5 Facts Why Winter Could Kill You

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So most of us think that we know pretty much everything about winter, especially if you live in a very cold climate for over six months of the year like people chose to do in Canada, Iceland, Finland, and the others. But even if you're like them and made that kind of great life choice, I guarantee there are some chilly facts on this list that are going to surprise you.

In this Facts in 5, I'm going to explain everything that you need to know about winter including some things that you definitely did not know in five minutes or less. You know winter, that wonderful season that brings icy car windows, slipper walkways and piles and piles of snow. Well bundle up for this one and grab a nice little cup of cocoa because this is Facts in 5 All about winter.

1. What exactly happens during winter?

Simply put, winter occurs when the hemisphere that you're on tips away from the sun. In the northern hemisphere, the higher north you go, the colder it gets. In the southern hemisphere, the farther south you go, the colder it gets. And even though global warming is occurring, there is still a large portion of the earth that is very cold which is why 80 percent of the earth's freshwater is currently in ice. When it gets really cold, ice crystals form around little bits of dirt which are carried up into the clouds and form snowflakes. Yeah, that's right. Snow forms around dirt. You've been putting dirt in your mouth. And each winter, over one septillion snowflakes, that's one followed by 24 zeroes, fall from the sky. And it only takes one snowstorm to drop 39 million tons of snow. Yes, that's a warm thought.

2. So who can benefit from the cold of winter?

Let's talk about animals first. While many animals suffer during the coldest seasons, many animals actually develop coping mechanisms that not only help protect them but provide them with more protection than the summer months. And some of them have pretty much mutant like abilities. The arctic fox, the arctic hare and certain caribou have actually gained the ability to turn white and blend in with their surroundings. Kind of like this. But believe it or not, winter isn't all that bad. In fact, humans can actually benefit from it. Every single year, governments spend more than 2.3 billion dollars on snow and ice removal. That creates a lot of jobs. But it's not just animals and humans. It's fruit as well. Believe it or not, the Chinese Plum is one of the very few species of plant that can actually bloom in the cold. And not only that but many other plants actually require the winter for their natural growth to occur. Mother nature's a mad scientist.

3. Where does winter affect earth the most?

The southern hemisphere usually sees a tamer winter than the north. Mostly due to the fact that is has less landmass and thus a maritime climate. However, both can bring about devastating conditions. Pay attention. I'm going to explain to you. Every single year, an average of 105 snow producing storms hits the United States lasting two to five days each and carrying snow across hundreds of kilometers. Now that might sound bad but it's not nearly as bad as Russia where winters have been reported to be so devastating it's been used as a natural defense against invaders such as those who attacked under Napoleon. But despite all of that, nothing compares to Antarctica, who set the record for the coldest temperature in 1983 when the thermometer hit a whopping negative 89.2 degrees Celsius. That's a cold one.

4. When has winter been the worst?

If you think it's cold where you are, wait til you hear this. In the United States, the Great Blizzard of 1888 brought about the worst death toll for a winter storm in history. Over 400 people were killed and 200 boats sank in the icy waters as the incredibly powerful snowstorm tore through New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Then over 122 years later, in 2010, two blizzards hit at the exact same time dropping a blanket of white on 68.1 percent of the United States which broke snowfall records. In fact, it was dubbed Snowmageddon by Barack Obama. Sounds like a cheap Hollywood movie. These blizzards had significant consequences. In fact, the Great Blizzard of 1888 actually had a hand in convincing officials to make the first underground subway system.

5. Why is cold weather so dangerous?

Well, it should be clear by now that you should take the winter very seriously but in case you need some more convincing, here's a few more things to consider. In the United States alone, while the summer heat takes many lives every year, the winter cold kills well over double that number. As calm as it might seem, consider that it creates frostbite, hypothermia, and icy driving obstacles often invisible to the naked eye. So in other words, take extreme caution when going outside in the winter.

The best thing you can do is bundle up with a lot of outer layers and for the love of God, drive extra careful. Over seven thousand deaths are caused by adverse weather conditions in the US alone each year. So in other words, don't be a turkey. Drive safe and stay alive.

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