Cheers, curses for chill in the air

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Western Massachusetts once again had to deal with below zero wind chills on Thursday.

“It is absolutely freezing out here,” Gil Molina said.

His reaction is perfectly understandable, since according to 22News Storm Team meteorologist Ashley Baylor, the wind made the 15 degree temperature feel like one below zero.

Yet according to Bruce Sparks, who suffers from asthma, frigid weather is good for what ails him.

“It helps me breathe better. I feel sorry for people that are sick, because it bothers them, not me, that's good,” Sparks said.

And as people shivered as the wind whipped through the downtown canyon of concrete, Cherlyn Allen told 22News, it’s no big deal because she has experienced much colder winters.

“I grew up in Blandford by the Otis Reservoir, and I really remember, you know, below zero- especially at night. Wind chills… we’re just starting to talk about that,” she said.

As for the major complaints we heard: the cold makes heating bills go up, and drivers use too much gas warming up their cars.

Still, Vic Lederer of East Longmeadow said that he has never been bothered by western Massachusetts, winters since friends went to work for the Ice Cube Project in Antarctica

“While they were there, they recorded the lowest temperature in the world; 128 below zero. So, this is a heat wave by comparison,” Lederer said.

Compared with last winter's relatively mild temperatures though, a lot us are feeling the cold.