Midwest Setting

[thesporkman]

I'm from Nebraska, but I've always lived in Lincoln, which has a population of 250,000 or so. I realize that probably sounds awfully small to some of you big city folks, but it's nothing like the small towns depicted in movies.

So, erm... Yeah, I don't actually have much to contribute...

[SHODANFreeman]

Originally Posted by Avistew

Maybe I've never experienced real wet heat then. I know I dislike the Prairies' dry heat, I drink a minimum of two gallons of water a day just to get by, and that doesn't even include other drinks (typically tea).
It's a pain.

I liked Paris. Rarely went down to freezing temperature in Winter, rarely was incredibly hot in summer and always had shade everywhere, as well as places to cool down, be it by entering a store or a bar or a pool.
Oh, and you don't need to carry a sweater with you in summer in case you need to enter a mall. Seriously, in North America (where I've been in North America, I should say), I keep a sweater with me because the malls are kept so cold that I get sick otherwise.

If the winter is too cold for humans and the summer is too hot, and they both last a while, is there any time at all to visit?

We have 80% humidity or more very often, even up to 100% sometimes. It's horrible.

Around April-May or September-October is usually the only time of the year where the weather isn't totally horrible in some way, but it fluctuates very wildly. We've had the snow melt and a couple weeks of nice weather, followed by 20 inches of snow in two days. The weather here typically makes no sense and is generally pretty bad.

[Avistew]

Originally Posted by Pale Man

We have 80% humidity or more very often, even up to 100% sometimes. It's horrible.

Hmm... I'm going to assume it's a ratio of some sort? 100% humidity sounds like you're in water Does that mean that they air is saturated and couldn't get any more humid?

Originally Posted by Pale Man

The weather here typically makes no sense and is generally pretty bad.

I hear you. In my husband's hometown, the people say "don't like the weather? Wait for five minute."

[SHODANFreeman]

Originally Posted by Avistew

Hmm... I'm going to assume it's a ratio of some sort? 100% humidity sounds like you're in water Does that mean that they air is saturated and couldn't get any more humid?

Something like that, I don't know the specifics of it, just that when the number is that high, I feel like crap when I go outside.

[Avistew]

Originally Posted by Pale Man

Something like that, I don't know the specifics of it, just that when the number is that high, I feel like crap when I go outside.

The only two theories I have is that:
a) it's 100% of the maximum allowed by the laws of physics
b) it's a 1:1 ratio with something. Like, one part air and one part water. But this one doesn't sound very... scientific. Air itself is already made from a bunch of stuff, it's not just one thing, after all.

I'm curious now, anyone known the answer?

[Lena_P]

I'd say, look up wikipedia, because it's complicated. But basically, the air can only hold some much water vapor before it'll have to drop it as rain or dew or fog. Apparently the hotter it is, the more water the air can hold, so when it's hot and humid it is way more unbearable. Also water transfers heat more efficiently than "air" does, so humid days make you feel the heat far more than non-humid days, as well as making sweating impossible.

I remember one day when I was a little girl the weather was so hot and humid that I was let outside the house for only a few minutes. I looked across the street at this big tree that was about fifty feet/15 meters away, and it seemed to be waving in the heat like a hula dancer. Beyond that it was literally too indistinct for me to make anything out, and I was exhausted when I got back into the house. That day had 100% humidity and it was over 120F/40C.

From what I've heard the Midwest isn't that bad, but they've got mosquitoes the size of VW bugs. Okay, maybe not that bad, but you do not stay out at dusk unless you want to be eaten alive.

[Didero]

Originally Posted by Avistew

I'm curious now, anyone known the answer?

Wikipedia describes it like this:

Relative humidity is defined as the ratio of the partial pressure of water vapor in a parcel of air to the saturated vapor pressure of water vapor at a prescribed temperature.

That doesn't mean anything to me though >_>

[flesk]

Originally Posted by Avistew

The only two theories I have is that:
a) it's 100% of the maximum allowed by the laws of physics

That's correct. When the humidity exceeds 100% you get dew or rain, or variants thereof, depending on altitude and temperature. And this saturation point depends on temperature and pressure. It's like when you mix salt with water, you'll eventually get to a point where adding more salt just make it fall to the bottom of your pot, and that's when you've reached the saturation point, or 100% salinity in comparison to the air humidity.

EDIT: Beaten to it.

[Avistew]

Thanks for all the explanations about humidity. That does sound pretty bad. What scares me the most though is Lena's mention of mosquitoes. I'm allergic to mosquitoes!
Not too bad though, not like horseflies, one bite made me delirious despite immediate treatment by two doctors and overnight care. Ugh. Mosquito bites just swell to the size of a ping pong ball, or depending on the type of mosquito, tennis ball. Still pretty annoying.
What makes it worse is that they always go for me! Seriously, I've had people just walk along with me and not get a single bite when I got dozens. Maybe my blood tastes different or something.

In the US, I've only been to New York and Florida, although I'm hoping to make it to Pax... Still not allowed to leave the country but at this point I'm half tempted to do it anyways >_<
In Canada I've been to several places in Quebec and Ontario, as well as the Prairies and BC, so I guess I've got a more varied experience with that.

Apart from the weather though, what are other interesting stuff about Minnesota? I mean, there has to be something, right?

[Lena_P]

Um, the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St Paul are supposed to have a really vibrant music and art scene. For example Prince is from Minneapolis. The Guthrie theater is one of the best known centers of live theater outside of Broadway, and has a history of performing avant garde productions as well as the classics. 3M is from there, I think?

Okay, I don't know too much about it, we just had some family friends who came from a small town in Minnesota. The Catholics all drove Dodges since the Dodge dealer was a Catholic, and the Lutherans all drove Fords 'cause ditto. Half the town was named Petersen, and they would crumble potato chips onto the tops of their casseroles.

[Leak]

Well, since everything I know about Minnesota comes straight out of Wapsi Square I'm going to guess all the trouble in Scoggins is caused by an Aztec calendar machine, a few golem girls, a sphinx and a few demons...

[GinnyN]

To be fair, if wasn't because they already said Minnesota, I would say Alaska

[Brainiac]

Pale Man's map is correct. I live in Ohio and we're considered Midwest. In fact, all of the states formed from the old Northwest Territory (Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota) are considered Midwestern states.

As far as weather goes, those high on the Canadian border like Minnesota and Wisconsin can get a severe amount of snow. However, slightly more southern states like Indiana and my own Ohio tend to be a bit more mild yet can still run the gamut of weather types. Amusingly enough, tying the humidity discussion, I got a firsthand example of how weather here can change quickly in action yesterday at work. The oft-maligned summer humidity was so high that a high-power storm built up practically out of nowhere and knocked out the power at my place of employment. It was out for so long, the sent us home early. I did note the distinct irony of having no lights on the longest day of the year. The storm was so compact, though, that my home, 20 minutes away from my work, was unaffected by the power outages.

[Alcoremortis]

The only time I've been to the Midwest was when I was looking at colleges and thought I might want to go to Notre Dame. I showed up, it was freakishly cold, and then I decided I wanted to go to college somewhere in California.

[Lena_P]

Wimp! (Although when I first moved to the Bay Area I thought the cold was going to kill me. Talking about humidity, northern California gets so dry in Winter my hands bleed if I don't apply moisturizer every hour or so.)

Seriously though, any Midwesterners want to point out some good points about the Midwest? I've heard you guys have lakes, some even call them great?

[SHODANFreeman]

Originally Posted by Lena_P

Wimp! (Although when I first moved to the Bay Area I thought the cold was going to kill me. Talking about humidity, northern California gets so dry in Winter my hands bleed if I don't apply moisturizer every hour or so.)

Seriously though, any Midwesterners want to point out some good points about the Midwest? I've heard you guys have lakes, some even call them great?

They're not that great.

Umm... we have cheese curds?

[Brainiac]

Originally Posted by Lena_P

Seriously though, any Midwesterners want to point out some good points about the Midwest?

Me. What more do you need?

[jp-30]

Prince.

Woo!

[Irishmile]

Wisconsin if very much like where Hobbits come from .... we have rolling green hills lots of agriculture... LOTS AND LOTS of bars, Pubs, and Taverns... We have some good size cities if you want to live in a city.. Each season is very different from the next and each is rather pretty here....

and come on who doesn't love fat people... and cheese curds?

[Lena_P]

I think you guys are underselling your states on purpose! You don't want us to find out how great they are and how cheap the real estate is and flood your towns with vegan restaurants and cupcake bakeries! (Seriously, you can buy a house for less than 200K? A house?!)