At what point do you figure the "dark and cold" is more than half over?

Chose "dark and cold" to keep folks from doing math on winter which didn't start until Dec. 21st.
I figure the "worst days" are over around the middle of January. Unsure about the date for being more than half over. This particular location still has plenty of cold weather into April and May.
On the other hand, if we consider winter to be "tough" - I'd estimate that the tough period is mostly in December and January. But I am at latitude 37. A latitude of 45 is significantly different. Almost all of Canada is north of 50. Shiver me timbers!
Can we all agree that December through February are the roughest? Speaking of the northern hemisphere of course.
This has been a cold winter. The snow and ice in Denver just will not go away. Denver is much milder than my mountain residence. Interesting that I was reading about folks in Japan marveling how mild their winter has been.
Something about getting older that makes cold weather a little colder. I suspect circulation is less effective in the 60's. Ungloved hands get cold faster. Least it seems that way.
How are the batteries doing? While my typical overnight low isn't bad at 49.8 - due to much less demand from the fridge, have noted the batteries are significantly weaker in the 30s(F). Doesn't take much to drive them significantly lower.
I figure the "worst days" are over around the middle of January. Unsure about the date for being more than half over. This particular location still has plenty of cold weather into April and May.
On the other hand, if we consider winter to be "tough" - I'd estimate that the tough period is mostly in December and January. But I am at latitude 37. A latitude of 45 is significantly different. Almost all of Canada is north of 50. Shiver me timbers!
Can we all agree that December through February are the roughest? Speaking of the northern hemisphere of course.
This has been a cold winter. The snow and ice in Denver just will not go away. Denver is much milder than my mountain residence. Interesting that I was reading about folks in Japan marveling how mild their winter has been.
Something about getting older that makes cold weather a little colder. I suspect circulation is less effective in the 60's. Ungloved hands get cold faster. Least it seems that way.
How are the batteries doing? While my typical overnight low isn't bad at 49.8 - due to much less demand from the fridge, have noted the batteries are significantly weaker in the 30s(F). Doesn't take much to drive them significantly lower.
First Bank:16 180 watt Grape Solar with FM80 controller and 3648 Inverter....Fullriver 8D AGM solar batteries. Second Bank/MacGyver Special: 10 165(?) watt BP Solar with Renogy MPPT 40A controller/ and Xantrex C-35 PWM controller/ and Morningstar PWM controller...Cotek 24V PSW inverter....forklift and diesel locomotive batteries
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Despite being from Canada it's cold in the morning dressed in a tee shirt and shorts riding a motorcycle, I'm able to survive, others are not so lucky.
Having been in -40°C/°F or lower in Wisconsin, Montana, Illinois, North west Territories, British Columbia, Ontario and such, I'm no stranger to cold, but once acclimatized to a particular environment everything is relevant when not dressed for the occasion, one tends to forget how to dress, my jeans came out today for the first time in 2 years.
Second system 1890W 3 × 300W No name brand poly, 3×330 Sunsolar Poly panels, Morningstar TS 60 PWM controller, no name 2000W inverter 400Ah LFP 24V nominal battery with Daly BMS, used for water pumping and day time air conditioning.
5Kw Yanmar clone single cylinder air cooled diesel generator for rare emergency charging and welding.
Its a tough dilemma in ways. The more moderate the weather - often the greater the control exercised by the globalists. Iceland is a great country and the winters are almost savage. The globalists don't mess with areas inhabited by Eskimo's and Dick Proenekke's.
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It would take more than that for me. A month after the winter solstice it is done up here in the Sierra below 37N. Small chance of snow and full power from deep dark blue skies.
We do get dark during our regular wildfires and so that sucks big time.
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Winter may be a tad harder off grid since one tends to worry about the batteries and the clouds. Heating may not be as simple as turning the dial to 68. Or 72. Shoot - I consider the 60s to be luxurious.
Guessing that December and January would win a survey regarding toughest months.
Wildfires have always been a problem in the west. More publicity when a whole town is lost due to bad planning and weak kneed government.
Heating and designing for winter electricity are easy basic equations solved with human ingenuity and cash in colder places.
Yea I agree winter can suck. It can be really beautiful also.
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Cold is OK. Dark is OK. Cold and dark are not OK. I'm in Colorado's second coldest region so likely one of the colder spots amongst the posters here. We had a few way up north but I think maybe they drink rather than post.
Normally we try to escape for a bit - Florida panhandle in recent years. Should be there now actually, but the Admiral died suddenly last week. February is normally a "light at the end of the tunnel" sort of month but not this year. I'll probably lurk but not post much here for a while.
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Our condolences are offered.
Thanks for the condolence.
Main daytime system ~4kw panels into 2xMNClassic150 370ah 48v bank 2xOutback 3548 inverter 120v + 240v autotransformer
Night system ~1kw panels into 1xMNClassic150 700ah 12v bank morningstar 300w inverter
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The LiFePO4 batteries live in the garage. The garage is heated with a large Toyo oil stove and keeps the temp 48-50F in there just fine.
Sounds like interior Alaska. I suspect half of us would do Alaska if winters were milder. Can't touch the scenery.
I think it rains a couple hundred inches/year in the southerly island chain - south of Juneau?
Sunroom pumps out enough heat that I spend less than $100/year on propane. Not even worth hooking up a stove - though I bought some used ones thinking they would be needed. Had no idea how effective passive solar would prove to be. The darkness of winter bothers me more than the cold. Though this is Colorado's second coldest region.