Originally Posted by billh
My brother the science trivia whiz says that you can "flash freeze" your lungs by breathing air at -40F. I have not confirmed this with a reliable web site or other source.
15 miles in -25F would be tough. What, that is about 1.5 hours? I've been out in 10F weather for about 1.5 hours and my toes were frozen solid and painful to thaw for hours. I imagine there is proper clothing to survive those temps, but probably beyond the typical winter commute. Nope, definitely not whimp territory. Hats off for even considering it.
I hate to make a rare post with contradictory arguments, but I can't let this one pass. Since this is the commuting forum, and not the cold weather forum, I'll try to keep this brief. Yes, cold weather is dangerous. Yes, you can develop painfully cold digits, and if you try hard enough, frostbite. But 10f is not that cold, when you are properly prepared for it. I've both bike commuted and worked in sub-zero weather for hours at a time w/o bad effect. I did a gorgeous nightime snoeshoe hike at -43f- not damage. Heck- many of the outdoor industry people (ski resort folks, surveyors, loggers, guides) do it all the time. At the extreme, polar expeditioneers have figured out how to make this work. The question is, do you know how to handle it, and do it safely? I don't mean to flame, or slam anyone, but anecdotal "my fingers froze at 10f" doesnt inform the conversation.