Frozen pants challenge gives Americans light relief in polar vortex
Plunging temperatures mean wet clothing freezes in minutes in much of the US.
The US has seen temperatures plummet in recent weeks, but Americans have come up with a novel way to have some fun in the harsh conditions.
The frozen pants challenge sees wet clothes left out in the plummeting temperatures, lower than minus 30 degrees celsius in some areas, causing them to freeze solid.
“You can either complain about ‘freezing your pants off’ or you can find the silver lining and laugh about it,” Pamela Metcalf, from Minnesota, told the Press Association.
Mrs Metcalf said she set up her families’ trousers in the snow give those driving by “a little something to smile about”, and claims the trouser-freezing tradition has been going for about six years.
The quick-freezing garments have allowed some to dream up creative new sports.
Maple Grove, Minnesota, had windchill of negative 50 degrees celsius, so 10-year-old Piper Brinda gamely grabbed the opportunity for some fun.
In Minnesota, police uniforms and jeans were used to make intriguing winter scenes.
— John Farrell ☀️?? (@johnffarrell) January 30, 2019
Meanwhile, in Chicago a colourful t-shirt swiftly became solid.
Twitter user @MireilleDelgado told the Press Association the cold was so extreme they couldn’t stay outside more than four minutes “because their skin would be frozen”.
