McMURDO STATION, ANTARCTICA
Today’s High (Ambient) Temperature: -19 Fahrenheit
Today’s Wind Chill: -38 Fahrenheit
Today’s Clothing: wool socks, long johns, wool t-shirt, polypro long sleeve shirt, hooded sweatshirt, insulated Carhartt overalls, Steger mukklukks, down parka, 1 windproof gator, 1 fleece gator, wool hat, goggles, wool glove liners, down mittens.
The sky is crisp blue today, not a cloud in sight. These last couple of days have been our brightest yet, the sun having finally having reached a high enough arc in the sky to produce something other than twilight. The wind is relatively calm, and the glaring sunshine gives the illusion of warmth. I assure you though, it is only an illusion. Though today could be construed as a heat wave in comparison to yesterday’s low of -78 Fahrenheit, the wind chill still hovers around -38 F. It takes only a moment or two to rack up a pair of frozen eyelashes, even on the shortest dash between buildings. I take my glove off to untie a stubborn knot and regret the decision almost immediately. It takes less than 30 seconds for my fingers to become completely useless at this temperature. The absurdity of working outside when the temperatures plummet so far below zero hardly strikes me anymore. Sitting around the dinner table at the end of the day yesterday, friends and coworkers talked about the weather, finally admitting, that well, yes, maybe it was a bit chilly, and no wonder we’re all a little cold.
Tomorrow’s high is predicted to be -18 F, with a wind chill of -58F. I must admit that the thought of wearing long johns every day for the next 6 months is not a terribly enticing prospect, but I do look forward to another balmy summer when my layers get a little lighter, and I can ditch the parka in exchange for a down jacket.
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