The Great British Weather

Well, it was 6 a.m. and the horizon was nothing but dark. I thought maybe I used the wrong hand.

the skin on your hand is too rough to get an accurate reading due to the fact your hands are always exposed to the elements and thus become desensitised.

to get a true reading it is necessary to use the sole of your foot. because it is typically wrapped in a sock for most of its life it remains properly calibrated for such sensitive tasks as this one.

the preferred method for checking is to turn your back to the [open] front door, lean forward and using both hands grab hold of the lower banister rail for balance, safety first! then extend your leg backwards until just your foot is outside of the property.

be careful not to expose your calf muscle to the elements as this is a common source of false-positive results.