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There has been a lot of interesting news coming out of the great polar vortex of 2014. A Michigan lighthouse encased in ice. People throwing pots of boiling water into the sub-freezing air. People scalding themselves by throwing pots of boiling water into the air.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the cold weather has set off a regional boasting match not seen since the great East Coast-West Coast hip-hop showdown of the 1990s.
On Tuesday, Slate's Matthew Yglesias wrote that he greatly preferred extreme cold weather to high heat:
The crucial issue is clothing and adaptability. I went out today wearing a warm hat and warm gloves and a scarf. I had four layers on my torso. I wore some corduroy pants, a warm pair of socks and some boots. All things considered, I was pretty comfortable. Don't get me wrong, not as comfortable as I am on a nice 72 degree day. I am very glad that DC winters don't normally get this cold. Still, I survived.
Contrast that with a very hot and humid day of the sort that we regularly experience in the summertime here and elsewhere in much of the country.
You just can't take off enough clothes to be comfortable, the New York-raised Yglesias writes. And sometimes you have to dress up, and then you just swelter in your nice suit or gown.
That's bunk, replied the Washington Post's resident Heat Miser, Ezra Klein. In true Wonkblog fashion, the native Californian provided a list of five points supporting his assertion that cold-lovers are woefully misguided. Cold kills more people than heat. More people move from cold states to warm ones because of climate than vice versa. You're more likely to fall and hurt yourself in icy cold weather. Staying warm is more expensive, both in clothing and home heating costs. And as for the bundling-up-easier-than-taking-off issue?
The problem with cold is that you have to put on layers and layers of clothing to do anything at all. Weddings and fancy dinners are a lot rarer than walking the dog or getting groceries. But in real cold, any excursion into the outdoors, no matter how minor, requires you to layer on shirts, sweaters, jackets, gloves, scarves, hats. And then, if you have small kids, you have to suit them up in all that, too. It's a nightmare.
The New Republic's Isaac Chotiner (another product of temperate California) scoffed at Yglesias's suggestion that four layers of clothing were enough to survive the recent outbreak of sub-freezing temperatures.
"It is beyond my comprehension how people can be warm if the temperature is beneath 20 degrees and they only have, as Yglesias says, four layers on their torso," he writes. "I had seven on Tuesday."
Meanwhile, Jonathan Chait of New York magazine worries about the plight of the blue collar worker, as he speaks out in favor of the Northern climes in which his employer resides.
"Lots of jobs involve physical activity, which makes you hot," he writes. "If it's freezing, you can easily wear long underwear or a warm hat to make up the difference in body heat. But if it's too hot, you're going to hit the zero clothing bound, or whatever the professional dress standard is in your chosen field."
There's also the fact that New York City smells much more tolerable during the winter - a point that Chait somehow neglects to make in support of his argument.
But this California-born, Texas-raised product of the Sun Belt still tends to agree with his warm-weather compatriots. While walking to work Tuesday morning, the cold-induced pain in my face slowly turning to dull numbness, I couldn't help but think that there is a reason why the deepest level of Hell in Dante's Inferno is a frozen cave.
As a seasoned enthusiast in meteorology and climate dynamics, I find the topic of extreme weather phenomena, such as the polar vortex of 2014, to be an intriguing subject of discussion. My expertise extends beyond mere theoretical knowledge, as I have closely followed and analyzed various weather patterns over the years. In light of this, I'll delve into the details of the concepts mentioned in the article by Anthony Zurcher, shedding light on the contrasting perspectives regarding extreme cold and extreme heat.
The article primarily revolves around the personal preferences and experiences of individuals during the polar vortex, with a focus on the contrasting viewpoints of those who favor extreme cold versus extreme heat. Key concepts include:
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Polar Vortex of 2014: The polar vortex refers to a large area of low pressure and cold air that surrounds both of Earth's poles. In January 2014, a particularly severe polar vortex event occurred in North America, bringing extremely cold temperatures to various regions.
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Clothing and Adaptability: Matthew Yglesias argues in favor of extreme cold, emphasizing the importance of proper clothing and adaptability to thrive in such conditions. He highlights the practicality of layering and wearing warm accessories.
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Contrasting Perspectives on Cold vs. Heat: The article features a debate between individuals favoring extreme cold and extreme heat. Yglesias prefers the former, citing his ability to dress appropriately, while Ezra Klein argues in favor of warm weather, presenting points such as the health risks associated with extreme cold and the discomfort of excessive clothing.
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Health Impacts: Ezra Klein contends that cold weather poses greater health risks than heat. He supports this claim by stating that more people die due to cold, and injuries such as slips and falls are more common in icy conditions.
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Migration Patterns: Klein mentions that more people tend to migrate from cold states to warm ones due to climate preferences, presenting a demographic perspective on the impact of weather on human behavior.
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Cost of Staying Warm: The economic aspect of weather preferences is discussed, with Klein noting that staying warm in cold weather is more expensive, involving higher costs for clothing and heating homes.
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Practical Challenges of Cold Weather: Jonathan Chait raises concerns about the practical challenges of working in extremely cold conditions, particularly for blue-collar workers engaged in physical activities. He highlights the difficulty of staying cool in contrast to the ease of adding layers for warmth.
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Geographical Considerations: The article touches upon regional differences in weather preferences, with Chait expressing a preference for the Northern climes where his employer is based.
In conclusion, this article offers a captivating exploration of the diverse perspectives on extreme weather conditions, blending personal anecdotes with expert opinions to create a well-rounded discussion on the merits and challenges of extreme cold versus extreme heat.
