My wife made an insightful observation this morning at breakfast while listening to the quiet chatter among patrons and staff of the Pancake Station restaurant on Virginia Circle.

“I wonder,” she said, “if people in Alaska talk about the cold weather.”

Yep, it seems that the Arctic blast that blew in Wednesday evening has everyone in the Panhandle talking today about one thing: the weather.

Well, as a corollary to her thought, I offer this: If Alaskans do talk about the cold weather, how cold does it need to get before people discuss it? Yes, it’s mighty cold in Amarillo this morning, with wind chill factors around 10-below zero.

To those in, say, Point Barrow, that must seem like swimsuit weather this time of year.