The weather outside most certainly has been frightful. You know it’s bad when: you step outside and think, “Wow it feels so nice today.” Only to check your phone and find out the current temperature is 20 degrees with a high of 23.
Chicago is used to cold and as a native I have lived through some cold days. But this winter is particularly gruesome. It all started when Auntie Polar Vortex came for a visit. During the day temperatures were kept below zero and during night it dropped as low as -25. Even Chicago had to shut down some schools for a couple days. Auntie P has left, but the chill stays in her wake. The past two weeks have been bitterly cold with temperatures in negatives or single digits.
Now for those of you who are not from the area, in Chicago we have what we call the Lake Effect. While I don’t really understand the science behind it, I have lived its practice. Somehow the air goes out to Lake Michigan and comes whirling back freezing cold or as snow. As a result, a lot of our weather reports will read, “The lake-effect snow plus winds gusting above 30 mph were creating dangerous whiteout conditions.” Often this strong wind makes it feel colder than it actually is. So reports will read, “Nighttime lows could dip as far as -25 degrees in some areas, with wind chill values sinking to -45.” I know these temperatures seem dramatic, but I assure you no hyperbole here.
What winter really looks like
While experiencing these crazy weather conditions, I love watching depictions of winter in the media. All these commercials with lovers under the stars as snowflakes gracefully fall across her face. Tan faces and perfect hair. Women wearing skirts and furry boots, paired with a cute slimming jacket. Well America, this is not what winter looks like. Cheeks are not freckled and rosy. They are pale and blotchy red. Hair is frizzy and a mess, because snow melts when it lands on hair and gets it all wet. No one has any skin exposed to the elements, let alone our entire legs. And if we are wearing a skirt or a dress it’s with tights that are lined with fur. Jackets are not short, light, or slimming. The value of a winter coat is how long, heavy and warm it is. The evaluative question for coat shopping is, “Could you wear a sweatshirt under that?” It’s all about the layers.
So I write to you wearing wools socks and wrapped in a blanket with a space heater under my table. Right now the idea that I ever wore shorts and a tank top seems impossible but I know that I have and that I will again. (Ok maybe now I am sliding into the dramatics.) For now, I will remain positive and I have good reason to: supposedly one day this upcoming week we could hit 36, bringing us above freezing.
Chicago neighborhoods under snow
Questions for Amie? Email law-admissions [at] luc [dot] edu with the subject “Ask Amie” and she will make sure to answer them.