Contrary to Reports, Cold Weather Is Awesome
Don’t buy into the cold-weather/warm-weather binary. There is only outside.
Winter is coming, and like seemingly every other aspect of life this year, the coronavirus is turning it upside-down. Normally, mid-November is when we start worrying about having to go outside. Now, we’re worried out about having to stay in. And with good reason: The prospect of being cooped up till spring is depressing, even frightening. My wife and I just panic-bought a rowing machine.
But here’s the truth: The colder months, the next few months especially, are when we need to go outside the most. (Let’s start with our Thanksgiving celebrations.) Not just because being outdoors has numerous health benefits — although it does, from reducing blood pressure to improving mood — and not just because it’s the safest way to spend time with friends during the pandemic, which is also vital for mental well-being.
But because it’s absolutely beautiful out there. It’s always been beautiful.
I live in New York, and we average more than 150 hours of sun in January, or about half of all daylight hours, and that number rises steadily through February and March. (June, for comparison, is sunny two-thirds of the time.)
