The Surprising Science Behind Why Cold Air Feels So Good-and Where to Breathe the World's Cleanest Air

"In late November, the Finnish destination revealed its survey, which found that 73 percent of respondents said they love the feeling of "breathing in crisp winter air," and 74 percent said that " time spent outdoors in winter boosts their mental wellbeing." It also noted that two-thirds (63 percent) said that "winter air smells fresher and cleaner than any other season." And, as Santa's Lapland found, there's actual science to back up that belief."

""Warmer air allows the molecules within the space to move more rapidly, expand, and in effect, become more intense, indeed far more noticeable-like the aroma of milk heating on the stove," Dale said. However, Dale explained, with cold air, human-made scents are more contained, while natural and seminatural ones, like those "festive" scents of pine trees and wood fires, can smell cleaner and fresher in winter."

""Dale also explained that snow and frost can act as natural scent filters, as the cold air produced by these weather events naturally reduces our "olfactory receptors," aka the molecules that enable our sense of smell, so we tend to detect fewer smells in cold air. For example, a farmyard full of manure might well be less discernible given a reasonable snow cover, with the snow acting as a natural purifier," Dale said."

Seventy-three percent of respondents reported loving the feeling of breathing in crisp winter air, 74 percent reported that time outdoors in winter boosts mental wellbeing, and 63 percent reported that winter air smells fresher and cleaner. Cold temperatures reduce the intensity of human-made scents by slowing molecular motion, making artificial odors less noticeable while allowing natural scents like pine and wood smoke to register as cleaner. Snow and frost function as natural scent filters and cold conditions reduce olfactory receptor activity, causing fewer smells to be detected. These factors combine to make winter air feel fresher and more invigorating.

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