hot and will take our current frigid temps with wind chill over 90+ degrees any day.  We tried FL for five years in our young adult ages.  We prefer the north, so moved back - just not as far north as I grew up. This way we put up with a handful of 90+ degree days and a handful of colder days without massive numbers of either extreme.  My youngest went to college in FL thinking he'd want to live in the tropical south.  After one summer of working there he's changed his mind.  He's decided against dry heat (desert) now too.

 

But by snowbirding, we should be able to get rid of both and have the best of both worlds.  That's the theory anyway... ;)  Our youngest might be fortunate enough to do this while still young (by having seasonal jobs in both places).  Most of the rest of us have to get to an older age to be able to afford it.

[wintermom]

Regarding living in cold vs hot climates, there are so many factors to consider. Housing and transportation is much more expensive in colder climates, and there is a much shorter growing season for crops. With the cold comes snow and ice. This makes it harder and more dangerous to get around by vehicle (4+, 3 or 2 wheels), walking and cycling.  You need a ton more clothing, which takes money to buy and time to dress and undress every time you go outside. Then housing and heating is more complex. When was the last time you saw a shanty town in a northern city? People out on the street at night don't survive northern climates.

[Mbelle]

It is cold and four out of five of us have colds. Whine!  

I live in the south so although I do have coats I have no idea where my gloves are.

I have a 20 year old ski jacket.  It's awesome!  I used to go skiing out west every year.  

I haven't gone in 20 year though and only wear this coat about 5 days per year.

I'm sure it's totally out of style, but it looks new so I don't care!

[wintermom]

Hey, the forecast for next week looks promising! If I can last one more day of - 37 F windchill, there is hope in the future. :hurray:

 

Thank goodness there is no forecast for the next 2 months, because if I saw than right now I'd probably cry. It's survival day by day right now. I don't want to know that it will go back down to -20s and -30s many times in the next 2 months. 

[mlktwins]

We have to leave the house for a swim meet tomorrow morning -- at 6:30 am.  It's gonna feel like -9 degrees when we head out and 0 degrees when we are coming home  :svengo:  :scared: !  I'm cold already and I feel so bad for my boys...

[creekland]

Hey, the forecast for next week looks promising! If I can last one more day of - 37 F windchill, there is hope in the future. :hurray:

 

Thank goodness there is no forecast for the next 2 months, because if I saw than right now I'd probably cry. It's survival day by day right now. I don't want to know that it will go back down to -20s and -30s many times in the next 2 months. 

 

I trust you've seen this video.  We think of it and quote it often in the winter...  :lol:

 

 

[wintermom]

I trust you've seen this video.  We think of it and quote it often in the winter...  :lol:

 

 

This is so true. Day after day, week after week of freezing temps is so depressing. Vitamin D from a bottle is just not doin' it for me anymore. I want to go outside and feel the sun on my face instead of feeling my face quickly going numb.  :crying:

[KungFuPanda]

Plus one!!!!!

[shawthorne44]

It is cold and four out of five of us have colds. Whine!  

I live in the south so although I do have coats I have no idea where my gloves are.

I have a 20 year old ski jacket.  It's awesome!  I used to go skiing out west every year.  

I haven't gone in 20 year though and only wear this coat about 5 days per year.

I'm sure it's totally out of style, but it looks new so I don't care!

 

In the south there is not such thing out-of-style coats.  Remember, the rest of us don't see coats or wear coats any more than you do.   

 

I did find my ski mittens the other day.  I couldn't find a winter hat, but somehow having toasty hands made it OK.  

[creekland]

This is so true. Day after day, week after week of freezing temps is so depressing. Vitamin D from a bottle is just not doin' it for me anymore. I want to go outside and feel the sun on my face instead of feeling my face quickly going numb.  :crying:

 

I suspect this is exactly why so many northerners (from all countries - flipped for Southern Hemisphere folks) strive for a southern vacation sometime in the winter and feel so much more refreshed afterward.  Our bodies are getting low on Vit D and prod us into replenishing our supplies.  Once we have some "real stuff," we return and look forward to the beautiful spring coming.

 

We've always tried to get south for at least a week, preferably in Feb.  We haven't always been able to go for financial reasons or otherwise, but the years we have gone have been so much better mentally.  It's worth many financial trade offs for us to get this time in.  As we've gotten older, we like longer times in the south, but definitely have no desire to move there due to too much heat, etc, for the rest of the year.

[freesia]

I just want to whine about the cold also.

 

I HATE being cold.  I hate it WAY more than being hot.  I hate the cold.  I hate it.  I hate it.

 

It's SO SO freaking cold.

 

I am so over winter already.

 

I wish DH had gotten a job in south florida.  Like Key West south lol. 

 

Me, too.  I am so done with this winter already. All my dh says about Florida is "alligators and hurricanes."

[creekland]

I hurt just thinking about our son driving back to the Boston area tomorrow.

 

My guy will be driving from Quebec City to Rochester tomorrow.  I pray for decent traveling weather.  It's been brutal through the snow belts many days.  We bought him new tires with good snow ratings before he left to go to QC.  He'll get use of them in Rochester too.  

[wintermom]

I suspect this is exactly why so many northerners (from all countries - flipped for Southern Hemisphere folks) strive for a southern vacation sometime in the winter and feel so much more refreshed afterward.  Our bodies are getting low on Vit D and prod us into replenishing our supplies.  Once we have some "real stuff," we return and look forward to the beautiful spring coming.

 

We've always tried to get south for at least a week, preferably in Feb.  We haven't always been able to go for financial reasons or otherwise, but the years we have gone have been so much better mentally.  It's worth many financial trade offs for us to get this time in.  As we've gotten older, we like longer times in the south, but definitely have no desire to move there due to too much heat, etc, for the rest of the year.

 

"Going south" for a winter vacation is a pretty new thing now that flying is so much cheaper than when I grew up.  It's still out of our budget to fly, and driving to Florida takes  2 - 3 days.

 

Growing up, our winter vacation was going to the Rocky Mountains to ski. It was cheaper for lift tickets back then, that's for sure, and we could drive there in 4 hours. It wasn't necessarily warmer, and sometimes it was much colder being at that high altitude, but it was a change and it was something fun to do. 

[Carrie12345]

Regarding living in cold vs hot climates, there are so many factors to consider. Housing and transportation is much more expensive in colder climates, and there is a much shorter growing season for crops. With the cold comes snow and ice. This makes it harder and more dangerous to get around by vehicle (4+, 3 or 2 wheels), walking and cycling.  You need a ton more clothing, which takes money to buy and time to dress and undress every time you go outside. Then housing and heating is more complex. When was the last time you saw a shanty town in a northern city? People out on the street at night don't survive northern climates.

 

We actually have multiple groups of homeless people living in tents in the woods of our rural area.  Our overnight shelters and daytime warming stations aren't large enough or regular enough to accommodate very many of them. While no one should ever have to live like that, quite a few do manage.

 

Personally, I don't have a ton more clothing than my relatives in the south.  When it's *this* cold here, I generally wear a t-shirt and sweatshirt under my coat, just like they do.  People who are determined to spend hours at a time outdoors probably wear more than I do, but that's a choice.  A crazy one, imo, lol.

 

The heating does suck, but it doesn't cost me much more than my mom's air conditioning.  I occasionally run a wall unit when we get a summer heat wave, but that's about it.  Her 3bed/2bath house cost the same exact amount as mine did when we both purchased in the same year.  (I have more property, though.)

 

The worst, to me, is the growing season.  My DIY efforts to extend it have all flopped.  And I happen to be in a microclimate with a shorter season than the surrounding area.  :(

[creekland]

"Going south" for a winter vacation is a pretty new thing now that flying is so much cheaper than when I grew up.  It's still out of our budget to fly, and driving to Florida takes  2 - 3 days.

 

Growing up, our winter vacation was going to the Rocky Mountains to ski. It was cheaper for lift tickets back then, that's for sure, and we could drive there in 4 hours. It wasn't necessarily warmer, and sometimes it was much colder being at that high altitude, but it was a change and it was something fun to do. 

 

This must be very regional.  I went to school in the 70s and 80s and oodles of us kids went south for either the Christmas or Winter break from school.  Some drove (we usually drove).  Some flew.  Skiing was easy.  That could be done any weekend by a quick drive to Lake Placid for good slopes or toward Watertown for basic slopes.

 

 

We actually have multiple groups of homeless people living in tents in the woods of our rural area.  Our overnight shelters and daytime warming stations aren't large enough or regular enough to accommodate very many of them. While no one should ever have to live like that, quite a few do manage.

 

Personally, I don't have a ton more clothing than my relatives in the south.  When it's *this* cold here, I generally wear a t-shirt and sweatshirt under my coat, just like they do.  People who are determined to spend hours at a time outdoors probably wear more than I do, but that's a choice.  A crazy one, imo, lol.

 

The heating does suck, but it doesn't cost me much more than my mom's air conditioning.  I occasionally run a wall unit when we get a summer heat wave, but that's about it.  Her 3bed/2bath house cost the same exact amount as mine did when we both purchased in the same year.  (I have more property, though.)

 

The worst, to me, is the growing season.  My DIY efforts to extend it have all flopped.  And I happen to be in a microclimate with a shorter season than the surrounding area.  :(

 

It's similar here, but we have a decent growing season.  It cost us more for AC in FL than we pay for heat here.  Actual housing costs are similar.  Clothing costs are similar since there's not a huge difference between buying summer shirts vs winter shirts.  Coats are offset by various swimming gear we bought for there.  It was tougher for us to grow things in FL due to the sand and high heat.  We grew some things like peppers, but couldn't grow things like broccoli - or at least - never figured out how to in the 5 years we lived there.  Here both are super easy.  The orange and grapefruit trees we had there were awesome.  Here it's apples and pears, so I suppose it's a trade off.

 

There are plenty of folks filling the homeless shelters at night on cold nights.

[Sandwalker]

Me, too. I am so done with this winter already. All my dh says about Florida is "alligators and hurricanes."

Sunshine, beaches, no state income tax...no snow. :D

[Starr]

One more night.

[skimomma]

We are eagerly awaiting the thermometer to read over 0 degrees F before heading out to shovel the roof.  Sigh.

[KungFuPanda]

Next week we’re getting 30s, 40s, and 50s. I’m so excited!

[Liz CA]

Send the cold over here. Tomorrow large swathes of Australia are going to have heatwave conditions, some areas catastrophic fire conditions and temperatures over 46 o Celsius. Very strong hot winds and practically no humidity.

 

 

Where I live, right by the coast it is predicted to be 40 Celsius, and extreme fire warnings.

 

 

Oh this is the other extreme. Heat and fire danger. I remember this from several summers where we had similar though not quite as hot conditions (around 36 C).

And two of your dc are firefighters? Hope it cools down a bit and NO fires and everyone remains safe.

[wintermom]

This must be very regional.  I went to school in the 70s and 80s and oodles of us kids went south for either the Christmas or Winter break from school.  Some drove (we usually drove).  Some flew.  Skiing was easy.  That could be done any weekend by a quick drive to Lake Placid for good slopes or toward Watertown for basic slopes.

 

 

Perhaps, if you think of Canada as a region - primarily the prairie provinces where it is the coldest and also the farthest to get anywhere warm.  My family did fly to Disneyland one winter in the 70s. Must have cost a bundle for the 5 plane tickets, hotel, car rental, etc.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip, though, not a yearly thing. 

 

It would be similar to people in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Montana trying to get anywhere. There's really no place really warm to go that is a "quick drive." Distances are huge out there. And quick drive is relative, since people get used to a "quick" 4 hour drive to get to the next big town. 

Edited January 6, 2018 by wintermom

[creekland]

Perhaps, if you think of Canada as a region - primarily the prairie provinces where it is the coldest and also the farthest to get anywhere warm.  My family did fly to Disneyland one winter in the 70s. Must have cost a bundle for the 5 plane tickets, hotel, car rental, etc.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime type of trip, though, not a yearly thing. 

 

It would be similar to people in Minnesota, the Dakotas and Montana trying to get anywhere. There's really no place really warm to go that is a "quick drive." Distances are huge out there. And quick drive is relative, since people get used to a "quick" 4 hour drive to get to the next big town. 

 

Both Florida and the Bahamas are filled with Canadians escaping winter for a week, two weeks, or the whole winter.  They were in my youth and they still are now.  On Super Bowl Sundays it's usually us and the Canadians ignoring the game and doing other things.  We're often mistaken for Canadians that day because of it.  I've met more folks from Manitoba in the south than I have in Canada and we go to Canada several times each year (though not Manitoba).

 

Minnesotans are common to meet/see in the south too.

 

Not every family can travel (or chooses to travel) then or now, but thinking it's rare doesn't match my experience IRL.

[creekland]

Next week we’re getting 30s, 40s, and 50s. I’m so excited!

 

January thaw.  I'm glad we're not skipping it this year!  We're rather fond of it...

[wintermom]

Both Florida and the Bahamas are filled with Canadians escaping winter for a week, two weeks, or the whole winter.  They were in my youth and they still are now.  On Super Bowl Sundays it's usually us and the Canadians ignoring the game and doing other things.  We're often mistaken for Canadians that day because of it.  I've met more folks from Manitoba in the south than I have in Canada and we go to Canada several times each year (though not Manitoba).

 

Minnesotans are common to meet/see in the south too.

 

Not every family can travel (or chooses to travel) then or now, but thinking it's rare doesn't match my experience IRL.

 

I guess when you are actually in these holiday places and meeting some Canadians, you think there are lots doing this. Could be the same ones returning year after year - the ones with the money. ;)

[MEmama]

I guess when you are actually in these holiday places and meeting some Canadians, you think there are lots doing this. Could be the same ones returning year after year - the ones with the money. ;)

Yeah, we didn't know anyone who regularly travelled to warm areas in winter when we lived in Canada. It was really, really expensive and hard to do from where we lived (rural east coast). The stereotypes still crack me up though, because they don't match our experience at ALL.

 

We were friends with a family who travelled south to go skiing at a nice resort...in Maine. Lol.

[alisoncooks]

This cold streak needs to end. I've spent the last few days wandering absently through the kitchen, opening cabinet doors to see what else I can eat.

 

If I lived in an area where this was typical winter temps, I'd eat us out of house and home.

[MomtoCandJ]

I definitely prefer cold to hot and will take our current frigid temps with wind chill over 90+ degrees any day. We tried FL for five years in our young adult ages. We prefer the north, so moved back - just not as far north as I grew up. This way we put up with a handful of 90+ degree days and a handful of colder days without massive numbers of either extreme. My youngest went to college in FL thinking he'd want to live in the tropical south. After one summer of working there he's changed his mind. He's decided against dry heat (desert) now too.

 

But by snowbirding, we should be able to get rid of both and have the best of both worlds. That's the theory anyway... ;) Our youngest might be fortunate enough to do this while still young (by having seasonal jobs in both places). Most of the rest of us have to get to an older age to be able to afford it.

We lived in Michigan, lived in Georgia for 3.5 years and moved back to Michigan. Oldest dd was born in Georgia but she is just as heat intolerant as dh and I (dh was also born in Texas). Dd2 is even more heat intolerant then dd1 so it’s a good thing she’s a Pure Michigan Girl. Even now with these frigid temps dd2 complains she’s hot at night

[creekland]

I guess when you are actually in these holiday places and meeting some Canadians, you think there are lots doing this. Could be the same ones returning year after year - the ones with the money. ;)

 

We have jokingly wondered if anyone is left back in Canada to run the country.  ;)

 

For some, it's the same folks year after year - just like their American northern equivalents - a "snowbird" group we hope to join.  For others it's destination weddings, basic vacations, and similar - again - just like others in the north.  For those we pass on the road with northern license plates and never get to actually meet - who knows?  For obvious reasons, we tend to know more about those we interact with at campgrounds, condos, beaches, or wherever.

 

What is known is that Florida and all sorts of other southern destinations are quite popular in the winter.  That's the point that had me wondering if there's something internal in our bodies driving so many to want to vacation in a more Vitamin D accessible location when our bodies start to run short of it.

 

A quick google search for just Florida seems to suggest their population goes up 22% in winter with a transient count on one page saying 920,000 temporary residents there in the winter compared to 170,000 in the summer.  Then add California, Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, the Southern Hemisphere and anywhere else I've missed that folks might choose to go to in order to recharge their Vitamin D.

 

Not everyone chooses to or can afford to take a southern winter vacation, but plenty do.  Is there a biological component pushing that selection?  That's my curiosity.

[regentrude]

...That's the point that had me wondering if there's something internal in our bodies driving so many to want to vacation in a more Vitamin D accessible location when our bodies start to run short of it.

...

Not everyone chooses to or can afford to take a southern winter vacation, but plenty do.  Is there a biological component pushing that selection?  That's my curiosity.

 

I think it's way less complicated. People like to be warm and dislike shoveling snow.

 

If I wanted to increase my vitamin D here, the easiest and least expensive measure would be to spend lots of time outside in the sunshine, which we have here, despite cold temperatures. If the search for vitamin D were a major biological urge, you'd see people engaging in outside activities. Because that is free and accessible to all.

[creekland]

I think it's way less complicated. People like to be warm and dislike shoveling snow.

 

If I wanted to increase my vitamin D here, the easiest and least expensive measure would be to spend lots of time outside in the sunshine, which we have here, despite cold temperatures. If the search for vitamin D were a major biological urge, you'd see people engaging in outside activities. Because that is free and accessible to all.

 

During the winter months, those of us living in the northern latitudes can't make enough from the sun even if we sunbathe outside.  It's too low on the horizon.

 

"Except during the summer months, the skin makes little if any vitamin D from the sun at latitudes above 37 degrees north (in the United States, the shaded region in the map) or below 37 degrees south of the equator. People who live in these areas are at relatively greater risk for vitamin D deficiency."

 

 

 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/time-for-more-vitamin-d