What I Know About...The Difference Between 0° and 20°

So far this year, Chicago has seen it's share of temperature changes. I know a lot of people think cold is cold, but a range of -7 to 37 encompasses several seasons. Living in Chicago has made me privy to these seasons and given me a particular wealth of weather knowledge, which I am sharing today. I'm obviously not a meteorologist; this information comes from experience only.

I know...

1. Anything below zero degrees is cold cold. At that point, it really doesn't matter how far below zero it is: snot will run and freeze, eyes will tear up, and I will wonder why I left the house.
2. Things start to warm up right around the 20° mark. You know the temperature is in the double digits and most likely in the late teens or higher when the air no longer hurts your face. While still not pleasant, the temperature is at least tolerable.
3. Once it hits the freezing point, pull out the rain boots. Yeah, it's still cold out there. But when the thermometer hovers between 31° and 33°, it's also gonna be real slushy. Better cold and dry than wet and anything.
4. Perspective is everything. All this being said, a 20-degree day really only feels amazing after a few days of negative wind chills.
5. My brain is good at tricking my body. If it's sunny out, I let myself believe it's spring. A little mood boost never hurts.
6. Cold habits die hard. On 20-degree and higher days, I'll feel foolish for taking the bus instead of biking to work. I did it in November; the only difference now is my Ventra card is loaded and I'm used to leaving 15 minutes early.