How Cold Does it Have to be for Your Spit to Freeze Before it Hits the Ground?

The coldest recorded day in the history of North America (outside of Greenland) according to the Farmer's Almanac's Farmer's Calender, took place 70 years ago this month.

We've been lucky this year as temperatures in 2017 have been pretty much above freezing. Knock on wood...we've haven't encountered any sub-zero temperatures and bad winter storms, but winter isn't over until March 20. Luckily we haven't recorded any temperatures close to this mark.

The location was a Canadian weather station at Snag, Yukon Territory. The temperature bottomed out at -81.4 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Now just how cold is that? It was so cold  that your spit would freeze before it hits the ground. Your nostrils would also freeze up. It would be so cold that you could hear your breath freeze, making a "tinkling sound", according to witnesses at that time.

Sound carries further in colder weather so this isn't really surprising. It was so cold that weather observers at the location could hear laughter and conversation in a village three miles away.

On February 13, 1905, the coldest day in Missouri, according to one website, had taken place at Warsaw. The temperature was a balmy -40 degrees.

The Greek philosopher Antisthenes spoke of a faraway land where words froze as they were spoken and could not be heard until summer, when they thawed. 

Sounds like March 20, the first day of Spring, can't get here too soon!