Well, Just How Cold Is It? We Got Our Answer Today; It’s That Cold!

There's always that one person...you know the one...who has to ask the obvious question on a day like today: Well, just how cold is it?

When I am asked this question today, as I know I inevitably will be, I'm going to simply hold up the picture the folks at the Mount Washington Observatory posted this morning and say:

"It's this cold."

As Mainers, we have a reputation, by virtue of living where we do, of being a pretty hearty folk. For instance, my brother, who was born right in Bangor, now lives in Delaware. In last week's snowstorm, he was scoffing that in the couple of inches they received, the neighbors on either side of him were so out of sorts because of the weather, that they actually fired up their snowblowers...for 2" of snow. As a Mainer, he was unimpressed.

But as hearty as we are, and as used to the harsher winter elements that New England is often subjected to, there are even some instances where we say, "Yeah. That's kind of extreme."

Today would be one of those days.

With a forecasted "high" in the single digits, and wind chills dropping that "high" well below zero in some spots, these conditions are enough to make even the most prepared of us linger a bit before heading out the door.

For those lucky enough to have automatic car-starters, today's temperatures might even inspire a feeling of gratitude for such an invention.

But the freezing spaghetti atop Mt. Washington is not the only sign of the unique distinction of such a cold day.

Hermon Mountain remained closed today, due to the extreme temps. And from their Facebook Post, they're making the best use of this freezing weather to make snow.

"Due to the extreme cold weather we have decided not to open tonight, Tuesday 1/11/22 we will reopen on Wednesday 1/12/22 at 3pm. Sacrificing being open today will allow the snowmakers to take advantage of the cold and get more terrain open!! Thank you for understanding."

Not even the Bureau of Motor Vehicles was spared from the havoc a drastically cold day like today could have on local buildings and businesses.

According to the Maine Department of the Secretary of State, the Bangor branch of the BMV was closed temporarily Tuesday afternoon.

"Our Bangor BMV branch office is closed temporarily due to lack of heat. "

Thankfully, they were able to open a short while later.

And the Maine Department of Transportation, knowing there are some Mainers who just cannot escape having to work outside on a brutally cold day like today, even posted on their Facebook Page, a handy infographic of how to recognize the signs of frostbite.

"For anyone who needs to work outside today, be careful! In these cold temperatures, frostbite can happen within minutes. Learn how to recognize the stages of frostbite, and stay safe out there!"

Bottom line, it's cold enough that spaghetti--along with everything else outside--is at risk of freezing in a very short amount of time. It's that cold.