The Midwestern residents are very bored this week and are testing the polar vortex by challenging if the present temperature of their region is cold enough for instantly freezing a vessel of boiling water. They have named it the ‘Boiling Water Challenge’ and no; don’t get it confused with “Boiling Water Challenge”.
Locals are moving out of their houses in the subzero temperatures for examining the real strength of Mother Nature. So basically, the challenge starts with a participant boiling hot water in a pot and then heading outside and then throwing the liquid in the air to watch it scatter in tiny “snowflakes” while creating a plume of smoke.
Is the stunt actually creating snow?
Well, the boiling water challenge isn’t responsible for creating snow. As explained by the National Snow and Ice Data Centre on their website, “Snow forms when the atmospheric temperature is at or below freezing (0 degrees Celsius or 32 degrees Fahrenheit) and there is a minimum amount of moisture in the air. If the ground temperature is at or below freezing, the snow will reach the ground”.
Even though it’s never “too cold” for a snowfall, it is noted by the organization that heavy snowfalls usually occurs when warmer air is present close to the ground.
When the “Boiling Water Challenge” takes place, the hot water just evaporates and turns to vapour. Therefore, it “condenses into a cloud”. Although the cloud vanishes in a few seconds, it’s nevertheless a sight worth watching! The officials are also urging all those attempting the challenge for being cautious and to wear winter gear for protection.
The Challenge is all the rage in social media
A lot of people have taken to social media for posting enhance pictures and slow-motion videos of the snow-like illusion. An epic photo shared by an Indiana photographer on Instagram has received over 500 likes and the photo shows the temperature at minus 20 degrees creating a vapour cloud. What made the picture even more vibrant is the Sun at the background. In Illinois, one woman went to a snow-clad sidewalk for creating “[her] own cloud”. A Chicago-based photographer, Maggie Russo also grasped the opportunity for snapping a jaw-dropping picture of the “Boiling Water Challenge”. Jokingly, she said online, “It was -20 today so of course I had to do this!”
There were many others who joined the bandwagon and gave us amazing photographs to look and admire. Ah! The mind-blowing wonders of nature!