Well, it's January, and that means one thing: it's cold outside! Or... maybe not. So far this year we're experiencing record highs, which is no fun if you like cold weather. So, we here at the Big Cock Ranch have decided to send you a little chill. How much do you know about the cold?
Q. How big can snowflakes get?
A. The biggest snowflake ever reported measured 15 inches across.
Q. What are goosebumps and why do we get them?
A. Goosebumps are a temporary reaction of the muscles at the base of the hair follicles covering the body, to stuff like cold, excitement or fear. Some biologists believe that goose bumps in fur-covered animals may have evolved as part of the fight-or-flight response-to make the animals appear larger and more menacing to potential attackers-or to keep them warmer in cold weather. It doesn't seem to serve a very practical purpose in humans though!
Q. How much rain does snow measure up to?
A. It takes ten inches of snow to equal one inch of rain. So if you got a foot of snow, you would have only gotten 1.2 inches if it had been rain instead.
Q. Why does feeling cold make you need to go to the bathroom more often?
A. When you're exposed to cold weather, your blood vessels constrict, and the flow of blood to the skin is reduced, resulting in an overall slowdown of the circulatory system and a rise in blood pressure. To reduce this pressure, the body wants to get rid of as much fluid as possible through urine production.
Q. Why do some crazy people like to swim in cold water during winter?
A. Fans around the globe claim that cold-water swimming has various health benefits, including stress relief, increased resistance to illnesses such as the flu and pneumonia and general regulation of the body's internal system. Avantouinti, or "ice-swimming," is a traditional practice that is regaining popularity in Finland; swimmers cut a hole in the ice of a frozen lake or sea and plunge in for a quick interval. To each, his own.
