Mac Town

So what's it like to be at the biggest station on the coldest continent on Earth?

McMurdo Station is 77 degrees 51 minutes South (approximately 950 miles away from the South Pole) and 166 degrees 40 minutes East. Our current weather conditions (according to the McMurdo weather service) are overcast skies, 1/4 mile visibility, blowing snow (it's not falling, just moving around in the wind), a temp of 21 F, wind chill of 1 F, and wind speeds of approx 35 mph. Needless to say, it's a bit chilly down here.

This is what it looks like:

This sign is on the back of building 155 (where everybody eats)

Observation Hill- members of Robert Falcon Scott's party ascended this each day to look out for their leader as he returned from the ice (he never made it). There's a memorial cross on top of the hill, but the power lines are blocking it in this photo.

Antarctica's MGH- not quite as fancy as Mass. General Hospital, but it has more personality.

Assorted McMurdo buildings. The flat white behind them is the sea ice in McMurdo sound and behind that you can see parts of the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM). Unfortunately, views like this one have been rare since we got here- right now all we can see past the buildings is a white wall of cloud and snow.