From marathons in the Antarctic to frost fairs on the Thames, discover how humans become inventive when sub-zero temperatures hit
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This week, a polar vortex storm has swept across central and eastern parts of the US – as well as Canada – bringing baltic wind chills and inclement weather. From bodies of water like Lake Ontario in Canada being entirely frozen over, to snow and ice forcing major sporting games to be cancelled, it’s evident that when the cold strikes, daily life changes.
Yet for some nations, icy weather brings the opportunity for unique activities that only happen when sub-zero temperatures hit. Read on to find out five of these, from historic frost fairs on the Thames to huge snow festivals in China…
1) Frost fairs on the Thames
From the early 1600s to the early 1800s, the surface of the River Thames froze more than 24 times. When trade and travel on the vital river ground to a standstill, Londoners brought street life straight onto the ice instead.
Initially, ‘frost fairs’ were set up so people could travel and trade on the river. Eventually, they evolved into full-blown festivals featuring entertainment and activities such as hunting, skating and bowling.
One reason to explain such plunging temperatures back then was the Little Ice Age, when countries north of the equator – including Britain – experienced cooler than normal weather. During this period, the global temperature is thought to have dropped by around 0.5C.
2) Antarctic marathon runs
When cold temperatures hit, most people flock indoors for warmth. But for those sporting enthusiasts with a penchant for the cold, a marathon in one of the iciest places on Earth is a challenge like no other.
It is located in the interior of Antarctica, and those taking part must brave average windchill temperatures of -20C alongside strong katabatic winds. As well as this, the event takes place at an altitude of 700 metres.
So far, there have been 20 Antarctic marathons to date, with the event record for men standing at 2:53:33, while the women’s record is 3:29:16.
3) Lake Suwa crossing rituals
When Lake Suwa, the largest lake in Japan’s Nagono, freezes in winter, ‘omiwatari’ sometimes takes place – known as ‘God’s Crossing’ in Japanese. This phenomenon happens when the icy surface stretches due to temperature differences between day and night, forming jagged ridges of ice that crack through the surface accompanied by a loud ‘ice thunder’.
People occasionally cross the river during this tradition, when the ice is thick enough – typically in January or February. However, due to climate change, it’s becoming rarer and rarer to see the lake entirely frozen.
4) Winter swimming races
Winter swimming, or ice swimming, has a long-standing tradition around the world, particularly in Eastern Europe. Numerous competitions are held throughout the coldest months in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
As well as this, those wanting to brave the cold in the US can do so in open-water cold swimming races. In places like Newport, Vermont, swimmers compete in a 25m pool cut into a frozen lake, with water sometimes below freezing – among the coldest competitive ice swims in the America
5) Chinese snow festival
In Harbin, China, an ice and snow festival – the largest of its kind in the world – is held annually, and is rebuilt from scratch every year.
Enormous snow and ice sculptures are created, with life-sized buildings, bridges and even ice Ferris wheels carved in the past. Visitors are able to walk on ice steps into ice churches, and slide down ice slides. At night, the festival becomes illuminated with thousands of lights.
