Cool Things about the Cold

I have been highly amused at the chatter on Twitter the last 24 hours. Seems the lower half of the U.S. is suffering a bit of a cold snap. And my Southern friends are FREEZING TO DEATH RIGHT IN THEIR OWN HOMES.

For the record, our high yesterday was about 9, and our low last night was -13. Yes, that’s cold. But it’s also January in Minnesota. Read: It’s to be expected.

But those of you in warmer locales aren't equipped to deal with temperatures in the 20s or below. I understand this. And truly, you have my sympathy. I love to mock y’all, but I do it in love. Being cold stinks. And when you don’t have down-filled comforters on every bed or seat warmers in your car, I can only imagine it must be extra stinky.

To that end, I thought I’d share a few bits of encouragement I’ve picked up during my years in Minnesota. I’ve spent the better part of my life here (notice I said better, not warmer), so if there’s anything I should be an expert on, it’s the positives about winter weather.

Without further ado, here are a few Cool Things about the Cold:

1. Cold mornings are beautiful mornings.

Waking up to a sunny winter morning in Minnesota is like living inside a pearl. Everything is translucent white, and the sun’s first rays are the brightest pink and gold. The sky is as blue as the sea, and quite often, the moon still glows in the sky. The tree tops catch the new light and sparkle with icicles.





Corey says it’s the beautiful side of evil. But even he agrees – it's hard to deny God's glory is evident in that kind of a sunrise.

2. Sun dogs.

Sun dogs and/or halos are some of my favorite cold weather phenomenon. If you’re really interested in the science behind it, check Wiki. But in a nutshell, sun dogs are rainbow spheres or halos surrounding the sun, which are formed when light hits the ice dust in the atmosphere.

Here’s a picture of a sun dog I took in December on my phone.

It’s not the best shot – you can’t see the prism colors, for one – but it gives you an idea of what I’m talking about.

3. No bugs.

I realize this is obvious, but when it’s cold, the bugs die. All of them. Even Nazi cockroaches, presumably. We have about six bug-free months here in Minnesota. It’s glorious.

4. No worries about fashion.

This isn’t to say Minnesotans dress like they’re headed for Everest every day. (Well, OK. Some do.) But when it’s -10 outside, no one is wearing cute shoes. We’re wearing WARM shoes. And no one is judging your outfit, because it’s hidden under your coat (scarf, mittens, hat) anyway.

To be clear, I don’t dress in sweats every day. I love my jeans and sweaters, and I cherish a funky scarf and fun jewelry. But there isn’t pressure to keep up with the fashion trends in the winter. It’s like everyone gets a four-month pass to relax and just be themselves. Ahhhhhh.....

5. Tear ducts unclog and nose hairs disintegrate.

When I walked back to my car yesterday morning after dropping Natalie at school, the wind was whistling. Since the temp was about -9, I’m guessing the wind chill was around -25. And wind that frigid is impossible to ignore. Tears instantly formed in my eyes, and my nose felt more clear than it had in a week. Talk about easing sinus congestion. It's nature's Neti pot.

6. It’s possible to freeze-dry your hair.

I don’t necessarily recommend this one, but if you go outside with wet hair and it’s brutally cold, your hair will instantly freeze into glittering dreadlocks. And since super-cold air is also super-dry air, most of the moisture will be sucked out of your hair by the time it defrosts.

(Disclaimer: I did this one time when I was a teenager. I was on a missions trip on an Indian reservation in Northern Minnesota, and I stepped outside with wet hair when it was -35 air temperature. My hair was frigid, but it was also dry in about five minutes. Normally, my hair takes 10 minutes to dry with a hair dryer.) (And no, I didn’t catch a cold. That whole wet-hair-in-the-winter-will-make-you-sick thing is a myth.)

7. Cold weather fosters resilience and creativity.

This is especially true for kids, and one of the reasons I’m thrilled to be raising my family in this climate. After about two weeks indoors with only their siblings as playmates, kids are actually eager to go outside and play, even if it’s -5 at the time. I have wonderful memories of playing outside in the snow all afternoon – building snow forts and tunnels and hatching elaborate plans for snowball fights. Sledding is best when it’s 20 and below; any warmer, and the snow is too sticky for the sleds to really get going.

And when I finally did lose feeling in my fingers and toes and come inside, there’s nothing like sitting by the fire and drinking hot chocolate.

If it’s truly too cold to go outside, kids are forced to get creative indoors. Winter is the season of the indoor tent in the living room and the grocery store that used to be the dining room table. I love watching my kids learn to entertain themselves, without the help of TV, video games or playgrounds.

8. Cross-border unity: -40 is the same in Fahrenheit and Celsius.

Negative 40 is the point where the two temperature charts become one again. Unity. It’s a beautiful thing. More cold weather is probably the answer to world peace.

9. You instantly gain a second fridge and freezer.

I can’t imagine trying to bake dozens of Christmas cookies – most of which need to be chilled before baking, chilled after baking or cooled before frosting – without a cold garage. I can put my Double-Chocolate Mint Brownies outside for five minutes, and they are instantly ready for the first layer of icing.

And this weekend, when I bake Teyla a birthday cake (she’ll be two; more about that to come, obviously), I won’t have to clear out space in my freezer to harden the crumb coat. I’ll just stick it in my garage for an hour.

10. Cold days are sunny days.

This is one of those phenomenon that might not be obvious, if you don’t live in a cold climate. But if it’s -10 outside, I can guarantee it’s also sunny. Clouds in the winter act as a atmospheric blanket, trapping ground heat near the earth’s surface and keeping things warm. When that blanket is pulled back, the heat quickly dissipates and we get completely sunny and brisk days.

And vitamin D? It’s a happy drug.

So what did I forget? Fellow Northerners, chime in.

And Southern friends, take heart: According to the Wall Street Journal this morning, temperatures should be on the rise later this week.

(And if the rest of the story is right and this continues to be one of the coldest winters we've seen in years, you can always come back here and get a cup of hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows, on me.)