Last week it warmed up a bit at the Pole, rising from about -45 ºF (-43 ºC) to about -15 ºF (-26 ºC) over the course of the week. Much more summerlike.
Last week, IceCube’s current winterovers, John and Yuya, officially completed a full year at the South Pole, and they’re still going. Their new replacements have not yet arrived, but they are on their way.
It’s a harsh environment at the South Pole. And on windy days, you can really feel it—even in the photos. The flags at the ceremonial South Pole really take a beating.
The scene outside the South Pole station—now that there’s sunlight to see by—is rather changed from how the winterovers remember it last summer. There’s quite a build-up of drifted snow around the tower end of the station.
Sunbathing at the South Pole? Well, why not! The sun is out and there’s a nice smooth snowbank for reclining on.
The IceCube Lab has accumulated quite a bit of snow over the winter. And that snow, there and elsewhere, must be cleared away before planes bringing fresh crew arrive—plenty to do.
Now that the sun is up 24/7 at the South Pole, it’s hard for the winterovers to even imagine the auroras they were enjoying in the dark sky just a month or so ago. Everything is now visible.
The sun is up but still low on the horizon, casting long shadows, as seen here peeking through the exhaust plumes from the power plant.
As the long winter comes to an end with the sunrise at the South Pole, the winterovers embark on spring cleaning around the station.
Last week was somewhat busy for the IceCube detector. Otherwise, the sun continues its slow rise, leaving things outside appearing blue and frosty.