Cold

A place so cold that brass monkeys are on the endangered species list.

Let's face it, there are things that you just shouldn't have to do when it's this freezing.

Take an emmy-winning photographer and drone pilot and send him out into the cold. The result is some really cool video.

We may be losing our body heat, but many are keeping their sense of humor.

People who've lived around this area for a while know that most winters are lengthy, dreary, mostly snowfall-free (lately), and really, really cold. That's just the way it is, and we deal with it. Sure, there's some complaining, but we mostly just soldier on, confident in the knowledge that we'll have a nice two-day Spring, then head into the blast furnace.

If you've lived in the Rockford area for any length of time, you've probably noticed that the winter season really starts getting on our collective nerves around the start of February. Looking at the temperatures outside (combined with single digit wind-chill), and the calendar, I must admit that I'm getting tired of shivering, too.

We are expecting the coldest temps of the year so far. But they are not even close to what we have experienced in the past.

Is it just me or has it already kind of felt like a long winter?

Don't let the headline fool you into thinking that you have a choice. Some serious cold is about to hit most of the country, and Rockford is certainly in Mother Nature's crosshairs.

Starting Friday, the Forest City is going to get a whole lot warmer. How much warmer? Well, with the projected high temperature on Friday expected to hit 93, and up to 95 degrees on Saturday, we might be looking at new state records. We may not make it, but we will be in the over-heated ballpark.