Winter frigid mornings in Boulder, land of the BUFFS, look different, feel different and sound different. It even smells different. The snow crunches underfoot, our breaths are frosty, and early risers are in for a bit of a cold shock!

Of course extra care for bikes and cars is mandatory. Care for the machinery and care in the operation! Avoid skidding, and DO NOT FALL DOWN!

Our Fellow Boulderites, and fellow BUFFS are quite brilliant at dressing for weather like what we have today. We a professionals at staying warm and dry whether we are in town or another mile higher. We take our cold very seriously. We are almost never confronted by stories of frostbite or hypothermia. We are quite content merely talking about just how cold it is. And it IS THAT COLD! I started with my phone claiming seven below zero degrees F.

These are just the kind of days when great neighbors are appreciated and essential. We take turns shoveling (safely for some, and with reckless abandon for others), run snowblowers around the neighborhood to share the work, and generally act like real neighbors living in a real neighborhood. While seeing the numbers on a phone or on a weather station brings precision to our temperature readings, nothing is quite like actually being outside and experiencing this extreme cold. Parts of our bodies which are not made to be frozen are doing that very thing, demonstrating that things we did not even know could freeze become our personal icicles.

While temperatures this low are not unheard of, they are unusual. The good news is that it rarely stays this cold for many days. Reminder: if any pipes froze, it is when it warms up that the broken pipes will begin to shed their icy tentacles.

There are few things as uplifting as looking outside on a morning like this, knowing it was about time to don layers of winter wear, including hats, gloves, battery-powered solar heaters, and anything else to keep warm. THEN to see that the neighbors beat us to it, the walk is shoveled, a path up the drive is cleared, and we are again reminded of the love and beauty that a neighborhood and neighbors can provide.

I spent decades running MONGO around the neighborhood. Mongo has lots of horsepower, self-propelled with 2 reverse speeds and 5 forward speeds, a headlight, handle warmers, and it cuts a swathe almost a yard wide and 18″ high. Only truly wet slushy deep snow presents MONGO with even the slightest challenge.

The sparkle of sunlight on the super-cold snow looks like no other snow we see. The cold crystals add a magical sparkle to the ground, and with luck, it will be champagne powder, easy to shovel or otherwise remove.

While we generally talk about long term changes when we discuss climate change, on days like this and weeks like this we can go from brutal harsh cold to the illusion that it is toasty again. After a few days when 20 degrees F is a tropical memory, it does feel downright balmy when it breaks 32 degrees F once again. In the Boulder winters, I believe there are only two temperatures. If it is sunny and calm, we call it “warm.” If we lose either the sun or the calm, we call it “cold.” That works down to about 35 degrees F. Below that, cold tends to actually be COLD!.

We meet our personal and neighborhood cold challenges, and more and more we find ourselves reaching out to help as we can the more unfortunate residents. Whether that is food bank work, clothing donation, or any of the myriad other ways we help each other out. days like today bring out that helping spirit which is so critically important on days like this.

So while everything may start a few hours late this morning, we will be out there, staying warm and meeting the challenges of our winter wonderland. REMEMBER THAT SPRING SKIING IS ALMOST HERE!

With Boulder being such a center of outdoor activity, we are home to many of the best outfitters in the world. Name a famous respected winter wear designer or manufacturer and you are probably standing in their entryway!