As you may have noticed, it’s been cold. Really cold. Now, I’m not going to jump on my high horse and tell you that I’m better and more hard core than you because I live in Practically Canada and it’s been colder here than wherever you are.
That’s not my game.
They have called it a Polar Vortex. Which sounds ridiculous. Like a a sci-fi black hole that you get sucked into. On second thought, that’s kind of what it’s been like.
I’m just going to tell you what’s it’s been like living the past week in the coldest place in America. Compliments to a few of my friends who took a moment to take photos during this time. I’m using their images…because I have been too busy a) not leaving the house and b) madly dashing from house to car to destination at a pace that didn’t allow for photography.
The image above was taken north of Bismarck. Click the photo to go to its original home.
You see that cool ring around the sun? Up here it’s called a sun-dog. It happens when the sun’s {or moon’s} light reflects off of ice crystals in the atmosphere. ICE. In the atmosphere.
Derek, being every observant noted that one day it was “120 warmer in our house than the windchill outside.”
Take a moment to really think about the difference you feel between 0 degrees and 120. That’s the difference between “dead of winter” and “Texas wildfire hot.” That’s the extreme difference we were feeling this past week.
Now…for a segment I’ll call…Cold Enough…
First. Thank you to my friend Melanie, who took one for the team and snapped this photo. It proves that it has been cold enough to freeze wet hair solid after shaking it upside down outside for a moment. Her hair is frozen like that. Frozen.
While making supply run to Menard’s I lost a glove somewhere in the store. It was cold enough that the walk from store to car left my ungloved hand visibly cracked, bloody and chapped.
The extreme cold will make your eyes water. But it is cold enough that your tears immediately froze on your face. So don’t even think about shedding tears over the situation.
Cold enough that the air you breathed felt like sand paper rubbing the inside of your lungs. I guess really the temp wasn’t so bad if you held your breath and closed your eyes.
To really gauge the severity of the situation…the National Weather Service warned that it was cold enough that frostbite could occur on uncovered skin in less than five minutes.
Perhaps, most shocking…it was cold enough that North Dakota schools closed down because of the extreme cold. If you live here, you know this never happens. If they closed down because of cold, negative temperatures, there’d be no school from November to March.
And in case you don’t want to take my word for it, I posted to my personal Facebook page asking friends to describe the cold in their words. Here are some of the things they said.
A brainfreeze on the outside. All over your body.
Hard to breathe because your nose hairs freeze straight out.
When you inhale your nose hairs get stiff. When you exhale your glasses fog up and freeze over.
It feels like death.
“I can’t [describe it] without cursing.”
You get an ice cream headache from breathing.
You have to do the Minot Shuffle. {Where you run into stores instead of walking.}
It’s now 23 degrees. I guess I should go for a jog or something. Stay warm and toasty my friends.
Amy
