ESU students brave polar vortex

ESU Senior, Brook Wadle, braves the East Stroudsburg University campus during harsh weather conditions. Photo Credit / Valentina Caval
ESU Senior, Brook Wadle, braves the East Stroudsburg University campus  during harsh weather conditions. Photo Credit / Valentina Caval
ESU Senior, Brook Wadle, braves the East Stroudsburg University campus during harsh weather conditions.
Photo Credit / Valentina Caval

BY SAMANTHA SCHILLING

SC Staff Writer

Grab your jackets and gloves, ESU!

The below average temperatures these past few weeks are not only annoying for students and area locals, but also dangerous.

We all keep hearing the term “polar vortex” or “polar shock,” but what exactly is a polar vortex?

One of the meteorologists at Accuweather, Dave Samuhel, explains in an article on accuweather.com the recent trends we have been experiencing.

“A polar vortex is a swirling mass of air, that is around all the time but usually found around the poles. Recently, different trends in our typical weather pattern have forced it to come down into territories that don’t usually see this cold or temperatures,” he said.

The extreme cold is dangerous for students with any exposed skin because frostbite can happen in as little as 30 minutes in temperatures as low as zero degrees, according to an article from the Business Insider.

So I ask, what have you been doing to beat the cold?

Nicole Werrell, a third year Early Childhood Education major, told us what she has been doing to keep herself safe from the frigid temperatures and how this weather has affected her.

“The recent weather has affected my body. I get a lot of pains in my hips and knees, so that has only gotten worse making it harder to walk to and from class,” she said. “I have just been bundling up and letting my car warm up longer than usual.”

We also talked to an area local, Marc Sheridan of East Stroudsburg, who works in an open warehouse all day long in these cold temperatures.

He recalled times where he could see icicles on his eyelashes and could not close his eyes because his eyelids were frozen shut. Should schools and places of employment really be open when it is this cold outside?

If you have no choice but to be outside, please dress appropriately and make sure all skin is covered!

Email Samantha at: 

sks5945@live.esu.edu