The Coldest Winter Weather

The New York weather has been unseasonally cold over the past week. When I think about it, the weather has been unseasonal in every city that I have been to over the past month!


Fresh snow covers the grass in a New York park on a bitterly cold morning.


In Zurich the weather was unseasonably warm, with a phenomenon called the 'Firn' keeping the city alive with an uncanny wind which is said to be delivered straight from the Sahara. This wind was also present in Graz, where many people seemed to be sick with headaches due to the significant changes in temperature and pressure caused by the Firn.

London weather was extremely wet -- perhaps not so un-seasonably, but nonetheless rather unexpectedly for me, and for my first two days here in New York City the weather was also extremely warm for this time of the year. Could this be a reflection of some general trend in global warming?

And yet for the rest of my time in New York City, culminating with today's temperatures, the weather has been extremely cold!


Business as usual: Life goes on for New Yorkers as they brave the blustery snow of just another normal winters day in New York City.


The temperature has been averaging around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, or zero degrees Celsius. Today the weather hit a top of 30 degrees Fahrenheit, and as I write this email the weather is hovering around -8 degrees Celsius. Pretty cold!


Julie Aares dressed appropriately for the cold and snowy weather.


To walk outside, one needs to get --seriously-- dressed up in a multitude of layers. Even for me, someone who doesn't generally feel the cold, this weather has warranted an elaborate collection of winter layers including a new pair of (cheap but effective) leather gloves, a thick beanie and my trusty scarf -- all covering four lower layers of thermals, singlet, shirt and wind-proof raincoat.


Virgil gets rugged up with his trusty scarf and jacket to brave the New York weather, with his woolen hat ready for use in his backpack.


Even still, such repressive weather conditions have given me serious trouble with taking photos while out exploring the neighborhoods and parks of New York City.


Canal Street, New York City, with steam rising from a chimney (right). Such steam rising from the subways is a common sight along the roads of New York, and is most pronounced during the really cold weather.


But it is great fun! I love the cold weather... it seems to give me such energy. It wakes me up, and forces me to remain active all the time (for fear of freezing of course). My face tingles with the biting and (surprisingly) clear city air.


Falling snow blankets everything in its path, creating treacherous conditions for New York's often aggressive road users.



Cars covered with a fresh layer of snow from an overnight snowfall.


Its truly amazing to witness a city functioning so effectively in such cold and repressive conditions.