South Pole Journal: Mondays at Pole
Day 202 of winter. Mondays run meeting-free on New Zealand time while the U.S. sleeps. After a leftover Sunday, hot galley meals return as a morale boost. Outside: -56°F, 19-knot winds, 10,740 feet above sea level.
Originally posted on 5 June 2023 during my time as Winter Site Manager at the South Pole Station.
5 June
Day 202! It’s Monday here at the South Pole, Antarctica.
Mondays at the South Pole are generally meeting free. Since we are on New Zealand time, South Pole Station is one day ahead of the United States. When it is Monday here, it’s Sunday in the United States. That means that the head offices and those back home are generally not working, unless there is an emergency. Monday for me personally is always fun because I get to eat a real meal. On Sunday, the galley and kitchen are closed, so we eat leftovers and whatever else is saved from the weekday in the community refrigerator. After eating bagels and cereal on Sunday, breakfast and lunch are always a treat on Monday when the stomach is a bit hungrier than usual.
More to come tomorrow from the South Pole, Antarctica.
5 June Weather Condition at the South Pole Station
Temperature: -49.3°C/-56.7°F
Wind Chill: -72.1°C/-97.8°F
Wind Speed: NW, 19.0 KNOTS
Wind Direction: GRID: 319.3 / CARDINAL: NW
Air Pressure: ALTITUDE (FEET): 10,740 / ALTITUDE (METERS): 3,273 / INCHES HG: 20.0 / MILLIBARS: 676.9
