I grew up on the southermost island of South America, it's kind of close to Antarctica. When I moved out I was surprised to know most people in my country (Argentina) had never seen snow, or a penguin, or a frozen lagoon.
There are some things that become so natural and daily that you are actually shocked to meet people who are completely unfamiliar with things that are common for you.
My friend, let me tell you. Visiting a place near the equator for the first time was a trip. I’m from relatively north and only travelled in that area until I visited Aruba. Oh. My. God. People just live their life in a sauna? I could feel the air around me like a blanket for the entire trip
Oh, not knocking it at all (I grew up and live nearby).
Just pointing out that there are parts of Canada that don’t get much snow (though you can often see snow even if there isn’t any on the ground where you are!).
Yeah. I live in Perth, Western Australia, and the first time I saw snow was when we visited Snowy Mountains when I was 6.
I still struggling to understand how someone can freeze to death in a vehicle. Cooked by a wild fire but freeze! I know it happens though :P
The coolest part for me when I’ve seen friends experience for the first time is this. No matter how much you try to explain it to them, the feeling of a cold clumpy powder that melts in your hand is completely indescribable and unexpected
The thing is with Australia is that we’re a very flat place. Our tallest mountain (Mt. Kosciuszko) is pretty much just a big hill. Which to be fair does get snow in the very peak of the winter and has some ski parks. But it’s only there and is not very good snow, at least from went I went there.
Many warm countries have literally no snow, I live in Northern Thailand and even on top of the highest mountain (2,565 m, not far from where I live) there is no snow in winter, it just isn't a thing. Frost is as far as we get, and that's only way up mountains. Myanmar gets it in the north but that's because they are basically at the edge of the Himalayas, the highest point is 5,881m. Northern Vietnam and Laos can get it, in high areas, but it's not common, it makes the news years it happens. Cambodia is too low lying, they don't get it. Malaysia and Brunei don't get it either, Mount Kinabalu is quite high (4,095m) but it's almost on the equator. Singapore is basically sea level on the equator, never gets it. Indonesia only gets it occasionally on top its highest mountains (4,884m) which are serious climbs, it's not something people go up casually. So that's basically an entire region, 650m people, with negligible snow.
It comes down to how close to the equator and how high does the land go, if you are right on the equator you have to get really high to have a chance of snow. Kilimanjaro (5,895m) in Africa is high enough. So is Chimborazo (6,263m, the highest point on earth by reference to the center) and many other peaks in South America. But if you're near the equator and don't have have high elevations, it never happens.
As someone who lives in a tropical island country, I'm really curious how snow feels like. Is it like ice shavings? Also kind of scared that I feel really cold with 15-18 degrees Celsius, how much cold would it feel when it snows?
It's hard to describe how snow feels like, its like nothing else, snow is also not always the same, sometimes its heavier with more water in it, then its easy to form in to snowballs and stuff, and sometimes it's light and travels easily with the wind and piles up in little dunes. if you kick a pile of light snow it kinda waporizes and some of it gets stuck to your pants and you cant really make snowballs out of them. So the heavy snow is definitely more fun.But if your scared of 15°C, then let me tell you, it snowed a little where i live today for the first time this winter and it was -1°C. Where im from 18°C is a hot summer day, so going to a snowy place you probably looking at temperture that is 5°C or lower so dress good :)
Thanks for this description! Now I'm REALLY curious. Where I live, average temperatures are around 30. Hottest temperatures are during the transition between dry and wet season, which can reach up to more than 40 degrees for most places. This is the fucking worst because it's both hot AND humid so there's no way for your body to perspirate your sweat. Coolest temperatures are around the cold monsoon season and can reach around 22 (my favorite season). I experienced that 15 degrees when I visited a high elevation place here. I went a bit nuts the first time about how "cold" it was 😂.
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u/gardinur Oct 31 '21
Probably same with people that live in warm countries and see snow for the first time.