A few weeks ago, I posted a picture of a MI lighthouse and its
pier covered with ice. The picture was a good example of the harsh conditions some
lighthouse keepers had to endure to do their work.
The other day a friend made a statement that he wouldn’t
want to have been a lighthouse keeper in the winter time. I knew he was referring
to the picture mentioned above, and I had to agree with him because I too don’t
like cold weather. People asked me if I have taken any pictures of lighthouses in
the snow. No, because of the cold and I never visited lighthouses during the winter months.
Many U.S. lighthouses get ice and snow covered
during the winter. However, there are also many located where temperatures do
not get down to freezing. For example; on the west coast of CA, south coast of
TX, most of the FL coast, and HI. Regardless of the lighthouse’s location, its keepers
worked hard and long hours to perform their duties. Most all of the keepers had
to deal with storms, i.e. wind, dust, hurricane, ice, and or snow. For those keepers
who had to contend daily with ice and snow in the winter, their job was even
harder.
In contrast, and to end this post on a warmer note, the Key West Lighthouse,
pictured below, is Florida’s most “urban” lighthouse. The tower stands 85 feet
tall and its keepers over the years have enjoyed average low winter temperatures of about 64
degrees. No ice or snow for those
keepers, but instead, at times they had to deal with hurricanes.
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