There's Something In The Air

Each season has a scent of its own. When the snow hits Plymouth and the wind becomes bitter and chill, the smell of the town becomes something new. Do we all experience the smells of the winter season similarly?  

We are all familiar with the certain smell in the air around this time of year, but some find it difficult to describe it with words. "It's smells like coldness, but I don't know how to explain that...it's a cold smell," said Aisling O'Leary, a PSU student.

Despite the fact that some say they "do not associate smells with winter," this belief does not hold true for all. The array of smells that others tend to relate with the season is both vast and eclectic.  

Although the smells of pine, woodstoves, and maple syrup are the most commonly referenced, many individuals think the air smells "clean" or "dense." A few said that air in winter "smells the cleanest." In contrast, an interesting response is that "[cold weather] enhances the smell of fried food and smoke."

The sense of smell is the closest sense linked to memory. The comforting smells of Christmas cookies, peppermint, cinnamon, candles, and hot cocoa during this time of year are always nostalgic and heartening. There are other smells that people mentioned, such as snowmobile exhaust and sweaty ski boots that are not known to be comforting, but can trigger memories, just like the more agreeable fragrances.

"Winter is both the smell of the salty roads, and sitting by a fireplace, with coffee, a cigarette, and a good book. One is the outside of winter, and one is the inside," said Christian Passen, a PSU student.

The most thought-provoking answer is the idea that one could "smell a storm coming, sense it, and feel it in the air."

People also seem to correlate the beginning and end of winter with different smells. When winter is first starting, people associate it with the holidays, peppermint, cinnamon, pine and evergreen. Towards the end of winter, when all the snow is melting, and spring is on its way, the smell of mud and "new life beginning again," are what some people are drawn to.

As winter is coming to a slow close, perhaps the smells of spring will be in the air and warmer memories will be conjured.