Since we have been back here to Astana from Almaty we weather here is extremely cold. They say it is a record cold year for them here. The highs have been in the minus single digits and the lows have been -30F. A typical day would be around -30F and by noon from -20F to -25F with a wind chill generally always the wind blows here, very few days even in the summer there isn't a wind. It blows anywhere from 5 to 15 mph that puts the wind chill in the -50'sF on a -30F morning. This year they have been letting the children out of school when it has been -20 or lower. The problem has been that the children have not been in school for the last 2 weeks. We try to go out a little every day and walk at least a couple miles or more. We really have to bundle up and we can walk about a mile then we are looking for somewhere to get warm. So on these extremely cold days we plan a place that is about a mile away get something to eat then head back to the apt. If we can find a day where it has warmer up to -20F we notice alot more people out and about playing on the frozen river or skating at the numerous skating rinks through the city or sledding. They bundle the small children and enjoy themselves.