By Connie Leinbach
See winter storm warning from the National Weather Service affecting the Outer Banks by clicking here.
Cooler—or rather, warmer—heads prevailed Monday (Jan. 1) when no one braved the freezing temperatures to jump in the ocean for a polar plunge.
Around 2 p.m. New Year’s Day, several vehicles ventured onto the airport beach to see if anyone would continue the New Year’s Day event begun in 2012.
“I have my bathing suit on,” Jenny Scarborough, a plunge aficionado who was among a handful of folks bundled up on the cold and windy beach. After about five minutes, she agreed to forego it this year, as did many others who typically join in since Ocracoke waters (and air temperatures) are relatively mild in the winter.
“I have to touch the water though,” she said and dipped her fingers in the surf. “Let’s go back and play board games,” she said afterwards to Kate Plyler.
Tom Cain and Donald Davis drove out to watch, but soon left, as did William Howard and Kate McNally and Roger Meacham and his daughter Whisper.
“I’d go in, but not today,” Meacham said. Then he rolled up his window and took a drive down Southpoint.
A few visitors awaiting the possible plunge also left.
“I’m glad they decided not to,” said one unidentified woman.
Cold temperatures will continue throughout the week. Wednesday will bring a bit of a respite with temperatures reaching the mid-40s and rain is expected. Wednesday night may bring some snow and feezing rain creating dangerour icy condition.
The night-time freezing temperatures are expected into early Sunday morning and may result in freezing and burst pipes that have already occurred to some residences. To read about possibly preventing this, click here.
