but they are still within the range of temperatures people can
experience in the Real World. Zero Celsius doesn't really seem
to cross any threshold of extremeness,

That's a guy from above the 26th parallel talking. We have our
water pipes above ground here and zero C is very significant.

I'm missing somthing here. Did you mean the 56th parallel?
Where do you live?

South Florida. It never gets below 0 C here.
That is the threshold that would make me move farther south.

Water pipes are above-ground in South Florida?

I need to live somewhere it freezes so last year's insects die.

Dick