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North Wind
North Wind
from Wikipedia

North Wind
Overview
Service typeInter-city rail
StatusDiscontinued
First service1946
Last serviceSeptember 11, 1956
Former operatorsNew Haven Railroad
Boston and Maine Railroad
Route
TerminiNew York City, New York's Grand Central Terminal
Bretton Woods, New Hampshire
Distance travelled335 miles (539 km)
Average journey time9 hours
Service frequencyDaily summer only
Train numbers75 (northbound), 70 (southbound)
On-board services
Seating arrangementscoaches
Catering facilitiesDining car and parlor car

The North Wind was a summer passenger train between New York City, New York and resorts in New Hampshire's White Mountains (New England). Travel time was about 9 hours over the 331-mile (533 km) route to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. The route went via the New Haven Railroad from New York City, New York to Springfield, Massachusetts, where it left the New Haven–Springfield Line to reach the Boston and Maine Railroad at Springfield, Massachusetts, continuing northward to White River Junction, Vermont, Whitefield, New Hampshire and finally Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. [1]

History

[edit]

The North Wind was a fast, daytime train intended to lure vacationers to the White Mountains. It operated with fewer stops than the Day White Mountains (14 versus 30) so as to offer a more competitive travel time with driving. It was considered the premier train serving the New York City to White Mountains route and offered parlor seats for its entire route as well as a dining car as far as Bellows Falls or White River Junction.[2] Initially in 1946, the train provided gratifying results according to B&M management.[3] For the summer of 1949, the northern terminus was extended from Whitefield, New Hampshire to Bretton Woods, New Hampshire.[4] Starting in 1950, it was combined with the Day White Mountains train from New York City to Springfield with that train making more stops north of Springfield and terminating in Groveton, New Hampshire.[5] For the 1956 season, it ran combined with the Day White Mountains as far as White River Junction in an effort reduce passenger train expenses under the newly arrived president, Patrick McGinnis. [2] The train was discontinued after the 1956 season.[6]

References

[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
The North Wind, personified in ancient as the god , is one of the four , the seasonal wind deities who controlled the from each . specifically embodied the harsh, cold gusts originating from the north, often linked to winter storms and icy weather sweeping down from the mountains of . As the son of the Titan (god of the dusk) and (goddess of the dawn), he was described in classical texts as a powerful, winged figure with purple wings and a form sometimes portrayed with bloated cheeks or an icy beard to symbolize his frosty breath. Boreas played a prominent role in several myths, most notably his abduction of the Athenian princess Oreithyia, whom he carried off to and made his bride, fathering winged children including the snow goddess Khione and the Boreades twins Zetes and Kalais, who later joined . He was also renowned for siring swift, divine horses with the mares of Erichthonios, King of Dardania, as recounted in Homer's , highlighting his association with speed and untamed power. In historical lore, Boreas earned the favor of the Athenians after a storm he unleashed wrecked the Persian fleet during the invasion of 480 BCE, leading to his cult's establishment as a protector of . Beyond mythology, the term "north wind" refers meteorologically to any wind blowing from the north, typically bringing cooler temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere due to its origin over polar or continental regions. In various cultures, it carries symbolic weight, such as representing judgment or renewal in biblical contexts, or introspection and wisdom in some Native American traditions.

Meteorology

Definition

In meteorology, a , or northerly wind, is defined as a that originates from the and blows toward the . This directional convention measures from the point of origin using a 360-degree scale, where is designated as 0° or 360°, as 90°, as 180°, and west as 270°, with degrees increasing from . The north wind is distinguished from other winds primarily by its compass direction, which indicates the bearing from which the approaches, rather than its destination. While direction provides the orientation, the intensity of a north wind—or any wind—is independently classified using the Beaufort wind scale, an empirical system that correlates with observable effects on land or sea, ranging from force 0 (calm, less than 1 ) to force 12 (hurricane, over 64 s). North winds arise from basic atmospheric dynamics involving pressure s, where differences in air pressure drive horizontal air movement from high-pressure areas to low-pressure areas. Specifically, a north wind forms when a high-pressure is situated north of a low-pressure , creating a north-south aligned that propels air southward; the steeper the , the stronger the resulting .

Characteristics

North winds in mid-latitudes typically originate from polar regions, transporting air masses that result in lower temperatures compared to surrounding areas. These winds are often associated with continental polar (cP) air masses, which form over snow-covered landmasses and maintain a profile even as they advect southward. In temperate zones, such as parts of and , north winds can lower daytime highs by 10–20°F (5–11°C) during outbreaks, contributing to chilly conditions. North winds in temperate zones typically exhibit moderate speeds that vary with synoptic conditions like high-pressure systems over polar areas that drive the flow. These speeds reflect moderate breezes capable of influencing local weather without extreme gusts, though stronger episodes can exceed this during cold fronts. cP air masses carried by these winds exhibit low moisture content, with relative humidity often below 50%, promoting clear skies and stable atmospheres. However, in winter, interaction with warmer surfaces or fronts can lead to frost formation or light snow, as the dry air cools further and any available moisture condenses. North winds are more prevalent in the winter hemispheres due to strengthened gradients between polar and mid-latitude regions, enhancing air outbreaks. In the , this aligns with frequent northerly flows from December to February, driven by semi-permanent high-pressure systems. Within global circulation models, such northerly surface flows appear in the polar cell, where air descends over the poles and moves equatorward at low levels, exemplifying meridional transport similar to dynamics in the at lower latitudes.

Regional Variations

In , the exemplifies a regional north wind north of the , particularly affecting and eastern around . This northeasterly flow arises from a strong , channeling cold air masses southward through mountain gaps, resulting in gusty conditions with sustained speeds often exceeding 7-8 m/s and pronounced diurnal temperature fluctuations. The is most frequent in spring, persisting for 4-7 days during winter under stable high-pressure systems, and its orographic enhancement by the and amplifies its intensity. Further south in the Mediterranean, the represents another variant, a strong, dry northerly or northwesterly wind originating from the French hinterlands and descending toward the . It transports cold, continental air over warmer seas, fostering organized turbulence in the marine boundary layer and occurring frequently year-round, averaging about 100-150 days annually in the region, with stronger episodes in winter. Recent analyses as of 2023 suggest a possible decline in Tramontane frequency amid , with 2022 recording only about 90 days compared to typical 120. In , north winds manifest as the "Blue Norther" across the , especially in the central and from to . These sudden cold fronts plunge southward on strong northerly winds, often under clear skies, causing dramatic temperature drops of 40-50°F within hours during winter and spring. Unlike the warm, downslope Chinook winds along the ' eastern slopes, which moderate temperatures through adiabatic heating, Blue Northers deliver unmitigated cold without precipitation, shifting winds abruptly from southerly to northerly and creating a characteristic blue-black sky ahead of the front. This variant underscores the Plains' vulnerability to rapid synoptic changes, with historical events like the November 1911 outbreak recording swings up to 66°F in a day. In and polar regions, north winds take extreme forms, such as the intense northerlies on Siberia's , where the low-lying experiences some of the world's highest onshore wind speeds year-round, exacerbating the already frigid temperatures below -30°C in winter. These persistent, gusty flows whip across the landscape, contributing to harsh conditions that challenge local ecosystems and infrastructure. In the broader , northerly winds from the central ocean basins drive sea ice formation by advecting cold air southward, enhancing thermodynamic cooling and rejection in marginal seas like the Bering and Chukchi, while also compacting and deforming existing ice packs. This dynamic process influences seasonal ice extent, with strong northerlies accelerating growth during winter by promoting surface heat loss and export from high-latitude source regions. However, ongoing Arctic warming as of 2025 has led to thinner ice packs, making wind-driven deformation more influential on seasonal extent.

Mythology and Folklore

Greek and Roman Traditions

In , was personified as the god of the north wind, one of the , the quartet of wind deities who governed the cardinal directions. He was depicted as a winged, bearded figure with flowing hair and a powerful build, often clad in a short pleated or Thracian attire, embodying the raw force of winter gales sweeping from the mountains of , his mythical homeland. 's name derives from meanings such as "North Wind" or "Devouring One," reflecting his association with cold, clear, and strong blasts that brought harsh winter conditions. A prominent myth involving Boreas recounts his abduction of Oreithyia, the Athenian princess and daughter of King , while she played by the Ilissus River; he carried her off to , where they became consorts and parents to the winged sons Zetes and , the . This tale, frequently illustrated in ancient vase paintings showing Boreas grasping Oreithyia in flight, underscored his aggressive and impulsive nature, linking him to Athenian royal lineage through their offspring. In Homer's , Boreas appears as a vitalizing breath reviving the wounded , yet his broader portrayal as a north wind evokes destructive power, contrasting with the gentler , the , in epic descriptions of tempests and seasonal shifts. The Romans adopted into their pantheon as Aquilo (or Aquilon), the equivalent god of the north wind among the Venti, the Roman wind deities mirroring the . Aquilo retained similar attributes, including origins tied to northern regions and a role as a bringer of wintry storms, often invoked in for his scattering of clouds and stirring of tempests. Like , he symbolized a harsh, unyielding force, distinct from milder winds such as Favonius (Zephyrus's Roman counterpart), and was part of myths emphasizing the winds' collective dominion under .

Other Cultural Representations

In Norse mythology, the north wind is personified by Kari, a jötunn and god associated with the cold gales originating from the northern realms, particularly Jötunheimr, the homeland of the frost giants known for its icy landscapes and harsh weather. Kari, depicted as a powerful spirit controlling wintry blasts, embodies the elemental forces of air and storm, often linked to the broader cosmology where winds arise from the eagle Hræsvelgr perched at the northern edge of the sky, whose flapping wings generate tempests across the world. These northern winds from Jötunheimr symbolize chaos and primordial cold, influencing epic narratives through themes of endurance against elemental adversity, as seen in the atmospheric descriptions of northern trials in sagas depicting the Volsung clan's journeys amid relentless frosts and gales. Among Indigenous North American traditions, () folklore portrays the north wind as a formidable spirit embodying winter's severity, challenged by the resilient figure Shingebiss, a small merganser duck who defies its icy dominance to ensure survival. In the tale collected by ethnographer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, Shingebiss builds a lodge facing away from the wind's fury, drills through thick ice to fish daily, and sings defiantly to outlast the spirit's attempts to freeze the waters, symbolizing courage, resourcefulness, and the triumph of perseverance over seasonal trials. This narrative underscores the north wind's role as a tester of human and animal fortitude during harsh winters, teaching lessons of preparation and unyielding spirit without succumbing to fear. Inuit lore similarly reveres the north wind through Negafook (or Negakfok), a supernatural spirit governing snow, cold winds, and stormy weather, often invoked in Yup'ik rituals to navigate the perils of hunts and endurance tests. Represented in ceremonial carved from wood and adorned with feathers to mimic swirling gusts, Negafook controls the blizzards that challenge hunters at breathing holes of marine mammals, transforming winter into a realm of spiritual trials where success in sealing or demands respect for these forces. Stories emphasize the wind's dual nature as both a barrier to —preventing access to game during peak cold—and a purifying entity that fosters communal resilience and harmony with the frozen environment. In , Bei Feng, the north wind, appears in ancient texts like the Shijing (Book of Songs) as a harbinger of autumn's chill and metaphorical turmoil, blowing coldly to signal seasonal transition and societal hardship. Described in odes such as "Bei Feng" as ushering in thick and urgency for unity amid adversity, it evokes the desolation of falling leaves and gathering frost, symbolizing not only natural change but also political unrest and the people's suffering under tyrannical rule. This wind's portrayal in classical poetry highlights its role as an omen of and endurance, bridging seasonal cycles with moral reflections on and exile. Japanese Shinto tales feature of the winds, including , the elemental deity who commands gales from a bag of air, often tied to northern storms in broader yokai traditions where invisible spirits like kaze no kami manifest as disruptive forces in . In narratives blending reverence with Buddhist influences, these wind disrupt human affairs through typhoons and tempests, yet are appeased in rituals to ensure safe passage and bountiful seasons, embodying the unpredictable power of nature's breath. Such depictions in tales emphasize the north wind's as guardians of cosmic balance, testing purity and devotion amid elemental chaos.

Cultural and Symbolic Uses

In Literature

In classical literature, the north wind, often personified as Boreas, appears as a dynamic force that both aids and challenges protagonists. Conversely, in Virgil's Aeneid, stormy north winds, unleashed by Aeolus at Juno's behest, serve as formidable obstacles during the epic storm in Book 1, scattering Aeneas's fleet and symbolizing divine wrath and the trials of fate. These winds, including Aquilo (the Roman Boreas), embody chaos and adversity, forcing the Trojans to confront their destiny amid elemental turmoil. Transitioning to 19th- and 20th-century works, the north wind emerges as a personified entity evoking emotional depth and introspection. frequently anthropomorphizes the north wind's chill in her poetry to convey isolation and resilience; in "The Wind took up the Northern Things" (c. 1862), she depicts it as a restless force that "piled them in the south," rearranging the world with capricious energy and highlighting 's indifferent power. Similarly, in her poems like "Hemlock," Dickinson portrays northern winds as nourishing yet harsh, thriving the hemlock's "gnash" while evoking a stark, life-affirming . In C.S. Lewis's , particularly The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950), the north wind carries connotations of impending adventure and otherworldly peril, ushering in the eternal winter from the White Witch's northern domain and signaling the children's heroic journey into a frozen, enchanted realm. Thematically, the north wind recurs as a multifaceted of change, adversity, and renewal across literary traditions, often bridging vulnerability with transformative forces. It represents harsh trials that test , as in its role fostering growth amid desolation, yet also heralds rebirth, much like seasonal shifts from winter's grip. A poignant example appears in the traditional English "The North Wind Doth Blow" (collected in , 18th century), where the lines "The north wind doth blow, / And we shall have snow, / And what will poor robin do then, poor thing?" evoke winter's adversity while implying and survival, embedding themes of and cyclical renewal in folklore-infused .

In Art and Music

In visual art, the north wind, often personified as the Greek god , has been a recurring motif symbolizing raw power, cold fury, and mythological drama, particularly in and later periods. One prominent depiction appears in scenes of Boreas abducting the Athenian princess Oreithyia, as captured in ' oil painting Boreas Abducting Oreithyia (c. 1620), where the winged god emerges from stormy clouds to seize his beloved amid a turbulent landscape, emphasizing the wind's violent and transformative force. Similarly, in Sandro Botticelli's (c. 1485), while the central winds are Zephyr and gently propelling ashore, the composition alludes to Boreas as the banished cold north wind of winter, contrasting seasonal renewal against harsh northern gales. By the , Romantic artists harnessed the north wind to evoke sublime natural terror and human isolation in landscapes. John William Waterhouse's Boreas (1903) portrays a ethereal female figure buffeted by fierce gusts, her garments swirling in blue and slate tones to convey the wind's isolating chill and elemental dominance. Australian painter Frederick McCubbin's The North Wind (c. 1888) captures a windswept rural scene with bent trees and brooding skies, symbolizing the relentless force of southern hemisphere northerlies as a metaphor for amid adversity. These works, influenced by Romanticism's fascination with nature's awe-inspiring might, often framed the north wind as a harbinger of storm and introspection rather than mere weather. In music, the north wind inspires compositions that mimic its gusty intensity and emotional depth, from classical concertos to folk traditions. Antonio Vivaldi's Winter from The Four Seasons (1725) vividly evokes the north wind through rapid tremolos and strings, as described in its accompanying : "We feel the chill north winds coarse through the home despite the locked and bolted doors," portraying the season's biting gales as both torment and quiet joy by the fireside. This programmatic depiction uses dynamic contrasts to simulate wind's piercing cold, establishing a template for weather-inspired music. Scandinavian folk traditions further embed the north wind in oral and musical heritage, where it symbolizes harsh winters and resilience in ballads passed down through generations. Songs like those in Nordic collections often reference blustery northern gusts as forces shaping seafaring tales and seasonal cycles, with modern interpretations in Viking-inspired amplifying their haunting, atmospheric quality through acoustic strings and vocals that echo wind-swept fjords. In modern media, the north wind appears in film scores and album art as a symbol of isolation, mystical power, and epic struggle. For instance, the Spanish animated fantasy The Legend of the North Wind employs a score with swirling orchestral winds and choral elements to underscore the wind spirit's role in Basque folklore, blending adventure with ethereal tension. These representations extend the north wind's artistic legacy into contemporary narratives of power and solitude.

Environmental and Historical Impacts

Weather and Climate Effects

Northerly winds often drive short-term weather disruptions by transporting cold southward, resulting in rapid drops and widespread cold snaps. These outbreaks occur when disruptions to the stratospheric allow cold air masses to spill over mid-latitudes, with surface winds shifting to northerly directions that amplify the chill through . For instance, during such events in , s can plummet by 20–30°F (11–17°C) within hours, leading to wind as low as -20°F (-29°C) and increasing risks of . In addition to cooling, northerly winds enhance systems by converging with warmer southerly flows along frontal boundaries, fostering low-pressure development and intensifying , as seen in extratropical cyclones where northerly shear promotes asymmetric moisture distribution and vigor. On a climatic scale, northerly winds play a key role in polar vortex dynamics and jet stream variability, particularly during winter when a weakened vortex causes the polar jet stream to meander southward, enabling persistent northerly flow that prolongs cold anomalies across continents. This meandering, driven by interactions between the stratospheric vortex and tropospheric circulation, can lock weather patterns in place for weeks, contributing to extreme seasonal cold in regions like Eurasia and North America. Such jet stream shifts indirectly influence global teleconnections, including disruptions to phenomena like the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), where altered mid-latitude wind patterns can modulate Pacific trade wind strength and sea surface temperature gradients. Ecologically, northerly winds significantly affect wildlife migration and agricultural productivity. For birds, these winds provide tailwinds during southward fall migrations, accelerating travel speeds and energy efficiency for like raptors and passerines crossing the or Atlantic flyways, though they pose headwinds in spring that can delay northward progress and increase fatigue. , including seabirds and cetaceans, experiences altered migration routes due to northerly winds strengthening coastal and shifting ocean currents, which concentrate prey like and fish northward and influence seasonal movements of such as shearwaters over thousands of miles. In , northerly winds exacerbate frost damage by delivering cold air masses during vulnerable growth stages, causing cellular rupture in crops like grapes, blueberries, and at temperatures below 32°F (0°C), with late-spring events potentially reducing yields by up to 50% in affected orchards. Regional variants, such as the Mistral in the Mediterranean or Bora in the Adriatic, similarly impose these cold stresses on local ecosystems.

Notable Historical Events

In the Battle of Salamis in 480 BCE, a decisive naval engagement during the Second Persian Invasion of Greece, northerly winds played a critical role in aiding the Greek fleet against the Persians. These prevailing summer winds in the , blowing from the north, helped trap the larger Persian armada in the narrow straits, limiting their maneuverability while favoring the more agile Greek triremes under . The shift to a morning combined with the Etesians scattered Persian vessels, contributing to the Greeks' victory that halted Persian expansion into Europe. The , one of the most violent extratropical cyclones to strike , featured intense northerly gales in its later phases that exacerbated destruction across and the . Originating as a deep low-pressure system, the storm's center moved northeast, shifting winds from southerly to northerly directions by , sustaining hurricane-force gusts up to 100 mph that sank over a dozen ships, including HMS Association, and caused an estimated 8,000 to 15,000 deaths. These northerly winds uprooted 300,000 trees, demolished thousands of structures, and dispersed debris across the Channel, marking a pivotal blow to British naval power during the . During the "" in 1816, persistent northerly winds across and intensified cold snaps following the massive eruption of in 1815, leading to widespread crop failures and famine. In the , steady north winds brought blasts of snow and ice through and , with frosts occurring as far south as and , reducing average summer temperatures by up to 3°C and causing lakes to remain frozen into late summer. This atmospheric pattern amplified the volcanic cooling effect, displacing thousands and sparking migrations, including to the American Midwest. In the 1930s Dust Bowl era, persistent northerly winds across the Great Plains of the United States worsened the decade-long drought by eroding exposed topsoil and spreading dust clouds that reduced visibility to near zero. During major events like the Black Sunday storm of April 14, 1935, northerlies gusting to 60 mph lifted approximately 300,000 tons of soil from overfarmed lands in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas, creating "black blizzards" that buried farms under drifts up to 12 inches deep and exacerbated respiratory illnesses among the population. These winds, often associated with cold fronts, transported dust as far as the Atlantic Coast, contributing to the displacement of over 2.5 million people and transforming fertile prairies into barren wastelands. In more recent history, in February 2021 exemplified the impacts of northerly winds when a disrupted allowed frigid to surge into the , causing temperatures to drop below 0°F (-18°C) across and leading to widespread power outages, over 200 deaths, and an estimated $195 billion in damages from the resulting cold snap and infrastructure failures.

References

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