The National Weather Service and its ilk weren’t kidding about how cold it would be today. According to the NWS itself in its all-cap style (a leftover from teleprinter style?):

* A PROLONGED PERIOD OF DANGEROUSLY COLD AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING WIND CHILLS WILL OCCUR THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES…‌LOWS 15 BELOW TO 20 BELOW ZERO THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.

* WIND CHILLS…‌35 BELOW ZERO TO 45 BELOW ZERO THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY. THESE FORECAST WIND CHILLS ARE THE LOWEST IN NEARLY 20 YEARS.

* FROST BITE AND HYPOTHERMIA CAN OCCUR IN A MATTER OF MINUTES.

All day, despite abundant sunshine, the cold seemed like it was pressing on the walls of the house, reaching its icy fingers into the small crevices under the doors, frosting some of the windows, impairing the glow of the compact florescent bulb on the back porch, interfering with the operation of the garage door opener, causing problems with our broadband service, and inspiring the furnace to switch on constantly. The good old gas furnace, boon of modernity.

As expected, no one had to go to school, and we got calls in the afternoon confirming that no one would on Tuesday, either. The mailman made it, though I wouldn’t have been upset if he’d skipped the day. The garbageman and recycle truck driver didn’t make it. It was too cold even for the dog. She’d dash outside for a minute, do her business in her favorite patch of back yard – buried pretty deep now – and hurry back.