Temps here were in the teens for Halloween night. You could tell which kids were locals (on foot) and which were from out of State (parents driving them from doorstep to door step)...thin gloves versus thick ones. It's okay, they all got candy.
My first winter in N. Dak. was spent in Grand Forks, where I heard horror stories about how the mercury was going to dive below zero and stay there. While I'd known many tales to grow in the telling, I was suffering from a wee bit of culture shock, having lived in the mountains of Virginia for four years, and now finding myself on one of the flattest, most treeless places on Earth, so I decided to wait and see. Heck, the locals even talked funny.
The weather did not disappoint. We had a month with the high temperature (for the month, just one day) of zero. Thankfully, I shared an office with a brilliant young Captain in the Army who was last stationed in Alaska and was on his way to a double Masters' degree in Geology and Engineering, then to West Point to teach, who told me to dress in layers and I'd be fine.
He was right. I survived.
Next thing I knew, the locals were all griping about what a hideous winter it was, and I didn't know any better!