I blame a lot of it on the Celsius scale.
0 F is about -18 C
-20 F is about -29 C
I just laugh when they go on and on about -15 C being 'bitterly cold'......
I grew up NW of Edmonton. We would get about 20 nights or so from December to February where it got to -40 F (or colder) and when it 'warmed up' to about -18 F about 3 PM, we really thought it felt a lot better.
As I recall, the winter of 1970-71 or 1971-72, it never got above -20 F for about 15 days......
Back in those days, we heated with propane, and people would shine Tiger Torches on the ends of the tanks, or light fires under them, to generate enough propane to keep the furnace working. Health and Safety was not what it is now!
Here is a really funny link (warning, it's Not Safe for Work) of a guy who called into the CBC Regina radio show and left a voice mail for the hostess (her name was Sheila) after she commented how nice it was going to be, because of milder weather in the winter.
put this in your browser and then scroll down to see where you can start the audio. Be aware of the language warning.
Having spent 5 winters in Saskatoon, I can relate!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskat...ener-1.2840916
Keep warm
Hawkeye