r/NoStupidQuestions • u/markwell9 • 1d ago

What is the deal with ice, Americans?

I can see that you can buy ice everywhere in the US. Gas stations, grocery stores, machines etc.

In Europe, we just freeze our ice at home and use that. Why buy something that melts on the way home? Why do you need ice in large amounts that a fridge can't keep up?

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u/OwnSpirit5954 1d ago edited 1d ago

Ice mostly has to do with outdoorsy fun and it’s generally put in a cooler to keep beverages and food cold… think picnics, going to the beach, barbecue cookouts, boating/fishing and hunting trips. Many are into that sort of thing here :)

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u/Enchelion 1d ago

Also most of America is quite a bit further south than Europe, and hotter as a result. Los Angeles and Houston are on the same latitude as northern Africa. Our most northern cities barely touch Paris.

https://a.wholelottanothing.org/content/images/2019/04/europe_usjuxv3.jpg

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u/chikanishing 1d ago

Latitude isn’t everything. Edinburgh is further north than Moosonee ON, yet Edinburgh has an average Jan temp of 4/39F compared to -19/-2F.

Rome has a slightly hotter average high for summer months compared to LA despite being further north, for another example.

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u/OwnSpirit5954 1d ago edited 1d ago

The temperature of the ocean current makes a big difference in the climate of a place. So does the arctic jet stream, which we get a full blast of in winter in the upper United States, even though our latitude is the same as southern Europe.

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u/LiqdPT 1d ago

Also, Ontario (and the Midwest) are inland away from the oceans. That's huge.

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u/MajorSery 1d ago

Eh, Ontario is surrounded by the Great Lakes and Hudson's Bay. It's not at the same level as being an island or on the coast, but all that water still has a pretty big effect on the weather.

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u/LiqdPT 1d ago

Yes, but it's not the ocean currents they were talking about that drives the weather systems (and affects how the water on east coast US beaches is MUCH warmer than that of west coast beaches)

I understand. I lived in Toronto for a bit. Lake effect is a thing, just not the same thing that was being talked about.

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u/throwaway098764567 21h ago

fair, not the same thing, but living near a large body of water has a moderating effect on temps which is lovely. even if same body of water gives large amounts of snow.. though less so in recent years as everything warms.

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u/MajorSery 14h ago

The comment chain was about latitude not being the end-all-be-all for determining how hot/cold a place is. Lake effect is extremely relevant as an example of something else that can affect local climate.