Originally Posted by MikeL2
Originally Posted by stevelyn
I think the coldest I've been in was January 2000. It was -67 F according to the AWOS at the Tanana airport. Which wasn't such a big deal in itself, but the cold snap that brought it lasted for about 3 weeks eventually starting to overpower heating systems that weren't burning wood.

My first exposure to real sustained cold was during the Brim Frost '89 joint exercise. I was attached to another unit which was camped out in the hills north of Eielson AFB. Night time temps got down to about -55 F and come up above (slightly) -40 F during the day. At least we were above the ice fog. The poor bastards that were down on the Flats along the Tanana River got the worst of it. Their lows were around -70 F unofficially and I doubt they climbed much higher than that during the day. Plus they were enveloped in ice fog. That schitt takes on the flavor of car exhaust, woodsmoke and diesel/heating oil exhaust after a while and you can taste it just by breathing through your mouth. We came back in from the field a couple of weeks later, and I recall how "warm" -20 F felt.


I remember hearing about Brimfrost '89. I was at FT Greely June '86 to June '88, so got out before that exercise. Coldest I remember on main post was around -55 to -60 F, but the test facility at Bolio Lake was often 5 to 15 degrees colder, I believe they've broken -70 F.



Most folks that haven't experienced it don't realize that cold sinks down to the lowest level. I've stood out on the Yukon River on totally windless days and you can feel the cold moving downriver. I live at the base of a mountain out here in Aleutian Hell, and when we get a cold snap here where it's clear an cold, you can feel the cold air currents tumbling down off the mountain. Under those conditions the coldest location on my vehicle thermometer is on a bridge crossing a creek coming out of the small valley surrounded by those mountains that spills into the cove a few hundred yards downstream.


Originally Posted by atvalaska
Originally Posted by stevelyn
I think the coldest I've been in was January 2000. It was -67 F according to the AWOS at the Tanana airport. Which wasn't such a big deal in itself, but the cold snap that brought it lasted for about 3 weeks eventually starting to overpower heating systems that weren't burning wood.

My first exposure to real sustained cold was during the Brim Frost '89 joint exercise. I was attached to another unit which was camped out in the hills north of Eielson AFB. Night time temps got down to about -55 F and come up above (slightly) -40 F during the day. At least we were above the ice fog. The poor bastards that were down on the Flats along the Tanana River got the worst of it. Their lows were around -70 F unofficially and I doubt they climbed much higher than that during the day. Plus they were enveloped in ice fog. That schitt takes on the flavor of car exhaust, woodsmoke and diesel/heating oil exhaust after a while and you can taste it just by breathing through your mouth. We came back in from the field a couple of weeks later, and I recall how "warm" -20 F felt.
i was out on the flats , on the advance party ...it was no fing party,batailon/ HQ said the temps over the pick77 ...same temp below...suckedazz...



We had a platoon down on flats manning static check points and TCPs. I didn't envy them in the least. It didn't help that their fuel and water supplies were inconsistent. At least we were well supplied with fuel and water, and we even had a mess tent that served us hot meals.

I gained a new respect for military cold-weather gear. I never got cold wearing it. I never cared too much for bunny boots, but they DO keep your feet warm. These days I've collected several pairs of trigger-finger mittens and liners, arctic mittens , and a few pairs of the newer mutant mitts by OR. I also have a pile of the white wool cold weather socks. Had a wake up call on a December trip up there a couple years ago reminding me of what real cold is all about. My cold-wet weather gear didn't do much for me and like an idiot, I left my beaver hat down here.

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