Cold

Copyright 2015 Kevin P. Mick Photography. All rights reserved.

Someone flying east from Los Angeles, CA to Baltimore, MD tomorrow morning would experience a dramatic difference in temperature as the Baltimore forecast is for a temperature of -2 to -4 degrees Fahrenheit before the windchill factor is applied.  This creates a nearly 70 degree difference for the traveler, with Baltimore being so very much colder.   Flying west would produce the opposite effect and it is modern air travel that makes it possible to have such a discomforting temperature experience in such a relatively short period of time.  As impressive as this scenario would be, air travel does not compare to what Mother Nature can do with air temperatures in short periods of time, as described here.

Such dramatic changes in temperature can present a challenge for “thermoregulation”, which is the ability to maintain a relatively stable body temperature.  Over the millennia, and depending on the native environment, evolution has allowed for organisms to develop a variety of coping mechanisms for thermoregulation, which are detailed in this article.  Folks in the Baltimore area seem to be coping by finding ways to stay indoors.  If that is not possible and going outside is inevitable, people will be adding layers for the same reason that birds puff up their feathers.

Take care and stay warm.