Winter’s cold has many redeeming qualities
On a calm, cloudy 22-degree January day, I slipped my cold feet into warm boots and went out for a walk, although it was tempting to stay inside with a cup of hot tea. A few blades of dormant grass poked through the snow. It was quiet and I saw no signs of life.
But the “yank, yank” call of the white-breasted nuthatch reminded me that there is life outside in winter. And in fact, cold weather can be good for us, for the wildlife, for the gardens, and for the crops we grow in the Midwest.
“Cold winter air is one of the reasons we have very productive soils in Illinois and the Midwest,” according to a blog from the University of Illinois Department of Extension Services.
“Temperature plays a major role in the amount of organic matter present in soils,” the blog states. Our winters are cold enough for bacteria in the soil to go dormant, allowing organic matter to remain at levels “high enough to make our soils very productive for native plants, gardens, and field crops,” the blog says.
This cycle is “why Illinois has some of the best soils in the world,” says Christopher Enroth, horticulture educator with the Illinois Extension Service.
What’s concerning is that a recent study showed that some crops grown in the Midwest have lower production levels in the spring after warm winters compared to colder winters. We should therefore perhaps not hope too quickly for milder temperatures in January and February.
Native plants also benefit from the cold. They have evolved to adapt to low temperatures, and some seeds must go through freezing temperatures for one to three months to germinate in the spring. Some plants that need this process, called cold stratification, include milkweed, purple coneflower, black-eyed Susan, and redbud, among others.
We planted a red tree in our yard many years ago and now have two smaller ones growing in the yard. We didn’t plant them there, or plant seeds. I bet some seeds were under the snow in cold weather and then germinated in the spring.
I also grow Black-eyed Susans, and they tend to spread here and there every year. Goldfinches eat the seeds of these plants, but not all of them. The remaining seeds receive their “cold” treatment in winter, allowing me to see the black and yellow flowers in summer.
The flowers produce seeds that can give rise to new plants. Inside the seeds are embryos – tiny, undeveloped plants. A protective layer on the seed protects the embryo from the cold. Then, when more light and heat hits the ground, the embryo breaks through the covering.
It’s really amazing that all these seeds latent in winter can withstand the cold, even need it, to perpetuate the species.
Humans don’t particularly like cold, freezing weather, particularly because it makes travel in winter difficult, and sometimes impossible. Certainly, extreme weather conditions can cause frostbite or hypothermia. But if you dress appropriately and take a short walk in the cold, you can temporarily improve your mood and boost your brain, according to a few studies. Perhaps that’s why some people take the annual polar bear dive into Lake Michigan in Waukegan to start the new year.
One way I expose myself to the cold every winter is to participate in a Christmas bird count. People around the world gather data for scientific purposes to determine which species are most numerous in different regions from mid-December to early January.
Here in northern Illinois, I exercise and am exposed to cold air during bird counts, which keeps me optimistic for several days afterward. The last few bird counts I participated in were warmer than normal and, to be honest, I wish it had been colder. Hopefully there will be more snow and cold before winter ends.
Sheryl DeVore worked as a full-time freelance reporter, editor and photographer for the Chicago Tribune and its affiliates. She is the author of several books on nature and the environment. Send story ideas and thoughts to sheryldevorewriter@gmail.com.
