For Those Who Live in Cold and Snowy Climates - Page 3

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

We live in NW Indiana. It can get pretty frigid here at times. Our home has a gas furnace/forced air. We keep the thermostat set at around 68°/70°. We also have a fireplace in our family room and enjoy fires several times a week. When it's super cold out, I'll get one going during the day, but mostly we just have them in the evening, when we do. Yeah, sometimes the weather gets brutal, but it's what I'm used to. I'm from Chicago originally. You learn how to bundle up if you need to, but I'm also one who will step outside without a coat if it's just to go down to the mailbox or sweep the patio steps.

Mom2Dogs · ‎03-09-2010

We have ceiling cable heat and also a gas fireplace, if I am really cold I sit in front of the gas fireplace......I despise winter, it has been horrible this year.

Pagan · ‎03-27-2010

Our thermostat is 60 during the day and 50 at night.

I wear thermal base layers and I move around a lot!

Cyndog · ‎10-08-2010

When I was brought in Michigan, our thermostat was always at 80. Bad enough you had to bundle up before going outside, we sure didn't want to bundle up inside.

kzjohnson · ‎12-15-2011

We're in Northeast Ohio with gas heat. The temp is always set at 64 in the house. If it's gets really cold (below the teens) and we are home we turn on the Coleman electric "fireplace", or turn on the gas logs in the real fireplace. I will say the new windows we put in a few years back make a huge difference. Haven't have a monthly gas bill over $140 in 3 years (2000 sq/ft house).

I wear layers in the winter... a lot of sweaters and cardigans and always have long sleeves. Right now I have a short sleeve tee on with a long sleeve tee over top, with a knit cardy over that. It's 19 degrees right now... Of course I always have my wooly hiking socks on with slippers. The DH is always in flannels, fleece pullovers or hockey jerseys.

And if I'm just relaxing on the couch, I'm typically buried under my favorite slanket.

I guess it's what you get used to. I've lived here my whole life and don't think twice about the winter months.

MikafromTopeka · ‎03-10-2010

We have hydronic heat in our house (Wisconsin) we keep it set at 68 and I wear shorts and tanks all winter. Nothing beats hydronic heat. It's like having your home wrapped in a hot water bottle.

Georgiagrama · ‎03-19-2010

I'm so surprised at the number of replies from the colder states saying you keep your heat on 68 or lower. I guess I would be bundled up all of the time, although I am going to guess that if it's 30 or lower outside, 68 inside would feel warm. My husband and I have often wondered how people stay warm when we see all the wind and snow and ice in different states.

It's going to be 33 here tonight and our heat is set on 73.

Georgiagrama · ‎03-19-2010

On 1/18/2014 kaybee said:
We have hydronic heat in our house (Wisconsin) we keep it set at 68 and I wear shorts and tanks all winter. Nothing beats hydronic heat. It's like having your home wrapped in a hot water bottle.

I've never heard of hydronic heat, but it sounds like a nice warm heat (although 68 still sounds cool to me, it seems to be the normal temp for colder climate homes).

MikafromTopeka · ‎03-10-2010

On 1/18/2014 Retired08 said:
On 1/18/2014 kaybee said:
We have hydronic heat in our house (Wisconsin) we keep it set at 68 and I wear shorts and tanks all winter. Nothing beats hydronic heat. It's like having your home wrapped in a hot water bottle.

I've never heard of hydronic heat, but it sounds like a nice warm heat (although 68 still sounds cool to me, it seems to be the normal temp for colder climate homes).

Hydronic heat is basically just hot water running through pipes and ours is in the baseboards. It's efficient because when it reaches temp and shuts off the water remains warm and pushes the temp up another degree or so before it drops and turns on again. Our thermostat is set at 68 but the thermometers around the house read about 75.

**I grew up in a house in California with little insulation and forced air and was cold all of the time.

Suhse · ‎03-13-2012

I'M sure a lot of it depends on what we get used to.

Winter's in the Inland Northwest tend to be long, but, usually, not brutal, compared to a lot of the country.

I can do seasonal cold, much better than I could severe heat, humidity, or threats of and actual, hurricanes, tornadoes, major flooding, not to mention, Big, Ugly,
BUGS!

We have none of those, weather wise, our area is very safe.

So, I can do Winter. I do not like it to be overly warm inside and I rarely wear long sleeves, they tend to really bug me.

Biggest downside, if it's gets icy and is a real fall risk. Hey, I'm a klutz in the Summer!