If one presidential hopeful has his way, 30 degrees could soon be bathing suit weather. Former Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, a Democratic presidential hopeful for next year’s election, wants America to go from Fahrenheit to Celsius as part of his overall plan of switching America to the Metric system – and ultimately, mainstreaming temperature readings from Fahrenheit to Celsius.

That would mean your weather forecast could have a far different look to it – 86 degrees Fahrenheit would be 30 Celsius, 32 degrees Fahrenheit would be zero Celsius, just to name a few staples of the system (more later).

Via The Irish Times, Chafee advocates the switch “to be bold…and go Metric” to help bring American in alignment with the rest of the world on a number of measures, including more symbolic ones such as a switch to the Metric system. The Metric system is typically favored internationally for its perceived simplicity – Celsius’ freezing mark is zero degrees, 10 degrees (50 Fahrenheit) is cool, 20 degrees (68 Fahrenheit) is mild, and 30 (86 Fahrenheit) is hot.

The primary meteorological disadvantages to a switch would be the shorter-term difficulty in changing from one long-used system for another, along with the longer-range concern of decreased precision in temperature readings, since 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit equals just one degree Celsius.

America is one of just three countries that does not use the Metric system – Liberia and Myanmar are the other two that don’t (of course!) – but there have been attempts in the past to implement the system favored by the overwhelming majority of the world. In 1975, then-president Gerald Ford signed the Metric Conversion Act, which attempted to establish “a national policy of coordinating and planning for the increased use of the metric measurement system in the United States”. It was, however, a voluntary act, and needless to say, few adhered to President Ford’s wishes.

It’s also worth noting that Chafee is considered by most to be a longshot – so don’t turn in those thermometers quite yet.

Source: WeatherNation Presidential Hopeful Wants To Switch From Fahrenheit To Celsius | Meteorologist Chris Bianchi