The Midwest Temperature Debate: Below Zero or Negative?

In the Upper Midwest, we spend so much time freezing that we’ve basically turned temperature talk into a personality test. And nothing exposes a person’s winter soul faster than how they describe anything colder than the freezer aisle at Hy-Vee. Some folks proudly say “below zero,” while others insist on calling it “negative,” as if they’re doing math homework instead of checking the weather.

“Below zero” people tend to be the hardy, old-school types. These are the folks who still own ice scrapers made of actual metal and think a wind chill of –25°F is “brisk.” When they say, “It’s ten below,” you can almost see the frostbite forming on each word. They talk like pioneers who just finished wrestling a polar bear for parking at Menards.

Meanwhile, “negative” people sound like they just stepped out of a science textbook. “It’s negative ten,” they declare, as if the number personally offended them. These are the same people who fold their reusable grocery bags and know the exact temperature their car battery gives up hope. They treat winter like a lab experiment that keeps trying to escape.

But the truth is, both kinds of people are just trying to survive another Arctic blast without crying icicles. Whether you’re a “below zero” traditionalist or a “negative” modernist, we all end up doing the same thing: shuffling across icy driveways, arguing with frozen car doors, and pretending multiple layers of fleece is a fashion choice.

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how you say it. Cold is cold. Once the frigid air hits your face, we're all on the same team.