I cannot remember a cold so deep nor so enduring. It arrived on Christmas Day and has been relentless ever since.

Words such as bitter or frigid just don't seem to convey the intensity.

So I'll try to describe it in images and tropes:

It's too cold to snow. The days are blindingly bright and the sky is so blue it's almost indigo. 

When it gets really cold, we get frost filigree all over our porch windows. When it gets even colder, the frost disappears. This is the first time I've witnessed/observed this.

To venture outside, I have to put on a winter coat and then put a down vest over top of that. Dog walks last maybe 5 minutes, and I know exactly how many steps it is to get back from the corner to our house. I count down.

The cold air actually feels like it is searing exposed skin.

The dogs appear to be ''holding it'' and when they do go, it's impressive.

The wiper fluid in my jeep not only froze, it expanded and broke out of the container that holds it.

The snow gets more and more squeaky the colder it gets.

We keep hearing sounds like gunshots. It's tree branches shattering.

And...

Arwen's eyelashes became encrusted in ice after just minutes outside.