Zombies and climate????????

[Chuck Norris]

I live in one of the coldest parts of Canada(Manitoba). Right now it's colder than a polar bears penis outside. It must be colder then -40'C (after windchill). I bet it would be impossible for a zombie to function in such an environment. Plus the population is very spread out (lots of farmers with shotguns). So let's say there was a Zombie apocalypse/outbreak (in December). I bet we Manitobans would stomp our zombies no problem. Then I bet there would be a sort of migration of humans, like when Riley sets sail for Canada in LOTD. So all these people from congested temperate areas would start arriving in great numbers. Of course that would be cool with us because Manitobans are friendly (it says so on our license plates). Then everyone would settle into a sort of a Bardertown post apocalypse environment (still very cold like I said -40). Then as Spring arrives and Manitoba becomes warm and fertile the Canadian geese fly north from the States, following them hoards of hungry flesh starved zombies. This is where things get interesting and the in trenched N.American survivors (now Manitobans) must make a final stand for humanity.

So what do you think? Would temperature have any effect on a zombie? I always ask myself why do we(Manitobans) live here? and now I know.... it's to save mankind from zombikind. This is somewhat the plot of a screenplay I'm writing and I was hoping for a bit of hypothetical feedback.

[jessidusen]

zombiecicles...

[Uuklay]

zombiecicles...

corpsicles

I like to think that because zombies have no body temperature, sub-frezing conditions would freeze them completely.

[Chuck Norris]

Alright so do you guys think zombies may migrate north eventually during the Spring and Summer months (when the Northern Continental Climate turns warm and fertile). It occurred to me that perhaps they might follow bird migration patterns because geese (in particular) make a bit of a racket and maybe they would lead the zombies north. I'm assuming the zombies would be curious as to the sound and follow it (all that honking etc.).

[Sambob]

I doubt they would be able to figure out that they are freesing, let alone how to avoid it. The general consensus is that they will follow humans to the end of the earth at end is hot or cold.

Whether the weather be fine,
Or whether the weather be not,
Whether the wether be cold,
Or whether the weather be hot,
They'll weather the weather
Whatever the weather,
Whether they like it or not!

[sks forever]

I think that if it was cold enough that zombies wouldn't be able to function very well and it is time for mr. crowbar to make some new friends.:evil:

[Chuck Norris]

yeah it would be so easy to mash up a frozen Zombie.

[Victor Clark]

I wouldn't think that zombies would acually migrate, but I could see them freezing over in cold climates. Unless they have heavy clothing or a hard determination, than I would think that cold climates could be an advantage for us in an outbreak.

[dead and loving it]

I think they could walk the frozen tundra until they froze solid.
They would then continue on their way when they thawed out.

[Chuck Norris]

That's when we put the North back in North America and go round all hopped up on Hot chocolate mashin zombies. We could patrol around in Bombadiers and skidos or maybe even dog sleds.

Also I don't think a zombie would survive even if it had warm cloths on. Winter cloths only hold in Body heat so if you don't produce any (ie dead carcus) it wouldn't help.

[ilovetotravel]

Do you think that it could be a situation of waiting it out? The human body can decompose pretty quickly when it is left vulnerable to the environment.....but then the problem arises of skeletons....what if zombies still exist when they are just skeletons?

i do think i would prefer to be in an area of coldness.....then there would be the hope that the zombies would freeze or at least be slower.
I

[Chuck Norris]

I think once all the muscle tissue is decomposed the zombie would fall over and be immobile until the maggots/other scavengers finished eating it. If not then how could they move around without any muscles?

[chewy]

Unless they have heavy clothing or a hard determination, than I would think that cold climates could be an advantage for us in an outbreak.

Heavy clothing and/or determination wouldn't help them at all. Since they're dead, they no longer generate body heat. No body heat means that they're easily susceptible to freezing.

I think once all the muscle tissue is decomposed the zombie would fall over and be immobile until the maggots/other scavengers finished eating it. If not then how could they move around without any muscles?

Excellent points. No skeletal muscles mean no movement.

[ilovetotravel]

So then the situation comes down to:

1. Do you have a safe, fortified location?
2. Do you have enough food to last until the zombies fully decompose?
3. Is your fortress strong enough to withstand hundreds of zombies?

[Chuck Norris]

If a Human turned zombie and ran into the streets it would be a matter of a five or so hours and the zombie would be a statue, capiche? I don't think you grasp how cold it is outside my house right now. This thread was intended to discuss weather or not a zombie would be able to function in extreme sub zero temperatures. I'm just saying it's likely that North Americans in sparsely populated areas with a Continental climate would be at a huge advantage in the event of an Outbreak (in say December). Picture it freshly made zombie runs out of a heated house into the cold night air(lets say it's only -40'c). I'm betting on two things. First the Zombie wouldn't have the intelligence required to find shelter and two would no longer be producing any body heat and therefor would freeze quickly. Now I'm sure supplies and fortifications would be needed but we would only have to worry about Springtime (when the weather becomes mild). This buffer of time would be ideal to fortify the entire province so that when the zombies march north we'll start the battle (last stand) for North America. We could even get a bunch of backhoes going and dig trenches etc. This is the premise of my screenplay. It's called "Migration of the Dead".

[Propaganda13]

Sure, I voted for retarded :) but I really like the question. I've brought this up before wondering why there are no winter zombie movies. I'd love to see zombies slipping on ice, frozen in ice, snow buried zombies grabbing people, zombie head baseball on snowmobiles, etc.
You really just have to decide for yourself the rules. First, what caused the zombies - radiation, toxic waste, virus, heaven being full. Zombies could survive, after all we're talking about the risen dead. The cold could kill them, put them into hibernation (some viruses can survive extreme cold if I remember right), slow them down. Zombie could be fast and the body temp could be extremely high giving need to the zombie for constant food supply and voracious appetite.
Until the outbreak, it's kinda up to you. Just set the rules and stick with them.

[Godzilla_Rules]

Well its a good topic. I thinkj in the deep winter zombies will freeze solid to only come after you when they thaw out. This leads me to believe that the humans can start to reclaim the world during the winter monts. Build fortresses etc.... while the zombies are in a deep freeze.

[Chuck Norris]

I've already decided that zombies couldn't possibly function in an extremely cold environment. They would freeze stiff but when Spring comes around so will zombies. I'm shocked at how many people believe I'm down afflicted. Fortunately slightly more people think I'm right.

[DocZomby]

I seem to remember the question of freezing coming up a year or two ago. Someone (con't remember who) pointed out that, in order to freeze, something muxt have water in it. The point being that, if a corpse/zombie was decayed enough that the water was no longer there, then freezing would not be an issue. Things can be in below freezing temperature and not become rock solid. It would be like zombie jerky. Yum.

If you're into that sort of thing.

[Chuck Norris]

I bet a corpse would decompose before it would becomelike zombie jerky Maybe if the corpse was in a dry warm environment (minimal exposure to insects etc.) but for the most part decay isn't that slow of a process when the body is outdoors.
A few years ago I was working at a hog barn. We would store the deads (piglets, sows, boars) in temperature controlled freezer bins (which is where they would stay until the rendering trucks come by 'dog food anyone?').
here's a link to a similar freezing unit from a farrowing barn. It's full of dead piglets (I would've just posted these pictures but as the topic of dead animals tends to offend some pussies...I mean people I decided to post a link instead so don't come griping to me about animal rights)
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.piggles.org.uk/images/pig_photos/Briarwood%2520Farm,%2520Greinton,%2520Somerset/skip-full.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.piggles.org.uk/resources/photos/skipfull.php&h=329&w=495&sz=58&hl=en&start=12&tbnid=D_nVzt2tpUWh3M:&tbnh=86&tbnw=130&prev=/images%3Fq%3Ddead%2Bpig%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26r ls%3DDACA,DACA:2006-45,DACA:en%26sa%3DG

Sometimes their heads would freeze to the floor so we'd have to use pick axes and shovels to un stick them. You'd seriously be surprised how easy it is to break a limb of a frozen animal.

[Diablo]

Zombies would be too frozen or stiff to move around in cold and besides how long before they decompose enough that they can't move, without imbalming fluid things rot and decay rather quickly.

[MaxVeers]

If it's freezing out... well, they'd freeze. Ask Max Brooks.

[Chuck Norris]

If it's freezing out... well, they'd freeze. Ask Max Brooks.

(No disrespect intended but)I don't give a rat's ass what Max Brooks says. If I really wanted to consult a specialist I'd ask a scientist.

[MaxVeers]

(No disrespect intended but)I don't give a rat's ass what Max Brooks says. If I really wanted to consult a specialist I'd ask a scientist.

Then figure it out for yourself, but it's just ****in logic, man.

Dead flesh, no blood flow, nothing to keep it from freezing. It's just like tossing a rump roast outside. If it's freezing outside... It's gonna freeze.

[Sadogoat]

Zombies in cold weather was a subject touched on in The Walking Dead comic series. They found one lying in the snow, unable to move because it was so cold that, due to the lack of warm blood flow, the zombie's limbs couldn't function. It was still alive, of course, but it was frozen in place.

[Chuck Norris]

I totally think if a zombie were outside somewhere cold (continental or Arctic climate) it would freeze stiff into a statue position (hopefully something classic like the thinker or at least contrapposto). It would stay in that exact position until Spring or a manual thawing (a whole bunch of scientists with hair dryers).

The fact that a zombie has no warm blood flowing through it is the last reason it would freeze. The most important factor would be "Zombies wouldn't have the common sense to find shelter etc". Even a healthy warm blooded human would freeze if they didn't have the brain power to dress appropriately(or find shelter). In fact it's not uncommon that elderly people die outdoors in such environments because they're senile and can't remember or simply don't know how to get out of the cold.

Plus it's a well known fact that zombies don't know how to make hot chocolate and they hate/suck at winter sports (as shown below)
http://www.portlandmercury.com/binary/bdc2a270/ex-11467.jpeg

[The_Lord_Humungus]

Zombies would be rendered harmless in extreme cold or heat. They'd probably thaw in a cold environment once Spring arrives, so I opt for a desert climate; they'd essentially be immobile beef jerky and eventually become dust and just blow away.

[BarnabusBlackoak]

Temperature would very much be a factor with zombies. In the really warm climes, in summer months, they should decay more rapidly, and fall apart sooner. When below freezing, if they stop moving, they would be just like that chicken in your freezer, hard as a rock and unable to move. The biggest threat to the survivor during a zombie outbreak, would be temperatures just above freezing. The dead would still be able to move, and it would take much, much longer to decompose to a point where they would no longer be a threat.

[jessidusen]

well if the general concensus is that the brain has to be destroyed then freezing would pose a threat to the zeds.

Question is .. will the zombie brain require electrical and chemical charges that operate is core functions? Most logically it would.. sooo if we freeze the brain it would cease the chemical functions.

Now this brings me to the next question... if this is a virus like previously mentioned then its possible to wait for a thaw and the chemicals would regain their charge and the virus would restart the engine... but on the other hand what chemicals it relies on is important as there are chemicals in your brain that once frozen or crystalized wont return the original composition, thus rendering that chemical useless... if we examine studies done on cryogenic sleep we see some of these theorems.

[pogosama]

SPECIAL NOTE*

Zombies have a generally higher body temperature then humans by over 10 to 15 degrees. The ENORMOUS amount of bacteria in their body gives off a large amount of excess heat. So maybe they will still freeze, but would be a HELL of alot harder for them to freeze entirely.

[Chuck Norris]

Where I live it gets really cold (colder than a Polar Bear's penis to be precise)so I doubt your bacteria heat theory would matter. Maybe that would be a factor in areas where it gets moderately cold but I'm talking freeze your nads off cold.

[LycanZombieHunter]

when i read the zombie survival guide. i belive it said if it would be as cold as you say they would freeze solid bcuz no matter the bacteria or not they'd freeze like a giant zombie popsicle