What's the temperature where you are???

[kikiruru]

Christmas Eve 356p 64f67 or 63
I have been shorts last several hours
Sun shine nice and warm

 

[Nym]

This is unusually warm even for southern Arizona. We've been breaking records. We're usually in the mid-60s by now. My sweaters are being neglected!

and my jumpers are still on the top shelf. However, that looks set to change:

 

[Nym]

Wednesday 25th of December 8.11a.m. A chilly nite. A cloudless blue sky! 9.3 / 11.1kph NNE, Hg 41%, top of 24C / 75F. Maring wind warning. Sunny.

Moon is 27%

Christmas in the North Pole involves constant darkness, snow and reindeer​

1h ago

The town of Longyearbyn in the North Pole hosts an annual Christmas march in early December. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

The festive season in Australia coincides with the longest days of the year, but imagine living somewhere where you don't see sunlight at all and it lasts for four months.

The only reprieve from the darkness, also known as polar night, comes from the moon, stars or artificial lights.

Luckily in Svalbard — a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean that's as close to the North Pole as most people can get — festive twinkling lights are a constant this time of year.

Reindeer graze on snow and a giant Christmas tree is lit up all the time.

"It basically feels like you're inside a snow globe or a Christmas card," explained Ruth Stewart, a British woman who moved to the town of Longyearbyn in Svalbard only months ago.

The settlement of Longyearbyn is close to nature, with reindeer adding to the Christmas feel. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

"There's just so much snow and there's loads and loads of light, like little twinkly fairy lights everywhere."
She estimates that almost half of the 2,600 people that live in the settlement of Longyearbyn are foreigners.

Many are lured to the world's northernmost permanent settlement — which sits well above the Arctic Circle — because of its wildness, proximity to nature and friendly community.

Ms Stewart said it's also "breathtakingly beautiful".

"It's the most beautiful place I've ever been," she said.

This is particularly so during the holidays, despite the 24-hour darkness.

"I feel more festive this year than I have in a really long time, like everyone, because it's dark all the time," Ms Stewart explained.

Almost half of the 2,600 people who live in Longyearbyn are from overseas. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

Santa's home​

Legend has it, it's also the home of Santa Claus.

Australian woman, Storme Pettit, who moved to Longyearbyn about 8 months ago, said an annual Christmas march in early December takes the town's residents to a decommissioned mine on the outskirts.

"There is a myth that that is where Santa lives up in the mountainside there," she said.

"And there's a post box where you can send your letters to Santa at the bottom of the mountain."

Ms Pettit moved to the remote outpost to experience "what it was like to live at the end of the world" and all the extremes that go with it — such as not seeing the sun again until March 8, when it will finally sneak just above the horizon.

The average daytime temperature is also between minus 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, so just getting dressed can take up to half an hour.

So Ms Pettit is learning how to keep herself healthy, including using things like a humidifier because it's so dry outside, and then inside with the heating.

"A sun lamp can be really vital, and taking vitamin D," she said.

"I think it's incredibly important to make sure you get good sleep and you have a good routine and exercise."

Coping without sunlight​

Ruth Stewart agrees that exercise as well as consistent bed and wake up times are essential.

"I find it affects my energy level quite a lot because your brain is just constantly thinking it's bedtime," she said.

"It can be a bit depressing, but I think once you're here for a while, you sort of acclimatise to it."

But Ms Stewart said polar nights were actually easier than polar days, when the sun never sets for almost four months of the year.

"So your brain is just constantly awake," she explained.

"It's like your brain knows that it's daylight outside, even if you have blackout curtains.

"During the summer I was maybe averaging 5 hours sleep a day, but I never really felt tired because there's always daylight and your brain and body just feels energised and active."

Longyearbyn has a post box at the bottom of a mountain for letters to Santa. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

Where time doesn't matter​

What about the locals? How do they cope with the polar nights and polar days?

Maria Philippa Rossi is as local as you can get in Svalbard — a Norwegian who moved there in 2018.

She also has two young boys and partly moved there for a simpler lifestyle and to get outdoors more.

"When we moved to Svalbard, we suddenly had the mountains just around us and could put them to bed at 7pm and still go out skiing or hiking," she said.

"Time doesn't matter as much."

Ms Rossi said her children managed the extremes well because they did not know any different.

The key is being outside as much as possible.

"You'd be surprised by how much light there is despite it being pitch black," she said.

"If you let your eyes adjust to scenery, you can have beautiful journeys with the moonlight and stars as your light source.

"Then you come home from a trip like that, just so high."

But Ms Rossi admits Svalbard is a weird place.

"If I walk 500m in one direction from my home, I should bring my rifle with me for polar bear protection," she said.

"To have that in your daily life, it sort of adds to the quirkiness of the place.

"Life just calms down up here."

 

[Nomadicus]

42° and clear

 

[Gill-b]

Expected to be around 37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit by midday today.

I got up at 04h30 to open all the windows and doors to let in the cool morning air (plus a few still up and about mosquitoes). Cold meats and salads for lunch today.

 

[kikiruru]

Christmas Eve 1039p 48f45 or 48f48 & forecast morning low

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Someone dressed up their saguaros as the Three Wise Men.

 

[Ponypoor]

Wednesday 25th of December 8.11a.m. A chilly nite. A cloudless blue sky! 9.3 / 11.1kph NNE, Hg 41%, top of 24C / 75F. Maring wind warning. Sunny.

Moon is 27%

Christmas in the North Pole involves constant darkness, snow and reindeer​

1h ago

The town of Longyearbyn in the North Pole hosts an annual Christmas march in early December. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

The festive season in Australia coincides with the longest days of the year, but imagine living somewhere where you don't see sunlight at all and it lasts for four months.

The only reprieve from the darkness, also known as polar night, comes from the moon, stars or artificial lights.

Luckily in Svalbard — a remote Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean that's as close to the North Pole as most people can get — festive twinkling lights are a constant this time of year.

Reindeer graze on snow and a giant Christmas tree is lit up all the time.

"It basically feels like you're inside a snow globe or a Christmas card," explained Ruth Stewart, a British woman who moved to the town of Longyearbyn in Svalbard only months ago.

The settlement of Longyearbyn is close to nature, with reindeer adding to the Christmas feel. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

"There's just so much snow and there's loads and loads of light, like little twinkly fairy lights everywhere."
She estimates that almost half of the 2,600 people that live in the settlement of Longyearbyn are foreigners.

Many are lured to the world's northernmost permanent settlement — which sits well above the Arctic Circle — because of its wildness, proximity to nature and friendly community.

Ms Stewart said it's also "breathtakingly beautiful".

"It's the most beautiful place I've ever been," she said.

This is particularly so during the holidays, despite the 24-hour darkness.

"I feel more festive this year than I have in a really long time, like everyone, because it's dark all the time," Ms Stewart explained.

Almost half of the 2,600 people who live in Longyearbyn are from overseas. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

Santa's home​

Legend has it, it's also the home of Santa Claus.

Australian woman, Storme Pettit, who moved to Longyearbyn about 8 months ago, said an annual Christmas march in early December takes the town's residents to a decommissioned mine on the outskirts.

"There is a myth that that is where Santa lives up in the mountainside there," she said.

"And there's a post box where you can send your letters to Santa at the bottom of the mountain."

Ms Pettit moved to the remote outpost to experience "what it was like to live at the end of the world" and all the extremes that go with it — such as not seeing the sun again until March 8, when it will finally sneak just above the horizon.

The average daytime temperature is also between minus 10 to 20 degrees Celsius, so just getting dressed can take up to half an hour.

So Ms Pettit is learning how to keep herself healthy, including using things like a humidifier because it's so dry outside, and then inside with the heating.

"A sun lamp can be really vital, and taking vitamin D," she said.

"I think it's incredibly important to make sure you get good sleep and you have a good routine and exercise."

Coping without sunlight​

Ruth Stewart agrees that exercise as well as consistent bed and wake up times are essential.

"I find it affects my energy level quite a lot because your brain is just constantly thinking it's bedtime," she said.

"It can be a bit depressing, but I think once you're here for a while, you sort of acclimatise to it."

But Ms Stewart said polar nights were actually easier than polar days, when the sun never sets for almost four months of the year.

"So your brain is just constantly awake," she explained.

"It's like your brain knows that it's daylight outside, even if you have blackout curtains.

"During the summer I was maybe averaging 5 hours sleep a day, but I never really felt tired because there's always daylight and your brain and body just feels energised and active."

Longyearbyn has a post box at the bottom of a mountain for letters to Santa. (Supplied: Storme Pettit)

Where time doesn't matter​

What about the locals? How do they cope with the polar nights and polar days?

Maria Philippa Rossi is as local as you can get in Svalbard — a Norwegian who moved there in 2018.

She also has two young boys and partly moved there for a simpler lifestyle and to get outdoors more.

"When we moved to Svalbard, we suddenly had the mountains just around us and could put them to bed at 7pm and still go out skiing or hiking," she said.

"Time doesn't matter as much."

Ms Rossi said her children managed the extremes well because they did not know any different.

The key is being outside as much as possible.

"You'd be surprised by how much light there is despite it being pitch black," she said.

"If you let your eyes adjust to scenery, you can have beautiful journeys with the moonlight and stars as your light source.

"Then you come home from a trip like that, just so high."

But Ms Rossi admits Svalbard is a weird place.

"If I walk 500m in one direction from my home, I should bring my rifle with me for polar bear protection," she said.

"To have that in your daily life, it sort of adds to the quirkiness of the place.

"Life just calms down up here."

Having worked in northern boreal forest remote locations I can say that the darkness in the winter is depressing esp when you add on the cold temps. I have been to places where the sun rises around 9:30am skims the horizon and then sets at 3:30pm. Makes for amazing sunrises and sun sets.

Getting all your winter gear on is a pain in the butt. Heaven forbid if you then need to piddle haha!

 

[Ponypoor]

View attachment 4013752

Someone dressed up their saguaros as the Three Wise Men.

View attachment 4013753

That awesome very creative!

 

[Ponypoor]

Expected to be around 37 degrees Celsius or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit by midday today.

I got up at 04h30 to open all the windows and doors to let in the cool morning air (plus a few still up and about mosquitoes). Cold meats and salads for lunch today.

Do you not have screens on your doors and windows? We couldn’t live here without screens to keep out house flies, black flies and mosquitoes in the warm temps.

I even have screens in the barns to keep bugs and flies out.