Does the US National Weather Service use Celsius or Fahrenheit?
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This tweet from the National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA says:
We have officially hit -30 here at the NWS La Crosse office as of 520 a.m. The wind chill is -54. Be sure to dress appropriately if you're heading out for the day.
The photo shown below shows a digital readout of an electronic thermometer, showing -30.1 but has no units. The -30's are getting close to where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales tend to have similar numerical values, so there's no way to use context in this case to choose the most likely answer. No units are shown on the front panel, and these instructions offer no help either.
meteorology temperature
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
$endgroup$
|
show 9 more comments
$begingroup$
This tweet from the National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA says:
We have officially hit -30 here at the NWS La Crosse office as of 520 a.m. The wind chill is -54. Be sure to dress appropriately if you're heading out for the day.
The photo shown below shows a digital readout of an electronic thermometer, showing -30.1 but has no units. The -30's are getting close to where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales tend to have similar numerical values, so there's no way to use context in this case to choose the most likely answer. No units are shown on the front panel, and these instructions offer no help either.
meteorology temperature
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
$endgroup$
6
$begingroup$
There is no such thing as "Centigrade" It's "Celsius" .
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
Jan 31 at 13:59
26
$begingroup$
@CarlWitthoft Centigrade, a historical forerunner to the Celsius temperature scale, synonymous in modern usage also The centigrade scale is essentially identical to the Celsius scale, the standard scale by which temperature is measured in most of the world.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 14:44
2
$begingroup$
All the weather forecast models that I know of in the NWS are run in degrees Kelvin and then the temperature is transform into either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
$endgroup$
– arkaia
Jan 31 at 15:51
4
$begingroup$
Adopted more than 70 years ago? My elementary school teachers in the 1990s US must have missed the memo. It's still widely understood, at least in the US. Centigrade = Celsius; the big C.
$endgroup$
– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
Feb 1 at 1:26
2
$begingroup$
@uhoh The tweet says that the wind chill is -54, and it's unlikely for the wind (even for the strong one) to lower the "feel-like" temperature by 24°C. On the other side, 24°F (about 13.3°C) difference is reasonable (but the wind still has to be quite strong).
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:46
|
show 9 more comments
$begingroup$
This tweet from the National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA says:
We have officially hit -30 here at the NWS La Crosse office as of 520 a.m. The wind chill is -54. Be sure to dress appropriately if you're heading out for the day.
The photo shown below shows a digital readout of an electronic thermometer, showing -30.1 but has no units. The -30's are getting close to where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales tend to have similar numerical values, so there's no way to use context in this case to choose the most likely answer. No units are shown on the front panel, and these instructions offer no help either.
meteorology temperature
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
$endgroup$
This tweet from the National Weather Service in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA says:
We have officially hit -30 here at the NWS La Crosse office as of 520 a.m. The wind chill is -54. Be sure to dress appropriately if you're heading out for the day.
The photo shown below shows a digital readout of an electronic thermometer, showing -30.1 but has no units. The -30's are getting close to where the Celsius and Fahrenheit scales tend to have similar numerical values, so there's no way to use context in this case to choose the most likely answer. No units are shown on the front panel, and these instructions offer no help either.
meteorology temperature
meteorology temperature
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
257111
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
asked Jan 31 at 6:47
uhohuhoh
2,258834
2,258834
6
$begingroup$
There is no such thing as "Centigrade" It's "Celsius" .
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
Jan 31 at 13:59
26
$begingroup$
@CarlWitthoft Centigrade, a historical forerunner to the Celsius temperature scale, synonymous in modern usage also The centigrade scale is essentially identical to the Celsius scale, the standard scale by which temperature is measured in most of the world.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 14:44
2
$begingroup$
All the weather forecast models that I know of in the NWS are run in degrees Kelvin and then the temperature is transform into either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
$endgroup$
– arkaia
Jan 31 at 15:51
4
$begingroup$
Adopted more than 70 years ago? My elementary school teachers in the 1990s US must have missed the memo. It's still widely understood, at least in the US. Centigrade = Celsius; the big C.
$endgroup$
– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
Feb 1 at 1:26
2
$begingroup$
@uhoh The tweet says that the wind chill is -54, and it's unlikely for the wind (even for the strong one) to lower the "feel-like" temperature by 24°C. On the other side, 24°F (about 13.3°C) difference is reasonable (but the wind still has to be quite strong).
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:46
|
show 9 more comments
6
$begingroup$
There is no such thing as "Centigrade" It's "Celsius" .
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
Jan 31 at 13:59
26
$begingroup$
@CarlWitthoft Centigrade, a historical forerunner to the Celsius temperature scale, synonymous in modern usage also The centigrade scale is essentially identical to the Celsius scale, the standard scale by which temperature is measured in most of the world.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 14:44
2
$begingroup$
All the weather forecast models that I know of in the NWS are run in degrees Kelvin and then the temperature is transform into either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
$endgroup$
– arkaia
Jan 31 at 15:51
4
$begingroup$
Adopted more than 70 years ago? My elementary school teachers in the 1990s US must have missed the memo. It's still widely understood, at least in the US. Centigrade = Celsius; the big C.
$endgroup$
– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
Feb 1 at 1:26
2
$begingroup$
@uhoh The tweet says that the wind chill is -54, and it's unlikely for the wind (even for the strong one) to lower the "feel-like" temperature by 24°C. On the other side, 24°F (about 13.3°C) difference is reasonable (but the wind still has to be quite strong).
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:46
6
6
$begingroup$
There is no such thing as "Centigrade" It's "Celsius" .
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
Jan 31 at 13:59
$begingroup$
There is no such thing as "Centigrade" It's "Celsius" .
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
Jan 31 at 13:59
26
26
$begingroup$
@CarlWitthoft Centigrade, a historical forerunner to the Celsius temperature scale, synonymous in modern usage also The centigrade scale is essentially identical to the Celsius scale, the standard scale by which temperature is measured in most of the world.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 14:44
$begingroup$
@CarlWitthoft Centigrade, a historical forerunner to the Celsius temperature scale, synonymous in modern usage also The centigrade scale is essentially identical to the Celsius scale, the standard scale by which temperature is measured in most of the world.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 14:44
2
2
$begingroup$
All the weather forecast models that I know of in the NWS are run in degrees Kelvin and then the temperature is transform into either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
$endgroup$
– arkaia
Jan 31 at 15:51
$begingroup$
All the weather forecast models that I know of in the NWS are run in degrees Kelvin and then the temperature is transform into either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
$endgroup$
– arkaia
Jan 31 at 15:51
4
4
$begingroup$
Adopted more than 70 years ago? My elementary school teachers in the 1990s US must have missed the memo. It's still widely understood, at least in the US. Centigrade = Celsius; the big C.
$endgroup$
– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
Feb 1 at 1:26
$begingroup$
Adopted more than 70 years ago? My elementary school teachers in the 1990s US must have missed the memo. It's still widely understood, at least in the US. Centigrade = Celsius; the big C.
$endgroup$
– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
Feb 1 at 1:26
2
2
$begingroup$
@uhoh The tweet says that the wind chill is -54, and it's unlikely for the wind (even for the strong one) to lower the "feel-like" temperature by 24°C. On the other side, 24°F (about 13.3°C) difference is reasonable (but the wind still has to be quite strong).
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:46
$begingroup$
@uhoh The tweet says that the wind chill is -54, and it's unlikely for the wind (even for the strong one) to lower the "feel-like" temperature by 24°C. On the other side, 24°F (about 13.3°C) difference is reasonable (but the wind still has to be quite strong).
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:46
|
show 9 more comments
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
$begingroup$
NWS Temperature forecast or new forecast
From these URLs, it appears that the unit is Fahrenheit.
and if you click on this URL - Max/MinT
Is the maximum daytime or minimum overnight temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
In the USA NWS always used to issue forecasts and bulletins in Fahrenheit and some background can be obtained from here US Customary Units and here - Why Americans still use Fahrenheit as well here - Fahrenheit Versus Celsius: Why the US Hasn't Converted
Degrees Fahrenheit are used in the U.S. to measure temperatures in most non-scientific contexts. The Rankine scale of absolute temperature also saw some use in thermodynamics. Scientists worldwide use the kelvin and degree Celsius. Several U.S. technical standards are expressed in Fahrenheit temperatures and American medical practitioners often use degrees Fahrenheit for body temperature.
In reality, the NWS and NCDC weather forecast model outputs for the different systems (GFS, NAM, NARR...) use temperatures in Kelvin. This satisfies the international standards (e.g., CF1.6 convention compliant) and also avoids issues with advecting fields (in this case) that are equal to zero in some locations. You can see this if you look at the model output directly (for instance, here or here). Afterward, in post-processing the temperature is transformed to either Celsius or more commonly Fahrenheit for public consumption.
Scientists and meteorological researchers are more used to Kelvin and/or degrees Celsius.
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
$endgroup$
11
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
6
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
6
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@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
13
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
4
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
|
show 1 more comment
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That device only shows Fahrenheit
I don't know about the full Weather Service, but that device only shows Fahrenheit measurements. You can see this in the user manual, in the appendix, page 18
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
2
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I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
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– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
4
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The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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oldest
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oldest
votes
$begingroup$
NWS Temperature forecast or new forecast
From these URLs, it appears that the unit is Fahrenheit.
and if you click on this URL - Max/MinT
Is the maximum daytime or minimum overnight temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
In the USA NWS always used to issue forecasts and bulletins in Fahrenheit and some background can be obtained from here US Customary Units and here - Why Americans still use Fahrenheit as well here - Fahrenheit Versus Celsius: Why the US Hasn't Converted
Degrees Fahrenheit are used in the U.S. to measure temperatures in most non-scientific contexts. The Rankine scale of absolute temperature also saw some use in thermodynamics. Scientists worldwide use the kelvin and degree Celsius. Several U.S. technical standards are expressed in Fahrenheit temperatures and American medical practitioners often use degrees Fahrenheit for body temperature.
In reality, the NWS and NCDC weather forecast model outputs for the different systems (GFS, NAM, NARR...) use temperatures in Kelvin. This satisfies the international standards (e.g., CF1.6 convention compliant) and also avoids issues with advecting fields (in this case) that are equal to zero in some locations. You can see this if you look at the model output directly (for instance, here or here). Afterward, in post-processing the temperature is transformed to either Celsius or more commonly Fahrenheit for public consumption.
Scientists and meteorological researchers are more used to Kelvin and/or degrees Celsius.
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
$endgroup$
11
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
6
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
6
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
13
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
4
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
NWS Temperature forecast or new forecast
From these URLs, it appears that the unit is Fahrenheit.
and if you click on this URL - Max/MinT
Is the maximum daytime or minimum overnight temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
In the USA NWS always used to issue forecasts and bulletins in Fahrenheit and some background can be obtained from here US Customary Units and here - Why Americans still use Fahrenheit as well here - Fahrenheit Versus Celsius: Why the US Hasn't Converted
Degrees Fahrenheit are used in the U.S. to measure temperatures in most non-scientific contexts. The Rankine scale of absolute temperature also saw some use in thermodynamics. Scientists worldwide use the kelvin and degree Celsius. Several U.S. technical standards are expressed in Fahrenheit temperatures and American medical practitioners often use degrees Fahrenheit for body temperature.
In reality, the NWS and NCDC weather forecast model outputs for the different systems (GFS, NAM, NARR...) use temperatures in Kelvin. This satisfies the international standards (e.g., CF1.6 convention compliant) and also avoids issues with advecting fields (in this case) that are equal to zero in some locations. You can see this if you look at the model output directly (for instance, here or here). Afterward, in post-processing the temperature is transformed to either Celsius or more commonly Fahrenheit for public consumption.
Scientists and meteorological researchers are more used to Kelvin and/or degrees Celsius.
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
$endgroup$
11
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
6
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
6
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
13
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
4
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
NWS Temperature forecast or new forecast
From these URLs, it appears that the unit is Fahrenheit.
and if you click on this URL - Max/MinT
Is the maximum daytime or minimum overnight temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
In the USA NWS always used to issue forecasts and bulletins in Fahrenheit and some background can be obtained from here US Customary Units and here - Why Americans still use Fahrenheit as well here - Fahrenheit Versus Celsius: Why the US Hasn't Converted
Degrees Fahrenheit are used in the U.S. to measure temperatures in most non-scientific contexts. The Rankine scale of absolute temperature also saw some use in thermodynamics. Scientists worldwide use the kelvin and degree Celsius. Several U.S. technical standards are expressed in Fahrenheit temperatures and American medical practitioners often use degrees Fahrenheit for body temperature.
In reality, the NWS and NCDC weather forecast model outputs for the different systems (GFS, NAM, NARR...) use temperatures in Kelvin. This satisfies the international standards (e.g., CF1.6 convention compliant) and also avoids issues with advecting fields (in this case) that are equal to zero in some locations. You can see this if you look at the model output directly (for instance, here or here). Afterward, in post-processing the temperature is transformed to either Celsius or more commonly Fahrenheit for public consumption.
Scientists and meteorological researchers are more used to Kelvin and/or degrees Celsius.
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
$endgroup$
NWS Temperature forecast or new forecast
From these URLs, it appears that the unit is Fahrenheit.
and if you click on this URL - Max/MinT
Is the maximum daytime or minimum overnight temperature in degrees Fahrenheit.
In the USA NWS always used to issue forecasts and bulletins in Fahrenheit and some background can be obtained from here US Customary Units and here - Why Americans still use Fahrenheit as well here - Fahrenheit Versus Celsius: Why the US Hasn't Converted
Degrees Fahrenheit are used in the U.S. to measure temperatures in most non-scientific contexts. The Rankine scale of absolute temperature also saw some use in thermodynamics. Scientists worldwide use the kelvin and degree Celsius. Several U.S. technical standards are expressed in Fahrenheit temperatures and American medical practitioners often use degrees Fahrenheit for body temperature.
In reality, the NWS and NCDC weather forecast model outputs for the different systems (GFS, NAM, NARR...) use temperatures in Kelvin. This satisfies the international standards (e.g., CF1.6 convention compliant) and also avoids issues with advecting fields (in this case) that are equal to zero in some locations. You can see this if you look at the model output directly (for instance, here or here). Afterward, in post-processing the temperature is transformed to either Celsius or more commonly Fahrenheit for public consumption.
Scientists and meteorological researchers are more used to Kelvin and/or degrees Celsius.
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
edited Jan 31 at 17:18
arkaia
10.4k42997
10.4k42997
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
answered Jan 31 at 7:45
gansubgansub
3,30011843
3,30011843
11
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
6
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
6
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
13
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
4
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
|
show 1 more comment
11
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
6
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
6
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
13
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
4
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
11
11
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
$begingroup$
I haven't been in the US in quite a while, I'd actually forgotten that the government still uses F. My goodness.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 8:01
6
6
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
$begingroup$
@uhoh It's the US scientists whom I feel sorry for - they have to work in Kelvin or Centigrade, but have to go through daily life in F.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:15
6
6
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey but Fahrenheit is so much better for daily life, the range of temperatures is just about 0 to 100, at least where I live, instead of -18 to 38
$endgroup$
– Stephen S
Jan 31 at 13:29
13
13
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
$begingroup$
@StephenS As a general rule, the only part of the number (in Celsius) I care about in my "daily life" is is there a minus sign in the forecast - ie is there a reasonable chance for ice. It's literally impossible for someone to tell me the temperature here without highlighting if the roads and pavements will be dangerous. I would say for daily life, C is still better.
$endgroup$
– UKMonkey
Jan 31 at 13:46
4
4
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
$begingroup$
@UKMonkey agreeing with you that Celsius is better. In the place where I live (Russia) the range of temperatures is about -35° to 35°C (-31° to 97°F), even symmetrical around the zero. And the temperature of 35°C, either plus or minus (it's interesting that in Russia the plus sign usually is explicitly written when the temperature is positive, e.g. +18°C instead of 18°C), does indicate near-extreme weather conditions. And of course, negative number means frost and ice.
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:54
|
show 1 more comment
$begingroup$
That device only shows Fahrenheit
I don't know about the full Weather Service, but that device only shows Fahrenheit measurements. You can see this in the user manual, in the appendix, page 18
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
2
$begingroup$
I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
$endgroup$
– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
4
$begingroup$
The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
add a comment |
$begingroup$
That device only shows Fahrenheit
I don't know about the full Weather Service, but that device only shows Fahrenheit measurements. You can see this in the user manual, in the appendix, page 18
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
$endgroup$
7
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
2
$begingroup$
I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
$endgroup$
– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
4
$begingroup$
The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
add a comment |
$begingroup$
That device only shows Fahrenheit
I don't know about the full Weather Service, but that device only shows Fahrenheit measurements. You can see this in the user manual, in the appendix, page 18
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
$endgroup$
That device only shows Fahrenheit
I don't know about the full Weather Service, but that device only shows Fahrenheit measurements. You can see this in the user manual, in the appendix, page 18
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
edited Jan 31 at 18:22
David Richerby
257111
257111
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
answered Jan 31 at 15:39
GPPKGPPK
2493
2493
7
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
2
$begingroup$
I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
$endgroup$
– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
4
$begingroup$
The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
add a comment |
7
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
2
$begingroup$
I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
$endgroup$
– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
4
$begingroup$
The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
7
7
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
$begingroup$
Excellent, here I'd thought that the Nimbus was a broomstick.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 15:44
2
2
$begingroup$
I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
$endgroup$
– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
$begingroup$
I love the alternative way of getting to the answer, but the third line does say that °C is a factory option, so it is at least conceivable it was showing Celsius.
$endgroup$
– TripeHound
Jan 31 at 22:21
4
4
$begingroup$
The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
The image actually shows the opposite of what you claim. It shows that it can be set of oC at the factory.
$endgroup$
– ikegami
Jan 31 at 22:22
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
$begingroup$
@ikegami good catch!
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 23:18
add a comment |
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6
$begingroup$
There is no such thing as "Centigrade" It's "Celsius" .
$endgroup$
– Carl Witthoft
Jan 31 at 13:59
26
$begingroup$
@CarlWitthoft Centigrade, a historical forerunner to the Celsius temperature scale, synonymous in modern usage also The centigrade scale is essentially identical to the Celsius scale, the standard scale by which temperature is measured in most of the world.
$endgroup$
– uhoh
Jan 31 at 14:44
2
$begingroup$
All the weather forecast models that I know of in the NWS are run in degrees Kelvin and then the temperature is transform into either Fahrenheit or Celsius.
$endgroup$
– arkaia
Jan 31 at 15:51
4
$begingroup$
Adopted more than 70 years ago? My elementary school teachers in the 1990s US must have missed the memo. It's still widely understood, at least in the US. Centigrade = Celsius; the big C.
$endgroup$
– Roddy of the Frozen Peas
Feb 1 at 1:26
2
$begingroup$
@uhoh The tweet says that the wind chill is -54, and it's unlikely for the wind (even for the strong one) to lower the "feel-like" temperature by 24°C. On the other side, 24°F (about 13.3°C) difference is reasonable (but the wind still has to be quite strong).
$endgroup$
– trolley813
Feb 1 at 6:46