What do Americans in southern states do during unexpected cold snaps to stay warm?
Posted by 514geekgirl@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 607 comments
Forgive me if this is a dumb question. Do you guys just double up clothing and blankets or do most houses have heaters even if you normally don’t need them. Very curious
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
It does get below freezing enough in the South that most places have heaters along with AC. The biggest issue is driving when it gets icy
Awesomest_Possumest@reddit
I have a heat pump.
One unit. It provides ac, and it provides heat. I just swap the thermostat.
My electricity bill isn't a fan, but I dont have an oil bill.
Sabertooth767@reddit
Virtually all Americans have both heating and AC.
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
Hahaha not in major east coast cities.
krept0007@reddit
I'm curious which cities you're taking about. As an east coaster in a major city
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
I’ve lived in Boston, Philly, and New York and most homes I’ve been in in all three cities do not have air conditioning unless you bring your own AC window unit.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
When yes but I think you're misunderstanding because everyone brings their own AC unit... Lol
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
That’s not the same as having air conditioning in your home.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
Yes it is. It is literally air conditioning in your home.
You are confusing central air conditioning with just air conditioning.
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
I’m not confusing it. When you rent an apartment in those cities, it does not come with air conditioning. You need to provide your own. And window units get taken out of windows for most of the year. Not the same as having central air.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
Yes, see that's exactly the kind of confusion I'm talking about.
No one said central air. You are confusing. Two different things.
Thereelgerg@reddit
You're describing someone who has AC, not someone who doesn't have AC.
Positive-Avocado-881@reddit
Yes it is 😂 it’s not the same as having central air, but it’s not the same as having no AC in your home
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
no, window units are not the same as having ac. It‘s comparable to not having central heat and depending on fireplaces.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
Yes it is the same as having AC because it is AC.
jvc1011@reddit
In coastal Southern California, AC wasn’t even terribly useful until pretty recently. Now it’s almost required, but buildings have absolutely not kept up.
TheSkiGeek@reddit
Older buildings tend not to have forced air heating, which makes it hard to put in central air. But wall- or window-mounted AC units are extremely common.
The only areas where air conditioning isn’t common in the US is the far northern parts of the US, or maybe places like way up high in mountainous areas where it very rarely gets hot enough to need it.
sebago1357@reddit
Rural Mainer here. We use heat pumps that run off electricity and work well from about -15F to 100F. Below -15 a gas furnace or wood pellet stove is useful.
Bolo_Knee@reddit
Pretty sure he means they use heating oil. In which case the heating and AC system would be separate.
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
They are not separate, there are not AC systems in most buildings at all.
Ok-Sport-5528@reddit
I think they’re referring to AC only. We all have heat, just not central AC. A lot of the older homes don’t have the capability to have central AC if they have old radiator heat because there are no vents. Lots of homes with window units in my area (southeastern PA).
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
Yes, this exactly
Electrical-Ad1288@reddit
Houses are older on average on the east coast than out west. Many older homes are not equipped with central HVAC. Window ACs are common.
I used to live in a building constructed in 1916 and it had radiators that ran during the winter. There was 1 window AC in the bedroom that I would run during the summer.
Maronita2025@reddit
Yes even in major east coast cities. I live in such a city and have never lived in a place with an hvac system. I had to use a box fan or purchase an ac.
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
I’m so confused, you literally just said you never lived in a place with an HVAC system, that is what I’m talking about. Our buildings are not equipped with AC.
Maronita2025@reddit
Oh I misunderstood; I thought you meant they do have them.
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
lol no! I was replying to the person who said everyone does
VariegatedPlumage@reddit
lol no!
jetloflin@reddit
Which ones?
Yeahboyeah@reddit
Yeah, I never heard of that, either.
Bolo_Knee@reddit
are you talking about heat oil furnaces?
Apprehensive_Deer087@reddit
Which ones? Here in DC we have both
jmims98@reddit
Definitely not true for AC. One of the apartments I lived in and one of the homes did not have AC. You either put a box fan in the window or buy a window AC unit if you really want.
meatinmybriefs@reddit
Owning a window unit counts as having AC, though.
jmims98@reddit
Sure but we didn't bother getting one for one year in an apartment for example. And I'm sure a lot of renters do the same.
meatinmybriefs@reddit
I've been renting for over 10 years and have always air conditioned my whole apartment. Up until a couple years ago I never had so much as HVAC heating.
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
agree. Many many dwellings in the US don’t have central air. And window units are not the same.
beek7425@reddit
Older homes are much less likely to have central air, especially in the North. I’m in New England on the coast in a neighborhood of historic homes. Often when homes are renovated or flipped, mini splits are put in. But a lot of people have window units. Especially in smaller condos or older homes with small rooms, window units are sufficient. And we have a lot of small homes and homes broken into condos in my neighborhood because it’s so expensive to buy a whole house. Window units also cost almost nothing to replace if they break.
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
Having recently lived for one year in a three bedroom apartment with window units in Central Illinois, it’s not the same. When it’s 90/90 outside, the rooms without ac (typically kitchen and bath) are generally uninhabitable.
Window units are not comparable, and “sufficient” is an entirely privileged judgement call.
beek7425@reddit
I never said this advice applies to every single home in the United States and I’m not sure how it’s privileged. Of course different people have different levels of tolerance for heat and homes are different sizes, configurations , etc.
I did say that they work best in small rooms and mentioned that I’m on the coast. Obviously that’s different from the center of the country where it gets hotter. In New England historical homes, rooms are small and ceilings tend to be low to conserve heat. I was responding to someone about my area regarding the comment that everyone in the US has central air.
The comment seems a bit overly hostile for what I’m saying. It’s not like I’m stopping you from using central air personally.
grrgrrtigergrr@reddit
That’s how my house is in Chicago. Radiators for heat and no central AC. We considered changing to an hvac system, but I love my radiator heat in the winter. Ceiling fans and open windows work well for most of summers, but we also have window ac we can put in when it gets really oppressively hot. (The house is over 100 years old and I want to keep as much original character as possible. )
cherrytree13@reddit
I think it’s over 90% for AC but that’s still a lot of people without. It’s significantly below that along the West Coast. In the Seattle region, for example, it’s only just recently grown to over half of homes and I think San Francisco is still below half. The Pacific/Inland Northwest corner of the country has mostly had very mild summers until very recently.
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
No, central ac is nowhere near that common. I mean, in places with brutally hot and humid summers.
cherrytree13@reddit
I was just saying AC in general; central AC is definitely lower! Although I do suspect the numbers are pretty decent if we're considering people who use window units, swamp coolers, etc.
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
According to the most recent results from the 2020 Residential Energy Consumption Survey, 88% of U.S. households use air conditioning (AC). Two-thirds of U.S. households use central AC or a central heat pump as their main AC equipment.
In 2020, the Midwest Census Region and South Census Region had the highest percentages of households using AC, at 92% and 93%, respectively. The lowest percentage of households using AC was 73% in the West Census Region; this census region includes households in several climate areas, such as the marine climate region along the Pacific Coast, where residential AC use was 49%.
Although central AC units are the primary equipment type used in most of the United States, 50% of Northeast households primarily use individual AC units. Individual AC units include window and wall units, mini-splits, and portable units.
meatinmybriefs@reddit
Having grown up in the northeast, I didn't know that we were unique in having boilers and no central air as the default. Even a lot of rich people don't have central air. But apparently that's a nearly foreign concept to many people in other parts of the US.
purplishfluffyclouds@reddit
30-33% of homes in the USA do not have central A/C.
https://www.eia.gov/todayinenergy/detail.php?id=52558
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
Personally know several who moved into homes that have boilers to heat the house - great older homes but decided not to try to run ductwork. They use window or portable air conditioners. Our local utility company "partners with" our state government and is the only option for many - gas and electric bill- not including sewage, water, and trash can easily go up to one thousand a month for a single family home during the colder or hotter seasons.
meatinmybriefs@reddit
I grew up on boilers. We had a combi boiler, which mean it also acted as a water heater. No need for a seperate water heater. It heated the house well and the unlimited hot water was nice.
Living_Molasses4719@reddit
$1k utility bills would ruin me. I feel fortunate that I happen to have separate providers for electric vs everything else so it’s not all on one bill
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
I'm in NYC and we have a furnace in the basement with staem heat. Nothing like it.
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
PS this is not in South but northwest Indiana.
Lcdmt3@reddit
Virtually All? Totally disagree. Sincerely, person from WI, where many older apt buildings don't. And older homes.
purplishfluffyclouds@reddit
Tons of homes do not have A/C.
Alternative-Quit-161@reddit
Not true. I have never lived in a home with central air. Ive lived in 12 homes in Colorado and Northern California
ExactPickle2629@reddit
Lmao my current apartment is the first place I ever lived with heat and AC. Before that it was space heaters or kerosene. And given that my job still sells a ton of heaters every winter, I think "virtually all" is just plumb wrong.
FondleGanoosh438@reddit
Tons of houses in the PNW don’t have AC. Heaters are common. I miss having AC but I don’t miss paying for it.
Traveller7142@reddit
Maybe in your area. In Oregon, newer houses typically have AC, but most older ones only have heating
SSweetSauce@reddit
Definitely not true. The house I grew up in Indiana it was built in the 1800’s. As were a lot of the old farm houses there were. My aunts house in Florida had no heating or ac units either. There is a huge amount of houses without modern heating and cooling in the US
anneofgraygardens@reddit
we only have heat, no AC. My house is old and until a few years ago the heat was all from a single in-floor radiator. In the winter, we'd stand on it for warmth. But in 2020 the system failed and because it was no longer up to code, we had to install central heat. It's been great, we love it! But it was crazy expensive (and unexpected) and would have been even more crazy expensive if we'd gotten AC as well.
We average temps in the low 80s in the summer so it's usually fine. Every once in awhile it gets really hot and we wish we had AC but it's usually only a few days a year, not really worth thousands of dollars.
jvc1011@reddit
Neither has been common where I come from until within the past 10 (AC) to 25 years (heat). My apartment building was built in 1995 and has neither.
“Virtually all” is doing a lot of work there.
NoseDesperate6952@reddit
Not in Washington state. AC is not standard. Off people have it, it’s a window AC or swamp cooler.
casapantalones@reddit
I grew up in Texas and moved to San Francisco after college. I was SHOCKED at the lack of a/c. Same where I live now, in Portland. Although I did get central a/c in my house when we renovated several years ago, because I hate being hot and summers are getting hotter here.
But even in Houston in the early 00s when I was still living down there, there were charities that went out and distributed fans and a/c units in the summer to keep folks from dying, because despite the miserable heat down there, not everyone has a/c.
Appalachian_Aioli@reddit
In florida
I have my state issued sweatshirt to break out when we dip into the frigid 50s.
cupidsavedpsyche@reddit
I’m curious on the state issued sweatshirt, I’ve never heard of that before. Could you expand?
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
I lived in Central Texas for many years and knew lottsa folks that had no jacket, coat, sweater, etc.
Temporary_Nail_6468@reddit
Yup. Not worth putting on a coat for the five second run from the car to a store. Just stay inside for a day or two until it warms back up. I never had more than a light windbreaker growing up. I got my first real coat during college for a spring break ski trip.
Alarmed-Outcome-6251@reddit
Here we close schools if it’s below freezing, because kids only have the standard issued hoodie.
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
I believe it. When I lived and worked in Austin, our secretary always dressed to the nines; dress, hose, heels. Yet when a cold stretch would hit she'd arrive wearing the rattiest old hoodie over her top tier outfit.
NetDork@reddit
I haven't used anything heavier than a lined windbreaker in YEARS. On really cold days I'll wear a hoodie under it.
alegna12@reddit
I pull mine on when it hits 70. LOL
maimou1@reddit
Tampa here. I start bitching like a banshee at 60 degrees. In my wool coat too!
AppropriateAmoeba406@reddit
Lol. At Augustine breaks out our County issued pirate coats.
IntelligentWay8475@reddit
Pretty much all homes have AC and heat. If it is cold enough we turn the heater on.
bryslittlelady@reddit
Most houses have an HVAC system which is both air conditioning and heat.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Ah that makes sense, where I am it’s generally two separate systems one for heat and than AC’s during the summer.
YanCoffee@reddit
Well, once in a while, we have cold temps that are so cold our homes aren't equipped to handle it and the power could go out. That's when we start stock piling non-perishable food, blankets, and taping blankets over our windows, keeping everybody to one room as much as possible. It's an emergency situation sort of thing, and is rare, but we had to do it once this past Winter.
MartyMcShitigan@reddit
in virginia???
Far-Lecture-4905@reddit
It happens in Tennessee, I can imagine it happening in Virginia too. Three years ago it got so cold at Christmas (single digits for about five days) they had rolling blackouts so that the power wouldn't entirely go out,.
YanCoffee@reddit
Yep. I live along the VA / North Carolina border. We're prepared for all seasons, but too hot or too cold causes problems.
Tiny-Reading5982@reddit
Same. I remember the power going out in December and it was pretty cold out and it got cold so fast in the house. Luckily it came back on after maybe an hour.
Oenonaut@reddit
We were under 20 for a week, if I recall correctly. Not terrible if your house and HVAC are geared for it, but that wasn’t us.
QueeeenElsa@reddit
Or for the south, esp for Texas, snowmaggedon 2021 comes to mind. We ended up losing power for 3 days straight and it got down to 40°F INSIDE THE HOUSE! We were bundled up in sleeping bags meant for camping in as low as 0° temps. That situation shouldn’t happen again cuz they updated the power grid after that, and apparently we were EXTREMELY close (I’m talking seconds to maaaybe a few minutes) to a grid shutdown that could’ve left us without power for MONTHS had they not done the rolling blackouts! Suffice to say, we became preppers after that lol
diothar@reddit
The power grid is still very vulnerable to this.
QueeeenElsa@reddit
Oh most def! But it shouldn’t be as bad as it was back then.
Boogerchair@reddit
In the US there’s just one system that controls the whole house, so you don’t need separate units in each room or window units.
Auntie_Venom@reddit
There’s a LOT of older homes in the US that have individual units in rooms, it’s called zoned heating and cooling. The craftsman house we lived in my first seven years had window units for the summer, and ornate radiators in every room for heating.
Boogerchair@reddit
Sure, I’m just speaking in terms of what is typical. I live in the NE, I’m well aware of older homes lol.
jwpete27@reddit
Also in the NE. Have never lived in a house with central air or a heat pump.
Boogerchair@reddit
Do you want a cookie?
js_eyesofblue@reddit
That’s only if you have a central HVAC system, which are common in the US. But there are plenty of older homes with radiator heat and window AC units.
SabresBills69@reddit
it depends on where you live.
where I grew up, most homes didn’t have central air. We had heaters and folks had window AC units
There is a measure called heating degree days and cooling degree days which drives the type of home heating and cooling systems you have
CarbonInTheWind@reddit
My AC unit also has a heat pump which is efficient in moderately could temperatures but wouldn't function well in the extremely frigid temperatures that places up north get to.
No_Report_4781@reddit
Growing up in the South, we had two systems: wood stove for heat, open windows for cooling
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
A wood stove was my childhood dream, they were made illegal where I am before I came of age though lol. Charcoal grilling too and I swear that makes the best food
SingleDadSurviving@reddit
Seriously? Illegal to grill with charcoal or have a wood stove. What about a fireplace?
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
As long as it's fake. We can do all of these things but outside of the city not at a home. They do allow propane grilling but I personally don't find it the same.
SingleDadSurviving@reddit
What about smoking? Like an offset smoker for meat or even a pellet smoker? Sorry to sound stupid but do you live in America? I've seen people in cities with small charcoal grills and stuff.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
I'm in Canada, basically half of the population lives condensed into the 5 biggest cities here. Everyone else is super spread out so in the bigger cities they limit smoke because of environmental reasons. The closest we can legally do at home is a propane grill, smoking is a no no. We do have public parks with grills and you can bring your own supplies but that's a bit of a pain and there's only a few areas with this. You can however go outside the city and it being Canada you can find your own beach or forest and do whatever and nobody will care. Some parts you can drive all day and pass one car.
Now illegally some people do it. My old apartment I occasionally snuck out with a small BBQ but it attracts attention lol
SingleDadSurviving@reddit
Oh wow, yeah I bet it does. People showing up. Got a burger there wink wink.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
That's literally what happens, you end up bribing everyone with some food. It's not something you'd get arrested for but you would get finned to death. My dad went to war with a neighbour over this lol. He had a charcoal grill and he called the city on my dad who got a whopping fine. He countered by finding the largest most ridiculous propane grill you can imagine and installed that and than held bbq's every weekend for a while
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
I should add fireplaces are mostly decorative anyways, it wouldn't be nearly enough heat as we get down to sustained periods of -40 (not as often the last decade but that used to be the norm and still happens for a couple weeks at a time)
SingleDadSurviving@reddit
Also just to answer your top question we have central heat, but it never gets below the teens f here, if it does it's for a short time. We have a few electric plug in heaters also here if it gets really cold for certain rooms so we don't have to really really run the central heat a lot. We try to keep it between 65 and 75 in the house.
SingleDadSurviving@reddit
OMG we get to the 20s f and it's emergency times around here. Get a few inches of snow and ice and it's a snowpocalypse. Grocery stores get cleaned out. Places shut down.
Auntie_Venom@reddit
My in-laws built their house with HVAC heating vents but never had a system installed. They still use a wood stove in the winter and attic fan in the summer to draw the heat out, in the St Louis metro in Missouri.
No_Report_4781@reddit
In denser populated areas, every house having a wood, coal, or charcoal fire burning is quite toxic.
SummitJunkie7@reddit
Even in places where you rarely use heat for the home, people still want hot water.
whyisthissticky@reddit
It depends on the building. I’m in a high rise in Chicago and our systems are separate, so the building doesn’t turn off the heat until May 1st. You can’t use the AC until then.
Opening-Ad-2769@reddit
We have an hvac with both heating and cooling. But we also have a fireplace.
_gooder@reddit
I'm in Florida. We have the whole house a.c./heating and a fireplace (which we use for a few weeks, not in a row, lol).
WashuOtaku@reddit
I didn't know there were different systems (or lack thereof) till I traveled outside the South. Clearly we are ahead of the world here in environment comfort.
Severe_Flan_9729@reddit
Another interesting thing too is HOW we heat our homes.
Our home in the Midwest (built during the late 70s during the fuel shortages) was heated by electricity. So I was surprised that many homes in the East Coast were still heated by oil when I moved to Rhode Island.
FWIW, it was a lot more comfortable when it was heated by oil lol.
Map below for reference:
https://brilliantmaps.com/home-heating-usa/
SirEagle60@reddit
Interesting map
Rokmonkey_@reddit
Because a combined system doesn't work well when it gets well below freezing. You'd need a crazy oversized system to get the heat required to warm an old home.
Also, until recently, up birth heating was the only concern. Then window ACs in a bedroom was all that was needed. Now, it's heat pumps
jerkenmcgerk@reddit
I had to question this myself with an uptick of Reddit posts from the northern states in the U.S. and questions I saw coming from Euro countries. Depending on where someone is trying to answer from this question seems odd even when people from the U.S. answer.
I currently live in Texas. Yeah, we have heating and cooling systems for our houses. They are either central heating and cooling (whole home) or we have windows units for air conditioning and room heaters for specifics uses.
I am currently in El Paso - a typical desert city environment in April is already 86°F during the day and 55°F at night. HVAC systems are extremely nice to have and homes without do per room heating and cooling.
ljculver64@reddit
Same.
flgirl-353@reddit
Me too, I am embarrassed to admit how old I was when I first learned this. Also learned about swamp coolers. Florida is so humid our AC removes the moisture from the air. I never dreamed it would be needed in reverse.
crownjewel82@reddit
Yeah I moved from Florida to Colorado. Adjusting to the altitude was a cakewalk compared to adjusting to the humidity.
stabbingrabbit@reddit
Never knew what they meant about the "its a dry heat" till I was in Colorado. It was 98f and my ice tea wasnt sweating nor was I. Not that I was doing much more than leisurely walking, but I thought it was at most 85f
Crazycatlover@reddit
I had the opposite experience. I was in DC one summer in my teens. Dad, sisters, and I were out and about in mid 80s and high humidity (we had roughly a mile walk back to our hotel). I remember thinking that at least was almost dark which would cool things down. Um...yeah...not so much.
It's quite possible that was medium humidity rather than high. I don't recall. My parents used to go to DC a couple times a year for work. They'd offer to bring us if we were off school during that time anyway which mostly limited it to summer. The week Dad went there during my spring break was so much lovelier. I like DC, but I don't think I could ever live anywhere that humid.
Forever_Nya@reddit
I grew up in south Florida and the first time I went to Arizona I was shocked that it was over 100 because I was not all sweaty wet and gross. It was also the first time I ended up dehydrated 🤷🏻♀️
ChiliAndRamen@reddit
Your sweat was working as intended and keeping you cool, you just didn’t realize you were sweating hence the dehydration
SaguaroDragon@reddit
Yep - that's why we have a bunch of Midwestern people need help out here
I get nervous everyone someone is going on about not even sweating here while knocking back a couple of beverages in the sun ...... Try to side over a water and hydration pack 😂
SleepyD7@reddit
Yeah, it’s wild when you first experience a dry heat.
Prestigious-Trip-927@reddit
Me in Vegas at 70 degrees in the dark overlooking the city wanting a sweatshirt. Shouldn't need one of those until it's at least in the 50s!
ChiliAndRamen@reddit
You were sweating, it was just working how it’s supposed to and whisking the heat away
Amaranth504@reddit
I had the opposite experience. Moved from the humid south to Colorado for 3 months between freshman and sophomore years of college. My hands peeled for the first month. Also, I was a smoker back then (quit for 4 years now!). The first time I tried to smoke in Colorado, I thought I was dying - cold sweat, dizzy, etc.
SnooDonuts3028@reddit
Ha! I'm from the Midwest originally but everytime I leave Florida I re-learn the lesson that the humidity is apparently what's keeping my hands, face, etc, from cracking and I have to remember once again that in other places, I have to put on lotion. 😜😂
Independent-Try-604@reddit
Me too! I can’t breathe at night in Colorado because it’s so dry.
One_Purchase_3127@reddit
I got stationed at Carson and my lungs would bleed after every run. I would run in the morning and spend the remainder of the day hacking up and spitting blood loogies.
Independent-Try-604@reddit
Yeah I on vacation to CO from SC in August and I was like “nope, I’ll take the humidity.” Never thought I would say that.
PeachOnAWarmBeach@reddit
Wow! I feel better in the altitude, but I also live in a humid area (not like y'all, though. That stuff there just sits on AND in your chest! ).
I've traveled more times to the mountains than the beach (sadly).
OtherlandGirl@reddit
Congratulations on quitting!
Amaranth504@reddit
Thank you!
clintj1975@reddit
I live in a similar climate and installed a whole house humidifier. It's still in my all time top ten favorite purchases.
RE1392@reddit
Whenever I spend a week or two there, I wake up multiple times a night from thirst. I’m always surprised people don’t mention it more.
Wild-Lychee-3312@reddit
Yeah, in the South people have AC and/or dehumidifiers, if we can afford them.
Conversely, I lived in Ulaanbaatar, and that region is semi-arid. Plus it gets really cold (it's the coldest national capital in the world), so the air gets insanely dry. Humidiferies are hard to come by, and worth their weight in gold. Seriously, when people found out that I was moving back to the USA, I got requests for my humidifier.
Own-Prompt-8356@reddit
New Mexico is increasingly becoming too hot for evaporative cooling/swamp coolers. Which is sad because they do work well in arid places like NM, just not with higher and higher temps.
We use central air in Albuquerque and while cool, we’re drying out! I have to get the humidifier out soon.
Relevant-Emu5782@reddit
Whenever I go to ABQ I always get nose bleeds from the dry air. I end up needing to steam myself by running a super hot shower (too hot to stand under) with the bathroom door closed to get the nose bleeds to stop. It's worth it for the amazing food there.
typeabohemian@reddit
100%...best food in American IMO. Literally everything is flavorful and craveable. And no seabugs.
cool_chrissie@reddit
My husband lived in Denver for 4 years and endured bloody noses every single day. We moved to the south and he was magically cured.
Certain_Expression41@reddit
Whenever I go to abq I get nosebleeds but for a different reason.
Fresh_Salt7087@reddit
You found blue ice in the desert you say?
farrieremily@reddit
Easier on water consumption is boil a kettle/pot of water, pour it in a bowl and drape a towel over your head and the bowl.
That’s our winter remedy when the woodstove dries everything out more. Even with a pot simmering our flooring was separating this winter it was so dry.
Own-Prompt-8356@reddit
Throw some Vicks in the pot and supercharge it!
Wild-Lychee-3312@reddit
Might be time to invest in a humidifier.
Sensitive-Rip-8005@reddit
I lived in AZ and could always tell when I walked into a building that used a swamp cooler. I hated it. Give me cool dry air anytime.
sleep_zebras@reddit
Swamp coolers are nice for growing tropical plants. People aren't tropical plants, though
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
I believe the current White House asserts that, there is no reliable scientific evidence that climate is changing - how could New Mexico be getting hotter and hotter? My cynicism has been elevating. One reasonable argument for Senator Mark Kelly keeping current office in Arizona, rather than attempting a run for president, is that he understands the complexity of water availability, dams and diverting water in the southwest? All questions? I am convinced there are people on reddit that are working to make a difference.
maimou1@reddit
My mama (grew up on a farm outside Savannah) used to hang up her laundry inside the house during the winter (in Atlanta). Kept the heat from drying out the house and didn't have to fuss with cleaning and filling a humidifier. I still do this here in Florida.
Own-Prompt-8356@reddit
I did this in Tucson too! That’s basically how a swamp cooler works without power.
essssgeeee@reddit
Swamp coolers are amazing in the desert! I lived in Arizona, where it's so dry I keep chapstick in every room, and swamp coolers work great, add moisture to the air too. They are also much more energy efficient than air conditioning. However they don't work well in humidity.
mst3k_42@reddit
At my house in Indiana growing up, we’d keep a big plastic bucket under the big window AC unit to catch the water. When it got full, which never took that long in the summer, my mom or me would drag it over to the tomato plants to water them.
Meattyloaf@reddit
Yeah, AC does a lot more than just cool the air down. Parts of the south mold would take over modern homes without it
maxman1313@reddit
Swamp coolers also straight up don't work in the South East. Completely ineffective. It's just too humid.
DangerousDave303@reddit
I moved from Georgia to Idaho and went to the building supply store to get a filter for the air conditioner in my apartment. The employee asked if it was for a swamp cooler. I had no idea what a swamp cooler was. A friend explained that it worked by evaporative cooling. The first thing out of my mouth was That wouldn't work in the southeast. It would be a breeding ground for tree frogs, mosquitoes and Legionella and cause the interior of the house to be consumed by mold.
Link_save2@reddit
This was my introduction to swamp coolers from Virginia it's always so humid in the summer
rulanmooge@reddit
Yes...I live in the High Dessert area of NE California. In the summers it can sometimes be really!!! hot and dry. A swamp (evaporative) cooler works great. Low electricity costs. AND the humidity it adds to the air is good for my skin and the house plants love it too.
Winters are the opposite cold. Sometimes sub zero at night and not above freezing during the day for weeks. At best low 40s to to 50 during the day and 28 to 34 degrees at night. So we have natural gas/propane/ and wood heat.
ChampionshipBetter91@reddit
Mt grandfather had a hobby farm, and the cabin had a swamp cooler! I was 10 before I realized that the swamp cooler cooled the house - I had this idea that the house was in a wooded area, and weren't all woods cool and dry? (I was q city child...)
R1R1FyaNeg@reddit
Yeah, I felt like evaporative ACs were scams, but eventually learned I just live in soup.
roseccmuzak@reddit
I remember when I was 16, standing in line in Philly for a concert, making conversation. Someone said something about her aunt "she's loaded, she has central AC"
I stopped them in my tracks..."do yall not have central AC here"
They were like no omg you must be rich.
Nah fam, AC more important than literally everything else.
plantverdant@reddit
We really didn't need AC where I grew up (pnw in the 80's and 90's). It used to get really hot for about a week tops, now it's at least two months. We're still haven't turned off the heat for the spring yet.
fighter_pil0t@reddit
There’s definitely reasons to have separate systems. The energy to heat a house from really cold is way more than cooling a house from hot. Other forms of heat can be more pleasant than heat pumps / forced air which tends to be very dry.
AdamOnFirst@reddit
We are so so so much richer than the rest of the world and shouldn’t forget it
Parking_Champion_740@reddit
What different systems are there? I’d say heat it quite standard, even required, everywhere. Some areas don’t have A/C as a standard but it’s less and less common not to have AC
WashuOtaku@reddit
Most Hawaiian homes do not have heating.
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
Our climate is also brutal compared to most of Europe.
Until recently. Climate change and *truly* old homes are going to prove dangerously expensive and incompatible.
rileyoneill@reddit
95% of homes built in the 20th century are not worth keeping around. Designing around the climate with modern technology is a better way to live. It will also be practical to build a home around solar panels but more difficult to retrofit an old one.
Alternative-Pear9096@reddit
Feel free to pony up the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ to replace them
Kali-of-Amino@reddit
I just had to add French drains to a 100 year old house thanks to climate change.
Spirited_Ingenuity89@reddit
You think climate change is responsible for poor drainage in your yard? It couldn’t be that the house and ground have settled some the last hundred years?
Kali-of-Amino@reddit
Dude, all the rain that is NOT falling on the Midwest any more didn't just disappear. The increased heat led to increased power in the jet stream which blew the rain clouds past the Midwest down to the Deep South. It rains so often now we had to wait TWO YEARS to find three dry days in a row to repair the roof. The backyard has become such a quagmire people have lost shoes. And yes, it has settled dramatically in the last twenty years while being relatively stable in the prior 80 years. It's called climate change because there's more going than just global warming.
Dandibear@reddit
Combined units (heat pumps) can't keep up with the coldest temps that they get further north. When it gets cold enough there isn't enough heat left in the air for the unit to pull inside.
We usually get at least a few days each winter when our heat pump can't keep up and indoor temps fall to the low 60s in the house. That's just this side of tolerable for us.
nalonrae@reddit
Our HVAC system uses both natural gas and electric. Is yours fully electric?
Dandibear@reddit
Yes, it's fully electric. It's my understanding that they have the same problem at extra low temps when they use gas.
clintj1975@reddit
I grew up in SC and we had a heat pump for year round use. Cools in the summer, and takes the chill off those few nights where it actually gets cool outside. I live in Idaho now and keep a few extra blankets and light jackets around for when family visits in the winter. When you're used to subzero temps outside having the house above 72 feels downright hot.
bryslittlelady@reddit
I'm originally from CT and knew 1 person with central air conditioning. Everybody had a furnace.
Tiny-Reading5982@reddit
My friend moved to MA from VA. I visited her one summer and they had no ac. My friend had a window unit in her room. It only got hot enough to where we needed ac once. But we would go to six flags in agawam and it was always hot so I'm guessing all the trees and the style of the house.
responds-with-tealc@reddit
heavily wooded areas are way cooler, especially if you are situation in a mini valley between hills (called a Holler in the Southeast/Appalachians).
the last mile drive in to my house is usually 5-7f cooler than it is in the suburban neighborhoods not that far away.
WonderingLost8993@reddit
I will think of this comment in July when it's so hot the AC can only cool the house down to 80 degrees and the humidity is miserable.
WonderingLost8993@reddit
When I moved from Alabama to San Diego not having A/C was a mental adjustment. Not having humidity was heaven.
PJ-Putitonmyluggage@reddit
I knew there were different systems but I never would've thought until this post that the HVAC heating/cooling system was something that people didn't know about.
Foxfire2@reddit
I have only heard that term for commercial building units, it sits on the roof and heats, cools and ventilates large commercial and office spaces, sometimes with no operable windows. Never heard it used for residential.
Unsolven@reddit
Natural gas powered water heating systems are a lot cheaper than using electricity. If you are in a cold climate heating your home with an HVAC system all the long cold winter could cost thousands of dollars more. In the south where you use it sparingly it’s not that big a deal.
SaintsFanPA@reddit
That is entirely dependent upon the relative cost of electricity and gas. Excluding extreme cold, heat pumps can be cheaper than gas.
Manateekisses51@reddit
They can, but they die way faster. In the NE, I had a furnace/gas heat that was 30 years old before I had to replace it, and it was cheaper to replace. These heat pumps go way faster- need to replace every 10 years or so, and for 1000-1500 sq. ft, they cost about $9000 these days.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
This is true, central is mainly used in office towers where I am
SlippingStar@reddit
It’s so funny that we call cooling “AC” when literally conditioning the air means making that air cold OR hot 😂
JupiterSkyFalls@reddit
I think I used the centeal heat a total of three nights this past "winter". The rest of the time we didn't need heat during the day cuz our home is well insulated and it didn't get below freezing during the day. We used a space heater in the bedroom intermittently for maybe 8-9 weeks during Dec- Feb. The kitchen was the only place it got a little chilly but 9/10 I was in there I was there to cook so the oven or stove eyes were enough heat to do the trick. Lol
billamsterdam@reddit
When i was a kid we lived in the country, and central air was not so common. Really cold snaps hit us so rarely, maybe once every three years or so, that we were basically caught out every time. Sometimes we had frozen pipes and things like that, but mostly it meant you were going to freeze your ass off if you had to be outside. In places where it is rare to have cold weather very few people have the right kind of coats and boots and hats and things like that to deal with it properly. Good Carhart (or whatever) cold weather gear is expensive if you only need it a few days every year. It also takes a lot of space to store.
billymondy5806@reddit
Heat pump
Manateekisses51@reddit
I don't know that it is most- Moved from northeast where those are seperate and distinct systems. Gas heat, electric for ac.
Mid-atlantic to south seems to have it everywhere. I would have to pay a bunch of money to have gas installed here, and it is not the norm.
NE has a lot more gas, though- so the heat pump/electric/whole house, one system was not as prevalent.
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
Those HVAC systems (blown air for heat) aren't the best when it gets really cold. And electric heat is the most expensive.
ABelleWriter@reddit
HVAC handles cold just find as long as it's well maintained.
Mine can deal with 110° summers and 15° winters.
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
that wasn't my experiencce.
ABelleWriter@reddit
Ok, I'm sorry? I've had 12 of them in my lifetime and I've never been cold.
TrumanD1974@reddit
Depends on the system’s age. Modern heat pumps can handle heating on their own down to around 10F and newer air handlers have sequential coils below that. Our new system is significantly more efficient in the winter than our previous 20 year old one.
Head_Razzmatazz7174@reddit
Older homes also have gas appliances and heaters. Those of us who have seen more than a few harsh winters keep a stash of winter blankets, and wool socks.
Away_Bit_3382@reddit
Yeah, we're not that backwoods.
catiebug@reddit
Almost every house in America has central heat. Very few exceptions. I want to say the most recent figure I saw was 90%. You get some families that only turn it on when it gets very, very, cold, but they do have it.
Central A/C is also extremely prevalent, but the figure is a bit lower as there are certain areas where no homes have central A/C, even mansions and commercial buildings, like parts of the central coast of California and Oregon.
VioletJackalope@reddit
I live in a subtropical coastal region of the Southern US, but we still get winters that can be in the 40s-30s on average every year and we even get snow occasionally. The vast majority of the US gets cold enough to need heat for at least a small part of the winter months, so HVAC systems with both heat and cold are common in both homes and businesses. Some houses, like mine, also have a fireplace. Fireplaces are actually pretty commonplace in the South as well.
Catlover357@reddit
We have central air and heat or some kind of heaters. I live in Florida and it can get quite cold here - it's even been 10 degrees.
AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit
I'm in Birmingham, Alabama. We get cold weather. Not like Minnesota or some such, but it gets below freezing plenty of times during the winter.
acorpcop@reddit
Can confirm as former Minnesotan. Went to Army Basic at Ft McClellan. Flew out of Fargo in Feb in a blizzard. Landed in Atlanta and it was brisk but tolerable. Got to Anniston and there was ice on the puddles in the daytime. Alabama has some miserable cold & wet winters.
wistfulee@reddit
That's the whole thing, here in the Southern part of the US we have higher humidity levels than most of the rest of the country. Years ago a friend who lived in Colorado visited us when we lived in Atlanta. He was shocked that we were about 20 degrees warmer than at his house in Boulder according to the thermometer but it felt very cold to him.
acorpcop@reddit
Yeah, just like a "dry heat" isn't as miserable as 100°F and 90% humidity, a "wet cold" just cuts through the bone.
wistfulee@reddit
Gotta love the 90/90 days we have in Florida, 90 degrees with 90% humidity. Almost feels like you're swimming just walking down the street. Actually that's how we tell if you are a real Floridian, a real Floridian stays inside with the A/C, & the best parking space isn't the one close to the store, it's the one in the shade.
Temporary_Nail_6468@reddit
Texan here. You can tell the temperature outside by looking at a parking lot. Winter: cars clustered by the stores. Summer: cars clustered under the trees no matter where they are in the lot.
acorpcop@reddit
My car turns around south of Savannah. Can't hang.
Own-Prompt-8356@reddit
My desert self was not prepared for Memorial Day in DC to be wet and thus cold when I did a summer internship. I was constantly forgetting a sweater or jacket.
CycadelicSparkles@reddit
I am from New England (in which I happily reside) and grew up in Pennsylvania, and went to college in South Carolina for two years.
The WORST winter weather. 33 degrees and raining. And raining and raining and raining. I could not get warm. The classrooms were adequately heated but after the walk from my dorm I'd spend an hour shivering. Absolutely awful. Give me 15 degrees and six inches of snow any day over that mess.
CertainFutures@reddit
Yup. We flew from Colorado to Orlando in February. Temps dropped below 30 and we were miserable. Dry air does have its perks. It can be 105 degrees in Boulder you will see hundreds of people out jogging, hiking, biking.
NoCryptographer2002@reddit
Hawaii is actually the only state in the country that will issue a certificate of occupancy for a dwelling without a heating source.
nope-its@reddit
Arizona has homes without heaters as well
just_a_wolf@reddit
I have never had a house without a heater in AZ.
nope-its@reddit
My friend does - in phoenix. So it exists.
Shiboleth17@reddit
Average night temps in Phoenix in January is 36 F. With a record low of 16. It can snow in Phoenix. You'd have to be either too poor to afford a heater, or insane not to have one.
just_a_wolf@reddit
Sure, I know people who don't have A/C in Phoenix even. Not very fun at all.
Shiboleth17@reddit
Uh, where? Snow is common across northern Arizona. And even Phoenix sees temps get down to the 30s in winter.
unbalancedcentrifuge@reddit
Yay, B'ham...I lived there for a bit! Yeah, when the cold weather hits, there are more problems on the roads vs. keeping the house warm. (i.e., Snowmaggedon 2014)
caryn1477@reddit
I'm in South Florida and we have heat lol. Don't get me wrong, I might turn on like twice a year but it's still great to have.
Faiths_got_fangs@reddit
I grew up in Dade before it was Miami-Dade. We had heaters.
caryn1477@reddit
I remember those days. I was born and raised in Broward.
DirtParking4216@reddit
It'll smell like burning dust, but it's warm at least.
caryn1477@reddit
Exactly!
AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit
My aunt and uncle lived in Miami and didn't. In the late 70s, they had a freakish cold snap and had to go the hardware store to buy space heaters. Only the store didn't have any.
RhinoPillMan@reddit
Yeah, my childhood home in Broward had heat. Mostly as an excuse for my grandparents to legally get an even bigger propane tank (something about having propane heating allowing a larger capacity). But we did use it sometimes. My grandma just preferred boiling water with some herbs in it on the stove though.
Quirky-Bar4236@reddit
I love that Minnesota was the example others gave of cold weather.
WillaLane@reddit
“Hey Alexa, set heat to 70” and my house gets warm
BxAnnie@reddit
Mostly complain on social media.
fusepark@reddit
I live in the southernmost state, Hawaii. No HVAC, and I can't close all my windows. I do have space heaters, but I avoid using them because of the cost of electricity. I have been known to close up my bathroom and burn candles inside before taking a shower. Coldest temperature where I live was 46°F (done that twice). I do have blankets on the sofa and I have plenty of sweaters.
maimou1@reddit
When it gets really cold here in FL, I start baking. Cakes, Guinness beef stew, moussaka, pastitsio. My husband happily wanders off to keep himself busy knowing dinner is gonna rock!!
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Out of curiosity I looked up electric costs there OUCH. It’s roughly 9 times what I pay.
fusepark@reddit
The good news on Kauai is we've been spending the money on renewable energy, and on a sunny day we're 100% renewable. And we have an energy cooperative, so every year we get paid back some of the money if they haven't been able to build out more projects.
seandelevan@reddit
Grew up in the north spent most of my adult life in the south. Yeah. Very very very few homes in the north have central AC…mine did though and it was one of the very few in the area. But the unit was massive lol. Looked like it was from the 50s or 60s. My uncle who was an electrician would be always there tinkering with it but we rarely used it since it rarely got hot enough to use it. It’s customary to leave all windows shut in the summer but when you go to bed you open them and rush of hot air leaves the house causing a nice cooling effect.
No-Lettuce-5783@reddit
First, complain. Then, turn on the heat. Then, prepare the firewood for the fireplace. Then, clear out the fireplace so they can turn on the air conditioner. Only to use the fireplace again a week later.
crazycatlady052411@reddit
Most houses and apartments have heaters. They just don’t get used often. I lived in a place without heat and ac in Florida. Summers were hell and in the winter all I could afford was a tiny space heater that I’d bring room to room with me. My cat would lay directly in front of it. I am probably the only Floridian who keeps winter gear and that’s only because I used to ride a scooter everywhere and I needed to stay warm or I end up in severe pain. I still have my winter coat, a hoodie blanket, scarf, face coverings, and very very thick gloves. Was hard to find warm pants so I just layered them.
Imaginary-Duck1333@reddit
My father moved out to Amarillo from Tennessee where I still live. The years I’ve visited in the summer- how dry I am! A friend described it as the difference between a sauna and an oven.
Additional_Tea_5296@reddit
I walk over to my thermostat and turn on the heat. Do you think people in the south don't have heating? Most of us indeed have air conditioning and heat.
CockroachVarious2761@reddit
I think mostly they just shiver - I mean I know a lot of people in FL that wear sweatshirts when its 70F, whereas I wear shorts and t-shirt 365 days in PA no matter the weather and the most I'll put on for a coat is a sweatshirt-coat.
gaymersky@reddit
Electric heater.... if its 20's or 30's heat pumps don't work very well at all.
Heat pumps for the rest of the cold nights.
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
Kentucky here. Appalachian mountains. We tend to loose electric during heavy snowfall.
Most people have the Buddy propane heaters.
typeabohemian@reddit
Guess this is a good time to me tiene that in the majority of New England homes, we dont have HVAC. newer homes, like 25 or so might bjt mostly we put in window units and use em basicslly just to sleep to cool down in the summers. Away again in Fall until next season. Or open a dang window!
And some home are still heated predominately with wood-burning stove as primary source. So a chore in the Fall is literslly to buy multiple cords of 2 seasoned firewood to get you thro the 7-8 month double cold season. (Spring = Winter for most regions)
independentbuilder7@reddit
Turn on the heater. Works every time.
trae_curieux@reddit
Almost all houses with air conditioning will also have heating, either using a separate furnace (which can work with the same air handler) or by using a reversing valve on the A/C, in which case, the setup is then colloquially referred to as a "heat pump". Some systems combine both and use the heat pump in heating mode for mildly cool weather and the furnace only during very cold temperatures, though this isn't usually necessary in areas that don't get very cold.
Older homes sometimes still have things like hydronic heating and gravity furnaces, and these can technically coexist with A/C installed afterwards, but since the 1970s, most homes were built with central, forced-air heating and cooling which simply deliver warm or cool air through the same ductwork.
name_withheld_1229@reddit
Almost all buildings are heated.
fossiliz3d@reddit
As long as the electricity stays on the houses are fine. Ice storms that knock out power can be very bad.
The big problem in many areas is lack of snowplows resulting in the roads being shut down.
StinkieBritches@reddit
We turn on the heat and bust out our winter coats and boots.
FlatElvis@reddit
Houses in southern states have central heating.
And running water.
LetterheadClassic306@reddit
i ran into this visiting family in georgia during a freeze. most southern houses have basic heat pumps but they struggle when temps drop below freezing. people double up on blankets and use space heaters in one room instead of heating the whole house. electric heated throws are popular too because they're cheap to run. wearing thermal base layers indoors helps a lot as well. some folks let faucets drip to keep pipes from freezing. it's definitely a scramble because they don't deal with it often.
lattelady37@reddit
Turn the heat on.
Neither-Attention940@reddit
Pretty sure all houses have at least heat. Not everyone has AC built in but you can buy window units for AC. This is just standard in the US I think. I’m in Oregon though.
Disastrous_Ad1260@reddit
We are fine unless we lose electricity. Look up the Texas ice storm. It was the week of Ted Cruz's tropical vacation
spikelike@reddit
In 2021 Texas had an unprecedented deep freeze. Power was out all over for days. People did the best they could, papering windows, multiple blankets. People still died not only from freezing but accidents - carbon monoxide from generators indoors, or starting fires unsafely. People are still traumatized by those times even now
CyanCitrine@reddit
I'm confused. Do you think we don't have heat in our homes??
We have heat.
Or do you mean if the power goes out, do we have generators to run our heat even with the power out? That, fewer people have, because we don't lose power that much from storms in the South.
Longshot_45@reddit
The more interesting question is what northern locations do when they encounter a heat wave. Sometimes all they can do is open a window.
Positive_Aioli8053@reddit
I can answer. it is getting unseasonably cold tonight. i had ac on but just turned that off. it has a heat option HVAC but itll get hot tomorrow so that woukd be a waste as im in bed
Radiant-Pomelo-3229@reddit
lol. You have to go very south like the tip of Florida for people to not get cold and have heaters
Phoenix_Court@reddit
Switch the thermostat to heat and if you go out of the house, put on a jacket
Khpatton@reddit
I’m a lifelong Georgian and I’ve never lived in an apartment or house without a heater. It doesn’t get cold like the Midwest or New England do, but it gets near/below freezing often enough to want a heater in most of the South.
AnotherMinorDeity@reddit
We get snow occasionally in the South and have lots of days that it hits freezing, so we mostly have full heating and air.
ThisDerpForSale@reddit
They turn up the heat. Yes, the houses have heaters/furnaces. It does get cold even if it never gets as cold as it does farther north.
AdjectiveMcNoun@reddit
we have a central heating system (HVAC) and a fireplace, although we usually just put on warm clothes. If it gets cold, it's usually only at night so with the warm clothes and extra blankets on the bed it's usually enough. We might have to run the heat a couple times per year though.
I like to bale when it's warm to help get some extra heat in the house too. It's not much but it's a bit. I grew up in a very cold state so we baked all winter long and I enjoyed it so much (the baking, not the cold, haha) so it's a bit of nostalgia for me.
ssk7882@reddit
I suspect that this question reveals a lack of understanding of the sort of continental climate that characterizes most of the US.
Continental climates typically have hot summers and cold winters. There are very few places in the United States where the winters are so mild that houses there would typically be built without some form of heating system.
AdamOnFirst@reddit
Turn on they heat. Remember: we’re rich as shit.
username-generica@reddit
We have gas heat and electric A/C and 2 gas fireplaces. We also have a gas cooktop so we can cook even when the power goes out. We lost power one winter for more than a week though and the roads were too icy in our hilly area for us to drive. That was tough and we considered getting a generator after that.
Charming-Sea8571@reddit
We have central heating and a gas heater for emergencies of the electricity would go out.
reffervescent@reddit
Back in the 80s & 90s, older houses in the Deep South sometimes didn't have central heat. They had little natural gas heaters, either freestanding in the living room or built into the walls in the bathroom. You'd light them with a match, and they put out a lot of heat, but they were dangerous in terms of catching things on fire or leaking gas. Here's a video of one in a wall that's working.
millenz@reddit
Heat and I have fireplaces
LaSerenita@reddit
We have central air for heating, if we elect to keep them off to save money (because it actually does not get very cold) we put on a sweater, warm socks, use a throw blanket, and cuddle with our significant others and our pets to keep warm.
yellowdaisycoffee@reddit
They turn the heat on.
r2k398@reddit
Central air and heat
Chuckitybye@reddit
Until the grid fails, then we just... freeze
fly_away_octopus@reddit
Was coming here to say that
r2k398@reddit
That’s why I’m investing into a whole home generator.
Chuckitybye@reddit
My sister lives out on acreage that she's building on, that's definitely something she has
Pan_Fried_Okra@reddit
I live in the desert of the Texas panhandle. While not exactly ‘the South’, it still gets cold as shit here even in the spring and early summer at night. It still gets at least ‘cool’ at night even in the most southern parts of the country.
nuglasses@reddit
The house my relatives was renting near Tampa had a fireplace. They never used it.
Honest_Road17@reddit
Bang our sisters.
WiseQuarter3250@reddit
Most homes have a central HVAC (air conditioning & heat), plus in southern areas more prone to cold winters fireplaces are common too.
Sullygurl85@reddit
I turn on the heat, snuggle with my dogs, and complain nonstop until I get my warm weather back.
greenleaves3@reddit
Cold temperatures happen in winter and winter comes at the same time every year. Cold weather is not unexpected.
DavyDavisJr@reddit
No heat, no AC, no insulation. If it drops below 65 F, you see people with ugly old puffy jackets. Southernmost state; Aloha!
farmerthrowaway1923@reddit
We have heaters, fireplaces, coats, etc. We complain about cold weather, can’t drive in it, but we do have means to cope.
Virtual_Job9303@reddit
Kerosene heaters are common around here even in homes with electric heat. It’s usually exponentially cheaper.
xRVAx@reddit
In the South they have inefficient heat pumps (kind of like electric heaters or reverse air conditioners) versus full-on oil or gas furnaces.
For when it gets down into the 50s.
krendyB@reddit
It gets cold enough to need heaters in all parts of the south. I guess I can’t speak for South Florida, but like everywhere else definitely needs heaters at some point during the year. Honestly I’ve never been colder than during New Orleans winters.
Capable_Suit_7335@reddit
Central heat, heaters, and fireplaces.
Witty_Razzmatazz_566@reddit
My central heat/air is set to a specific temperature range. If it gets hotter, the air will come on and cool it down, if it gets cooler, the heat will come on and warm it up. Our house stays between 70°F-75°F.
Slight_Commission805@reddit
Everything shuts down and we all freeze. Only the strongest prevail.
NecessaryLight2815@reddit
Central heating baby!
ThisIsDogePleaseHodl@reddit
The south of the United States is not even the hottest part of the country
I don’t live in California where it’s near 100° for several months at a time. We don’t even have an autumn season because it stays hot for so long.
However, like others have said most places have what’s called HVAC systems, which is considered central air conditioning and heating
minousmom@reddit
Run the heater. Some of us have fireplaces, but not all. Leave the faucets on to drip so the pipes dont freeze. Cover any plants that are too tropical to handle the cold.
Faiths_got_fangs@reddit
I grew up in the deep south. They have heaters.
Shadow_Lass38@reddit
You have an HVAC system which is both a furnace and an air conditioner. We do need heat in the winter when it goes under 40 degrees (4°C). Heck, people in Florida put on the heat when it gets under 70°F.
DJErikD@reddit
Cuddle up with a cousin.
Latii_LT@reddit
I live in Texas (we are not on the same energy grid as the rest of the country so we tend to have brutal effects with major freezes) after the last couple freezes each one of my family members has a generator and a reverse battery at our homes. I have an electric heater I will use only if the central power goes out and I am on a generator. I keep insulated clothes as part of my closet so I can layer in a house with colder temps. I also fill my gas tank and will use my car as an energy source to charge my phone and any other batteries if needed while driving very slowly in circles around the neighborhood.
For food if I know ahead of time I will keep some easy to eat dry food like Raisin Bran, canned tuna, peanut butter and keep cold items outside in a cooler.
NotAnyOneYouKnow2019@reddit
Sex
CarlatheDestructor@reddit
We have central heat and air, space heaters, and most people have a winter coat or hoodies and hats. Back in the old days it used to get cold in the winter down here.
pastryfiend@reddit
Like many I have a combination heat and air conditioning unit. There is a thermostat that will switch between the two to keep it in a comfortable range that you can choose automatically. This is a central system that not only controls temperature but also humidity
UnicornT4rt@reddit
Fire place
AineDez@reddit
Even in Miami we had a small furnace. Only had to turn it on for ~2-5 days per year. I imagine that some older homes only had electric space heaters, but it doesn't really get below 45F/7ish C. I had to cove my guava tree when it did get that cold
ToastetteEgg@reddit
Houses have heaters or a fireplace or wood/pellet stove for heat. I have a heater but usually use my gas fireplace to heat my home in winter.
Hawk13424@reddit
Most southern homes have heat pumps. These heat and cool.
FewRecognition1788@reddit
Good grief.
We have central heating. And indoor plumbing, too.
WhiskeyDeltaBravo1@reddit
We DO have heating and air conditioning here. We’re not building a campfire in our living room floors.
AllSoulsNight@reddit
Back in the day most folk just had heat, natural gas, oil, kerosene, wood. Air conditioning was the luxury. Now there's combo heat and air systems.
Manatee369@reddit
The same thing the rest of the world does when it gets cold. Yes, we all have heat of one kind or another, except perhaps the extremely impoverished in substandard housing.
FlyingCupcake68@reddit
Sweater for outside. Quilts and blankets when lounging. Turn up the central heating or, if trying to keep costs down, turn on a space heater for the room we’re in.
Even in Florida, our house had a fireplace too. My folks in North Carolina use theirs a lot in winter.
Somethingisshadysir@reddit
Some of them die. This has been a significant issue.
LankyJeep@reddit
I turn my heat on, we have HVAC, and if not my house has a fireplace I can use
RotationSurgeon@reddit
I have electric powered AC and a natural gas furnace…I use the furnace. If it’s particularly cold, I’ll use an electric radiator in the room I’m spending the most time in because natural gas is my most expensive utility by far. I also wear more warm clothes indoors, like wool socks, fleece-lined joggers, thermal undershirts, etc. I also have a fireplace/hearth in my home.
All this is very typical for this area. We only get snow maybe every 2-3 years, but winter temps are often around -5° to 5°C for a month or two, while summer temps often reach 40°C or higher.
ohgodimbleeding@reddit
Central heating is very common, and so are fireplaces.
RhinoPillMan@reddit
I have land in rural New Mexico. You can tell when it’s cold because the air quality alerts start going off; everyone is lighting up their fireplaces.
Own-Prompt-8356@reddit
Smells like Halloween! 🎃
oneislandgirl@reddit
Most even in really hot areas have a heat pump combined with the A/C. It's not as powerful as traditional furnaces but it can take the chill off. Where I live, there is no heat or A/C so we just shut the windows and bundle up overnight with an extra blanket. Usually the next day warms things up again.
slatebluegrey@reddit
We have heat and blankets and warm clothing.
Most-Silver-4365@reddit
There is a large install base of heat pumps which provide both A/C and heat.
BreezyMcWeasel@reddit
Every single house has a heater. We just don't run them often.
When it's super cold we run them much longer. As long as we don't lose power we're fine. Our houses are well insulated for the heat and insulation works just the same for the cold.
The problems start when ice accumulation (which we're much more prone to) causes trees to fall on power lines and knock the power out. We get ice more often than we get snow, so that sometimes causes problems.
Otherwise we turn on the heat and enjoy the cold weather because we remember summer is coming
Carrotcake1988@reddit
I live in central Texas. My HVAC doesn’t have a furnace. It has a heat pump.
Heat pumps have a lower limit for efficiency.
It’s a great system normally. It’s actually more cost effective.
But!?!? When we face super cold? That system can’t keep up with the cold.
Again, we don’t normally face those circumstances.
BottleAggravating979@reddit
Walk to the thermostat, switch it to heat. Feel the blast of dehumidified heat blast through the registers. Smell the coils that have not been used in over a year.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Lol 😂 I wish we could get by with just once a year. I am envious, the only place in Canada that escapes a harsh winter has daily rain and is 3000 miles away go figure.
BottleAggravating979@reddit
Well some years we might have to use it for a whole week laughs but thats Florida for you.
Our weather likes to just surprise us out of nowhere.
Massive-Telephone374@reddit
Um. Go inside
Fit_Poetry_267@reddit
I attended a southern college that lots of northerners attended, too. The freshmen didnt realize it got cold in the South and practically none of them brought coats. First cold snap they all walked around campus in their blankets.
GooseNYC@reddit
Turn on the heat.
No_Locksmith9690@reddit
Since we've had ice storms and extended below zero days we have furnaces and air conditioners. We also get 100+° weather with lows in the 80s and 90s during the summer.
Ask_Aspie_@reddit
We have central air, and central heat. So when it is cold, we go to the thermostat in our house and put the temperature higher. Almost immediately, all the rooms get warmer.
Same thing for when it is too hot, we put the air lower and it gets cold.
valer1a_@reddit
In Texas. Basically all houses have AC/heat. We also store firewood in our garages that we hoard on the off-chance we have a freeze. Most of the time, it'll completely ice the roads and our local government doesn't know what salt is. School and work will often get cancelled because cars can't drive on it. I get warned a lot about pipes freezing, but we just let it drip. Only place we've had issues was in Germany lol. However, power will usually go out at least once during freezes, hence the firewood, so we also hoard blankets. Also, you'd be surprised how much a good bowl of chili can warm you up.
1Fully1@reddit
We turn the heat on and wear warmer clothes. Just like everyone else.
letsbakeaboutit@reddit
In Louisiana, we make a gumbo (and just turn the central air to heat).
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Yummy, sounds like a good method lol. You'll probably get a giggle out of this. I'm in Canada and there's a new Louisianan restaurant that opened (fine dining, not fast food) they're selling Gumbo with cornbread, fish and potatoes and beignets $100 per person and it's reserved every day for the next month lol
I have Acadian roots (descendant of Joseph Broussard Beausoleil) so thankfully I studied some of the history and got recipes from distant cousins down there lol
BoomerSooner-SEC@reddit
We turn on the heater?!?
abirdreads@reddit
Others have mentioned our HVAC systems. My family also has a woodstove and wood to burn, which boosts the temperature more quickly.
Boston_Brand1967@reddit
Bust out the winter clothes! I wear my long-johns, some sweat pants, and a sweater. Lounge on the couch with a blanket and call it a night.
Several_Ad2072@reddit
Turn on the heater if you're rich, burn furniture or other random stuff if you're poor
Tx2PNW2Tx@reddit
We have central heating. We also have fire places. Some people have generators if the electricity goes out. Just depends
Primary_Excuse_7183@reddit
Turn on the heat. a cold snap usually means put on a thicker jacket and go about your day. Rarely snow around these parts. it’ll likely be back to 65 and sunny in a day or 2
Rattlingplates@reddit
Put on a jacket ?
TipsyBaker_@reddit
I live in older home that was meant to have a wood stove that was removed long before i moved in. There's no heat, and no Ac either. I make do with window units for the Ac and space heaters for the cold days. Plus using the oven to bake and roast things it's too hot to bother with the rest of the year
Also never underestimate the power of a cheap heating pad between the top sheet and comforter, turned on about an hour before bed
Chewiedozier567@reddit
We use heaters, though some homes have gas log inserts. Mostly we make a run to the Piggly Wiggly for bread and milk and drive terribly on roads because we don’t know what to do when it snows.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
The snow thing isn’t so much skill, we maintain our vehicles every season. Snow Tires for winter, fluids get swapped out to handle the extreme cold in winter and heat in the summer. In arctic areas they also add spikes to their tires to keep traction
Chewiedozier567@reddit
I was joking about the driving. I don’t have a need for snow tires where I’m from
JunkMale975@reddit
Turn the heater higher/on.
Ok-Race-1677@reddit
Wha do Europeans do when they get cold…?
The_Nermal_One@reddit
Have a FOUR Adog night.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Haven't heard that saying had to look it up lol
billymondy5806@reddit
Put on a jacket
EatReadPlayS4-1043@reddit
Central A/C, it’s a heat pump that cools, heats, and dehumidifies. Although, here in Central Florida, the heater is rarely used.
lucylucylane@reddit
Burn books
evaj95@reddit
I live in North Carolina, so not the "deep" south, but still the south.
Our homes have heaters. We need them in the winter here.
MomRaccoon@reddit
I have a friend in Texas. A few years ago, they had a cold snap and no power and she said that they were lucky to have cold weather gear, especially wool socks.
devilscabinet@reddit
We turn on the central heat in the house. In my house we only use it for a week or two each year, when you add the days together. The other 99.9% of the time we have the (central) air conditioning running.
ivylass@reddit
We cover the plants and if you're like my husband, open all the windows because it's "brisk."
JointAccount24601@reddit
We all have heat, unlike the cooler areas which sometimes don't have AC. If it is cold enough that my electric heat can't keep up.... That's a problem. Blankets and maybe a small space heater can compensate. Sitting under a blanket over the heat vent is surprisingly effective
Jimxor@reddit
In Phoenix I was surprised they used electricity instead of natural gas. I suppose that's because heat is rarely needed there. I went one entire winter without ever turning the heater on. That let dust build up. The next winter there were all these "floaters" in the air. It was burnt dust from the heater coils.
Life-Tackle-4777@reddit
Bring the dogs and live stock in cause you know they don’t have LP gas, heating oil, or electricity. They still burn wood in the big brick fireplaces and wear wool underwear they knitted from sheep’s wool and cuddle up to the critters. If all else fails the take some snorts from the white lightning bottle.
SheShelley@reddit
That’s a funny question to me. I grew up in Houston and now live in Arizona. We put on a sweater and turn the heater on. I find it insane that my relatives in the Midwest don’t have air conditioning for the times when it gets hot.
Material-Jacket3939@reddit
They start kissing cousins to hear things up. /s
thedreadedaw@reddit
I turn on the heat. We have all the modern convinences.
DrSnidely@reddit
Turn the heat on
Quirky-Bar4236@reddit
Even though it doesn't typically get Minnesota cold homes still have heaters and run them regularly in winter. Where I live we will have 20*F nights in winter occasionally.
Even when I spent time in Florida it was cold enough to justify a heater during the rainy season.
SchroedingersSphere@reddit
Wear a sweater
ATaxiNumber1729@reddit
To answer the aspect nobody is addressing: if we have a cold snap AND power goes out we have a few options. To be clear, a power outage during cold weather is treated as a massive emergency. The disadvantaged, elderly, disabled can all die from exposure even if they’re in their house.
Space heaters: get some kerosene fuel and you’re good
Wood burning stoves: if you have an older house, you can use that to heat up a room in the house so everyone can snuggle/stay warm
Also: we own warm clothes and blankets. We are sitting on the ice with nothing
Snoo_33033@reddit
Hi! Depends on the state. We all have heaters. I also insist on having a fireplace with gas logs because I lived in Austin during the deep freeze and a lot of people lived in all electric homes and froze.
I will say— Florida does not typically have heaters that work in very low temperatures. But that seems to be unique to Florida.
MysteryBelle_NC@reddit
We have heaters and warm clothes. For most of us, it's not unusual to get cold weather.
Prestigious-Trip-927@reddit
Unless it's Texas or the west side of North Carolina - Texas lost power at the time and in another time the utility provider in NC claimed it could not handle demand and gave folks rolling brownouts as a Christmas gift - you usually just pay a lump sum of extra money for using your heat.
deathbychips2@reddit
Early every single house has heating in the US. Mostly everyone has an hvac system
ExternalTelevision75@reddit
Stay home. It’s called a snow day
holiestcannoly@reddit
Turn on the heat
JThereseD@reddit
I live in Louisiana and houses have combination heaters/air conditioners or heat pumps. However, when I first moved here, I rented an efficiency that only had some kind of tiny gas heater built into the wall that was probably illegal and put out next to no heat. I used a portable heater to supplement it. A lot of houses near me are elevated and poorly insulated because they are old, so they are difficult to keep warm. Another issue is that they have high ceilings designed to address hot weather, so the heat tends to rise up there. When it gets really cold, I try to hang out in my small home office with the door shut because it stays pretty warm.
Coconut-bird@reddit
Florida here. Almost everyone has central heat and air. If not, there are window units. And since we are used to heat, we probably crank up that heat long before those in the north do. 65 and I'm freezing.
Boring_Investigator0@reddit
65 and I'm opening my windows! We never use out central heat because I love the cold. When it was 26° this year, my roommate put the bathroom space heater in her room and I opened the window in my bedroom.
AlfredoManatee@reddit
As someone who doesn’t have central heat: heaters, extra layer of clothes, heated blanket, towels around the doorframe and blankets/quilts tacked over the windows to keep in the heat.
No-Boat-1536@reddit
We all have furnaces. Our winters aren’t that warm
MonteCristo85@reddit
The southern states arent so southern that it doesnt get cold. We still have winter, even if mild. So yeah, all houses have heaters.
Academic_Flatworm752@reddit
Southern states still get cold in the winter…. They have heaters man
wieldymouse@reddit
My wife and I add extra blankets since I don't like using heaters, even central heat.
Myname3330@reddit
Basically all American homes have full HVAC regardless of climate zone. But if not, you can always light a fire or turn on a space heater.
Bored_Accountant999@reddit
I grew up in the deep South and have lived all over the country. While I have lived in a house or two without air conditioning, I have never lived in a house that did not have heat.
JoganLC@reddit
Turn the heat up
Libraries_Are_Cool@reddit
Hope and prayers.
Senators go to Cancun.
Initial_Fill_2655@reddit
My governor has gone to places like Egypt using tax money.
TheClayDart@reddit
In the majority of the south we have portable heaters but our homes have central heating and air
And then there’s Texas with their bullshit power grid that can’t handle the tiniest of cold temperatures
Successful_Way_3239@reddit
Wear sweatpants and run the furnace!
SpatchcockZucchini@reddit
I complain LOL
But, no- we have central air that have heat pumps, usually.
HermioneMarch@reddit
Most homes have hvac. If the power goes out we build fires and pull out extra bedding.
DjinnaG@reddit
We both became aware of the world around us during the early part of the Carter administration (mid-70s), tail end of the energy crisis, so putting a sweater on when cold was engrained early. Our friends and brothers that are 1-2 years younger don’t remember that at all. So when I was in grad school, they all thought that my heat didn’t work, and I should call the landlord. No, just didn’t turn it on unless it got really, REALLY cold. Still default to wearing a lot of layers first before I even think about turning the heat up. In my older age, as I start to feel the cold more, I’ve been known to sleep under so many blankets that I couldn’t begin to lift them. This is with the thermostat set to a reasonable temperature, just couldn’t begin to get it warm enough for me otherwise and not leave the kids sweating. So, combination of central heating and a whole lot of layers and blankets, especially once I lost my subcutaneous fat layer
DJPaige01@reddit
We turn the heat on.
carmineragu@reddit
I do have to layer clothes when I go out because I don’t really have a winter coat anymore.
IvyLestrange@reddit
I’ve got HVAC so I’m all good. Only place I’ve lived without HVAC was a shitty place in Wisconsin with only heat so summer got bad but I was never cold in the winter.
garbageman2112@reddit
Heaters ya weird ass
Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit
I turn on the heating. The beauty of having hvac is that you may not need it but it’s there when you do
sr1sws@reddit
The A/C is provided by a heat pump. It goes into heat mode.
gravitycheckfailed@reddit
We use the central heat and if there isn't central heat, it's usually a combo of electric heaters, oil radiators, pellet or wood stoves, radiant heat flooring, etc. Many houses have central heat though.
Former-Fig-9686@reddit
People up north think of the South as tropical. If you check weather statistics, you'll see that freezing temperatures and snow have been recorded even as far south as Miami. At the airport in Atlanta one December, a family from Boston went outside to enjoy the tropical weather and returned all disappointed and wanting to know it that much cold was normal? So houses in the South have heating systems that can deal with the unusually cold weather that occurs every few winters. They also have warm clothes to go with it.
iowanaquarist@reddit
Based off texas? Die.
JanuriStar@reddit
Turn on the heat.
Legaldrugloard@reddit
We have gas logs we use for heat. I never turn our HVAC system to heat. I don’t like central heat. I also like my house super cold so we just turn the logs on to knock the chill off.
pawsplay36@reddit
If you don't have central heat, you might have a space heater. Most of the Southern states do have some winter.
SyntheticScrivner@reddit
Burn those bibles they've never read.
CheesE4Every1@reddit
We go "hmm" and plan what wreck we're about to cause whenever it happens.
CatPurrsonNo1@reddit
Houses in the southern United States usually have central heating. Even in Florida, all of the apartments that we lived in had furnaces and air conditioning.
Positive-Froyo-1732@reddit
In Texas we usually have several weeks of cold weather a year. In 2021's Icemageddon, the temperature reached a record low of -2 degrees in DFW. We definitely have central heat!
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
I didn’t realize it got that cold there regularly. I do remember that storm, I felt so bad because frankly even Canadians would have problems with a car not outfitted to deal with that. We don’t drive better in snow, the cars are outfitted seasonally to deal with it.
Positive-Froyo-1732@reddit
The smart people here deal with it by simply staying home. The rest end up in reels titled "Don't do this" showing them smashing into concrete barriers because they thought they could drive on ice. 😂
beccahas@reddit
Turn on the heat
Derwin0@reddit
All houses have heaters, even those in South Florida.
theMightBoop@reddit
We just freeze to death and die.
Cecowen@reddit
Turn on the heater
Wrench-Turnbolt@reddit
Heat pump
youngpathfinder@reddit
It gets cold in Texas too. Snow may be rare, but we expect to have temperatures in the 20s/30s every winter. Our homes have heaters.
0utlaw-t0rn@reddit
Even in the warm parts of the continental US it’s not unusual to have 40-50 F evenings (4-10 C) during parts of the year.
Heaters are universal.
No-Kaleidoscope-166@reddit
North Carolina. We have winter. We have several months of cold. We have heating for the house. We have 4 seasons. Some years we have a 5th season - rainy season. When it rains for 4-6wks.
Florida, Texas, and some SW states are the ones that almost never get winter.
Perle1234@reddit
Most houses have heaters. It still gets cold enough to need to heat your house in Tennessee.
pinaple_cheese_girl@reddit
I’d say almost all houses have heaters. We have HVAC systems—heating, ventilation, air conditioning. The bigger risk is people trying to drive on the icy roads, if that’s ever the case. It happens 1-2 times per year where I live in Texas and people regularly wreck because our roads and car tires are not made for the ice.
There was a massive snow storm in Texas in 2021 that did see most of the state lose power, as Texas has its own power grid separate from the rest of the US. Many people died, and a lot of people wore manyyyy layers of clothing and used their fireplaces for the first time ever
Funnynamethe3rd@reddit
Drink and burn stuff. So pretty much a normal day but with a coat.
Rare_Independent_814@reddit
We have heat. It just smells super weird when you turn it on for like the first time in 10 years. I’ve lived in South Florida for 20 years now. And I’ve only turned on the heat 2x.
Zealousideal_Draw_94@reddit
Coastal Georgia will shut down, if it snows at all. Year before this it snowed 4”+ and the city was closed for the week.
We get cold spells reaching below 30 every year and even below 20 most years. It has only once in record history gone below 10*.
So basic heat will get thru a few days, and it’s usually only last about a week at most.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
I am envious lol. We can have -40 for 2 weeks straight
IntroductionFew1290@reddit
Turn on the heat or grab my heated blanket (our HVAC system has been broken for years, can’t afford to fix it and use window ACs and space heaters unfortunately)
Elixabef@reddit
As so many folks have already told you, we have HVAC systems, which are very helpful.
Where I live in Florida, it doesn’t often get cold enough for long enough to be a concern. Like, temps dip below freezing maybe a couple of nights a year. When that happens, cold weather shelters open up, so that homeless folks (or anyone else who doesn’t have heat) have a place to stay warm.
WorkerAmbitious2072@reddit
Furnace inside coat outside
TR6lover@reddit
Virtually all houses have some form of heaters, anywhere in the continental United States. Even south Texas, the tip of Florida and southern California drop in temperature enough to warrant home heating.
Fire_Mission@reddit
I turn on the heater.
MountainTomato9292@reddit
Even in the south we have cold winters, just not as cold as the north. I’m in Tennessee and we often have below freezing temps. Most houses have heat and often fireplaces for cold months.
musical_dragon_cat@reddit
Despite being in the desert, it still gets cold in the winter here and spring usually has crazy temperature swings. We have indoor heating and cooling, and jackets are worn 5 months of the year, barring this past year where we only needed them for 2-3 months.
Corner_Office_@reddit
I keep a few sweatshirts and sweatpants handy year round because our weather changes on a dime. Last week it was 45 and today it’s 95.
dildozer10@reddit
It gets below freezing in the north half of Alabama regularly, it just doesn’t stay below freezing for more than a day or two at a time. Most of us are prepared for cold temperatures, I know tons of people who have wood burning stoves, and most of us have hvac systems that provide heating and cooling.
What we are not prepared for, is winter weather. We get ice and freezing rain instead of snow, which causes travel issues and power outages.
nine_of_swords@reddit
The nice? thing about Alabama is that the wet conditions for precipitation comes from the warm Gulf. So brutal cold and wet weather conditions at the same time is pretty rare. But, oy, do they sure do hit separately.
awfulcrowded117@reddit
Most homes still have heating systems, the south isn't so warm. In the winter it's often uncomfortably cold, if not usually dangerously so. The issue is generally that their houses are poorly insulated, or not insulated at all, so even with the heater running the interior of the house can still get quite cold when it is brutally cold outside
NetDork@reddit
South Texas... We use the heater every winter. It will always get at least to the 50s Fahrenheit for a few months, with stretches of 40s and 30s. The typical cold snaps take us barely into freezing for a little while, so the heater runs a bit more often.
The real bad one was when we got single digits at night and stayed below freezing for several days so nothing melted in the afternoons. Our infrastructure isn't built for that, so we lost power and water. That time was blankets and jackets and curling up with the dogs. Indoor temperature in the mid to low 50s for a while.
count-brass@reddit
Put on another layer. Get a warm beverage. Watch fireplace videos. (Or just turn the heat up.)
MadMadamMimsy@reddit
Turn up the heat. I've lived in Texas and South Carolina and both have a short but cool winter. Therefore, there is a heater.
ATLien_3000@reddit
I'm not sure how warm you think it is in southern states; in all of them it gets into the 40s overnight in winter.
Everyone's got a heater.
SSweetSauce@reddit
Depends on your house and how old it is. I grew up in a house built in the 1800’s, there was no heat units in the house, we had one fireplace, if it was supper cold we would all hang out in that room to stay warm and lots of blankets in the bedrooms. We also had kerosene heaters we would keep throughout the house so it wouldn’t get too cold. My current house is a modern house, it has an HVAC system. It keeps the house at whatever temperature you set it at. It’s a heat pump though, if it gets below zero it struggles we have to use electric space heaters.
dangleicious13@reddit
I live in central Alabama. I would be miserable of my house didn’t have central heating. We regularly have long stretches where the high is in the 30s or 40s. If I am at home, I’m not letting my house get colder than 66 (usually don’t let it get below 68 if I’m awake).
taxwench@reddit
When I lived in Florida the furnace was used less than 2 weeks a year. It’s normal for furnaces to last decades due to minimal use.
TheOneWes@reddit
Cold snaps are not unexpected.
It gets cold as hell here every year so we have central heating along with the central air conditioning.
gmanose@reddit
They do jumping jacks and burn their furniture because god k owes they aren’t allowed to have heaters or warm clothes
straycatwrangler@reddit
Our houses have air conditioning and heat. But there are other methods of staying warm too. Some people use space heaters in closed off rooms to really contain the heat. Some people have fireplaces. Sometimes the other options are cheaper than screwing with the thermostat.
HinkDaddyDeluxe@reddit
The south gets cold winters. I loved in Maryland for years and often Arkansas where I'm from had far worse winters. Most of the south is equipped for it. Growing up we had really bad ice storms that would take power down for weeks at a time.
GamerDadofAntiquity@reddit
I have a heat pump system that provides both AC and heat. I set the heat to 68 in the winter, and for most of the rest of the year have the AC set to 72. If it gets a bit chilly in the house (down to about 62 or so) I’ll typically just put on a sweatshirt. No point turning the heat on overnight when by afternoon the next day I’ll just need to run the AC again.
SapienWoman_@reddit
We turn on the heat.
ladytal@reddit
Turn on the heat, fire up the fireplace, or put on an extra sweater.
elsana7@reddit
When I lived in San Diego and we had a few days of freezing weather we turned on our heater for the first time and smelled about a decades worth of dust get singed.
PuzzleheadedLemon353@reddit
Turn the heat on and make a fire in the fireplace...sitting in the living room with a nice fire burning and a cup of hot tea with your dog snuggled up next to you is a nice feeling.
holymacaroley@reddit
Yes we have central heating. As long as a storm doesn't knock the power out, we're OK. Our house also has a gas fireplace just to look nice but we've used it and slept downstairs when the power was out.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Embarrassingly I didn’t realize that so many people had central systems. Where I am you only really see them in large home or office towers and they’re usually not that great at dealing with extreme cold but we get -40 weather for weeks. I can see how central makes a lot of sense for the US
holymacaroley@reddit
My husband is British and I lived in the UK for a few years. Was the only time I've had radiators. In my area, they seem to be only in really old houses or things like college dormitories.
fixmystreet@reddit
I have both, but my house is 120 years old. It was built for optimum cooling (breeze from front to back), but when it gets cold those raised, uninsulated floors are cold as fuck.
Patient-Ad-7939@reddit
Inside my house when there’s a cold snap? Nothing, my thermostat is set to auto so it starts to blow hot air through the vents instead of cold.
When I go outside? Yeah, I might wear an extra layer of clothes, since I only have thin jackets, no thick ones.
Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit
It never gets cold in the southern states… those pussies only THINK it does.
insecurecharm@reddit
This is extremely dumb. Yes, we have and use heating systems.
WoodwifeGreen@reddit
I'm in SE Texas and have central heating/AC and a fireplace.
WritPositWrit@reddit
There are very few homes in the US that do not have some source of heat
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
I didn’t realize the southern states got as cool as they do in winter
Impressive_Star_3454@reddit
The house where I grew up was built in the 50s and only has baseboard hot water heat. You want AC? Plug in a few window units during the summer and don't open the house for 3 months.
ray_ruex@reddit
In Texas we sometimes turn the A/C on
BobEvansBirthdayClub@reddit
Not southern, but we deal with extreme temperature variations. In Western NY, it can be 90° in July, and-15° in January. We have an older house, so we heat with wood/electric in the winter, and cool with window AC units from May-September.
virtualglassblowing@reddit
Shoot boy I open a window on either end of the house and let the wind blow through
I have a window a/c unit which does have a heat mode, and some space heaters.
Usually just wear a jacket because I don't want to have to cool the house back down the next day or two from the heater
FruitSaladButTomato@reddit
Even in the warmest states, it still regularly drops into the 50s (F, ~10C), which is cold enough that I would expect most buildings to have heating. IIRC there was a Texas cold wave a few years ago that people struggled with not because they didn’t have heating but because everyone was running their heating all at the same time and they didn’t have enough power to support it.
Kaethy77@reddit
Poor southerners have space heaters. Not everyone has a regular house heating system.
Constellation-88@reddit
Most houses have heating AND cooling units.
RockShowSparky@reddit
I was in Dallas doing some work leading up to the Super Bowl in 2011. It was like a Blizard, cars crashed out all over the highway, then the whole city practically shut down for a few days. Like, even the morning radio people were telling everyone not to go to work.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Yikes, I can see that though. We’re able to drive in the winter because we have snow tires and fluids intended for -40 weather. I am assuming (but could be wrong) you guys don’t bother changing tires?
RockShowSparky@reddit
I’m from SoCal so it was all very new to me. But that sort of thing doesn’t really happen there either so I doubt it.
We still had to go to work though, not like they were going to postpone the superbowl. Never crashed. I did however jump off a forklift onto icy ground and did a full-on cartoon banana peel slip and landed right on my back. Luckily I was still in my 20’s at the time.
Practical-Ordinary-6@reddit
You have to get pretty far south in the US before heat is not an absolute necessity for a modern life. And even then there can be cold snaps that make it very desirable.
We are talking about places like Southern Florida and, I don't know, maybe South Texas. Maybe down around San Diego or maybe somewhat farther north. But even the general Southern states in the US are places it can routinely go below freezing. Where I live in a Southern state we go below freezing every year and often well below freezing. Two years ago at Christmastime we got down to 5° F in my Southern state, which is -15° C. We routinely, i.e. just about every winter, have a number of days with a low of 15° F, which is around -10 Celsius. You don't make do and those kind of temperatures, you need a source of heat. So almost all houses down here where I live have a full heating and cooling system, that is pretty much the same as houses up north have.
Remarkable_Run_5801@reddit
Newspaper under jacket
yabbobay@reddit
In San Diego, I didn't have AC (not needed on coast), I had electric radiant heat in ceiling. I used it maybe once a year.
Deolater@reddit
Quite a lot of the South has cold enough winters to need heat.
ABelleWriter@reddit
Most of the US has hot summers and cold winters. Are they different levels of hot and cold? Absolutely. But enough that most houses have heat and AC.
dachjaw@reddit
I lived in Florida in the 1960s. Many houses at that time did not have air conditioning but ALL of them had heat.
FishingWorth3068@reddit
We have heaters in the system with our ac’s. Couple years ago mine went out during a freeze and we just started a fire in the fireplace and slept in the living room.
EggieRowe@reddit
We still have heating systems, but when Texas had a freak cold snap people set up tents in their home and covered them in blankets.
RhinoPillMan@reddit
South Florida. Not much. I love the cooler weather. I might throw a hoodie on at the peak cold around the beginning of the day. I have no heating or cooling and I hate the heat, so I bask in the cold whenever it comes.
casapantalones@reddit
Genuinely curious why you are in south Florida if you hate heat (signed, an ex-Texan who also hates heat).
RhinoPillMan@reddit
Born and raised. As much as I hate almost everything about this region, it’ll always be my home. I’m good at my job and already own all of the (expensive) tools, so I came back to my previous company after traveling and got back in. The money is okay and I don’t have to try fighting for another one in this economy. They also know how I live and don’t mind me parking in front of the job to sleep in my van.
I have property in the high desert which is currently cooler than it is here, and it’s more tolerable even when it’s hotter. But it’s 2000 miles away. I still have some family here, sticking around for my sister as much as I am for the job. But I’d rather be up on that dry mountain in the middle of nowhere. Stacking money here while keeping my bills nonexistent so I can rinse and repeat; work a ton of hours, save, travel, come back when I run out of money, and do it all over again.
Ambitious-Break4234@reddit
In the South heat pumps are common one systemfir heating and cooling. In colder climates separate systems may be needed
Sharp_Ad_9431@reddit
Most houses have some kind of heating but very southern homes won't have a type that would do well in very cold weather. If it's severe Most people stay home especially since schools usually close.
GrowlingAtTheWorld@reddit
I have neither a working ac or a working heater but frankly it has never gotten cold enough to warrant turning on the heat vs. How much it costs to run. If needed I will warm up the bathroom with a small heater to make showering bearable. But normally I just use a heating pad in the bed to warm it up and sleep in layers. My hands and feet do get chili so I have soft knit gloves I wear to bed and make a foot pocket out of my blankets so they have a cozy spot. It is just too costly to run the heat. I did after that Texas coldmagedeon it had some years ago go out and buy a Mr heater that runs on propane just in case I ever have an emergency winter situation. Better to be prepared than caught unaware.
MollyOMalley99@reddit
Florida - most houses have an HVAC system that is both heat and air conditioning. Electric heat is expensive and inefficient, but we probably use the heat only a couple weeks every year. We also have a fireplace and a little electric space heater in the bathroom for showering in the winter.
WickedRavyn94@reddit
Turn the heat on.
MyUsername2459@reddit
Yes, it's normal in the US for houses to have HVAC systems that can provide both heating and air conditioning.
You might not need the heating MUCH, but it's typical to have it for the few nights a year it might come up.
Hillbillygeek1981@reddit
The assumption that the south doesn't have cold winters, early or late freezes or snow seems to be even more prevalent outside the country than it already is outside the south, for some reason.
A good bit of the south has summers with high humidity and 90F+ temperatures and then winters that can see a foot of snow over night and extended periods of below zero temperatures, so we tend to have either HVAC systems that handle hearing and cooling or window air conditioning that we use through the summer and then switch to natural gas, electric, wood or coal heat in fall and winter.
Where I'm from in the mountains of east Tennessee there's always a mad rush to buy propane if we have an untimely freeze in the early fall or late winter, as many of us that use it for heat but think we've either not reached or gotten past that odd 40 or 50 degrees drop in temperature get caught out having already put away our heaters or not prepared them for the year. This last winter we had several instances of a week of almost spring like weather followed by single digit temps and snow. Our weather is particularly unpredictable in the mountains here.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Honestly never realized, as a side note Tennesse is on my bucket list.
Dave_A480@reddit
Stay inside and keep the heat on
Comfortable-Study-69@reddit
It actually gets pretty cold in the southern US in the winter even barring cold snaps. The average nighttime temperature in January in Dallas, for example, is 37.9 degrees Fahrenheit, so we use heaters quite a bit
Practically all modern buildings in the US have central heating and most have fireplaces, though.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Makes sense, I didn’t realize it regularly dropped that low. Mind you that in the winter for us is reason to cheer lol. Here it can go -40 for a week or two straight (absolutely brutal)
Different_Cherry8326@reddit
There are essentially no homes in the continental US which do not have central heating. Aside from the very few instances of people who choose to live off grid and use wood stoves as their only heat source.
angrypuggle@reddit
Houses do have heaters, or rather AC that can heat or cool. Problem is most houses have no insulation. The temperature gradient from the back wall to the window can be absolutely crazy (depends on the house, obviously).
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Yeah I can see that yikes, we have good insulation and heat runs on the perimeter of the rooms under the windows to stop that.
originaljbw@reddit
Pull themseves up by their bootstraps
Saskita@reddit
Double up on clothing, crank up the heat. A lot of us will wrap ourselves in blankets. Many don’t leave home.
Libertyprime8397@reddit
Shorts and a hoodie
makestuff24-7@reddit
We live indoors and own clothing, you know. Heater, blankets, coats, gloves.
Maybeitsmeraving@reddit
Heat is actually a legal requirement in a rental unit in Florida, where AC is not. Which I always found hilarious.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
No way as someone used to cold I would die there with no AC 😂
Maybeitsmeraving@reddit
It's doable in older places, that were built before central AC was really a thing. They're better ventilated; the windows are actually set up to catch a crossbreeze. And usually smaller so a window unit or two can make a big impact. Now central AC is a pretty baseline expectation and it does get written into most leases as the responsibility of the landlord. But if its not explicitly provided in your lease, its not like heat or water, they have no obligation.
Gruaig_Gorm@reddit
These responses do not match my experience. I volunteered in New Orleans post Katrina and on cold days, the uninsulated water lines under the houses we were working on froze. The houses didn't have heat, insulation, or any protection for the plumbing.
A new home or a house with a mortgage might be required to have heat, but existing homes that are owner occupied won't meet that standard until they change hands.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Yikes, that’s how I kinda how I pictured things being. I didn’t realize it got as cold as it did in the south.
Gruaig_Gorm@reddit
If your house is uninsulated, any amount of time below freezing is a disaster. We were supposed to be tiling one house but all the water was frozen. It was miserable trying to lay tile in a freezing cold house. The water lines thawed out the next day when the temperature went up.
Every house in the neighborhood had the exact same situation. Everyone's water was frozen.They are all up on piers and the plumbing under the house has no protection at all.
Fit_Log_9677@reddit
Burn books, mostly.
(/s for those who need it)
Codee33@reddit
IS it really /s though??
SphericalCrawfish@reddit
They don't have that many books on hand
dontforgettowriteme@reddit
False - we clearly burn the books to keep warm in our houses, which are primitive dwellings with neither insulation nor running water. All of them.
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
LOL
growing_fatties@reddit
We can just start burning the trees. They're like pre-books.
maryjaneodoul@reddit
Well then, they should be banned too!
Outrageous-Pin-4664@reddit
"They" being who? Americans or Southerners?
magic592@reddit
Appearently Stephen Kings book as he is the author with the most banned books. 😀
theegodmother1999@reddit
we have entire HVAC systems. but obviously if the power is out, they don't do anything. i think a frequent misconception about the south is that it's hot all the time. growing up in the south, it snows at least once a winter. like it gets really cold still lol just not as intense as the northern places with lots of snow. but climate change is DEFINITELY much more obvious in the winter down here (in my opinion). i was in mississippi when the ice storms hit this year and we were out of power for almost an entire week. sub 28° all week long. some people did legitimately die. i lived in a teeny lil apartment with damn near no insulation and my apartment was 30° inside. i bundled as much as i could but stayed in my car a lot, and then was luckily living right off of a massive college campus so i was able to slip and slide a mile and a half through almost a foot of solid ice and slept in the student union lol
teriKatty@reddit
Most houses have central heating and air. If not there is always space heaters and electric blankets. 🤷🏻♀️
houdini31@reddit
Turn on the heater
robb12365@reddit
Alabama here. It's not unusual to have the temps drop below freezing at night but we don't have many days where it stays below freezing. It's an old house and we have a combination of propane space heaters and a wood heater. It would be rough making it through a winter without any heat.
Ok-Possibility-9826@reddit
Well, generally houses having a heating system, so you just turn it on.
HarlequinKOTF@reddit
Most homes have heaters in them, they arent used as often but they do get used
Litzz11@reddit
We all have heaters! LOL. Even in Arizona people have heat, because it gets really cold at night there. We all have HVAC unless you're living out of a tent.
FoggyGoodwin@reddit
Layers, space heaters, electric bed warmers/blankets
Thereelgerg@reddit
I live in a southern state. Below freezing temperaturs are common during the winter. We use heaters.
Emergency-Whereas978@reddit
From Wyoming, Heaters of course, as well as stoves and fireplaces . But I always added layers in the winter. I hated being cold. Now retired on a tropical island 😃
Frosty_Employment171@reddit
Don't laff: sit in the car with the heater on full blast.
acorpcop@reddit
It gets plenty cold in NC at times. We saw several nights of 0°F or single digit temps this winter and it was worse in the mountains.
Current house has central dual zone heat pump. I keep a kerosene heater and ventless propane heater for power outages. Last house had central AC/gas combo unit. Houses often aren't quite insulated as well as up north, but it helps keep the heat out in summer. It's still a 130°F temperature swing sometimes between the height of summer and depth of winter.
...and yes we own winter clothes and have extra blankets too. Not as dramatic or as many as up north. Also ceiling fans in the living room and bedrooms.
MuppetManiac@reddit
Turn on the heat. The vast majority of homes that have AC also have heat. And the vast majority of homes have AC.
tsukiii@reddit
Growing up in San Diego, my home had only a heater and a fireplace. No air conditioning. Even though it got hot way more often than it got cold… so yeah. A lot of warm states still have heaters in their homes.
Reader124-Logan@reddit
Many of us are using heat pump systems in our homes, which can handle heating needs for this area.
As far as going outdoors, we layer up. Or just avoid going out.
I always tell northerners to stay off potentially icy roads in Georgia. They may know how to drive on ice, but we sure as hell don’t.
Penelope_Ann@reddit
Central heat & air. No way am I layering clothes. But expect for the one ice storm this past winter (Louisiana) we run the AC all year.
Pitiful_Bunch_2290@reddit
Sex, mostly.
GlobalTapeHead@reddit
As every place in the South that I’ve ever been in to has some kind of heat, it brings me to a story I remember: early in my career, I worked for an HVAC company that did a lot of work with Target stores. I remember doing a project in Houston, Texas, and we needed to test the heat on the big air handler units that serve the store. When we turned the heat on for a few minutes just to see and verify that it worked, the store manager instantly complained “what the hell is burning inside my store?” It was because the heat had probably never been used or turned on before, and so it was burning all the accumulated dust off the heating coils and causing the whole store to stink.
Altruistic_Role_9329@reddit
It gets cold enough in most of the American South during a normal winter to require a heating system. If it’s unexpectedly cold that system just works harder and uses more fuel or electricity.
They-Call-Me-Taylor@reddit
I live in central Texas where it is warm/hot 9-10 months out of the year. We have an HVAC system which both heats and cools. We don’t need the heater often, but when we do, it’s there.
caryn1477@reddit
We turn the heat on. Done.
ChanFry@reddit
Every home I've lived in (Texas, mostly), including apartments and houses, had both heat and air conditioning.
Ny current house is relatively new (built 2010) and has an HVAC unit that does both. We set the automatic thermostat to 77°F for air conditioning and 68°F for heat, and the unit takes care of the rest. (When interior temperature drops below 68, the heat turns on. When it gets above 77, the AC turns on.)
For outdoors, if it's cold, we wear coats.
blackunycorn@reddit
You have a full HVAC system (source: I live in Central Texas). Funny thing: when I moved here, I felt the opposite. I wondered if I needed to worry that my new apartment would have Air Conditioning. The apartment finding service rep and my husband both laughed like crazy at me. I’d never lived anywhere hot and didn’t know it would be a given. 🫣
TokyoDrifblim@reddit
Turn on the heater
Red_Littlefoot@reddit
Our houses have AC and heat. And well stores sell coats and long pants and long sleeve shirts…lol just like almost everywhere else that has regular cold/hot seasons. Our hot season just lasts longer than other places
ZeroGeoWife@reddit
Turn the heat on. Or if you want the movie version, we all huddle down yonder and burn the kindling wood and wait for that cold spell to pass then we get back to marrying our cousins and eating roadkill.
nolemandan@reddit
As many have already stated, central air that has a heat setting. Although, it's usually used so seldom that it collects dust and when you eventually use it, you smell burnt dust for the first few minutes.
Saltwater_Heart@reddit
We turn the heat on and wear a jacket
wolfysworld@reddit
Where I live it’s pretty common to not have central heating or a/c. We use fireplaces/wood stoves + space heaters in the winter and fans and window units in the summer.
iphone11fuckukevin@reddit
We raid HEB and clear them of all stock in southern Texas. After snowpocalypse 2021, you can never have too many supplies.
RxMommy@reddit
I and everyone around me has a dual HVAC system. We never actually enjoy turning the heat on, so we just turn the cold OFF and wear long sleeves. Our cold snaps and winter are hardly anywhere near the northern states'.
Minimalistmacrophage@reddit
While Southern states have mild winters, most houses have some form of heat. Mild doesn't mean that it doesn't get cold (particularly at night). Some don't though, so bundling up and use of space heaters are a thing.
Noting that the near collapse of the power grid in Texas in 2021 due to severe cold snap did lead to many deaths.
The bigger issue is the hotter summers and heat domes in middle and northern states that may not have AC.
cntodd@reddit
The same shit the northern states do. We stay in the house, turn on the heat, have the fireplace going (if we live in a house) and have space heaters, blankets, cuddle our SOs and read books while drinking hot cocoa and watch movies.
Cold spells aren't insanely uncommon. If the govt sucked, and we go without power because they aren't prepared, we struggle more.
cntodd@reddit
And heaters exist in almost every building. I've never lived in a building without heat. I have lived in buildings without AC.
514geekgirl@reddit (OP)
Never realized this, makes sense, I feel silly for asking now lol
cntodd@reddit
Don',t ask away. It's a question, that, if you haven't experienced it, you wouldn't understand. I'm not meaning to be mean, I just curse, and am blunt about how I answer things.
Chemical-Mix-6206@reddit
I have lived in apartments that had a/c but not heat. We bought a couple of electric sealed oil radiator space heaters. Easy-peasy.
XANDERtheSHEEPDOG@reddit
"Cold snap"? WTF is a "COLD SNAP?"
Cries in Arizona
Aprils-Fool@reddit
Turn on the heater and put on warm clothing.
abstractraj@reddit
I’m in Texas and we get a few weeks of below freezing temperature. All houses have both heating and cooling
k0uch@reddit
I turn my mini splits to heat.
Most modern homes have heating as part of their central climate control, the H in HVAC is for heating. When cold weather is on the way, stores put out plug in heaters, often called space heaters here, to make sales and help keep people warm.
We used to have to all bundle together in one room way back in the day, with lots of clothes on and under lots of covers.
moodeng2u@reddit
Frozen water pipes a bigger issue. Central heat and air is common in newer houses, but not 100 percent.
magic592@reddit
In the 70s a lot of homes in South Fla did not have heat if the were older. But they would have been upfitted with a bathroom fixture that had a heat lamp so you wouldnt freeze when you got out of the shower
Eat_Locals@reddit
Bear in mind that overnight lows during the winter—not just unusually cold periods—of 10c aren’t strange, so houses need heating anyway, not just for when it goes below zero, which it does in most places every year.
esaule@reddit
The house still has heat. Typically it is not a great heating system, so you end up paying more than you would otherwise.
But you know, it still gets cold in winter. I'm in NC, it still goes below freezing every year. Maybe 10F happens every winter. So people still handle cold. They just don't commonly handle -30F cold like in the north.
CPA_Lady@reddit
My kids were both conceived during cold weather. So there’s always that.
Bindy12345@reddit
Layers.
altarwisebyowllight@reddit
In almost all states in the US, it is illegal to not provide working heat to renters. Hawaii is the big exception I can think of. So we don't really build much housing these days without something in the vast majority of the country. You'd have to be building your own thing on your own land and not following code to get away with not having something at this point. Unless you are like... out in Alaska. Where you will die if you don't have something, so you'd better figure it tf out if you want to live off the land.
When I was a kid, and our old as hell oil furnace would crap out, though, we would rely on the fireplaces and a shitton of blankets. That was back in the 80s.
Also, "don't need them" is not really a thing almost everywhere in the US.
Usagi_Shinobi@reddit
It gets cold enough on a regular basis that everyone has heaters. There's no place in the south where it never drops below 70° F, so heaters are ubiquitous.
shammy_dammy@reddit
Most of them have a furnace or at least some space heaters. Which are great as long as you have power....
22ndCenturyHippy@reddit
Out of the 3 centeL air units my house has, wood stove, electric heaters(wall plug ins and live stock heat lamps) im more worried about the heat then the cold.
minneyar@reddit
Even in the deep south, it is very common for it to be cold enough that you need heating for at least a few weeks every year. Most houses have central HVAC systems, but if you don't have that, you just get an electric heater, plug it in, and stay in the room with the heater when it's really cold.
revengeappendage@reddit
I would assume even if the homes didn’t have HVAC systems, people would probably invest in some space heaters, which would actually also heat the home, rather than just wear their coats inside.
Salty_Permit4437@reddit
My moms house in Florida has heating in the hvac system
Proof-Ad3637@reddit
Turn up the heat
gtrocks555@reddit
There are some cities and areas that don’t have heaters but I’d say a lot of us have HVAC. Where I am in Georgia it can get below freezing in the winters routinely so it’s not some out there thing to have warm clothes and a heating system. Now Miami, they may not be as prepared for a cold front.
bansheesho@reddit
They live off the schadenfreude from us northern states.
WowsrsBowsrsTrousrs@reddit
The majority of homes, and virtually all newer homes, have central HVAC. Older homes are often retrofited with heat pump "mini-split" systems - smaller heat pumps (which do both AC and heat) that are installed in the walls of individual rooms - so not every room has to be heated every time you need heat.
casapantalones@reddit
Everyone has a heater.
possessoroflimbs@reddit
What do you mean? We grab all of our hay and we take it to the barn where we have a honky tonk bonfire bonanza
NaomiiiTwinz@reddit
Use a heater or layer clothes
FireHammer09@reddit
Turn the heater on.
If outside, wear the warmest clothes you have which unless you live in Florida or Louisiana you'll probably have something.
LopsidedGrapefruit11@reddit
All homes are required to have heat unless they are in Hawaii for home financing.
I live in Southern California and grew up here. Most homes built until the early 2000s had wood burning fireplaces as well as central forced air heat. Not so many had or needed AC until the last decade unless they are more than 10/15 miles inland. It doesn’t typically get super hot during the day and rarely stays warm at night. It’s rarely humid. We have a couple miserable weeks a summer. Growing up we didn’t even light the pilot light for the heater most winters. It got cold in the house, we just put on sweaters. No risk of frozen pipes or anything. It was a tell for transplants that they’d have their homes heated all winter and cooled all summer out of habit.
Imaginary-Ad4134@reddit
When we signed a lease in Florida we were informed that it’s required for a house to have heat, but a/c isn’t required (not sure if that was county or state law)
ChunkyHabeneroSalsa@reddit
We have heat pumps in the central HVAC.
But I hate it so I just bust out the sweats lol
Yeahboyeah@reddit
My brother bought a fairly new house in Kauai back around 2010. It had NO heat or AC. Now you'd think it would at least have AC. Anyway he sold it but said the new owner would use splits. He used a window AC and oil filled heater after a year or two of kidding himself he didn't need them. Stateside, everyone has heat and/or AC now.
beenoc@reddit
Keep in mind that even in the South, it gets cold(ish) in the winter. No, it's not dropping to subzero temperatures, but just to give an example, Mobile, Alabama (on the Gulf Coast and about as far south as you get without going into Texas or Florida) generally dips into the 40s overnight in midwinter, without needing any abnormal weather. That's not cold cold, but it's colder than most people would be comfortable with, so you still need heating.
Yotsubauniverse@reddit
We have heaters
Top-Web3806@reddit
I think my house has heating though I’ve never once been cold enough to turn it on
Gold_Telephone_7192@reddit
Pretty much every house in America is legally required to have heating. There is nowhere in the US where it never gets cold enough to never need heat.
Deep-Hovercraft6716@reddit
They have heating. They just have to run it more, which can be very expensive when everyone's doing it all at once.
Both_Painter_9186@reddit
I mean even houses in the south have heaters. It does get cold in the winter, especially at night. Even in the desert.
GotchUrarse@reddit
Staying warm inside isn't an issue for most. If you have citrus or other tropical plants, you have to covert them. Drive around a southern community, especially in Florida, during a cold snap and you'll see palms and other small trees covered in sheets to keep the frost away. Having grown up in the north, moving here required (re)learning a lot of things. But I won't trade it.
Ok_Ordinary6694@reddit
Bake biscuits. Make gumbo. Take naps. It’s pretty great.
PowerfulFunny5@reddit
It seems many homes in the South have heat pumps for A/C and heat. That can be a problem if the temp is below 30 and a traditional heat pump can’t work. (More expensive inverter heat pumps can function at lower temps). Some may have electric resistance backup heat that can work at any temperature but uses a lot of electricity… which results in the next problem of potentially overloading the power grid causing power outages.
affectionateanarchy8@reddit
Central heat but if it's too cold or the power goes out because texas is stupid, whiskey and tons of blankets
SouthCotton1979@reddit
Freeze
marylander_@reddit
basically every american house or apartment has centralized heating and air condition
Outlaw_Josie_Snails@reddit
Some Southern states get quite cold. They may not get snow, but the temperature drops. Many homes have heating systems (part of the HVAC system) or heat pumps. Some have fireplaces and space heaters, and people dress warmer when need be.
Weird_Squirrel_8382@reddit
All my friends in the south have heaters and use them on winter nights. The danger was that at some situations there was extremely high electricity demand, and the power grid couldn't support everyone. Funny story though, my friend from Detroit was in Miami during a cold snap. Her hotel didn't have heat! She slept in her heavy coat she had worn when leaving Michigan. I was so glad she had it.
BasedTaco_69@reddit
Switch the thermostat to heating mode.
Kali-of-Amino@reddit
They're not unexpected. We know we'll get a couple weeks of really cold weather every year. We have heaters, sweaters, and extra blankets set back for the occasion.
DaughterofTarot@reddit
if you don't have central a/c you get a space heater for like $20 from Amazon or a big box retailer.
BetterCranberry7602@reddit
They have heat pumps
DOMSdeluise@reddit
HVAC systems here heat and cool. I also have lived in cold climates so I have winter clothing I can wear.
manic-pixie-attorney@reddit
We need heat in the winter, even in southern states. It might be as hot and humid as the devil’s ass crack in summer, but winter is cold.
No_Importance_750@reddit
Most of us have heaters
Dragosal@reddit
Northern state houses always have heaters. There is no "unexpected" cold snap. You can rely on below freezing weather every winter
10leej@reddit
Most homes actually have heating systems.
patty202@reddit
Most homes have heat.
Wooden-Audience5475@reddit
Beat my meat like it owes me money
RevolutionaryWind249@reddit
Most houses have central heating even in warm climates. Even in southern states there are very few places where it doesn't get cold sometimes.
poechris@reddit
We have heaters.
PhilTheThrill1808@reddit
Turn on the heat in our homes, generally
Rumpled_NutSkin@reddit
Heaters are a part of the central air conditioning system
LL8844773@reddit
We have homes with heaters. Most homes in the south have central air that does AC and Heat